New CRTC Questionnaire Asks Broadcasters About Their Diversity Practices, Raising Concerns About Ideological Creep

By Lee Harding

The CRTC is asking Canadian broadcasters for extensive details on their diversity and inclusion initiatives in hiring and broadcasting.

In a four-page letter sent May 1 by email, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) asked broadcasters six questions on their “program offerings and employment opportunities,” apparently to determine if they meet the requirements of the Online Streaming Act and amendments to the Broadcasting Act related to diversity.

“This includes the representation of Canadians from Black or other racialized communities and Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, abilities and disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and ages,” the letter says.

“Further, broadcasters must provide opportunities to Indigenous persons and programming that reflects Indigenous cultures and languages.” 

The letter gave a deadline of June 3 to reply and notes that it and all subsequent correspondence “will be made available on the CRTC website and may be included in the public record of future CRTC public proceedings.”

The Online Streaming Act, also known as Bill C-11, which received royal assent on April 27, 2023, marked the first significant amendment to the Broadcasting Act since 1991. The letter called the legislation “an opportunity to modernize the CRTC regulatory framework on diversity and inclusion.”

The letter also acknowledges the broadcasting industry’s efforts to “increase representation” and provide content to Canadians “that reflects their diverse experiences and perspectives.”

David Haskell, an associate professor of digital media and journalism at Wilfred Laurier University, said his first impression of the letter was that it was an attempt to impose an ideology. 

“My immediate concerns were that this was another litmus test by our federal government and the CRTC … to make sure they had evidence in order to punish those who do not align with them ideologically,” he said in an interview. 

Mr. Haskell sees parallels between the way the federal government is using the CRTC to enforce diversity and the way some multinational firms have made disclosures on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives necessary to receive investment dollars.

“[It’s] an insidious means by which [the government] can determine who is politically aligned with them. And ultimately, the answers that you write down on that questionnaire will determine the extent to which you receive funding or you receive other privileges that are doled out federally,” he said. 

Peter Menzies, a former vice chair of telecommunications at the CRTC and now a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a contributor to The Epoch Times, says the regulator was bound by the terms of the Online Streaming Act to send this type of letter investigating diversity practices.

“We knew it was coming. When you see it in black and white, it’s a lot more stark,” Mr. Menzies said in an interview.

“It is an intervention into the independence of broadcasters,“ he added. ”This is a new level, though.”

‘Identify Key Policy Changes’

The CRTC said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times that the letter is part of the regulatory agency’s effort to update Canada’s regulatory framework on diversity and inclusion in broadcasting as a result of the adoption of Bill C-11.

“As a starting point, we have reached out to traditional broadcasters, industry associations, and online streaming services to gather information on their current diversity and inclusion practices. Soon, we will consult with equity-deserving individuals and communities, industry stakeholders, advocacy groups, academia, and the Canadian public to gather their insights,” spokesperson Mirabella Salem wrote in response to The Epoch Times’ query on the types of content providers that received the letter.

“We aim to identify key policy changes that will foster diversity and inclusion across Canada’s broadcasting landscape, ensuring that content from all platforms authentically reflects the varied experiences of Canadians,” Ms. Salem added.

“As stated in the Broadcasting Act, this includes individuals from Black and other racialized communities and Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, abilities and disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and ages.”

The Epoch Times had also asked what the consequences or follow-up might be if the regulator determines that certain responses are unsatisfactory, but the CRTC’s emailed statement did not address this question. 

Questions

The questionnaire asks how the organization includes “diverse voices and perspectives in the decision-making process for content curation and creation,” how it collaborates with stakeholders such as community groups or industry associations, and how it measures the “effectiveness of its diversity policies and initiatives.”

Another question asks how diversity and inclusion policies are integrated into the organization’s “overall business strategies and operations” and “different departments or functions within the organization.”

Yet another question asks, “How does the organization address cultural appropriation, stereotypes, and misrepresentation in their content on their platforms? What are the strategies employed to tackle these concerns?”

As a social scientist, Mr. Haskell found the effort to eradicate stereotypes “interesting” but misguided.

“There are negative stereotypes that are not rooted in evidence and we should do our best to get rid of them. But this blanket [questionnaire] statement about ‘what are you doing to get rid of stereotypes?’ should cause us all great concern,” he said. 

“Because what it could mean from [the CRTC] is that anything that is factually uncomfortable—what are you doing to get rid of it?” 

Logistical Challenges

Mr. Menzies said the diversity of the Canadian public is motivation enough for broadcasters to appeal to various kinds of people without intervention from the government.

“One would think that [in a] society as diverse as ours, market forces would drive those outcomes,” Mr. Menzies said.

“Being forced to do it through some sort of regulatory fiat is an entirely different thing.”

An extensive question by the CRTC asks, “How does the organization ensure that its content reflects the diversity of Canadian society, including the representation of Canadians from Black or other racialized communities, Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, individuals from various socio-economic statuses, individuals with different abilities and disabilities, and Canadians who self-identify as 2SLGBTQI+4? Are there differences in the types of content produced depending on the geographic reach of the content?”

Mr. Menzies questioned how the requirement would apply to cultural programming such as the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).

“Why should they have to report on what they’re doing to better represent black people?” he said.

“Their job is to put the aboriginal voice out there. More diversity from APTN, that works against APTN’s opportunities to be successful in the marketplace.”

Mr. Menzies also questions how broadcasters will have the capacity to respond.

“There are companies all over the place right now counting heads. Do they run around and ask people if they’re gay? I mean, how do you figure out how representative you are? I don’t know that the HR department lets you ask that question,” Mr. Menzies said.

“It’s going to be quite a bit of work for people within the system. Everybody will probably try to do everything they can to get back and say, ‘Hey, we’re good. We’ve got it covered. Nothing to see here. Move on.’”

Editor’s note: This article was updated after receiving a response from CRTC. 

Source: Epoch Times