Page 12, Whiby Fiee Presa, Wednesday, Deoember 13, 1995 MP ccse CRTC, cable of collusion PROM PAGE 1 $100-million retùnd on behaîf of subecribers by claimtng that only 50 percent of the cash collected for the fund is actually * used te produe programa. The other half goes directly inte company coffers, the group alleges and McTeague agrees. "l think there ta, general support to eep Canadian production alive, but this is flot creating programing," he said. "Canadians have been blindsided by a backroom deal between the CRTC and cable companies which ha. eost themn $100 million since Jan. 1, 1995." According te McTeague, a 1986 CRTC rullng allowed cable companies te recover. costa of capital expenditures from their custemers. But four years later, the com mission amended the decision by ruling that "CAPEX" increaes could only be Justifled on a temporary basis. Ail former and future CAPEX increases would be subject te a "seunsiet provision" and were acheduled te expire after five years. Increases made prior te Jan. 1, 1990e were given special standing and permitted to be kept ln basic cable rates longer than warranted, until Jan. 1, 1995. CAPEX rate increas;es lmposed on subscribers in 1990 and subsequent yeara were only te be charged for a flve-year perlod. As a result, subscribors wore entltled te basic cable rate roductiona ln 1995 and beyond. However, McTéaguo pointa out that là i 1993, the CRTC amended the regulatlona concorning the sunset provision no that cablo companies would no longer have te lower the coat of basic service,. provided they contrlbuted 50 per cent of the deslgnated rebate te the Canadian Program Production Fund. Aside from contzibuting money te this fund, which was supposed te have been rebated te subseribers, McTeague contends, cable companies are also permitted te keep the remaining 50 per cent of the tntended fee reduction for themeelves, he dlaims. While the CRTC ha. yet te decide if it will hold a hearing inte the consumer group's complaint, the issue may. ultimately end up before Parliament, MeTeague said. For-instance, the Broadcast Act does flot permit the creation of a regulation which allows cable television subscribers te be charged for the cost of a fund for Canadian programnming. This i. further evidence, MeTeague said, of the need for Ottawa to review the commission's mandate. 'Parliament delegated authority in communications- te an independent body (ORTO) and over the years its done a good job," said McTeague. "But -there have been a number of crashes in the performance of the regulatory body, je: the consumer revoit over specialty channels." McTeague was referring te hi. and others' successful fight earlier this year against "negative option" I r DR. MICHAEL GREENGLASS 220 Dundas St. W. #102 (Dundas-Centre Médical Building) Whitby - Li N 2M3 430-4822 Evenings & Saturdays Emergencies & New Patients Welcome 1 -«Rummmwp- -q a marketing whtch would have forced cable custemers te, buy new speclalty channels or lose existing progmae. In addition to subscribers paying as; much as $600 million over the next five years "te, get only $300 'million worth of production," rates vary among companies, McTeague satld. Trilliumn Cable custemers in Pickering pay only 85 eonta per month whereas Rogers Cable subseribers pay between $3.50 and $4.50, hoe said. "If the Canadian production fund las so Important, why do not alI Canadians contribute equally?" 0McTeague does flot object te ovoryone paying a fee of $1 te, $2 to save the CBC," for Instance, "but not when the resîdents of Whitby are being charged four timea more than Pickering or almoet double what MacLean Hunter charges In Ajax." CRTC spokesperson Lise Plouffe sald the commission had no comment on, the citizen association's complaint or McTeague's charges. However, Plouffe provlded The Free Press with a copy of the commission'. March 29 atatement Issued In response te director Keith Mahar's Ontario court challenge of the 1993 ORTO decision. The court subsequently ruled that It had no juriediction in the matter. "As the regulator of the Canadian broadeasting system, the CRTC must maintain balance between the interests of ail its publics -- consumers, creators and distributors," the release states. "Thfe commission's decisions are aiways taken after open public process - in this case, a nationally teievised hearing which, two years ago, considered 710 written submissions, and 126 oral presentations. "Inevitabiy, and taken in isolation, some decisions can be made te appear te favour one group over another. But in the long run, we must seek a balance of intereste. Parliamnet' own Broadcast Act obliges us te maintain this balance..." The reiease goes on te state that consumera want e"quality Canadian choices," but without the support for "htgh-standard Canadian programs" offered by the production fund, the choices would be limited. 