Search Results for: cbc

Radio / Television News

Dejero to help CBC make IP transition

WATERLOO — CBC/Radio-Canada has renewed its agreement with broadcast video transport specialist Dejero as its primary field contribution solutions provider. As part of this renewed multi-year agreement, announced Wednesday, Dejero will help CBC with its transition to IP-based infrastructure. CBC is currently undertaking a major project to relocate the public broadcaster’s French services headquarters to the all-IP Maison de Radio-Canada (MRC) broadcast centre in Montreal, the release says. Upon completion later this year, the new SMPTE ST 2110-compliant MRC will be one of the most advanced, state-of-the-art IP broadcast facilities in the world, supporting CBC’s multiplatform and ever-increasing digital… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

New study traces history of CBC’s public funding

OTTAWA — The Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC) released Tuesday a comprehensive study looking at the history of public funding granted to the CBC. According to its research, parliamentary funding for CBC’s operations has decreased by 36% since 1985. The FRPC decided in mid-2019 to undertake the research project in preparation for the public broadcaster’s licence renewal proceeding this year. The 248-page study, titled An analysis of CBC’s financial history from 1937 to 2019: We tried to follow the money. Frodo had it easier, is based on financial and other data collected from 80 of the… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

BTLR Report: Regs need reduction, not escalation, says Corus CEO

Panel report targets foreign players, but Murphy urges caution TORONTO – Doug Murphy said he appreciates the recommendations of the government-appointed panel tasked with reviewing Canada’s communications laws, but the Corus Entertainment president and CEO urged caution about the regulatory pressure it may add to Canadian broadcasters. “It looks like this report is calling for even more regulation and more regulatory burden,” Murphy said in a phone interview on Friday. “What we cannot have happen here is more regulatory burden on the incumbent actors – that’s not acceptable.” Murphy, like others, is still sifting through the 235-page report, released Wednesday, which contains… Continue Reading

OTT, Radio / Television News

Prime Time 2020: Why boutique streamers believe there’s plenty of room alongside Netflix

By Etan Vlessing OTTAWA – Most people go to Netflix or Amazon Prime for their online TV fixes, but a host of niche streaming services like Britbox, Shudder and CBC Gem target those with more obscure or specific viewing tastes. But as these boutique upstarts go up against online giants increasingly penetrating the Canadian market, some of their top execs gathered last week at Prime Time in Ottawa to talk about how to snatch market share from superstores like Apple TV and Disney+. “Everyone is trying to be a giant. We don’t have to be everything for everybody. We have to be… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CBC must submit online revenue numbers, says CRTC

OTTAWA — Responding to a procedural request for information from the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, the CRTC is now asking CBC/Radio-Canada to submit its total aggregate revenues for all of its online services, as part of the proceeding related to the public broadcaster’s licence renewal. In a letter sent to the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting on January 28, the Commission notes it has sent CBC/Radio-Canada a letter requesting the information about aggregate revenues (subscriber and advertising) asked for by FCB for all CBC/Radio-Canada owned and operated audio and audiovisual online services. CBC/Radio-Canada has until February 4, 2020 to provide… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, OTT, Radio / Television News

BTLR report is prime time at CMPA’s annual conference

By Christopher Guly OTTAWA – After barely a day to digest, the Broadcast and Telecom Legislative Review panel report claimed centre stage during day one of the Canadian Media Producers Association’s 25th Prime Time conference in Ottawa on Thursday. One day after releasing their report – 19 months in the making and which resulted in 97 recommendations – chair Janet Yale and fellow panelist Monique Simard provided some insight during a lunchtime appearance. “Our job was to deliver recommendations on how to modernize the legislative and regulatory framework governing the communication sector in broadcasting and telecommunications,” said Yale. “We really thought about… Continue Reading

OTT, Radio / Television News

Prime Time 2020: Lennox, Tait, clash over streaming-era financing strategies

By Etan Vlessing OTTAWA – As Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and other U.S. streamers compete in Canada alongside local digital rivals Crave and CBC Gem, Bell Media president Randy Lennox and CBC president and CEO Catherine Tait on Thursday offered competing visions on how best to potentially structure TV deals with American streamers promising bigger budgets and global reach, while still protecting and fully exploiting their Canadian-nurtured IP. During a Prime Time panel entitled “Canadian Broadcasting Beyond 2020,” Lennox and Tait talked of grappling with production financing tools and strategies dramatically morphing in the streaming era as American digital partners… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Tories offer alternative to BTLR report praised by industry

By Christopher Guly OTTAWA – The much-anticipated report by the federal Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel has so far drawn praise from some of the industries it affects, but mainly criticism from the official opposition Conservatives. At a National Press Theatre news conference following the release of the report on Wednesday, Michelle Rempel Garner, the Conservative shadow minister for industry and economic development (pictured in a cpac.ca screen cap), said that while the 235-page document, entitled Canada’s Communications Future: A Time to Act, is “well-intentioned, was written in one of the most heavily lobbied and regulated spaces in Canadian industry… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, OTT, Radio / Television News

Altering the Acts: Panel recommends huge future role for a new CRTC, Cancon contributions from everywhere

Renamed Commission would oversee all media in Canada By Denis Carmel OTTAWA – Eighteen months, thousands of pages from more than 2000 written submissions, dozens of staff and six panel members have produced a shockingly thorough 235-page report which proposes 97 recommendations to change the Broadcasting Act, Telecommunications Act and Radiocommunications Act. The CRTC will be dead, long live the CCC One of the many recommendations from the Broadcasting & Telecommunications Legislative Review (BTLR) panel in its report called “Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act” is a renamed CRTC where the new moniker would reflect the sweeping new regulatory powers found in many… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CRTC extends deadline for public input into CBC renewal

GATINEAU — Canadians will have an additional week to submit their opinions on CBC/Radio-Canada’s programming as the CRTC announced Tuesday it is extending the consultation period that is part of the public broadcaster’s licence renewal process. The Commission says it wants to hear from Canadians across the country to ensure the content produced and distributed by the public broadcaster reflects the diversity of Canada’s population, while meeting its needs in both official languages. The deadline extension comes after the Commission posted online Tuesday a recently completed study by Cullen International which examined public broadcasters in other jurisdictions around the world…. Continue Reading