In January 2020 the Forum intervened in the licence renewal applications filed by several groups of broadcasters. We argued that the CRTC should not grant full-term licence renewals (5 to 7 years) to broadcasters that had breached the CRTC’s regulations or their own licence conditions, had reduced their commitment to Canadian programming and/or had offered little or no explanation of the programs designed specifically for the communities they are licensed to serve. We also pointed out the very low levels of national and/or international news proposed by the applicants.
The Forum also asked – as provided by the CRTC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (section 29) – for a copy of information about the employment levels at the stations operated by Rogers and Corus, and to which the companies alluded in their applications. Neither company provided the information.