Search Results for: Canadian Heritage
CBC/Radio-Canada updates Parliament on its strategic plan
The plan, known as Everyone, Every way, promises to improve regional coverage and expand local service to more than 6 million Canadians over the next five years; to double the investment made in digital platforms; and to offer more Canadian programming.
In the nine months since the launch of the strategy, the public broadcaster noted that it has:
– Announced new CBC radio stations in Kamloops, London and Waterloo, and weekend television news…
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OTTAWA – The federal government rolled out a new mobile application Thursday designed to encourage Canadians' participation in the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.
The War of 1812 app, launched by Canadian Heritage and Official Languages minister James Moore, includes information about key battles, heroes, and related national historic sites. Other interactive features will be introduced in the lead up to the official start of the 200th anniversary of the War on June 18, 2012.
"Our Government understands the importance of educating Canadians of all ages about the historical significance of the War of 1812," said Minister Moore, in the announcement. "Knowing…
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CHANGE AT THE VERY top of the CRTC may be only the tip of the iceberg.
It’s been an open secret-slash-assumption for a while that the Conservative government was not keen on extending Konrad von Finckenstein’s stay as CRTC chairman. While the chair had made it known in the summer he would like to stay on for a few more years at least (a shorter, three year term was discussed, according to people with knowledge of the situation), Federal Cabinet has decided a new person will take the reins come January 25, when von Finckenstein’s mandate ends.
On Tuesday, he sent…
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OTTAWA – Calling next month’s digital transition “an unprecedented opportunity for community broadcasting, rural broadband and cell service”, the Canadian Association of Community TV Users and Stations (CACTUS) is encouraging communities to consider launching their own rebroadcasting systems.
The group has posted information on its website aimed at communities that stand to lose their over-the-air television signals on September 1st. Noting that more than 100 communities in Canada already maintain their own broadcasting towers and retransmit TV signals, CACTUS spokesperson Cathy Edwards said that the information provides clear explanations of the technology and helps communities estimate the cost of establishing their own rebroadcasting…
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GATINEAU – The clichés and attempted parallels were flying on the final day of the CRTC’s vertical integration hearing on Tuesday.
All of the independents, from V Interactions at the start of Tuesday through to GlassBox and Fight Network at the end of the day, are afraid the big, vertically integrated companies will only act ruthlessly in their own self interests to the severe detriment to their much smaller companies.
Among the elements of its proposal, the Weather Network/Météomédia owner Pelmorex Inc. argued that the Commission should “entrench in regulation” a requirement on broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs) that they can’t alter…
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By Steven James May
MP CHARLIE ANGUS WAS bang on when he dubbed Canada’s digital television transition a “hodgepodge” during a Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in March 2011. Trying to figure out if, when and where a particular over-the-air (OTA) television broadcaster will be going digital (or not) requires significant digging.
With just over two months to go before Canada’s digital television transition (70 days according to the Cartt.ca countdown clock), many viewers in cities such as Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto are already enjoying digital over-the-air (OTA) television. (For many, it is a viable, enjoyable, alternative to paying a TV…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC today asked Canadians what they think about “online broadcasting services,” and to provide it with data and information on the impact of the various over-the-top video options available to online Canadians.
(We bet many Canadians will obsess over what’s not available to them.)
“The digital environment is providing Canadians with more programming choices than ever before,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, chairman of the CRTC, in the press release. “Canadians have access to libraries of online content that can originate from anywhere in the world, and which can be watched on different screens. This fact-finding exercise will give us…
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IF YOU THOUGHT THE “usage-based billing” debate was loud, just wait until the “regulate Netflix” debate.
(Both of those arguments are inextricably linked, of course, but we’ll tackle that part another time.)
In talking to many regulatory folks over the past number of days, it seems a virtual certainty that the CRTC will hold some sort of proceeding to look at the non-Canadian, unregulated video sector, otherwise known as over-the-top video (OTT). This rapidly growing segment (in terms of usage) encompasses Netflix, AppleTV, GoogleTV, Hulu, whatever video portal or digital locker service Amazon might bring to Canada, YouTube, movies rented via…
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OTTAWA – The country’s television broadcasters may be a little more worried about the threat from foreign over-the-top (OTT) services than they have let on.
A group of some 35 senior private sector executives from the country’s distribution, telecommunications, broadcasting, production and creative sectors have formed a loose coalition called Over-The-Top Services Working Group to counter, or at least mitigate, the impact that these services could have on their traditional media businesses.
Founded by Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), the group counts industry heavyweights like Bell and Rogers amongst its members. And it has been meeting quietly over the last few…
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Feds launch mobile app commemorating War of 1812
ANALYSIS: Lord, Cannon, Lavoie, and Pentefountas lead list of potential von Finckenstein successors
CACTUS urges communities to consider own rebroadcasting systems after digital transition
Vertical Integration: We need a hammer, too, independent ‘casters tell the CRTC
Cord-Cutting: Figuring out the OTA option isn’t easy
Spurred on by industry, the Commission embarks on OTT video fact-finding month
COMMENTARY: Are our regs coming apart at the streams?
Broadcasters rally the troops against OTT services
