The television network Avis de Recherche (ADR) filed an application in Federal Court for a judicial review of a decision rendered on August 8, 2024 (Decision 2024-389 and Order 2024-380) by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. The documents filed in Federal Court on June 26 allege that evidence has been unearthed suggesting there was significant political pressure placed on CRTC Commissioners to refuse ADR's mandatory carriage renewal application.
We will recall that the CRTC decision terminates ADR's mandatory distribution on digital basic in Quebec as of August 31st 2024. No longer obligated to carry the service beyond that date, the major cable and satellite television distributors in Quebec have notified ADR that they will cease distribution of the service as of September 1st, 2024.
In its application for renewal of its licence at the CRTC hearing in 2024, ADR received letters of endorsement from almost every police service in Quebec, as well as letters from most police services across Canada. Its application also received the support of numerous mayors and provincial public safety ministers, several missing person's organizations, victims' associations, and a multitude of other organizations involved in the promotion of safety and crime prevention from across the country. It was truly a united call by many of those to whom we entrust the safety and well-being of all Canadians. Many interventions provided evidence of ADR's value in bringing criminals to justice and in reuniting families. The RCMP in Quebec, for example, indicated that the resolution of at least 34 percent of its "unlawfully at large" cases is directly attributable to ADR.
This widespread support was further corroborated by a CROP survey conducted this past April which indicated that 89% of Quebecers were in favour of the ADR service, while 69% of Quebecers disagreed with the CRTC decision.
"Since 2024, ADR has devoted itself to promoting public safety and prevention and to making a valued contribution to the well-being of the community. The loss of ADR will do a disservice to our community. This highly suspicious, incomprehensible and totally unjustified decision on the part of the CRTC is contrary to the public interest", said Vincent Geracitano, president and founder of ADR.
ADR is a public interest television network entirely devoted to promoting public safety and prevention, broadcasting on digital basic in Quebec. It works closely with law enforcement agencies broadcasting round-the-clock police bulletins on wanted suspects and missing persons. In collaboration with numerous public safety bodies and other organizations it also produces and broadcasts programming aimed at educating and informing viewers on all matters pertaining to public safety and prevention. As a public interest service, its programming is guided by the service that it renders to the community.