'Thi. destre for* Canadian choices is fliot just what Parliament basi clearly expressed in the Broadcasting Act. The commission belteves that ta; also what the great majority of Canadians support," it adds. Sylvie Powell, spokesperson for the Canadian Cable Television Association representing 71 companies or "95 per cent" of the lndustry, said Mahar's and MéTeague's charges are groundlesa. 'This isn't new. Mr. Mahar teok it te court and was teld te, go te the CRTC and he's done lt," said Powell. 'tWe'll be happy te participate," she said. Powell said the production fund i. "absoiutely essential" if Canadians are to "have a voice on the information htghway." She noted that 165 Canadian productions have been funded by the "$50 million collected" and that the cable industry i. aiso using the money te upgrade its infrastructure. "None of this was done in secret," Powell insisted. I sat in at the public hearing for an entire month. The decision was issued in a public forum." Powell then chaiienged McTeague tW document bis cdaim of an industry windfail. "I'd like to' know how he's coming out with these numbers. Even we don't know what it will be in the endý" Lot Zýevy revam MR OM PAGE 1 municipalities te recover "growth related capital costa for major municipal services. "We're not going to our taxpayers and ask them to subaidize developers," he added. Scouts rate the french fries lot Whitby Scouts rated North End Burger'. french files as the beat offour Whitby establishments judged recently. Sixteen Scouts and leaders undertook a "rigorous evaluation based on taste, quantity and value," of french files at North End Burger, Hlarvey's, New York Files and Starr Burger. Runner-up was Starr Burger in the evaluation that ha. become a lot Whitby tradition. Councillor Marcel Brnelle said any rgduction in the charges will affect the way Whitby can finance major projects such as an te arena. 'If's a huge stop backwards that will sigmificantly impact on this municipality," said Brunelle. . Following the meeting, Mitchell told reporters the figures he cited did flot include Durham Region's or the school boards' portions of the approirimately $14,000 in overali development fees. Copies of councils resolution will be forwarded te the Association of- Municipalities of Ontario for its endorsement and te local MIPPs Jim Flaherty (Durham Centre) and John OToole (Durhamn East). Answers to Whitby Tnivia from page i1I 1. Whitby United chiurch became St. Mark's United Church in 1962. 2. -Mrs. George Conrad Gross was known as the "Duchess of Whitby" 100 years ago. 3. An autograph qulit presented to the wife of the pastor when Myrtie United Church was opened in 1909, was returned in 1977. 4. The old St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholie Church at Palace and John streets is now a l5ed and breakfast facility for tourists. DEAR READERS: Send us your Christmas poems, short stories, or letters to Sanxta. We wîll be publishing a selection of these on Dec. 2Oth * ~ WHITBY FREE PRESS 151 Brock St. N. Box 206, Whitby LiN 5S1 We're opening our doors on the above date (Hours: 9- 1) - and offering lots of in-store specials and discounts. Corne in and see the many convenient postal produets and services available at our outiet. We're much more than stamps! Whitby Postal Station 200 Dundas St. E. Whitby, ON 1 AUTOIE FUL SRICEPSTA OT ' Ted and Mary, previous owners of Ffreploe Restaurant in Whitby would Mew fa wish ai of sur wusfonirs Soason's Greotings from sur new location in Ajax. HOMEMAD L OE'ê URI a OPEN 7DAYS AWEEK 465 BAYLY ST. W., AJAX (CORNER WESTNEY RD.) Breakfast 3 eggs, toast, homefries, ham Includes: bacon or sausage and coffee BREAKFAST BREAKFAST BREAKFAST F R I< AST NO. 1 NO. 2 NO.3S Zgo s -118ii E 1 0 00 , j [ Ill<