EthnicChannelsGroupLimited

Applicationforanationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceofferingnewsandinformationprogrammingaswellasotherhigh-qualityprogrammingforCanada’sdiversecommunities

Fordistributiononthedigitalbasicservicepursuanttosection9(1)(h)oftheBroadcastingAct

BroadcastingNoticesofConsultationCRTC2017-154and2017-154-1

6November2017

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TableofContents

A. EXECUTIVESUMMARY 3

B. INTRODUCTION 7

C. ABOUTETHNICCHANNELSGROUPLIMITED 9

D. CANADA’SMULTICULTURALCOMMUNITIES 15

E. THECRTC’SCALLFORAPPLICATIONSFORA 19NATIONALMULTI-ETHNICTELEVISIONSERVICEOFFERINGNEWSANDINFORMATIONPROGRAMMINGASWELLASOTHERHIGH-QUALITYCONTENT

F. EXTRAORDINARYNEEDFORANEWNATIONAL 20

MULTILINGUALMULTI-ETHNICTELEVISIONSERVICE

G. ECGL’SPROPOSEDNATIONALMULTILINGUAL 21MULTI-ETHNICTELEVISIONSERVICEFORCANADIANS

H. DIGITALSTRATEGYFOROURPROPOSEDSERVICE 30

I. ADVISORYCOUNCILFOROURPROPOSEDSERVICE 31

J. STRONGBUSINESSPLANTHATSUPPORTSECGL 32

NATIONALMULTILINGUALMULTI-ETHNICTELEVISIONSERVICE

K. ECGL’SPROPOSALMEETSALLOFTHECRITERIAFOR 34MANDATORYDISTRIBUTIONONTHEDIGITALBASICSERVICE

L. CONCLUSION 36

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A. ExecutiveSummaryi) EthnicChannelsGroupLimited(“ECGL”)isverypleasedtofilethisapplication

withtheCanadianRadio-televisionandTelecommunicationsCommission(“CRTC”or“Commission”)foranexcitingnewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice,entitledVoices,thatwilloffernewsandinformationprogrammingaswellasotherhigh-qualityprogrammingreflectiveofCanada’svibrantandgrowingmulticulturalcommunities.

ii) ECGLisaleadingindependentCanadianmulticulturalbroadcaster.Establishedover12yearsago,wehaveextensiveexperienceofferingawiderangeofhigh-qualitythird-languageethnictelevisionservicestoCanadiansinmorethan20languageseachweek.ECGLcurrentlyowns,operatesandmanagesmorethan80ethnicandthird-languagetelevisionprogrammingservicesinCanadaandaroundtheworld.

iii) Canada’smulticulturalcommunitiesareanimportantandintegralpartofour

country’sdemographicandculturallandscape.Theyverymuchneed,deserveandrequireadedicatednationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.

iv) ECGL’sproposednewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicewill

beanopen,accessibleandrelevantmediaspaceforallCanadians,acrossallprovincesandterritoriesinCanada.OurservicewillconnectCanadianstooneanother,andwillpromoteinclusiveness,tolerance,awarenessandvisibilityforCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiesonanationalplatform.

v) Toreachabroadaudience,weproposenationaldistributionofourserviceonamandatorybasisondigitalbasic,forCanadiansacrossthecountry,pursuanttosection9(1)(h)oftheBroadcastingAct.Weproposeaseven-yearlicencetermforournewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.

vi) ECGLhascarefullydesignedauniqueandimportanttelevisionservicethat

willcontributeinaverymeaningfulandexceptionalwaytothefulfillmentofthepublicpolicyobjectivesoftheBroadcastingAct.Wehavedevelopedacomprehensiveprogrammingstrategythatwillmakean

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exceptionalcontributiontoCanadianexpression,aswellastothereflectionofCanadianattitudes,opinions,ideas,valuesandartisticcreativityontelevision.

vii) Toachievethis,wewilltakeadvantageofthecapabilitiesofexistingdistributiontechnologies–whichareideallysuitedtoservingCanada'smulticulturalcommunities.Inthisregard,akeyelementofourproposalisthatVoiceswillprovideanimportantportionofourprogramminginmultiplelanguagessimultaneouslyusingmultiplelanguagefeeds.

viii) Wewillbeginbyofferingprogrammingin10differentlanguagesusingthemultiplelanguagefeedsinthefirstyearofoperation,quicklyincreasingto15inthesecondyearand20inthethirdyear.Bythefourthyearofoperationandthereafter,weproposetoofferprogrammingin25differentlanguagessimultaneouslyusingthemultiplelanguagefeeds.NoothermulticulturaltelevisionserviceinCanadaoffersthislevelofmultilingualserviceordedicationtoCanada’sdiverseaudiences.

ix) Weproposetomanage,operateandbroadcastthreedistinctregional

programmingfeeds.Thethreelocalfeedswillbe:EasternCanada,WesternCanadaandCentralCanada.ThiswillensureextensivelocalandregionalreflectionofCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiesonVoices.Atleast40hoursofcontenteachweekoneachprogrammingfeedwillbelocalorregionalnewsandinformationprogrammingtargetedtocommunitiesineachapplicableregion.

x) ECGLwillensurethatatleast90%oftheprogrammingonourservicewillconsistofethnicprograms,asdefinedintheCommission’sEthnicBroadcastingPolicy.And,atleast25ethniccommunitieswillbeservedbyourserviceduringeachbroadcastmonth.Ourprogrammingwillbeavailableinatleast25languagesduringeachbroadcastmonth.

xi) ECGLwillmakeanexceptionalcontributiontoCanadianexpression,throughbothexhibitionandexpenditurerequirements.ECGLwillexceedminimumobligationsthatarenormallyrequiredofdiscretionaryservices,andwillensurethatnolessthan75%ofthebroadcastdayand85%oftheeveningbroadcastperiod(6:00p.m.tomidnight)willconsistofCanadianprograms.

xii) WithregardtoCanadianprogrammingexpenditures,ECGLproposestospendaminimumof60%ofrevenuesonCanadianprogramming

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throughoutthelicenceterm.Weproposetospend3%ofthepreviousyear’srevenuesonCanadianprogramsofnationalinterest(“PNI”or“ProgramsofNationalInterest”)toensurethatCanada’sethniccommunitieshaveaccessto-onanationalandcost-effectiveplatform-Canadianprogramsofnationalimportance,includingdocumentaries,musicandvarietyandanationalannualmulticulturalawardsashow.

xiii) ECGL’sproposedservicewillmakeanexceptionalcommitmenttothecreationandpresentationoforiginalfirst-runCanadianprograms.Tothatend,ournewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnicserviceiscommittedtobroadcastingapproximately170hoursperweekoforiginalfirst-runCanadianprogramsthroughoutthelicenceterm,acrossallthreeregionalfeeds.

xiv) Ourproposedservicewillcontributeinanexceptionalmannertotheoverallobjectivesofthedigitalbasicservicesetoutinparagraph10ofCriteriaforassessingapplicationsformandatorydistributionofitsserviceonthedigitalbasicservice,BroadcastingRegulatoryPolicy2010-629,andwillcontributeinanexceptionalmannertoanumberofkeyobjectivesoftheBroadcastingActincluding:maintainingandenhancingCanadianidentityandculturalsovereignty,aswellasreflectingethno-culturaldiversityandIndigenouspeoplesinCanadiansocietyontelevision.

xv) Ourexcitingnewmulticulturalandmultilingualtelevisionservicewillfocusonthird-languagelocal,regional,nationalandinternationalnewsandinformationprogramming.Itwillshowcaseengaging,entertainingandenlighteningmulticulturalandthird-languagepremiumandchildren’sprogrammingfromCanadaandaroundtheworld.Ourservicewill,therefore,provideavariedandcomprehensiveprogrammingschedulethatpresentsabalanceofinformativeandentertainmentprogramming,atanaffordablecostforCanadiansacrossthecountry.

xvi) ECGLhasdevelopedadigitalstrategythatwillcomplementournational

multiculturaltelevisionservice.Itwillprovideouraudienceswiththeopportunitytoaccess,discoverandenjoytheprogrammingonourserviceacrossplatformswhereandwhentheywant.Itwillallowaudiencestoremainconnectedtotheprogrammingonourservicethatisimportanttothem.

xvii) TheCommissionhasrecognizedthatthereisanexceptionalneedfora

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national,multi-ethnictelevisionservicethatcanprovideCanadianswithprogramming,includingnewsandinformationprogramming,inmultiplelanguagesfromaCanadianperspective.1ECGLagrees.WecommendtheCommissionformakingthisdeterminationandforinitiatingthispublicproceeding.

xviii) TheconsumersurveypreparedbyEthnicityMulticulturalMarketingInc.for

ECGLinviewofthisapplicationshowsthereisstronginterestanddemandforanewnationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceinCanada.TheEthnicityStudyisattachedasAppendixAtothisSupplementaryBrief.

xix) TheEthnicityStudyshowsthatCanada’sethniccommunitiesarenotableto

accesssufficientlocal,regionalornationalnewsandinformationprogramming,inmultiplelanguages,fromaCanadianperspectiveontelevisiontoday.Additionally,theEthnicityStudyshowsthereiswidespreadacceptabilityforECGL’sproposedmonthlywholesalerateof$0.23forournationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.

