1424 Commercial Drive, PO BOX #21674, Vancouver, BC V5L 5G3, www.OpenMedia.ca, (604) 837-5730

January 22, 2010

Mr. Robert Morin

Secretary General

CRTC

Ottawa, ON K1A 0N2

Re: Request for information

CRTC 2009-661

Dear Mr. Secretary General,

We are writing regarding upcoming public hearing and call for submissions for Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2009-661,

Review of community television policy framework

.OpenMedia.ca is a national network of organizations that represent nearly 700,000 people acrossCanada who want a diverse and democratic media system. OpenMedia.ca regularly participatesin calls for public input from the CRTC concerning matters of public interest.It has come to our attention that a report detailing community channel policy from around theworld (

Community TV Policies and

Practices Worldwide

) has been removed from the CRTCwebsite. This report formed part of the public record when 2009-661 was called but has since been removed from public record. The Study’s author, Catherine Edwards, is an internationalcommunity TV expert and her report provides essential information for public participation.

We are concerned on two counts:(i) This report contained highly relevant comparative information useful in any openconsideration of the future of community channel policy in Canada, and its removal mid-process,leaves Canadians without access to necessary comparative information.(ii) This report was removed

during an open call for submissions

. We would like to know whatchanged - why the report was removed from public consideration in connection with thehearings.It has also come to our attention that access to information relevant to the CRTC proceeding isnot readily available to the public. An informed and responsible answer to many of the questions posed by the CRTC regarding the future of community channel policy, requires access to thiscrucial information. Information about existing community channel operations will naturallyhelp generate informed opinions.In particular, we are concerned that there is no information available to the public regardingcurrent and past community channel programming. In a public hearing about the future of