OLA and CFLA to CRTC: Why Public Libraries and Community TV Make Sense
October 18, 2017
Representatives of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) and the Ontario Library Association (OLA) appeared before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)—Canada’s broadcast regulator— on how public libraries can partner in Community TV.
Daphne Wood (Director of Communications and Development at the Greater Victoria Public Library / BC Representative, CFLA Board of Directors) and consultant John Savage spoke about how Canada’s public libraries are well positioned to provide support to local community broadcasting and programming.
Why public libraries and Community TV make sense:
Public libraries bring five unique capabilities to the Community TV program:
- They are aware of their community’s diverse interests and needs, and able to provide appropriate programming;
- They have a mandate to train and assist people in learning and creating;
- They are accountable, as public institutions to local municipalities and funding bodies that contribute to them;
- They are collaborative with each other and other stakeholders (such as those groups identified by CACTUS [Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations]), innovating new programs based on best practices; and,
- Lastly they provide an existing national infrastructure of public space, technology, expertise, and collections as innovation incubators.
Some proposals:
We propose that if funds are diverted from Community TV to local new stations that invest in Community Media Centres hosted by public libraries as well. This would allow citizens the capability to develop stories on issues they care about most. Even enabling citizen journalists to cover stories the mainstream media won’t.
Other options to consider – There are various options for the Commission to consider that fit within its current policy and that do not require major changes to the way the program operates.
These include:
- Encourge BDUs [broadcasting distribution undertaking] to partner with public libraries and fund their activities to support community television.
- Allow TV Corporations to be established and funded in underserved communities, as is the practice in Quebec.
- Allow public libraries to apply for CATV [community antenna television] funds and licences on their own. This would require a new category of community broadcaster.
- Fund public libraries to assist in the archiving of community television content.
Documents:
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