xx) Tohelpsupportandimplementournationaltelevisionservice’sbroad

mandate,ECGLwillestablishacross-culturalAdvisoryCouncilforourproposednationaltelevisionservicethatwillbecomposedofmembersofCanada’sethniccommunitiesfromacrossthecountry.OurAdvisoryCouncilwilladviseonprogrammingstrategymattersaswellasethnicandlinguisticcommunitiestobeserved.TheAdvisoryCouncilwilldiscusskeyissuesrelevanttoCanada’sdiversecommunitiesandserveasanoutreachforethniccommunities.

xxi) ECGLisveryexcitedaboutthisnationalbroadcastopportunity.Asaleading

multiculturalbroadcasterinCanada,wehavedevelopedclosetieswithinCanada’smulticulturalcommunities,thebroadcastinganddistributionindustries,themulticulturalindependentproductioncommunityandtheglobalmediaenvironment.

xxii) Weunderstandtheprofoundimportanceofacomprehensivemultilingual

multi-ethnictelevisionservicetoourcountry’scultural,political,socialandeconomicfabric.AccordingtodatarecentlyreleasedbyStatisticsCanada,

1Callforapplicationsforanational,multilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceofferingnewsandinformationprogramming,BroadcastingNoticeofConsultationCRTC2017-154,15May2017.

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fully78%ofrecentimmigrantstoCanadaidentifya"third-language"(i.e.alanguageotherthanEnglishorFrench)astheirmothertongue.

xxiii) Morethan60%ofrecentimmigrantsuseathirdlanguagemostoftenathome,ratherthanEnglishorFrench.2ConnectingwithnewCanadians,andwithmoreestablishedimmigrantpopulations,andprovidingaprimarylevelofrelevantCanadiannewsandinformationprogrammingtothesecommunitiesshouldbeapriorityforourbroadcastingsystem.OurservicewillfulfillthisfunctionforCanadiansinallprovincesandterritoriesofourcountry,in25differentlanguages,atanaffordablecost.

xxiv) ECGL’sproposednationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicemeetsallofthecriteriaformandatorydistributiononthedigitalbasicservicesetoutinBroadcastingRegulatoryPolicyCRTC2010-629.Indeed,ourproposednationaltelevisionservicewillcontributeinameaningfulandexceptionalwaytothefulfillmentofthepolicyobjectivesoftheBroadcastingAct.

xxv) ECGLiswell-positionedtoprovideaforward-looking,importantandexceptionalmultilingualandmulti-ethnictelevisionexperienceforCanada’sethniccommunities.WeurgetheCommissiontoapproveourapplicationforanationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnictelevisionservicetobedistributedondigitalbasicacrossthecountry.

B. Introduction1. EthnicChannelsGroupLimited(“ECGL”)isverypleasedtofilethisapplicationfor

anewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicethatwillofferhigh-qualitynewsandinformationprogramingaswellasotherengagingprogramming,fordistributionondigitalbasicacrossCanada,3atanaffordablerate.OurnewnationalservicewillbecalledVoicesandwillfocusonthe

2StatisticsCanada,LinguisticintegrationofimmigrantsandofficiallanguagepopulationsinCanada,CensusofPopulation,2016.http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016017/98-200-x2016017-eng.cfm

3DigitalbasicincludesallDTH,cableandIPTVservices,includingBDUskinnybasicpackagesestablishedpursuanttoBroadcastingRegulatoryPolicy2015-96.

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presentationofinformativeandentertainingprogrammingthatisrelevanttoandreflectiveofCanada’svibrantmultilingualandmulti-ethniccommunities.

2. ECGLisapremierCanadianindependentethnicbroadcasterandhasproudlyservedethniccommunitiesacrossCanada–andaroundtheworld–forover12years.Wecurrentlyown,operateandmanagemorethan80ethnictelevisionservicesthatofferprogramminginmorethan20languages.Assuch,wehavedevelopedadeepunderstandingoftheneeds,interests,challengesandaspirationsofCanada’smanymultilingualandmulti-ethniccommunities.ECGLisveryexcitedaboutthisnationalbroadcastopportunity.

3. ECGLhascarefullydesignedaunique,forward-lookingandexceptionallyimportanttelevisionservicethatwillcontributeinameaningfulwaytothefulfillmentofthepublicpolicyobjectivesoftheBroadcastingAct.WehavedevelopedaninnovativeandcomprehensiveprogrammingstrategythatwillmakeanexceptionalcontributiontoCanadianexpression,andreflectsCanadianattitudes,opinions,ideas,valuesandartisticcreativityontelevision.

4. AkeyelementofourproposalisinclusivenessforallCanadians.Indeed,Voices

willserveasahubforCanada’smulticulturalcommunities,andwillbeanopen,accessibleandrelevantmediaspaceforallCanadiansacrossallprovincesandterritoriesinthecountry.OneoftheimportantandinnovativewaysinwhichECGLwillachievethisisthroughthebroadcastofprogramminginmultiplelanguagessimultaneouslyduringkeytimeslotsthroughoutthebroadcastday.Ourproposalreliesentirelyonthecapabilitiesofexistingdistributiontechnologies,whicharecurrentlynotbeingusedtotheirfullpotentialinCanada.

5. ECGLapplaudstheCommissionforinitiatingthispublicproceeding.Asleaders

andmembersoftheCanadianethnicmediasector,wefirmlybelievethereisanexceptionalneedanddemandforanewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionprogrammingserviceforCanada’sethno-culturalcommunitiesthatfocusesonnewsandinformation,andprovidesotherengagingentertainmentcontenttomulticulturalcommunities,atanaffordablerate.ThegrowingandvibrantmulticulturalcommunitiesinCanadaverymuchneed,requireanddeserveanationaltelevisionservicethatreflectsCanadianattitudes,opinions,ideas,valuesandartisticcreativityonaregularbasis,atanaffordablecost.

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6. ThefollowingoutlinesindetailourproposalforanationalmultilingualmultiethnictelevisionserviceforCanadians.

C. AboutEthnicChannelsGroupLimited

Ø ECGL’sTelevisionServicesandProgramOfferings7. ECGLisaleadingethnicbroadcasterinCanadathathasfocusedonserving

Canada’sethniccommunitiessinceitsinceptionover12yearsago.Webeganoperatingin2004withonlyfourCategory2televisionservices4inRussian,Tagalog,VietnameseandArabic.Today,ECGLowns,operatesorrepresentsover80ethnicandthird-languagetelevisionservicesthatprovidehigh-qualityinformativeandentertainingprogramminginover20differentlanguagestoCanadiansincluding:Arabic,Bengali,Croatian,Farsi,German,Greek,Hebrew,Hindi,Italian,Macedonian,Mandarin,Marathi,Polish,Portuguese,Punjabi,Russian,Serbian,Spanish,Tagalog,Tamil,Ukrainian,UrduandVietnamese.

8. ECGLprovidesawiderangeofscreen-basedcontenttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiesincludingnews,information,currentaffairs,magazine-styleprograms,politicalcommentary,debates,interviews,documentaries,dramaticseries,telenovelas,featurefilms,lifestyleprogrammingincludingcookingandtravelshows,musicvideos,sportsandeducationalprogramming.PleaseseeattachedatAppendixBatablesettingoutthelistofECGL’sCanadiantelevisionprogrammingservices(exemptanddiscretionaryCanadiantelevisionservices).

9. WeknowofnootherbroadcasterinCanadawithsimilarexperienceinmulticulturalbroadcastingasECGL.

10. WehaveattachedatAppendixClettersfrommulticulturalcommunityleadersaffirmingourstrongleadershiproleasapremiermulticulturalbroadcaster.Thefollowingsetsoutanumberofexcerptsfromtheattachedletters:

• “EthnicChannelsGroupLimitedisaleadingCanadianmulticulturalbroadcasterthatishighlycommittedtoprovidingqualitymediaservicesto

4Category2servicesweresubsequentlydesignatedCategoryBservices,andarenowreferredtoasdiscretionaryservicesundercurrentCRTCpolicies.

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Canada’sethniccommunities.ThismediacompanyisalsoaleaderinprovidingawiderangeofprogrammingandtelevisionservicestoCanada’sSouthAsiancommunities.Atpresent,EthnicChannelsGroup’sextensiveethnicmediaportfolioincludesovertwentySouthAsianChannelsofferingprogramminginHindi,Punjabi,Tamil,MarathiandBengali.ECGLknowsandunderstandstheimportanceofmulticulturalbroadcastinginCanada,andtheneedsfornewCanadianstostayconnectedwiththeirhomelandandheritage.”SringeriVidyaBharathiFoundationCanada,Dr.V.I.Lakshmanan,President.

• “Asanindustryleaderinmulticulturalbroadcasting,EthnicChannelsGroupLtd.certainlyhastheknowledgeandexperiencetoofferafirst-ratenationalmultilingual,multi-ethnicnews,informationandotherprogrammingtelevisionstation.WestronglysupportECGL’sapplication.”KapisananPhilippineCentreforArtsandCulture,NicoleCajucom,ExecutiveDirector.

