OTTAWA – Parliament should ensure Canada’s broadcasting legislation “keeps step with the times”, including proper accountability and transparency, even if it means restructuring the CRTC, said Canada’s largest media union.
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) told the Heritage Committee on Monday that Canada’s big broadcasting corporations were “supposed to strengthen local stations not close them down”, and the CRTC must share the blame for allowing that to happen.
"Parliament needs to reshape the CRTC, review the Broadcasting Act, and consider whether Canada needs converged communications legislation geared to the 21st century to address consolidated media ownership, telecommunications and…
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WINNIPEG and TORONTO – Canwest Global Communications said this morning that its subsidiary, Canwest Media Inc. and its senior lenders have agreed to extend the waiver of certain borrowing conditions until May 5, 2009.
The members of an ad hoc committee of 8% noteholders, which collectively hold approximately 70% of the outstanding notes, have also agreed not to demand payment of their notes for a period ending May 5, 2009 to coincide with the expiry date of CMI’s waiver agreement with its senior lenders.
This is the latest in a series of extensions as the giant media company struggles…
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TORONTO and OTTAWA – CTV has laid off at least 24 employees at its ‘Canada AM’ morning show, and cut its last early morning local newscast in the country.
Sources say that the broadcaster was laying off Canada AM staff members who produce local news segments exclusively for single-markets, rather than on the show’s national broadcast. The job cuts will impact operations across the country, with the exception of the Toronto and Halifax studios.
Responding to the move, Canada’s largest media union, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP), called on Heritage Minister James Moore to step in and “demand that…
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TORONTO – As we reported Thursday, the federal government will release its decision on the fate of Canadian Television Fund on Monday.
Heritage Minister James Moore has scheduled a press conference for 10:00 Monday morning in Toronto, where he will “make an announcement concerning the Canadian broadcasting industry”.
What else could it be? Cartt.ca will be there and bring you whole the story.
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OTTAWA – We’d almost forgotten about it, but the federal government just might release its decision on the Canadian Television Fund next week.
A source with knowledge of the decision’s timing told Cartt.ca this week that Heritage Minister James Moore may have an announcement as early as Monday.
The fund has spent a lot of the past 24 months defending itself and making a few changes in the way it does things. This impending release and any potential changes in how the $250 million in annual TV production money is collected and doled out was spurred on by the…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) has asked for clarification on comments made by CBC president Hubert Lacroix during his speech at a business luncheon in Toronto on Thursday.
At that time, Lacroix reportedly said that he was asking the federal government for financial assistance to deal with an expected budget shortfall and to cover downsizing costs in 2009/2010.
He also said that while no decisions would be made for 2009/2010 until the CBC board meets in mid-March, he is seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister before then, and is meeting with Heritage Minister James Moore next week.
But the CMG, who…
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TORONTO – Middle East-based news and current affairs channel Al Jazeera English (AJE) is asking the CRTC to add it to the list of eligible satellite services in Canada.
The channel, which is already seen in more than 100 countries and 130 million households worldwide, said it is committed to opening a Canadian news bureau if it is authorized for distribution here.
Ethnic Channels Group (ECG) will present the application to the CRTC, acting in their capacity as "the channel’s sponsor", the press release said. ECG is a Canadian multi-ethnic broadcaster which currently offers 12 television channels in Canada.
AJE…
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TORONTO – The recent cutbacks and sharp shift in focus for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters is something that should be re-thought, say its independent broadcast members.
Readers will recall that the group recently cut its size in half and retrenched its focus so that it will be much less involved with the CRTC and spend far more time and resources lobbying government MPs directly instead.
That’s not to say the smaller members don’t recognize some change is required. “I think it’s important to recognize that the CAB leadership had every good intention of being responsible and changing with…
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HAMILTON – Mountain Cablevision has won the phone business of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, providing the schools in the area and the board’s main offices with their cable telephony service.
Mountain Cablevision will be responsible for providing service to 115 schools, plus the board’s main offices, which equates to over 600 phone lines in total. The switch meant the school board has been able to save a significant amount on expenditures for their phone service, says the press release.
"Not only does this project provide us with real cost savings, it also lays the foundation for the future…
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KUUJJUAQ, QC – Canadian satellite company Telesat and the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) announced an agreement today that will let a growing number of native communities across Northern Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba have access to a full range of IP broadband services.
The KRG signed the agreement on behalf of the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN) which was established in 2005 by the KRG, Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s K-Net and the Keewatin Tribal Council, says the press release.
The long-term agreement for multiple C-band transponders on Telesat’s Anik F3 satellite follows a commitment the Government of Canada made last year…
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