Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) chairperson and CEO Vicky Eatrides (pictured) will address attendees at the 46th edition of the Banff World Media Festival (BANFF).

Eatrides began her term as the CRTC’s chairperson and CEO in early 2023, succeeding Ian Scott. Her address will mark Eatrides’ second appearance at BANFF since beginning her term at the CRTC. This year’s festival runs from June 8 to 11 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

“Our industry is grappling with unprecedented change on all fronts. The importance of Canada’s regulatory decisions across massive issues like AI, market dynamics, discoverability and the very definition of domestic content are at stake,” said Jenn Kuzmyk, BANFF executive director and SVP, publisher of Playback, in a statement.

Before joining the CRTC, Eatrides began her regulatory law career in 2000. In 2005 she joined the federal public service and held roles at Natural Resources Canada, the Department of Innovation and the Competition Bureau. Eatrides held several leadership roles at the Competition Bureau over twelve years, including senior deputy commissioner.

Late last year, the CRTC launched public consultations on Canadian programming. The topics of the consultations, which closed submissions on Jan. 20, range from the definition of Canadian content, expenditure requirements, the use of data in measuring and reporting performance and the use of AI within the system. The CRTC will be holding a public hearing regarding Canadian programming on March 31.

Earlier this month, the CRTC launched consultations on market dynamics and the sustainability of Canada’s broadcast system. The deadline for those consultations is Feb. 24.

On Jan. 22, BANFF announced Tubi CEO Anjali Sud as the first keynote speaker for the festival’s Summit Series. The organization also announced earlier in January that it would host the Hot Pilot Party, a live table read meant to highlight Canadian comedy.

Image courtesy of BANFF