• “EthnicChannelsGroupLtd.’scurrentportfolioboasts19+ArabicservicesinArabic-andFrench-language,offeringviewersinCanadaawiderangeoftheverybestprogrammingreflectiveofourcommunity.ECGLhasbeenservingmulticulturalcommunitiesacrossCanadaforover10years,andhasalwaysbeenhighlyrespectfulofCanada’sdiversity.ForthisreasonandmanyotherswearehopefulthatECGLwillobtainthenational,multilingual,multiethnictelevisionservicelicenseaswefeelthereisnobettercompanyinourmarkettobestservetheneedsofCanada’smulticulturalcommunities.”ArabCommunityCentreofToronto,HudaBukhari,ExecutiveDirector.

• “ProvidingCanadianswithaccesstonewsandinformationintheirnativelanguagewithaCanadianperspectiveisimperativetoourimmigrantcommunities,particularlyourMandarinspeakingpopulation,whichcontinuestobethetopmother-tonguespokenathomeoutsideofEnglishandFrench[inCanada].ECGLhastheprovenexpertisetoexecutethistaskwithrespectandintegrity.”Asian-CanadianSpecialEventsAssociation,CharlieWu,ManagingDirector.

• “Withmanyethnicandthird-languagetelevisionchannelsintheirmediagroup,webelievetheirdepthofknowledge,dedicationandknow-howinprovidingmulti-ethnicandmultilingualmediaservicestoCanadianswouldhelpmakethenewstationagreatsuccess.”AfroGlobal,PartriciaBebiaMawa,ExecutiveVicePresident.

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Ø ECGL’sBDUPartnerships

11. Sinceinception,ECGLhaspartneredwithCanada’slargeandsmallbroadcastingdistributionundertakings(“BDUs”)–acrossCanada–tobringourdiversemultilingualandmulti-ethnicprogramofferingstoCanadiansinallregionsofthecountry.WeunderstandtheimportanceofworkingincollaborationwithourBDUpartnerstoensureCanadianaudiencescanaccesshigh-qualitymulti-ethnicprogrammingservicesonadailybasis.OurBDUpartnersincludeAtop,BellFibe,Cogeco,Comwave,Eastlink,Frontline360,BellMTS,RogersCable,Sasktel,ShawCable,ShawDirect,Telus,Videotron,VMediaandZazeenTV.

Ø ECGL’sPartnershipsintheInternationalBroadcastMarket12. ECGLhasestablishedastrongpresenceintheinternationalbroadcastmarket.

Wehavedevelopedimportantpartnershipswithethnic,third-languageandmainstreambroadcastersinallregionsoftheworld.ThishasallowedustoofferCanadianaudiencessomeofthebestprogrammingtheworldhastooffer.Ourinternationalpartnersincludesomeoftheworld’sleadingmulticulturalmediacompanies,distributors,producersandcontentcreatorsincludingZeeTV(India),RaiInternational(Italy),ProsiebenSat1.Welt(Germany),beINSports(MiddleEast),GazgolderRecords(Russia),Zodchie(Ukraine)andMultimedios(Mexico).

13. ECGLhasputconsiderableeffortintopromotingthestrengthofCanadiantelevisionmediaplatforms,high-techservicesandscreen-basedcontentininternationalmarkets.Asaresultofourstrongandactiveparticipationintheworld’smediaenvironment,wefullyappreciatethatintoday’sglobaleconomy,Canadianbroadcastersmustalsolooktotheinternationalmediamarketstoensuresuccessathome.Ø BackgroundofECGL’sFounders

14. SlavaLevinisoneofthecofoundersandCEOofECGL,andisafirstgeneration

immigranttoCanada.SlavaandhisfamilyimmigratedtoCanadainthemid-1970s.Overtheyears,hehasexperiencedfirsthandtheimportantandessentialrolemediaservicesplayinthelivesofCanada’sethnicandimmigrantcommunities.Asayoungadult,Mr.Levinobservedthelimitednumberofthird-languagemediaoptionsavailablefornewCanadians,includinghisparents.Hesawanimportantculturalopportunitytoexpandmedia

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offeringsforCanada’sethno-culturalcommunities.

15. Overthelast12years,ECGLhasexperiencedtheindispensibleandgrowingroleethnicmediaservicesplayforimmigrantandethniccommunitiesinCanada.Ethnicservicesarethekeysourcefornewsandinformationandentertainmentprogrammingforthird-languageaudiences.ECGLhasseentheimportantculturalbridgesethnicmediaservicescreatebetweenoldandnewcountries.ECGLhasalsoseenhowethnicserviceshavehelpednewCanadiansintegrateintoCanadiansociety,whilemaintainingtheirculturalheritage,aswellashowethnicmediaserviceshavecreatedagreaterunderstandingandtoleranceofminoritycommunitiesinCanada.

Ø ECGLProductionFacilities,Productions&MulticulturalIndependent

ProductionCommunity16. ECGLoperatesstate-of-the-artproductionstudiosfromournewlybuilt

broadcastandproductionfacilitiesinMarkham,Ontario.Inthesefull-servicefacilities,ECGL’swhollyownedproductioncompany,ECGProductionsLtd.,overseestheproductionofawiderangeofscreen-basedcontentincludingnewssegments,magazineshows,currentaffairs,interviewswithcommunityleaders,politicians,artistsandforeigndignitaries,documentaries,musicalcontent,andcommercialmessages.In2016and2017,weproudlyproducedmorethan1,000hoursofawiderangeofmulticulturalCanadianprogramming,includingnewsandcurrentaffairsprogramming,artsandentertainmentcontent,documentaries,faith-basedcontentaswellasprogrammingthatcelebratesandreflectsCanada’sdiversecommunitiesthroughnationalholidays,festivals,concerts,exhibitions,publicperformances,sportsandchildren’sevents.

17. AnotherimportantareaofECG’sproductionactivitiesisthecreationofprogrammingaimedsolelyatacquaintingmembersofdifferentethnicgroups,particularlynewcomers,withinformationaboutCanada.ThisoriginalcontentfocusesonCanada’shistory,culture,traditions,urbancentresandruralcommunities,provinces,flora,opportunitiesfortravelandrecreation.

18. WehavealsoproducedanumberofimportantproductionswiththesupportofandincollaborationwiththeCMFandTelefilmCanada.Forinstance,werecentlycompletedamusicaldocumentaryseriesentitledSoundsofCanada.ThisdocumentaryseriesshowcasesthemusicalcultureofvariousethnicgroupsandnationalitieslivinginCanada.Thisprojectisdesignedtorun

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forseveralseasons.ThefirstseasonfeaturedmusicinArabic,Russian,Ukrainian,Yiddish,Hungarian,Hindi,Spanish,Tagalog(Filipino)andItalianlanguages,aswellasanepisodeinEnglishdedicatedtoCelticmusic.5WearenowfilmingthesecondseasonofSoundsofCanada,whichwillpresentthemusicalcultureofIndigenousPeoples,Portuguese,Germans,Vietnamese,Greeks,Japanese,Poles,Iranians,Romanians,andpeoplefromAfricancountries.

19. Wehavebegunworkingontwoadditionallarge10-episodeproductions.OneisentitledtheTastesofCanadawhichshowcasesmultinationalcuisinepresentedtodayinCanada.Anotherrecentprojectshowcasesthestoriesof10immigrantwomenfromdifferentcountrieswhohavesucceededinCanada.Asweoutlinefurtherbelow,weplantoairtheseproductionsonVoicesforCanadiansacrossthecountrytoenjoy,intheeventourapplicationisapproved.

20. Wehavepost-productionandeditingsuitesaswellasmultiplesoundstages.ECGLofferstheuseofitsstudiofacilitiestoindependentproducersincludingnumerousindependentproducersfromCanada’smulticulturalcommunities.

21. ECGLhasproducedprogramminginthefieldforbroadcastonourmulticulturalservicesandforinternationaldistribution.Wehaveproducedandfilmedawiderangeofeventsincludingcultural,performingarts,nationalholidays,communityandbreakingnewseventsinthefieldformanyofourservices.

22. ECGLhasdevelopedstrongrelationswiththemulticulturalindependent

productioncommunityinCanada.WehaveworkedwithCanadianmulticulturalindependentproducerstocreateprogrammingforourservices,aswellasotherbroadcastersinCanadaandaroundtheworld.WehaveassistedCanadianproducerswiththedistributionoftheircontentintheinternationalmarketplace.WelookforwardtocontinuingtoworkwiththeCanadianmulticulturalindependentproductioncommunity,shouldourapplicationbeapproved.

5Formoreinformationaboutthisproduction,pleasesee:www.soundsofcanadaseries.com.

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Ø ECGLisaTechnologyCompany

23. ECGLisaninnovativecommunicationsandtechnologycompanythatstrivesto

remainatthecuttingedgeoftechnologicaldevelopments.Inadditiontocreatingground-breaking,high-qualityscreen-basedcontentatournewbroadcastandproductionfacility,ECGLofferstransportanddistributionservices,usingleadingedgetechnologiesdevelopedbyECGL,tomediacompaniesinCanadaandaroundtheglobe.ECGLhasmanufacturedhardwaretostreamlinebroadcastcostswhileensuringthehighestlevelofqualityfortelevisionbroadcasting.

