Statement by Ministers Guilbeault and Bains on the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel Final Report
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, thank the external panel for its work on the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel Final Report
OTTAWA, Jan. 29, 2020 /CNW/ - The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, made the following statement on the release of the final report of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review, Canada's Communications Future: Time to Act.
"Today we received the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel Final Report, Canada's Communications Future: Time to Act. This fully independent body was set up to inform the modernization of the Broadcasting Act, the Telecommunications Act, and the Radiocommunications Act, three key laws that govern Canada's telecommunications and broadcasting sector.
We would like to thank panel Chair Ms. Janet Yale, the panel members and their support staff for their ambitious work. They have worked tirelessly to conduct extensive consultations across the country and developed this report, and its 97 recommendations, for our consideration.
We will carefully consider each one of the panel's recommendations and act as quickly as possible to modernize Canada's legislative framework in the broadcasting and telecommunications sector.
Reforms are needed to level the playing field on which conventional broadcasters and digital media companies compete. Our priority is to ensure that all media companies that operate in Canada develop Canadian content and contribute to the Canadian system. Canadian stories should be accessible to all.
Our government is committed to promoting affordable, high-quality Internet and wireless services, and net neutrality. We will use this report to strengthen our agenda, which is already underway.
We recognize that, for Canada's culture to keep flourishing and for our economy to keep growing, we need to ensure that Canada's telecommunications and broadcasting landscape is properly aligned with today's digital age."
Quick Facts
In June 2018, the Government of Canada appointed an external panel to review three pieces of legislation that govern Canada's communications sector: the Telecommunications Act and Radiocommunications Act, and the Broadcasting Act.
This panel conducted extensive consultations with industry officials and academic experts, covering issues such as digital content creation and net neutrality.
After extensive research and consultations, the panel issued an interim report in June 2019 and was mandated to deliver a final report to Minister Guilbeault and Minister Bains by the end of January 2020.
Associated Links
Canada's Communications Future: Time to Act
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
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