TORONTO – On the eve of its annual awards gala, RTNDA Canada: The Association of Electronic Journalists has voted to change its name in order to adapt to the changes in the profession.
In a vote at its national conference this past weekend in Halifax, the membership agreed to change the acronym to include the word ‘Digital’. For the last 49 years, the acronym was short for Radio-Television News Directors Association. That will soon change to RTDNA, or Radio-Television Digital News Association – The Association of Electronic Journalists.
"Flipping those two letters, from ‘News Directors’ to ‘Digital News’ makes us more…
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GATINEAU – A code of conduct for vertically integrated broadcast and distribution groups, content exclusivity on mobile and the need for a skinny basic package were the primary discussion points discussion during the fourth day of the CRTC’s examination of vertical integration.
EastLink noted during its opening remarks that access to content is a “critical driver” of not only its cable distribution service, but for all of its services, and therefore rules need to be established to ensure equitable access to content.
“Programming services dictate contract terms requiring distribution in high penetration packages, packaging requirements and, in some cases, with the…
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GATINEAU – Do consumers really want the ability to pick the Jenny Craig of TV packages, a.k.a. the oft-debated, ultra-lean, skinny basic package?
It has been one of the primary questions coming from CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein and his colleagues over the first three days of the Commission’s hearing into vertical integration.
The idea has been bounced around for a couple of years (especially during the fee-for-carriage battles), however it has really taken hold of the imagination of the panel of commissioners this week.
In a nutshell, a mandated skinny basic package would force cable, satellite and telco TV distributors…
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MONTREAL – Sylvain Lafrance, Executive Vice-President of French Services for CBC/Radio-Canada, will be leaving the public broadcaster this fall after more than 33 years.
"I believe I’ve now achieved the key objectives I had set for myself as executive VP of Radio-Canada", he said in a statement on Thursday. "TV, Radio and Web integration is now a done deal. We’ve begun to build a lively presence on digital platforms. Our efforts to diversify our revenue streams have produced stellar results. And, last but not least, our programming now strikes what I feel is an optimal balance between our need to…
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TORONTO – CBC and Rogers Sportsnet are teaming up to deliver all games from the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 which starts this weekend, marking the first time every match will be broadcast live in Canada.
The partnership will see CBC air all matches involving Canada, including three of four quarterfinals, the semi-final, bronze and gold medal matches, all live. Rogers Sportsnet will air one quarterfinal match live, while also providing encore broadcasts of the quarterfinal, semi-final, bronze and gold medal matches. Additionally, in the early rounds, Rogers Sportsnet will provide live coverage of 18 matches not involving Canada.
Scott Russell will…
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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 – When Bell Canada and Telus each spoke to the issue of exclusive content on Tuesday morning during their turns at the CRTC’s hearing into vertical integration of media and distribution companies, we thought to ourselves: “this, we’ve heard before.”
Telus, the biggest carrier in the country without media assets, is worried the likes of Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Quebecor will make acquiring ancillary content for wireless, online, and any other devices that pop up, too difficult or expensive – or give themselves unfair head starts, much to the disadvantage of Telus and other companies like it.
Allowing the Canadian…
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TORONTO – Canadians need more time to weigh in on the licence renewals of the CBC’s various services, according to Friends of Canadian Broadcasting
The self-proclaimed independent watchdog for Canadian programming wrote an open letter to CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein on Monday asking to extend the deadline of the on-line consultation from July 18 to August 2 to allow ample time for “the first opportunity this century for Canadians to comment on the CBC’s performance under its Broadcasting Act mandate”.
“The Corporation’s statutory independence from political interference means that the Commission is uniquely placed to ensure accountability to…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC is asking Canadians to have their say on the country’s national broadcaster.
As it gears up to renew the CBC’s radio and television licences for the first time in 12 years this fall, the Commission has launched an on-line consultation seeking input that it will consider during the renewal hearing. That hearing is scheduled to begin on September 12, 2011, in Gatineau.
Specifically, it would like to hear from Canadians on the following questions:
– How can the CBC be relevant and meaningful in the future?– How can the CBC best deliver content to all Canadians?– Should…
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OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada’s $1.77 billion worth of expenditures in 2010 led directly to $3.7 billion gross value added to the Canadian economy according to a new report by Deloitte and Touche LLP, commissioned by the CBC/RC, released today.
The report is similar to one the accounting and research firm created for the BBC last year and compares the existing CBC/Radio-Canada to a “counterfactual”, or hypothetical, version of the Corp. which would exist as a commercially-funded entity only.
“We find that CBC/Radio-Canada has a substantial positive impact on the Canadian economy, supporting jobs and businesses across the country. We estimate that, in…
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