24. Inaddition,ECGLwasoneofthefirstmediacompaniesinCanadatoembraceover-the-top(“OTT”)technologyandoneofthefirstmediacompaniestoofferOTTservicestoCanadianconsumersthroughourNexTVservice.WehaveOTTplatformsforethnicprogrammingservicesinCanada,andforinternationalethnicbroadcasters,suchasZeeTV,theworld’slargestandleadingSouthAsianbroadcasterbasedinIndia.Moreover,throughthisexperience,ECGLhasdevelopedinternet-basedtransportservicestoassistbroadcastersinCanadaandaroundtheworld.

Ø EthnicRepresentationonandofftheScreenatECGL

25. ApointofgreatprideforourcompanyisthatasignificantportionofECGL’sworkforceandexecutivecolleaguesaredrawnfromCanada’sdiverseculturalcommunities.ThisallowsECGLtohaveadeepunderstandingoftheethnicexperienceinCanada,andtoprovidethebestpossibleandhighlyrelevantservicetoouraudienceson-air,acrossallplatforms.Itallowsustorespondtothechangingneedsofthecommunitiesandcitizensthatweserve,andensuretheirexperiencesarewellreflectedinthecontentandservicesweprovide.ThisallowsECGLtobeabletoadapttotheever-changingmakeupofCanada’sethno-culturaldemographicsinatimelyandresponsivemanner.

26. On-air,ECGL’stelevisionservicesofferthousandsofhoursofethnicandthird-languagecontentthatreflectsCanada’sdiversecommunitiesduringeachbroadcastyear.Behindthescenes,ECGLemploysapproximately75individuals,thevastmajorityofwhomarefirstgenerationimmigrantsfromaroundtheworldincludingIndia,Russia,thePhilippines,theUkraine,Italy,Israel,Croatia,Romania,Moldova,Poland,Serbia,SriLanka,Kazakhstanand

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Guatemala.

27. Ourcompany’s,background,workforceandvisionforthefuturepositionsusverywelltolaunchanexcitingnewandinnovativenationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionprogrammingservicethatwillserveasahub,andanopen,accessibleandrelevantmediaspaceforCanadiansofallculturalandethnicbackgrounds,atanaffordablerate.

D. Canada’sMulticulturalCommunities

28. Canada’smulticulturalcommunitiesareanimportantandintegralpartofCanadiansociety.AsthelastSpeechfromtheThronerecentlypointedout:

“DiversityisCanada’sstrength…Canadaisstrongbecauseofourdifferences,notinspiteofthem.Asacountry,wearestrengthenedinmanyways:byoursharedexperiences,bythediversitythatinspiresbothCanadaandtheworld,andbythewaythatwetreateachother.”

…

TheGovernmentwillmakeiteasierforimmigrantstobuildsuccessfullivesinCanada,reunitetheirfamilies,andcontributetotheeconomicsuccessofallCanadians.”6

29. ECGLfullyagrees.Ourcountry’sstrengthisgroundedinitsdiversity.Basedonthe2016Census,Canadahasapopulationofapproximately7,540,830foreign-bornindividuals.Theyrepresent21.9%ofthetotalpopulationinCanada.Indeed,1in5CanadianstodayisbornoutsideofCanada.Thisisthesecondhighestlevelofforeign-bornindividualssinceconfederation.Further,amongtheG8countries,Canadahadthehighestproportionofforeign-bornpopulation.ThiswaswellaboveGermanyat13%ofthepopulationin2010,andtheUSwith12.9%ofthepopulationin2010.StatisticsCanadaalsoprojectsthatby2031,theproportionofforeign-bornpeopleinCanadawillincreasefrom21.9%in2016tobetween25and28%by2031.

6SpeechfromtheThronetoOpentheFirstSessionoftheForty-secondParliamentofCanada,24November2016.

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30. ThefollowingtableshowsthebreakdownofCanada’slargestmulticulturalcommunitiesbasedonthe2016StatisticsCanadaCensus.

Table1:Top30LanguagesinCanadabyMotherTongue

Language Population

1 Mandarin 5920402 Cantonese 5652703 Punjabi(Panjabi) 5016804 Spanish 4588505 Tagalog(Filipino) 4313806 Arabic 4198907 German 3840358 Italian 3756359 Iranianlanguages 24280510 Portuguese 22154011 Persian(Farsi) 21420012 Urdu 21081513 Russian 18825514 Polish 18171015 Vietnamese 15642516 Korean 15342517 Tamil 14072018 Hindi 11064019 Gujarati 10878020 Greek 10652521 Ukrainian 10248522 Dutch 9902023 Romanian 9666524 Bengali 7312525 Creole;n.o.s. 6410526 Hungarian 6123527 Serbian 5735028 Croatian 4820029 Japanese 4364030 Somali 36755Source:StatisticsCanadaCensus2016

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Table2.Canada’sVisibleMinorityPopulation

Totalvisibleminoritypopulation 7,674,580SouthAsian 1,924,635Chinese 1,577,060Black 1,198,540Filipino 780,125

LatinAmerican 447,325Arab 523,235

SoutheastAsian 313,260WestAsian 264,305Korean 188,710Japanese 92,920

Visibleminority 132,090Multiplevisibleminorities 232,375Notavisibleminority 26,785,480

Source:StatisticsCanadaCensus2016

31. ItisimportanttoappreciateCanada'sextensivelanguagediversity.Fully78%of

recentimmigrantstoCanadaidentifya"third-language"(i.e.alanguageotherthanEnglishorFrench)astheirmothertongue.Morethan60%ofrecentimmigrantsuseathirdlanguagemostoftenathome,ratherthanEnglishorFrench.Inotherwords,ahigherproportionofnewcomerstoCanadanowspeakalanguageotherthanEnglishorFrenchthanhaspreviouslybeenthecase.TheoveralllanguagecompositionisdifferentinQuebeccomparedtotheotherpartsofCanada,butevenstill,68%ofmorerecentimmigrantsinQuebechaveathird-languageasamothertongue(comparedtomorethan80%inotherpartsofCanada).ThefollowingtablepreparedbyStatisticsCanadaillustratesthephenomenonoftheincreasingpresenceofthirdlanguagesintheimmigrantpopulationovertime:

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Table3:Distributionoftheimmigrantpopulation,bymothertongueandperiodofimmigration,Canada,QuebecandCanadaoutsideQuebec,2016

TablesummaryThistabledisplaystheresultsofDistributionoftheimmigrantpopulation.TheinformationisgroupedbyMothertongue(appearingasrowheaders),Periodofimmigration,Before1981,1981to2000,2001to

2010,2011to2016andTotal,calculatedusingpercentageunitsofmeasure(appearingascolumnheaders).

Mothertongue Periodofimmigration

Before1981 1981to2000 2001to2010 2011to2016 Total

Percent(%)

Canada

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

English 39.1 19.9 16.7 15.7 23.3

French 3.5 3.2 4.8 5.9 4.1

Otherlanguage 57.3 76.9 78.5 78.5 72.5

Quebec

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

English 13.8 6.9 4.9 5.1 7.5

French 20.9 18.8 22.9 26.6 22.0

Otherlanguage 65.3 74.3 72.2 68.3 70.5

CanadaoutsideQuebec

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

English 42.7 21.9 19.0 17.9 26.0

French 1.1 0.9 1.3 1.4 1.1

Otherlanguage 56.2 77.3 79.7 80.7 72.9

Note:Tosimplify,multiplesresponseshavebeenequallyredistributedbetweenlanguagecategories.Source:StatisticsCanada,CensusofPopulation,2016.

32. ItisECGL'sexperiencethatnewcomerstoCanadagravitatetoprogrammingintheirmothertongue–whetherthisprogrammingisfoundinthebroadcastingsystem,orfromnon-Canadiansources.Giventhesize,strength,importanceandexpectedgrowthofmulticulturalcommunitiestoCanadaandCanadiansociety,anewandpermanentnationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnictelevisionservicethatfocusesonnews,informationandotherentertainingandinformativeprogramming–withsubstantivelevelsofcontentinmultiple

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languages–ishighlyappropriateandverymuchneeded.

E. TheCRTC’sCallforApplicationsforaNationalMulti-ethnicTelevisionserviceofferingNewsandInformationProgrammingaswellasotherHigh-qualityContent33. On15May2017,inissuingitslicencerenewaldecisionsforthelargestation

groups,theCommissionrecognizedthereisanexceptionalneedforanational,multilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicethatcanprovideCanada’sethno-culturalcommunitieswithprogramming,includingnewsandinformationprogramming,inmultiplelanguagesfromaCanadianperspective.7TheCommissioncametothisconclusionfollowingarequestbyRogersMediaInc.(“Rogers”)forabroadcastinglicencetooperateanational,multilingualmulti-ethnicdiscretionaryservicetobeknownasOMNIRegional.

