The CRTC is continuing a pattern of fraudulent behaviour in its dealings with Star Ray TV. The community TV station filed an application with the CRTC for a low power television license in June 2004. Since
then the CRTC has been using various bureaucratic devices to ensure that Star Ray never gets a hearing. Recently the CRTC sent back the Star Ray TV application claiming it was "incomplete." No reason was given. This occurred over a year after all application "deficiency" questions were answered. Star Ray TV called the individual responsible for processing the application.
This individual stated that he "heard" that the application was returned meaning that he was out of the loop. He was the one that crafted the deficiency questions! Says Jan Pachul, the station's founder;" The CRTC is not above using fraud and breech of trust as tools to keep our local programming off the air. The arrogant CRTC seems to think they are above the law and any kind of behavior including criminal is acceptable. They have been getting away with white collar
crime for years; I guess they have this notion that laws are only for little people like us. The CRTC has no shame; their only concern is the next CRTC employee that is going to get a big promotion getting hired by a corporation needing special favours from the CRTC. The corruption is easy to figure out, just look at interventions submitted to the CRTC by major broadcasting organizations and see how many have been signed by former CRTC employees." Recently Star Ray has become politically active writing letters to Prime Minister Harper and other members of parliament. Mr. Harper's office did reply and forwarded our letter to Beverly Oda, the new minister of heritage. According to the Conservative Party candidate handbook, the Conservative Party "supports the restructuring of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, reducing its mandate to registration and/or marketing of bandwidth and to dealing with international communications negotiations." Star Ray TV maintains that the CRTC is an affront to democracy and should be dismantled. The CRTC has a long history of denying licenses to new entrants in broadcasting assuming that the application got to the stage of a hearing. Examples include TVN, a company who tried to establish a local station in Niagara Falls and the Toronto Star who made a bid for southern Ontario stations that would have included 85% Canadian content. It is unknown how many applicants were given a similar "run around" like Star Ray TV and denied a hearing. Star Ray TV would like to hear from individuals that have a similar story to tell about the CRTC. For more information, please contact Jan Pachul directly at (416) 693-7400, email srtv@srtv.ca, or visit the Star Ray web site at srtv.ca
More commentary on this issue can be found at TOchat.tv Star Ray TV's forum under the topic "The CRTC and Star Ray TV: Questions and Answers." | 
Star Ray TV
