CBC/Radio-Canada has filed an utility in Federal Court docket to combat an order directing it to reveal subscriber numbers for its Gem streaming service.
The knowledge commissioner ordered CBC to make accessible the variety of paid subscribers to Gem following an access-to-information request for the information.
CBC/Radio-Canada president Marie-Philippe Bouchard instructed The Canadian Press the subscriber numbers are delicate industrial data.
That confidentiality issues with regards to issues like industrial negotiations on bundling Gem with different streaming providers, Bouchard added.
The general public broadcaster is “charged with making a few of our price range out of economic relationships,” she stated.
“And that must be performed in keeping with the foundations of the market. And so we’re discovering ourselves, with this ruling, uncomfortable with the interpretation.”
In refusing to reveal the numbers, CBC cited exemptions for programming actions and data that would hurt its aggressive place.
In her remaining report on the access-to-information criticism, Info Commissioner Caroline Maynard stated the subscriber numbers relate to CBC’s programming actions, however additionally they relate to its basic administration — which implies the exemption to disclosure doesn’t apply.
Maynard stated whereas “CBC did determine potential harms to its aggressive place or to ongoing negotiations, it didn’t show that there was an inexpensive expectation that these harms may happen, effectively past a mere risk.”
The knowledge commissioner’s ruling contradicts the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Fee’s interpretation of what constitutes “delicate industrial data,” Bouchard stated.
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Bouchard stated CBC/Radio-Canada desires the courts to supply readability on the difficulty.
CBC launched the Gem streaming service, which has each paid and free variations, in 2018. The paid model, which prices $5.99 a month, contains ad-free on-demand streaming and a stream of CBC’s 24-hour information channel, CBC Information Community.
Paid subscribers “usually are not what makes Gem,” Bouchard stated. “Gem is principally a free-to-user service. And the paid half is mostly a commodity for individuals who don’t need promoting.”
CBC doesn’t disclose the variety of paid or unpaid subscribers to Gem.
In its discover of utility, CBC/Radio-Canada asks the courtroom to put aside the knowledge commissioner’s order and declare that Gem information are exempt from disclosure.
It argues the general public broadcaster “operates in a extremely aggressive atmosphere through which overseas and home non-public and group broadcasters and different digital streamers provide their very own programming on their respective distribution platforms.”
Bouchard was pressed on the query Monday afternoon throughout an look on the Home of Commons heritage committee.
Conservative MP Kevin Waugh requested Bouchard whether or not she was “embarrassed” by the quantity.
“No,” she responded.
“Why don’t you come out and simply say, right here’s the numbers that we bought,” Waugh requested once more, telling Bouchard to “give us some numbers.”
Bouchard responded that greater than 5 million folks have created an account.
In a later alternate with Waugh, Bouchard stated the CRTC permits companies to “contemplate that data confidential,” whereas the knowledge commissioner’s interpretation “says that we have now not met the usual for that confidentiality.”
“We would like reconciliation between these two interpretations, and that’s why we requested the Federal Court docket to think about the state of affairs,” she stated.
Waugh disagreed, telling Bouchard: “I don’t know what you’re hiding. I actually don’t, since you’re a public broadcaster, you’re getting the funds from the general public, and also you’re not in competitors with Bell Media, Crave or any of these.”
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