34. TheCommissionfoundinBroadcastingDecision2017-152,thatRogers’proposedmulti-ethnicservicedidnotfullymeettheCommission’sexpectationsforsuchaservice,particularlywithrespecttolong-termviability,thesmallportionoftheprogramscheduleallocatedtonewscastsandthelackofspecificamountsofregionallyreflectiveprogrammingintheproposal.Inlightoftheextraordinaryneedforanationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionprogrammingserviceforCanada’sethniccommunities,theCommissionapprovedRogers’applicationonaninterimthree-yearbasis,withnochanceofrenewal,whiletheCommissionconductsacompetitiveproceedingtoconsiderapplicationsfornationaltelevisionprogrammingservicesthatmeettheneedsofCanada’sthird-languagecommunities.

35. ECGLisverypleasedtheCommissionhaslaunchedthispublicproceeding.We

arealsoverypleasedtoparticipateinthefirstcompetitivelicensingproceedingforanationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceforCanadians.AsabroadcastercommittedtoservingCanada’smanyethnicandthird-languagecommunitiesformorethan12years,weunderstandtheneedandimportanceofprovidinganationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionprogrammingservicetoCanada’sdiversecommunities.Suchanationalmulticulturalservicewillmeet

7Callforapplicationsforanational,multilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceofferingnewsandinformationprogramming,BroadcastingNoticeofConsultation2017-154,15May2017(“BNC2017-154”).

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keypublicpolicyobjectivesoftheBroadcastingAct,inparticularsection3(1)(d)(iii)whichstates:

“Throughitsprogrammingandtheemploymentopportunitiesarisingoutofitsoperations,servetheneedsandinterests,andreflectthecircumstancesandaspirations,ofCanadianmen,womenandchildren,includingequalrights,thelinguisticdualityandmulticulturalandmultiracialnatureofCanadiansocietyandthespecialplaceofaboriginalpeopleswithinthatsociety.”

36. Licensinganationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionprogrammingserviceis

consistentwiththeCommission’sEthnicBroadcastingPolicy,whichstates:“TheCommissionconsidersthattheprimarygoalofthe[EthnicBroadcasting]policyistoensureaccesstoethnicprogrammingtotheextentpracticablegivenresourcelimitations.Thepolicywillcontinuetoprovideaframeworkforbroadcastingthatfostersopportunitiesforgreaterunderstandingamongpeoplewithdifferentculturalbackgrounds.TheCommissionhasdesignedthepolicytoincreaseflexibilityforethnicstations,toreduceregulationwherepossible,andtorespondtotheevolutionwithinethnicgroupsandinCanadiansocietyatlarge.”8

37. Indeed,Canada’smulticulturalcommunitiesareanimportantandfast-growing

segmentofourcountry’spopulation,andshouldmostcertainlyhaveadedicatednationalmultilingualmulti-ethnicservicethatfocusesonnewsandinformationaswellasotherprogramming,availableatanaffordablerate.

F. ExtraordinaryNeedforanewNationalMultilingualMulti-ethnicTelevisionService

38. ECGLretainedEthnicityMulticulturalMarketingInc.(“Ethnicity”),aleadingCanadianmulticulturalmarketingandresearchfirm,todeterminethelevelofinterestanddemandforanewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice,distributedbroadlyonthedigitalbasictier,atanaffordablerate.We

8EthnicBroadcastingPolicy,PublicNoticeCRTC1999-117,par.5and6.

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haveattachedatAppendixAacopyoftheEthnicityresearchreportpreparedinAugustandSeptember2017(“EthnicityReport”).

39. AstheCommissionwillnote,theEthnicityReportshowsthereisanextraordinaryneedandinterestinanewmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceinCanada.Inthisregard,nearly80%ofsurveyrespondentsstatedtheywishedtherewasmoreethnicandmulticulturaltelevisionprogrammingavailableontelevision.Nearly90%ofsurveyrespondentsindicatedtheybelievedhavingaccesstonewsandinformationprogramminginone’smothertongueisanimportantCanadianvalue.TheEthnicityReportshowsthatonlyabout25%ofsurveyrespondentsareverysatisfiedwithcurrentethnictelevisionprogramming,with77%sayingtheywishthereweremoreethnic/multiculturalTVprogrammingavailable.

40. TheEthnicityReportshowsthatmostrespondents(93%)believethatdiversityisafundamentalcharacteristicofCanadiansociety,thattheyareproudtoliveinacountrythatishometomanydifferentcultures(93%),andthatitisimportanttoknowaboutdifferentculturesintheircommunities(92%).ThestudyconductedbyEthnicityshowsthatsurveyrespondentsbelieveethnictelevisionprogrammingwillhelpbuildawarenessofotherculturesinCanadaandwillpromotecross-culturalunderstanding.

41. Moreover,averystrongmajorityofthesurveyrespondentsfoundanewtelevisionservicesuchasECGL’sVoiceswasappealing,andsaidtheyarelikelytowatchit(85%).Hence,thestudypreparedbyEthnicityforECGLconfirmsthereisindeedanextraordinaryneedforanewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionserviceavailableatanaffordablerate.

G. ECGL’sProposedNationalMultilingualMulti-ethnicTelevisionServiceforCanadians

42. InrespondingtotheCRTC’scallforapplicationssetoutinBNC2017-154,ECGL

hascarefullydesignedauniqueandinnovativenationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionprogrammingservicethatfocusesoninclusiveness,tolerance,awarenessandextensiveaccessforCanadiansacrossthecountry.OurinnovativetelevisionservicecelebratesthemulticulturalnatureofCanadiansocietyandensuresCanadiansfromabroadrangeofethnicand

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multiculturalbackgroundswillhaveaccesstoengaging,informative,enlighteningandentertainingcontentonCanadiantelevisiononaregularbasis,atanaffordablerate.

43. ThefollowingoutlinesourproposalsforVoices,ournewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.ForeaseofreferencewehavesetoutatAppendixDasummaryofourproposals,andatAppendixEproposedconditionsoflicencethatwouldbesuitablefortheservice,shouldtheCommissionapproveourapplication.

44. Ourproposednationalservicewillprovideanimportanthubinmainstream

mediaformulticulturalcommunitiesacrossCanada.ItwillbeameetingplaceforCanada’sdiversecommunitiesprovidingaccesstorelevant,informative,empoweringandinspiringCanadianandinternationalprogramming.ItwillservetoincreaseawarenessandunderstandingaboutthemanymulticulturalcommunitieswhocallCanadahome.

45. Voiceswillfocuspredominantlyonthird-languagelocal,regional,nationalandinternationalnewsandinformationprogramming.Ournationaltelevisionservicewillprovidehigh-qualityinformativeandengagingcontentforCanadiancitizenswhoareeagertolearnmoreaboutournation’svibrantmulticulturalcommunities.

46. Inaddition,ourproposednationaltelevisionservicewillshowcaseengaging,entertainingandenlighteningmulticulturalandthird-languagepremiumprogrammingfromCanadaandaroundtheworld.Ourbalancedanddiverseprogrammingschedulewillincludecommunityaccessprogrammingaswellaseducationalcontentforourviewers.PleaseseeattachedatAppendixFforadetailedsample7-dayschedule(forthreeregionalfeeds)forourproposednationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.Ø ANationalServicewithAtLeastThreeRegionalFeeds

47. TomeettheneedsofCanada’sgrowinganddiversemulticulturalcommunities

acrossallprovincesandterritories,weproposethatVoicesoperateandbroadcastatleastthreedistinctregionalprogrammingfeedsthatwillprovideoriginallocalandregionalCanadianprogrammingrelevanttoCanadianmulticulturalaudiences,throughoutthebroadcastday.ThethreelocalfeedswillserveaudiencesinEasternCanada,WesternCanadaand

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CentralCanada.48. Inaddition,subjecttoECGLenteringintoaprogrammingsharingarrangement

withthesoleexistinglocalethnictelevisionservicelicensedintheprovinceofQuebec(ICITélévision),ECGLwouldofferafourthlocalfeedtargetedspecificallytoethniccommunitiesinthatprovince.ThisservicewouldincorporateECGL'snationalandregionalnewsprogramming(includingnewscontenttargetedspecificallytotheQuebecmarket),andotherlocalandregionalcontentforQuebec'sspecificethnicallydiversecommunities.

49. ECGLwillestablishofficesandstudiosineachoftheregionsinwhichwewilloperate.Wewillengageindividualsineachregionincludingjournalists,contentcreatorsandsalespeopletoensureourstationreflectstheinterests,concernsandissuesofimportancetoouraudiences.Wewillestablishfacilitiesineachregiontoensureourservicehasindividualscloselyconnectedtothecommunitiestoallowourservicetoadapttotheever-changingmakeupofCanada’sethno-culturalcommunities.

50. ToensurethatCanada’sethniccommunitiesacrossthecountryhaveaccesstolocalandregionalprogramming,ECGLiscommittedtoensuringthatVoicesoffersatleast40hoursoflocalandregionalprogrammingforeachoftheinitialthreeregionalfeedsthatwewillprovide.ThisprogrammingwillconsistinlargepartofnewsandinformationprogrammingdedicatedtoCanada’slargestethno-culturalcommunities.

