Although industry scuttlebutt already named commissioner Andree Wylie the most likely candidate for the crtc’s new vice-chair of broadcasting, official word is that Charles Belanger is returning to the fold September 8.

Belanger, a 20-year broadcast industry veteran whose experience includes a number of key positions at cfcf-tv in Montreal, was appointed vice-chairman of broadcasting only last May.

His unhappiness at the crtc has been widely known for months. And although his term theoretically runs until the year 2000, many expect he will leave the commission before the Canadian Television Policy Review hearings on September 23.

But according to Jeanne Cutler, Belanger’s assistant, he will reassume his position. ‘He is presently on summer leave but he’s coming back,’ she says. ‘He’s never said he’s leaving the crtc and he will return in September.’

However, sources remain skeptical and say that if Belanger chooses to leave, commissioner Wylie is the most-likely candidate to take his place before the September tv review.

With five of the six remaining commissioners all relatively new appointments, Wylie, named in March 1995, has the most seniority. Prior to her crtc appointment, she was a lawyer with Blake, Cassels and Graydon and spent 1979-84 as a member of the crtc’s Legal Directorate.

In the meantime, potential crtc appointees made the trip to Privy Council July 3, including Leo Cholakis. Word is Cholakis is a Liberal fundraiser and a landlord with properties in Winnipeg. He was interviewed by representatives of the Privy Council Office, the Prime Minister’s Office, Heritage Canada and Industry Canada. The Manitoba commissioner’s spot is currently vacant.

Cardozo dissents

In other crtc-related news, the latest dissenting opinion on record has tongues wagging again about the ‘independent’ nature of the largely new commission.

Andrew Cardozo, appointed in late 1997, is on record registering his disapproval of the July decision granting chum’s request to suspend its condition of license governing sex-role portrayal and the depiction of violence on Bravo!.

The crtc approved the application, in spite of an intervening opinion from public interest watchdog MediaWatch, which claimed that because chum also owns chom-fm, which is airing The Howard Stern Show, it should be held publically accountable as a corporation and not be granted freedom with one license, when it is challenging Canadian Broadcast Standard Council (cbsc) codes with the other.

The crtc said, however, that an approval of the application is in keeping with its policy towards industry self-regulation.

But Cardozo, the former president of the Pearson-Shoyama Institute who specialized in diversity and equity issues, says The Howard Stern Show ‘represents a serious challenge to community and broadcasting standards in this country.’

He concludes by saying that since members of large corporations have benefits inherent to their size (including ‘various advantages from a regulatory perspective’) it is ‘fair’ for the commission to make ‘requests or demands of [these] corporations on matters that are in the public interest.’

Bravo! remains a member in good standing of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. Its sister station Citytv announced last month that it will be carrying the Howard Stern tv show this fall.

Bravo! general manager Paul Gratton says despite the industry jokes around the decision, pornography is not bound for Bravo!

‘You can’t cover the arts scene without some nudity,’ he says, ‘but I don’t think the raincoat brigade is picking up the converter and saying `I wonder what’s on Bravo! tonight.’ This won’t change. We’re not hardening up our content.’

According to Gratton, the application to the crtc was made to satisfy both the regulator and the cbsc.

The crtc would like the cbsc to begin dealing with complaints on the specialties. In turn, the cbsc is expanding its membership, which to date covers mainly the conventional broadcasters. The specialties are covered by conditions of license via the crtc.