CRTC chair appointment likely any day now
And the rumour mill and lobbying campaigns are in high gear for the next CRTC chair.
Konrad von Finckenstein, the volatile former head of the CRTC, completed his term in January.
By ANDREW CARDOZO Monday, 05/14/2012
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OTTAWA—The rumour mill and lobbying campaigns are in high gear for the next CRTC chair. Konrad von Finckenstein, the volatile former head for the last five years, completed his term in January.
Here are the rumoured candidates:
• Richard Stursberg, a former senior CBC and cable executive, who just penned a book critical of the CBC. Some CBC critics in Conservative ranks might consider him to be a good candidate although they may not like his prescriptions or trust his independent, if not, maverick style.
• Jean-Pierre Blais, an assistant deputy minister at Canadian Heritage, and a former senior executive at the CRTC. He certainly knows the issues, but it would be an unusual appointment from public service to a Cabinet appointment.
• Luc Lavoie, a senior executive at Quebecor and a former spokesperson for Brian Mulroney, who is seen as too partisan in the industry. But he also has an inside track.
• John Manley; and senior public servant Michael Binder, presently head of the Nuclear Safety Commission.
•As well, as The Wire Report recently reported, three current CRTC commissioners have also applied for the top job, including acting chair Len Katz; Tom Pentefountas, vice chair for broadcasting; and national commissioner Tim Denton.
James Maunder, a spokesman for Heritage Minister James Moore (Port Mood-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, B.C.), recently told The Wire Report, which is owned by Hill Times Publishing, that the government will appoint a new chair in a number of weeks.
All the rumours aside, the last chair came out of the blue, so also expect the unexpected. The position, which is a five-year term, is hugely influential, even though the chair only has one vote of 13 commissioners around the table. The appointment should be given a high level of scrutiny, and the process should be subject to the same process as the choice for Supreme Court appointments.
The federal government posted the job vacancy in January: “As chief executive officer of the CRTC, the chairperson establishes the corporate vision and values, defines the strategic priorities and plans and sets up the organization structure and operational systems and processes to guide the work of members and staff.”
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And the rumour mill and lobbying campaigns are in high gear for the next CRTC chair.
Konrad von Finckenstein, the volatile former head of the CRTC, completed his term in January.
By ANDREW CARDOZO Monday, 05/14/2012
Article Link
OTTAWA—The rumour mill and lobbying campaigns are in high gear for the next CRTC chair. Konrad von Finckenstein, the volatile former head for the last five years, completed his term in January.
Here are the rumoured candidates:
• Richard Stursberg, a former senior CBC and cable executive, who just penned a book critical of the CBC. Some CBC critics in Conservative ranks might consider him to be a good candidate although they may not like his prescriptions or trust his independent, if not, maverick style.
• Jean-Pierre Blais, an assistant deputy minister at Canadian Heritage, and a former senior executive at the CRTC. He certainly knows the issues, but it would be an unusual appointment from public service to a Cabinet appointment.
• Luc Lavoie, a senior executive at Quebecor and a former spokesperson for Brian Mulroney, who is seen as too partisan in the industry. But he also has an inside track.
• John Manley; and senior public servant Michael Binder, presently head of the Nuclear Safety Commission.
•As well, as The Wire Report recently reported, three current CRTC commissioners have also applied for the top job, including acting chair Len Katz; Tom Pentefountas, vice chair for broadcasting; and national commissioner Tim Denton.
James Maunder, a spokesman for Heritage Minister James Moore (Port Mood-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, B.C.), recently told The Wire Report, which is owned by Hill Times Publishing, that the government will appoint a new chair in a number of weeks.
All the rumours aside, the last chair came out of the blue, so also expect the unexpected. The position, which is a five-year term, is hugely influential, even though the chair only has one vote of 13 commissioners around the table. The appointment should be given a high level of scrutiny, and the process should be subject to the same process as the choice for Supreme Court appointments.
The federal government posted the job vacancy in January: “As chief executive officer of the CRTC, the chairperson establishes the corporate vision and values, defines the strategic priorities and plans and sets up the organization structure and operational systems and processes to guide the work of members and staff.”
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