Ø MultipleLanguageFeedsDuringEachBroadcastDay

51. AnimportantandkeyelementofourprogrammingstrategyforVoicesisthatwe

willofferprogramminginmultiplelanguagessimultaneouslythroughoutthebroadcastday.Wewillbeginbyofferingthisprogrammingin10differentlanguagesinthefirstyearofoperationusingthemultiplelanguagefeeds.Wewillincreasethenumberoflanguagefeedsto15inthesecondyear,20inthethirdyearandto25bythefourthyearofoperation.

52. Wehavedevelopedthisinclusiveandinnovativeapproachtoprovidingmultilingualandmulti-ethnicprogrammingtoCanadianstoensurethelargestnumberofCanadiansfromdiversecommunitiescanaccessprogrammingonourchannel,intheirlanguage,onaregularbasis.

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53. Currently,multi-languageethnicbroadcastingservicesarelimitedinthescopeofthird-languagecommunitiestheycanservebytheuseofasingleaudiofeed.Thisisthecaseeventhoughexistingtechnologiespermittheuseofmultiplelanguagefeedstoaccompanyacommonvideosignal.Becauseexistingethnicservicescurrentlyuseonlyasingleaudiofeed(withperhapsasecondfeedfordescribedvideo),thereisadirectbutinverserelationshipbetweenthenumberoflanguagesofferedonanethnicservice,andtheamountofprogrammingtimedevotedtoeachlanguage:themorelanguages,thelesstimeperlanguage.

54. However,existingdigitaltechnologymakesthistraditionalapproachoutdated.It

isastraightforwardprocesstoofferdifferentaudiotrackstoaccompanyasinglevideosignal.Infact,thisisalreadydoneonaregularbasistoofferadescribedvideoaudiofeedintandemwitha"standard"audiofeed.Theprogrammingservicedeliversacommonvideofeedoftheservicetogetherwithtwodifferentaudiotracks.TheBDUthendistributesthesetrackstotheviewers,whoselectbetweenthem,typicallyusingasecondaryaudioprogram(or"SAP")buttonontheviewer'sremotedevice.

55. Voiceswouldovercometheinherentlimitationsofthetraditionalapproachby

offeringmultipleaudiotracksindifferentlanguagessimultaneouslytoaccompanyourprogramming.Wewillofferthesemultipleaudiotracks,focusingmainlyonournewsandinformationprogramming.Asnotedabove,thenumberoflanguagesformultiplelanguagetrackprogrammingwillincreasesteadilyyear-to-year,resultinginatleast25differentlanguagefeedsbythefourthyearofthelicenceterm.

56. ThetechnologyusedbyECGLtodelivertheaudiocontentonVoicesisalready

deployedacrossthebroadcastingindustryinCanadaandisavailableforuse.ThekeydifferencebetweenECGL'sproposalandtheexistingusemadetodeliverdescribedvideocontentisthatBDUsmaynotwishtoofferthecontentonthesamenumericchannel–withseparateaudiosaccessedthroughtheremotecontroldevice(asdescribedvideoisnowoffered).Rather,itmaybetechnicallysimplerfortheBDU,andeasierfortheconsumer,toofferthesamevideofeedwithseparateaudiofeedsondifferentassignednumericchannelswithintheEPGchannellineup.WenotethismethodresultsintheuseofnoadditionalbandwidthbytheBDUbeyondwhatwouldtypicallybeusedtodistributeastandardtelevisionprogrammingservice.Theassignmentofdifferentchannelnumberstothedifferentlanguageversionsoftheservicedoesnotrequirethedistributionofmultiplevideofeeds.

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57. Newsandinformationprogrammingiswellsuitedtotheproductionofmultiple

languagefeeds.Productiontechniqueswillbeemployedtoemphasizevoiced-overvisualcontentratherthanatraditionalanchorformat.

58. WeknowofnoothermulticulturalserviceinCanadathatoffersthislevelof

multilingualservicetoCanadianaudiences.Byofferingmultiplelanguagefeeds,theproposedservicewillovercometheinherentlimitationofasingleaudiochannelandmultiply,bymanytimes,thelevelofserviceavailabletodifferentlanguagecommunities.Whereasthetraditionaltelevisionmodelallowsonlytheverylargestthird-languagegroupstoreceivedailyprogramming,ourmodelallowsthedeliveryofasignificantlygreaternumberofprogrammingindifferentlanguages,toprovideameaningfullevelofservicetoafullrangeofthird-languagecommunitiesinCanada.

Ø ECGL’sProposedServiceFocusesonNewsandInformationProgramming

59. Ourproposednationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicewillbe

weightedtowardsprovidingaudienceswithlocal,regional,nationalandinternationalnewsandinformationprogramming.Inthisregard,weanticipatethatapproximately80%ofVoices’schedulewillconsistofnewsandinformationprogramming,onaweeklybasis.

60. ECGLhasalsodevelopedauniqueandinnovativeapproachtoprovidingnewsandinformationprogrammingtoCanadians.Inthisregard,wewillproduceandbroadcasttwothree-hournewsprogramsdaily,MondaytoFridaythatwillfeaturethekeyissuesoftheday,usingthemultiplelanguagefeeds.Wealsoproposetoofferonethree-hourofsuchnewssegmentsonSaturdayandSundaymornings.ThisnewandfreshapproachtothebroadcastofnewsprogrammingwillensureCanadiansacrossawidespectrumofculturalgroupsarekeptapprisedofCanada’sandtheworld’sleadingissues,fromaCanadianperspective.

61. Asstatedabove,thenewsprogrammingonVoiceswillincludeatleast40hoursperweekoflocalandregionalnewsdirectedtoeachregion.Wehavereservedtheprime-timeportionofourweekdayscheduleforlocalandregionalethnicnewsandinformationprogrammingcreatedineachoftheregionsforwhichafeedisoffered.Wewillreserveaportionofourweekendscheduleforprogrammingdirectedtovariousdistinctethno-culturalcommunitiesin

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Canada,asshowninoursampleprogramscheduleattachedatAppendixF.

62. ThelocalnewsandinformationbroadcastonVoiceswillcoverawiderangeoftopicsimportanttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiesincludinginformationaboutkeyissuesandeventsofthedayrelevanttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunities.Itwillprovideupdatesonculturaleventstakingplaceinthelocalcommunitiesacrossthecountry.

63. Indeed,VoiceswillbeatrustedandreliablesourceofnewsandinformationforCanada’smulticulturalcommunities.WewillcovernewsstoriesandissuesthatareimportanttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiesacrossthecountryfromaCanadianperspectivesuchas:

• Housing• Education• Employment• Employmentequity,payequity• HealthandHealthcare• Drugepidemics• Theeconomy• Politics,atalllevelsofgovernment• Environmentalissues• Technologytrends• Businessnews• Financialnews• Entertainmentandthearts• Culturaleventsandfestivals• Accesstoservices• Women’sissues

64. WehaveattachedatAppendixGadescriptionofthetypesofprogramsthatwe

proposetobroadcastonVoices(thesamplescheduleisattachedasAppendixF).Ø SampleProgramstobeBroadcastonourNewNationalMultilingualMulti-

ethnicTelevisionService

65. Thefollowingprovidesanoutlineofsomeofthekeyprogramswewilldevelop,produce,commissionandlicenceforournewnationaltelevisionserviceVoices.Inadditiontothenewsandinformationprogramming

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outlinedabove,ourschedulewillincludeaone-hourdailycurrentaffairsandculturalmagazineshowthatwillbebroadcastdailyMondaythroughFriday.ThisprogramwilldiscussissuesimportanttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunities,andwillincludein-depthanalysisandinterviewswithleaders(community,business,politicalleadersandotherwise)fromabroadrangeofbackgrounds.ThisprogramwillallowCanadianstolearnmoreaboutissuesimportanttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunities,whileatthesametimelearningmoreaboutthesecommunitiesandwhattheyvalue.

66. WeproposetoproduceandbroadcastaprogramentitledWelcometoCanada

thatwillassistnewCanadianswiththeirintegrationintoCanadiansocietyandCanadianlife.Arrivinginanewcountryasanimmigrantorrefugeeofcourseprovidesmanyopportunities,butalsopresentsmany,manychallenges,stumblingblocksanddifficultiesfornewCanadians,particularlyforthosewhodonotspeakEnglishorFrench.Weproposetooffertipsonhowtonavigatethehealthcaresystem,howtoobtainprovincialhealthinsurance,howtoopenabankaccount,theeducationsystemsinCanada.Howonemightgoaboutobtaininganewemploymentpositionoranewhome.

67. Aspartofthenewsandinformationprogrammingbroadcastonournationalmultilingualandmultiethnicservice,weproposetoproduceandbroadcastanewprogramentitledHerVoice.Thisprogramwillbeproducedandhostedbywomenfromdiversecommunitiesforwomenofethnicdescent.Itwilldiscussawiderangeofissuesrelevanttowomensuchasemployment,Canadianlaw,Canadianpolitics,financialplanning,educationfromearlychildhoodeducationtopost-secondaryeducationandgraduatestudies,politics,literature,spousalabuse,housing,travel,cookingandthearts.

