Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-22)

Short Title

Marginal note:Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

2 In this Act,

broadcasting

broadcasting has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Act; (radiodiffusion)

Chairman

Chairman[Repealed, 2001, c. 34, s. 30]

Chairperson

Chairperson means the Chairperson of the Commission designated by the Governor in Council under subsection 6(1); (président)

Commission

Commission means the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission; (Conseil)

Executive Committee

Executive Committee[Repealed, 1991, c. 11, s. 75]

member

member means a member of the Commission; (conseiller)

Minister

Minister means such member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada as is designated by the Governor in Council as the Minister for the purposes of this Act; (ministre)

radiocommunication

radiocommunication[Repealed, 1991, c. 11, s. 75]

telecommunication

telecommunication[Repealed, 1993, c. 38, s. 83]

telecommunications undertaking

telecommunications undertaking means an undertaking in the field of telecommunication that is carried on in whole or in part within Canada or on a ship or aircraft registered in Canada; (entreprise de télécommunications)

Vice-Chairman

Vice-Chairman[Repealed, 2001, c. 34, s. 30]

Vice-Chairperson

Vice-Chairperson means any Vice-Chairperson of the Commission designated by the Governor in Council under subsection 6(1). (vice-président)

Establishment and Constitution of Commission

Marginal note:Commission established

• 3 (1) There is established a commission, to be known as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, consisting of not more than 13 members, to be appointed by the Governor in Council.

• Marginal note:Tenure

  (2) A member shall be appointed to hold office during good behaviour for a term not exceeding five years but may be removed at any time by the Governor in Council for cause.

• Marginal note:Re-appointment

  (3) Subject to section 5, a member is eligible for re-appointment.

Marginal note:Duties of members

4 A member shall devote the whole of his or her time to the performance of his or her duties under this Act.

Marginal note:Disqualifications

• 5 (1) A person is not eligible to be appointed or to continue as a member of the Commission if the person is not a Canadian citizen ordinarily resident in Canada or if, directly or indirectly, as owner, shareholder, director, officer, partner or otherwise, the person

  • (a) is engaged in a telecommunications undertaking; or

  • (b) has any pecuniary or proprietary interest in

    • (i) a telecommunications undertaking, or

    • (ii) the manufacture or distribution of telecommunication apparatus, except where the distribution is incidental to the general merchandising of goods by wholesale or retail.

• Marginal note:Disposal of interest

  (2) A member in whom any interest prohibited by subsection (1) vests by will or succession for the member’s own benefit shall, within three months thereafter, absolutely dispose of that interest.

Chairperson and Vice-chairpersons

Marginal note:Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons

• 6 (1) The Governor in Council shall designate one of the members to be Chairperson of the Commission and two of the members to be Vice-Chairpersons of the Commission.

• Marginal note:Chairperson chief executive officer

  (2) The Chairperson is the chief executive officer of the Commission, has supervision over and direction of the work and staff of the Commission and shall preside at meetings of the Commission.

• Marginal note:Chairperson’s absence, incapacity or office vacant

  (3) In the event of the absence or incapacity of the Chairperson or if the office of Chairperson is vacant, the Commission may authorize one of the Vice-Chairpersons to exercise the powers and to perform the duties and functions of the Chairperson.

• Marginal note:Acting Chairperson

  (4) The Commission may authorize one or more of its members to act as Chairperson if the Chairperson and both Vice-Chairpersons are absent or unable to act or if the office of Chairperson and each office of Vice-Chairperson are vacant.

Remuneration

Marginal note:Salaries and fees

• 7 (1) Each member shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the Governor in Council.

• Marginal note:Expenses

  (2) Each member is entitled to be paid such travel and living expenses incurred in the performance of his duties as are fixed by by-law of the Commission.

Staff

Marginal note:Appointment

8 The officers and employees necessary for the proper conduct of the Commission’s business shall be appointed in accordance with the Public Service Employment Act.

Superannuation

Marginal note:Members’ superannuation

• 9 (1) The members of the Commission are deemed to be persons employed in the public service for the purposes of the Public Service Superannuation Act.

• Marginal note:Compensation

  (2) For the purposes of any regulations made under section 9 of the Aeronautics Act, the members of the Commission are deemed to be persons employed in the federal public administration.

Offices, Meetings and Residence

Marginal note:Head office

• 10 (1) The head office of the Commission shall be in the National Capital Region described in the schedule to the National Capital Act or at such other place within Canada as may be designated by the Governor in Council.

• Marginal note:Regional offices

  (1.1) The Governor in Council may direct the Commission to establish an office of the Commission in any region of Canada and the Commission shall comply with any such direction.

• Marginal note:Meetings

  (2) The Commission shall meet at least six times in each year.

• Marginal note:Quorum

  (3) A majority of the members in office constitute a quorum of the Commission.

• Marginal note:Telephone conferences

  (4) A member may, subject to the by-laws of the Commission, participate in a meeting of the Commission or a committee of the Commission by means of such telephone or other communication facilities as permit all persons participating in the meeting to hear each other, and a member who participates in such a meeting by those means is deemed for the purposes of this Act to be present at the meeting.

Marginal note:Residence of members

• 10.1 (1) Subject to subsection (2), the members of the Commission shall reside in the National Capital Region as described in the schedule to the National Capital Act or within any distance of it that may be determined by the Governor in Council.

• Marginal note:Residence of members — regional office

  (2) If a regional office of the Commission is established under subsection 10(1.1), a member of the Commission who is designated for that region by the Governor in Council shall reside in that region and within any distance of that regional office that may be determined by the Governor in Council.

By-laws

Marginal note:By-laws of Commission

• 11 (1) The Commission may make by-laws

  • (a) respecting the calling of meetings of the Commission;

  • (b) respecting the conduct of business at meetings of the Commission, the establishment of special and standing committees of the Commission, the delegation of duties to those committees and the fixing of quorums for meetings thereof; and

  • (c) fixing the travel and living expenses to be paid to members.

• Marginal note:By-law subject to Minister’s approval

  (2) No by-law made under paragraph (1)(c) has any effect unless it has been approved by the Minister.

Objects, Powers, Duties and Functions

Marginal note:In relation to broadcasting

• 12 (1) The objects and powers of the Commission in relation to broadcasting are as set out in the Broadcasting Act.

• Marginal note:Digital news

  (1.1) The Commission exercises the powers and performs the duties and functions conferred on it under the Online News Act.

• Marginal note:Telecommunications

  (2) The full-time members of the Commission and the Chairperson shall exercise the powers and perform the duties vested in the Commission and the Chairperson, respectively, by the Telecommunications Act or any special Act, as defined in subsection 2(1) of that Act, or by An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities, and to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Competition Act, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Telecommunications Act.

• Marginal note:By-laws

  (3) The members of the Commission may make by-laws

  • (a) respecting the establishment of special and standing committees of the members, the delegation of the powers, duties and functions of the members to those committees and the fixing of quorums for meetings of those committees; and

  • (b) providing that any act or thing done by those committees in the exercise of the powers or the performance of the duties and functions delegated to it are deemed to be an act or thing done by the members.