Intergovernmental conflict involving the regulatory process : the evolution of pay television

The objective of this thesis is to test the validity of the argument that the mandate and activities of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) have created tension in federal-provincial relations, and have contributed, in large measure, to federal-provincial conflict over the issue of pay television.Following a detailed description of the evolution of pay television in the period of 1972 to 1983, the thesis will conclude that federal-provincial conflict over pay television is simply another variant of federal-provincial discord in the policy area of communications. The thesis will also conclude that the mandate and activities of the CRTC have not contributed, in large measure, to federal-provincial conflict over pay television.As a first step in dealing with the problem of federal-provincial conflict over pay television, it is recommended that the federal and the provincial governments address the anachronistic division of powers with respect to communications issues like pay television. It is clear that both the federal and the provincial governments have a vested interest in the development of new programming and non-programming services which will be made available to Canadians in the future. It is imperative that both levels of government acknowledge and respect each others interests in these services. If they do not, the prospect of indefinite conflict will be enhanced.