68. ECGLalsowishestocreateaweeklytime-slotinVoicesscheduleforthe

broadcastofinformative,engagingandenlighteningCanadiandocumentaryprogrammingrelevanttoCanadianmulticulturalcommunities.TheCommissionhasidentifiedlong-formdocumentariesasprogramsofnationalinterest.ECGLagreestheseproductionsareanimportantpartofourcountry’sculturallandscape,andshedimportantlightonaplethoraofimportantissuesandtopicsforCanadians.Wewillusethistime-slotinourscheduletobroadcastCanadiandocumentaryproductionstoallowCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiestohavetheopportunitytoaccessprogrammingthatdelvesintoissuesimportanttothesecommunities.

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69. ProgrammingthatwewillfeatureinourCanadiandocumentarytime-slotwillincludebothprogrammingproducedin-houseandbyCanadianindependentproducers.

70. Asnotedabove,ECGLhasextensiveexperiencewiththedocumentaryformat.Asoutlinedabove,wehaverecentlycompletedadocumentaryseriesthatshedsaclosespotlightonmusicalartsandperformancesfromaroundtheworldfromaCanadianperspectiveentitledSoundsofCanada.WearealsoworkingonadocumentaryseriesonCanadianwomenimmigrantswhohaveachievedsuccessintheirprofessionallives.Itisthesetypesofproductionsthatwewouldfeatureinourdocumentarywindowonournewproposednationalservice.

Ø ExtensiveEthnicReflectiononourNationalMultilingualMulti-ethnic

TelevisionService

71. Moreover,ECGLproposestoensureatleast90%oftheprogrammingbroadcastonVoiceswillconsistofethnicprogramming.Thisiswellabovethe60%requirementsetoutintheCommission’sEthnicBroadcastingPolicy.Moreover,oureveningandprime-timeweeknightscheduleswillfocusonprogrammingthatspeaksdirectlytoethniccommunities,andthatisreflectiveoftheirexperiences.

Ø ExceptionalSupportforCanadianProgramming:Expenditures,Exhibition

andPNIprogramming

72. ECGL’sproposednationalservicewillprovideexceptionalsupportforCanadianprogrammingthroughbothcommitmentstoexhibitionandexpenditures.Inthisregard,weproposetoensurenolessthan75%ofthebroadcastdayand85%oftheeveningbroadcastperiod(6:00p.m.tomidnight)willconsistofCanadianprograms.Wealsoproposetoexpendatleast60%ofthepreviousyear’srevenuesonCanadianprogramexpenditures(“CPE”)throughoutthelicenceterm.Thisexpenditureleveliswellabovemostlicensesdiscretionaryservicesincludingmainstreamandmulti-ethnicservices.

73. Canadianprogramsonournationalservicewillinclude:

• Newsandinformationprogramming(local,regional,nationalandworldnews)

• Magazineprogramming

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• Documentaries• Musicandvariety• Awardsshow(s)• Children’sprogramming.

74. ECGLisalsohighlycommittedtosupportingthecreationoforiginalfirst-run

programmingforournationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.Tothatend,weanticipatethatthebulkofourCPEexpenditureswillbespentonoriginalCanadianprograms.

75. ECGLproposestoprovidestrongsupportforprogramsofnationalinterestorPNIonournationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.Inthisregard,weproposetospend3%ofrevenuesonPNIprogramming.ThesenationallyimportantprogramswillincludeCanadiandocumentariesbroadcastonourserviceonaweeklybasis.WeproposetoproduceandbroadcastmusicandvarietyPNIprogrammingforallCanadianstoaccesscontentthatcelebratesthemusicaltraditionsofmanyofourmulticulturalneighbours,fromacrossthecountry,aswellaschildren’sprogramming,forouryoungerviewersasoutlinedfurtherbelow.

76. Weplantoproduceandbroadcastanannualmulticulturalawardsshowthatwillshowcaseexcellenceinmultilingualandmulti-ethnicbroadcasting.ThiswillbethefirstofitstypeinCanadaandwillfeatureCanadiantalentandleadingfiguresinbroadcastingfrommulticulturalcommunities.9WenotetheCRTChasrecognizedanumberofCanadianawardsshowsasProgramsofNationalInterest.Noneoftheseawardsshows,however,specificallycelebrateorfeaturemembersofCanada’smulticulturalcommunities.ECGLwill,therefore,seekCRTCauthorizationforourproposedawardsshowtoberecognizedasaformalCanadianProgramofNationalInterest,ifourapplicationisapproved.10

9TheCRTC’sexistinglistofawardsshowsthatqualifyasprogramsofnationalinterestconsistofthefollowingshows:AlbertaMotionPictureIndustryAwards,Canada’sWalkofFame,CanadianAboriginalMusicAwards,CanadianVideoGameAwards,Galadel’ADISQ,GaladelaTrilled’Or,GaladesOliviers,L’autreGaladel’ADISQ,LesprixEloizes,LesprixGémeaux,MuchMusicVideoAwards(MMVAs),SoiréedesJutra,SoiréeExcellenceLaPresse,theAboriginalPeoplesChoiceMusicAwards,theCanadianCountryMusicAwards,theCanadianScreenAwards/LesprixÉcranscanadiens,theEastCoastMusicAwards,theGillerPrize,theIndspireAwardsandtheJunos.Seehttp://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/tv15.htm.

10ThisrequestwillbemadeinaccordancewithDefinitionsfortelevisionprogramcategories,BroadcastingRegulatoryPolicy2010-808.

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Ø PremiumInternationalContenttobeShowcasedonourNationalService

77. Toroundoutourprogramschedule,ourproposednationalservicewillbroadcastsomeoftheworld’sbestinternationalentertainmentandlifestyleprogramming.Asmentionedabove,ECGLhasdevelopedstrongpartnershipswithbroadcastersfromaroundtheworld.Thesepartnershipsprovideuswithaccesstosomeoftheworld’sbestmulticulturalandmultilingualprogramming.We,therefore,proposetoshowcaseprogrammingfromtheinternationalbroadcastcommunityincludingprogramsdistributedbyZeeTV,RAIInternational,RTVi,Rotanaandmanyothers.Ø Children’sProgramming

78. WeproposetoscheduleChildren’sprogrammingdailyonourservicetoallowchildrentoaccessprogrammingthatspeakstothemintheirmothertongue.ThiswillallowyoungCanadiansfromdiverseculturestodevelopandmaintainthelanguagefromtheirortheirparents’homelands.Thechildren’sprogrammingfeatureonourservicewillincludeCanadianandnon-Canadianprograms.Anexampleofthetypeofchildren’sprogrammingthatwouldbebroadcastonourserviceincludesthedelightfulCanadianindependentlyproducedprogramMiaomiao,whichhelpschildrenlearnandpracticeMandarin.

H. DigitalStrategyforourProposedService

79. ECGLhasdevelopedacomprehensivedigitalstrategythatwillcomplementourVoicesandallowouraudiencestoaccessleadingcontentfeaturedonournationaltelevisionserviceacrossmultipleplatforms,whereandwhentheychoose.Indeed,asolidonlineandmobilepresencewillbeintegraltoournewmultilingualmulti-ethnicnationaltelevisionservice.ECGLhasastrongtechnicalteamofengineersandprogrammers.Assuch,wewillusetheirexpertiseandcreativitytofurtherconnectwithaudiencesandallowourprogrammingtoreachabroaderaudience.

80. Ourdigitalstrategywillincludedevelopingandmaintainingawell-curatedwebsite,richincontent,withextensiveinformationaboutourprogramming,leadingnewsstoriesfromCanadaandinternationally,

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detailsaboutimportantlocal,regionalandnationalevents,aswellasinformationaboutartsandculturerelevanttoCanada’smulticulturalcommunities.Ourwebsitewillalsofeatureprogrammingdetails,updatedbroadcastschedules,aswellasprogramsegmentsfeaturedonournationalservice,whererightspermit.Ourwebsitewillofferpodcastsofourleadingprograms.

81. ECGLwilldevelopamobileappforourservicetoallowouraudiencestoenjoyourprogrammingonthedeviceoftheirchoice,wherevertheychoose.Ourmobilefunctionalitywillallowouraudiencestoaccessshortvideoclipsofkeynewssegmentstakingplaceintheircommunities.Voiceswillhaveaveryactivepresenceinsocialmedia,andwillregularlyengagewithouraudiencesthroughFacebook,Instagram,Twitter,RedditandSnapchat.Wewillexploremeaningfulwaystocapitalizeonemergingsocialmediaplatformstoensureweareconnectedandremainrelevanttoouraudiencesatalltimes.

I. AdvisoryCouncilforourProposedService

82. ECGLishighlycommittedtoensuringthatournationaltelevisionserviceisreflectiveofCanada’smulticulturalcommunities,andwillbeaccessibletoCanada’smanydiversecommunities.Tohelpmeettheseimportantobjectives,ECGLwillcreateanationalAdvisoryCounciltostrengthenournationaltelevisionservice’smandateofinclusiveness.OurAdvisoryCouncilwill,therefore,adviseournationaltelevisionserviceonarangeofimportantmatters,including:

• theservice’sprogrammingstrategytoensureunderrepresentedgroupsarewellreflectedon-air;

• ethnicandlinguisticcommunitiestobeservedtoreflectregionaldemographicsthroughoutthelicenceterm;

• issuesofsignificantimportancetoCanada’sdiversecommunitiesandhowtheymaybeincorporatedintoourservice’sprogramming;

• communityoutreachtoensureethniccommunitiesacrossCanada

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haveaccesstoandareinvolvedwithECGL'snationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.

