OTTAWA – A Senate committee turned to a former broadcast regulator for insight on how to address the challenges facing CBC/Radio-Canada in light of its loss of Hockey Night in Canada to Rogers Communications last year.
Appearing via video conference from Florida, former chair of the CRTC Konrad von Finckenstein told the Standing Senate Committee on Transportation and Communications what he believes could be done to improve the chances for success of Canada’s public broadcaster. He pointed to unloading the corporation’s vast over-the-air broadcast network, refocusing of the public broadcaster’s content as well as changing the governance structure and oversight…
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By Etan Vlessing
ANN ARBOR – Inside a production truck around 100 yards from Michigan Stadium, known to many as “The Big House” on the campus of the University of Michigan, CBC Sports director of production Joel Darling is making rapid-fire decisions about how the 2014 Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings game will be captured for Canadian TV.
"It's the biggest show we do all year," Darling tells Cartt.ca as he directs an army of behind-the-scenes CBC staffers in front of computer and TV screens finalizing graphics, video clips and statistical nuggets to broadcast when…
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OTTAWA – A coalition of American border television stations is hoping that the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV policy initiative will help them in their quest for compensation for their over-the-air programs that are being imported and retransmitted in Canada.
The group, which includes ABC, CBS, NBC and CW affiliates in Detroit, Buffalo and Minneapolis, says it’s seeking equitable and non-discriminatory remuneration opportunities under Canada’s TV retransmission regime, as Cartt.ca has reported.
The group maintains that Canada's Broadcasting Distribution Regulations were amended in 2011 to provide retransmission consent and new remuneration rights for operators of distant Canadian TV…
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OTTAWA – Turns out that creating actual public policy is far more complicated than a few easy sound bites about choice and protecting jobs.
While the federal government last week demanded a report from the CRTC on letting Canadians break up their subscription TV bundles by April 30th, the written direction to the CRTC from the Privy Council shows an argument that is far more complex than the throw away sentences about “protecting consumers” which were a part of the Speech from the Throne on October 16. It seems to be demanding a report on providing pick and pay without…
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VANCOUVER – The Federal Government told the CRTC Thursday that it wants to be kept in the loop on how Canadians feel about unbundling their television channels.
“As stated in the most recent Speech from the Throne, our Government believes Canadian families should be able to choose the combination of television channels they want,” said Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, in a statement. “This decision is an important step in defending Canadian consumers, who want choice and flexibility in their television services. Our request will ensure that the CRTC develops a more complete…
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OTTAWA – With the Throne Speech still ringing in our ears, the Feds were quick to applaud the CRTC’s ‘Let’s Talk TV’ discussion which kicked off this week.
Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, issued a statement Thursday reiterating the government’s pledge to unbundle TV channels while also protecting Canadian jobs.
“Consistent with that commitment, the Canadian Radio-television Communications Commission has today launched a dialogue with Canadians on the future of television”, the statement reads. “The dialogue launched today will play a part in fulfilling our Speech from the Throne…
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INDUSTRY MINISTER JAMES MOORE has fair sized reservoir of stamina. After two full days of going west to east talking wireless with just about everyone who’ll ask for his time – and with three days of that still lying ahead – he sounded fresh and combative when it was our turn Tuesday afternoon to talk with him.
For readers not vacationing incommunicado for the past two months, Minister Moore has taken this week to tour the country to talk up the federal government’s wireless policies in the face of an all-out onslaught of sustained criticism from…
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NETWORK EXPANSION NEWS
Recent launches:
Bell Aliant continues FibreOp expansion with $20 million investment in North Bay, Timmins
NORTH BAY and TIMMINS, ON – Bell Aliant’s new $7 million fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) expansion in Timmins announced Wednesday brings the total of the regional telco’s recent investments in Northern Ontario to $20 million. The FTTH network will reach approximately 15,000 premises in Timmins.
Last week Bell Aliant also announced it is investing $13 million to launch its FibreOP network to about 20,000 households and business in North Bay.
While both communities are part of Bell Aliant's operating…
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TORONTO – Here’s some news that might help cool you down if you’re in the midst of southern Ontario’s heat wave this week: CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada announced late Friday that its 2013-14 NHL season will kick off on October 1.
HNIC returns for the 2013-14 NHL season with a full slate of games, kicking off with NHL Face-Off from Montreal on October 1 as the Canadiens host their longtime rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. In all, CBC’s schedule includes 94 games featuring 33 all-Canadian match-ups, 16 Original Six games and four installments of the “Battle of Alberta” between the Calgary…
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TORONTO – While recent events, including the possible entry of US behemoth Verizon into Canada and Monday’s cabinet shuffle, have left many in the investment community wondering how these will affect the regulatory landscape, the telecom sector won’t see an impact on the bottom line just yet.
Financial results for the second quarter of 2013 will not reflect any of these regulatory concerns, says BMO Capital Markets Second analyst Tim Casey.
“We expect Verizon will continue to quietly negotiate with the owners of the existing new entrants – Wind and Mobilicity – with…
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