The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has postponed three public hearings that are part of the organization’s work to implement the modernized Broadcasting Act.

The hearings are: ‘The Path Forward – Defining “Canadian program” and supporting the creation and distribution of Canadian programming in the audio-visual sector,’ originally scheduled for March 31; ‘The Path Forward – Working towards a sustainable Canadian broadcasting system,’ originally scheduled for May 12; and ‘The Path Forward – Supporting Canadian and Indigenous audio content,’ originally scheduled for June 18.

According to a statement in each of the postponement notices, with a federal election underway, the Commission is mindful that the federal public service operates under the caretaker convention during an election period. The new hearing dates will be announced at a later time.

The organization will continue to balance consulting widely with moving quickly to build the new regulatory framework, a CRTC spokesperson told Playback Daily.

The caretaker convention calls for the government to act with restraint during an election period as parliament has been dissolved and the current government cannot assume it will command the confidence of the House following the election.

Prime Minister Mark Carney called for a federal election on Sunday (March 23) with Canadians set to head for the polls on April 28.

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