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A 1995 report of the Working Group on Canadian Programming and Private Television submitted to Government stated that the entire television production and distribution system is converting to digital technology. This report went on to identify the host of new service opportunities made possible by digitization and called on the Federal Government to set up a Digital Television Broadcasting Task Force to examine policy requirements and develop a master plan to facilitate the transition from analogue to digital.
The Government acted on the Consultative Committee’s recommendation and in October of that year, established the Task Force Committee on the Implementation of Digital Television. The overall mandate of the group was to provide advice to the Minister of Canadian Heritage on the policy framework required for the transition and to coordinate the implementation of Digital Television in Canada. The Task Force met extensively over a 21 month period and came up with a strategic framework needed to ensure that Canadians receive high quality digital television services in a competitive marketplace and outlined the specific implementation steps required to guarantee a successful transition.
A recommendation of the Task Force was to create a small organization to facilitate problem solving, oversee the various steps that need to be taken during the implementation process and, generally provide an on-going forum for all those affected by the process to come together to mutual advantage.
In May 1998, CDTV was launched and designated as the central coordinator for industry and government initiatives associated with the on-going processes of policy and technology development and the implementation of digital television in Canada.
CDTV is governed by a Board of Directors which is representative of each membership class to better reflect the views of our broad membership base.
Working groups and sub-committees consisting of CDTV members and government representatives were formed to identify and address the issues necessary to a successful DTV roll-out in Canada. The four Working Groups: Technical; Economic and Marketing; Communications, Policy and Regulation; and, Production and Training are actively progressing and working diligently to ensure Canada has the right transition strategy within a critical timeframe. CDTV Working Groups have been monitoring U.S. developments through participation and liaison with ATSC and FCC, analyzing the appropriate site to build a test transmitter, urging government to lay the policy framework ground rules to mandate the transition from analogue to digital … to name but a few of CDTV’s initiatives.
