CRTC licence postings and CTA freight cap

Summary#

The Canada Gazette, Part I (published November 27, 2021) carried a set of postings from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission that listed broadcasting licence applications, consultations and decisions posted between November 12 and November 18, 2021. The issue also published a Canadian Transportation Agency Determination setting the adjusted maximum freight amount at $2,102,000 for the three‑year period ending March 31, 2024, and a batch of permissions from the Public Service Commission of Canada allowing specific federal employees to run in provincial or municipal elections.

What it does#

• Lists Part 1 applications posted by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission between November 12 and November 18, 2021. These entries name broadcasters and local stations and give deadlines for public comments (mostly December 16, 2021 and December 17, 2021).
• Publishes administrative decisions and notices of consultation from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, including notice numbers and hearing or filing deadlines (the notices show deadlines of January 12, 2021, which appears inconsistent with the November 2021 publication).
• Records final decisions published by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (decision numbers and publication dates are listed).
• Publishes a determination by the Canadian Transportation Agency (Determination No. R-2021-166, dated November 9, 2021) that sets the adjusted maximum amount of freight charges at $2,102,000 for the three‑year period ending March 31, 2024.
• Lists permissions and leaves granted by the Public Service Commission of Canada under the Public Service Employment Act. Examples include permission for Jessica Edith Alexander and others to seek nomination and, in some cases, a leave of absence to be candidates in provincial or municipal elections held on dates such as August 17, 2021 and November 7, 2021.

Who's affected#

• Local broadcasters and media companies named in the CRTC postings. Their licence renewals, amendments, or complaints are the subjects of the listed items.
• Radio and television audiences in the named communities (for example, Kamloops, Medicine Hat, Prince George, Calgary and others) who could see changes to local service if licences are renewed, amended, or denied.
• People or organizations who want to submit interventions or comments by the listed deadlines (mostly December 16, 2021/December 17, 2021).
• Shippers, carriers and businesses that use federally regulated transportation services. The $2,102,000 adjusted maximum freight amount could affect compensation limits or claims in the regulated freight context.
• Federal public servants named in the notices and local voters in the jurisdictions where those employees ran for office.

Why it matters#

• The CRTC postings are where the public and interested parties learn about licence changes and get a chance to comment. That affects local media availability and programming in specific communities.
• The Canadian Transportation Agency figure ($2,102,000, through March 31, 2024) sets a monetary ceiling that can influence how freight disputes and claims are handled. That can matter to businesses that ship goods across regulated carriers.
• The permissions granted by the Public Service Commission of Canada show how public servants can participate in elections while managing conflicts with their federal jobs. That affects both the employees named and voters in the local elections they contest.
• Note: the Gazette item lists some consultation deadlines as January 12, 2021, which conflicts with the November 2021 publication dates in the same item. The source is unclear on whether those deadlines are typographical errors.