83. OurAdvisoryCouncilwillbecomprisedofeightto12individualsfromacrossthe

countryandwillberepresentativeofCanada’sethno-culturalcommunities.Eachindividualwillbeappointedforatwo-yearperiod.WehavehaddiscussionswithanumberofcommunityandbusinessleadersfromCanada’sdiversecommunities,manyofwhomhaveindicatedtheywouldbeverypleasedandinterestedinparticipatingonourAdvisoryCouncil.

J. StrongBusinessPlanthatSupportsECGLNationalMultilingualMulti-ethnicTelevisionService

84. ECGLhasdevelopedastrong,soundandviablebusinessplanforourproposednationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservice.Toachievetheabove-mentionedambitiousprogrammingandbroadcastingplans,ECGLproposesamonthlywholesalerateof$0.23permonth.Thiswillensure:

• atleast25ethnicgroupswillbeservedduringeachbroadcastmonth;

• bythe4thyearofoperation,programminginatleast25languagesbroadcastsimultaneouslyinourscheduleduringeachbroadcastweek;

• programminginatleast25languagesduringeachbroadcastmonth;

• atleast90%oftheprogrammingbroadcastonourservicewillconsistofethnicprogrammingduringeachbroadcastmonth;

• atleast90%oftheprogrammingbroadcastonournewnationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnicservicewillconsistofthird-languageprogramming;

• anexceptionalcommitmenttoCanadianprogrammingthroughbothexpendituresandexhibitionproposals;

• anexceptionalcommitmenttothecreationoforiginalCanadian

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programming,withatleast170hoursoforiginalCanadianprogramsbroadcastonourserviceduringeachbroadcastweek,acrossallthreeregionalfeeds;

• CanadianprogramsofnationalinterestincludingaCanadiandocumentaryseries,aCanadianmulticulturalperformingartsseriesandanationalmulticulturalbroadcastingawardsshow;

• astrongcommitmenttobroadcastingprogrammingthatfostersawarenessandunderstandingofotherculturesinCanada,includinganoriginalweekdaymagazineshow,artsandentertainment,amulticulturaldocumentaryseriesandlifestyleprogramming;

• afocusedmandatetopromoteinclusivenessandtoprovideprogrammingthatwillassistnewCanadianstoestablishtheirnewlivesinCanada;

• accesstopremiuminternationalscreen-basedcontentincludingfeaturefilms,children’sprogramming,dramas,telenovelasandinformation-basedcontent.

85. Toachievetheabove-notedexceptionalcommitments,broaddistributionof

VoicesonthedigitalbasictierinallprovincesandterritoriesofCanadaisessential.ThemarketresearchconductedbyEthnicityforECGLalsoshowsCanadiansareverycomfortablewithawholesalerateof$0.23forourproposedservice.Asasophisticatedandhighlyexperiencedmulticulturalbroadcaster,wearecertainweareabletomeettheextensiveprogrammingcommitmentswehaveoutlinedinthissubmissionifamandatorydistributionorderisgrantedrequiringBDUstocarryourserviceonthedigitalbasicserviceacrossthecountry.

86. Withanadequatewholesalerateandrevenuesderivedfromcommercialair-time,itisourrespectfulsubmissionthatourbusinessplanisreasonableandattainablewithmandatorydistributionpursuanttosection9(1)(h)oftheBroadcastingActforaninitiallicencetermofsevenyears.WehaveattachedatAppendixHourseven-yearfinancialprojections,whichshowwidespreaddistributionofournationalmultilingualandmulti-ethnicprogrammingserviceisessentialtomeetourextensiveandexceptionalprogramming

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commitments.

K. ECGL’sProposalMeetsalloftheCriteriaforMandatoryDistributionontheDigitalBasicService

87. ECGL’sproposednationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicemeetsallof

thecriteriaformandatorydistributiononthedigitalbasicservicesetoutinBRP2010-629.Indeed,ourproposednationaltelevisionservicewillcontributeinameaningfulandexceptionalwaytothefulfillmentofthepolicyobjectivesoftheBroadcastingAct.TheseincludethefollowingkeypublicpolicyobjectivesoftheAct:

3(1)(d)“TheCanadianbroadcastingsystemshould

(i) Servetosafeguard,enrichandstrengthenthecultural,political,socialandeconomicfabricofCanada,

(ii) EncouragethedevelopmentofCanadianexpressionbyprovidingawiderangeofprogrammingthatreflectsCanadianattitudes,opinions,ideas,valuesandartisticcreativity,bydisplayingCanadiantalentinentertainmentprogrammingandbyofferinginformationandanalysisconcerningCanadaandothercountriesfromaCanadianpointofview,

(iii) Throughitsprogrammingandemploymentopportunitiesarisingoutofitsoperations,servetheneedsandinterests,andreflectthecircumstancesandaspirations,ofCanadianmen,womenandchildren,includingtherightsoflinguisticdualityandmulticulturalandmultiracialnatureofCanadiansocietyandthespecialplaceofaboriginalpeopleswithinthatsociety,and

(iv) Bereadilyadaptabletoscientificandtechnologicalchange;…

(e)eachelementoftheCanadianbroadcastingsystemshallcontributeinanappropriatemannertothecreationandpresentationofCanadianprogramming;

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…(f)eachbroadcastingundertakingshallmakemaximumuse,andinnocaselessthanpredominantuse,ofCanadiancreativeandotherresourcesinthecreationandpresentationofprogramming…

(g)theprogrammingoriginatedbybroadcastingundertakingsshouldbeofhighstandard;

…(i)TheprogrammingprovidedbytheCanadianbroadcastingsystemshould

(i) Bevariedandcomprehensive,providingabalanceofinformation,enlightenmentand,

(ii) entertainmentformen,womenandchildrenofallages,interestsandtastes,

(iii) bedrawnfromlocal,regional,nationalandinternationalsources,

(iv) Includeeducationalprogramsandcommunityprograms,

(v) Provideareasonableopportunityforthepublictobeexposedtotheexpressionofdifferentviewsonmattersofpublicconcern…”

…

(r)theprogrammingprovidedbyalternativetelevisionprogrammingservicesshould

(i)beinnovativeandbecomplementarytotheprogrammingprovidedformassaudiences,(ii)catertotastesandinterestsnotadequatelyprovidedforbytheprogrammingprovidedformassaudiences,andincludeprogrammingdevotedtocultureandthearts,reflectCanada’sregionsandmulticulturalnature…”

88. InadditiontomakinganexceptionalcontributiontoCanadiancultural

expressionandoriginalfirst-runprogramming,ourproposednational

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multilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicewillalsosatisfytherequirementssetoutatparagraph10ofBRP2010-629,whichstatesthataservicegrantedamandatorydistributionorderpursuanttosection9(1)(h)oftheBroadcastingActshouldachievethefollowing:

• Servestosafeguard,enrichandstrengthenthecultural,political,socialandeconomicfabricofCanada;

• Isvariedandcomprehensive,providingabalanceofinformationandentertainmentprogrammingatanaffordablecost;

• Isdrawnfromlocal,regional,nationalandinternationalsources;• Includeseducationalandcommunityprograms;and• ReflectsandcontributestoCanada’slinguisticdualityandethno-cultural

diversity,includingthespecialplaceofAboriginalpeoplesinCanadiansociety.

89. Indeed,ourproposedservicewillachievethisthroughthebreadthofour

programmingscheduleasoutlinedabove,ourextensivereflectionofCanada’smulticulturalcommunities,ouractiveinvolvementinthecommunitiesthatwewillserveandthesagedirectionofourAdvisoryCouncil.

L. Conclusion

90. Inlightoftheabove,ECGLrespectfullyrequeststheCommissiontoapproveourrequestforanewnationalmultilingualmulti-ethnictelevisionservicethatwillserveCanada’smulticulturalcommunitiesinallprovincesandinallterritoriesofthecountry.Ourunique,innovativeandinclusivemediaservicewillmakeanexceptionalcontributiontothefulfillmentoftheobjectivesoftheBroadcastingActandtoCanadianculturalexpression.Asoutlinedabove,ourproposednationalservicewillprovidearich,diverseandbalancedprogrammingschedulethatwillincludehighlyinformative,engaging,compellingandentertainingprogramming.

91. Asalsodemonstratedabove,ourserviceverymuchmeetsthecriteriaformandatorydistributiononthedigitalbasicservicesetoutinBRP2010-629.IndeedourproposednationaltelevisionservicewillhelpstrengthenandcelebrateCanada’sdiversity,democracyandmultifacetedcultural

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fabric.

92. ECGLverymuchappreciatestheopportunitytofilethisapplication.WearehopefultheCommissionwillapproveourapplication.

Allofwhichisrespectfullysubmitted.