QUISPAMSIS, N.B. – The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance said this morning it supports Videotron’s recent complaint to the Competition Bureau which alleges Bell Canada is unfairly slowing down and blocking access to Bell’s support structures (poles) in Quebec.
“CCSA’s members in Quebec have had the same experiences and frustrations Videotron cites in trying to get fair and timely access to Bell-owned telephone poles in order to extend high-speed Internet services in that province,” said CCSA CEO Jay Thomson in a release this morning.
“Anti-competitive tactics by Bell and other pole owners represent the biggest barrier to providing rural Canadians with…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU — Reading around the gaps in a heavily redacted copy of a complaint filed with the CRTC on August 12, this much is clear — the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) and several of its member BDUs are accusing Bell Media of “unreasonably denying or delaying access” to some of its programming services.
In doing so, the CCSA claims in its Part 1 application posted to the CRTC web site Wednesday, Bell Media has breached its “competitive safeguards” conditions of licence and/or the wholesale code for discretionary services.
What isn’t clear, due to the redactions in the application posted…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL — TV music provider Stingray announced it reached an agreement with the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) to expand their long-standing relationship.
As part of the expanded channel distribution partnership, CCSA members’ commercial and residential subscribers gain access to Stingray’s music video TV channels PalmarèsADISQ par Stingray, Stingray Hits!, Stingray Retro, Stingray Loud, Stingray Vibe and Stingray Country, as well as its 4K channels Stingray Festival 4K, Stingray Now 4K and Stingray Naturescape, plus Stingray Classica which features video recordings of classical orchestras, operas and ballets from the world’s most prestigious venues. The subscription video-on-demand services Stingray Karaoke and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — CTV Life Channel is starting a month-long, nationwide free preview on Tuesday, June 2, which will feature a new Tuesday-night lineup of wedding series and Saturday wedding-themed movie marathons.
Running until July 9, the CTV Life Channel freeview will also see the series debut of Double Your Dish on Monday, June 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Hosted by real-life couple Chef Rodney Bowers and radio and TV personality Meredith Shaw (pictured in centre), the eight-episode, self-shot cooking series helps viewers make the most out of their meals by transforming one base recipe into two totally different dishes.
“We’re thrilled…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Bell Media’s Animal Planet is offering a nationwide freeview, starting Tuesday, June 2, just in time for the premiere of its summer lineup of new and returning series.
Available until Thursday, July 9, the channel’s free preview will coincide with the season premieres of The Aquarium (June 15), Pit Bulls and Parolees (above, June 26) and North Woods Law (June 30).
In addition, all-new episodes of Lone Star Law (Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET), Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild (Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET) and Amanda to the Rescue (Fridays at 9 p.m. ET) are scheduled during the freeview…
Continue Reading
By Greg O’Brien
“THERE’S A WASTE OF two hours,” was my thought after listening to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology on Thursday evening.
Not just my own time. Everyone’s.
The meeting notice said only that the INDU committee was looking at the Canadian response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but with a witness list of Jay Thomson, CEO of the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance; Ian Stevens, CEO of independent broadband provider Execulink; Andy Kaplan-Myrth, vice-president, regulatory and carrier affairs at TekSavvy; two rural politicians – Steve Arnold, mayor of St. Clair Township and Rob Gay, the board chair of the…
Continue Reading
QUISPAMSIS, N.B. — The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) announced today Ian Spencer is joining the organization as manager of contracts, effective Monday, May 4.
Operating from his home base in Whitby, Ont., Spencer will be responsible for supporting Lori Rosenberg, CCSA’s vice-president of contracts, in negotiating current and future CCSA master programming agreements, managing staff in the administration of the agreements and implementing various CCSA member services. He will replace Debbie Randon, CCSA’s current manager of contracts, who will retire in July after 20 year of stellar service, says the news release.
Most recently, Spencer worked at CBC/Radio-Canada as manager…
Continue Reading
QUISPAMSIS, N.B. — The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) announced Monday it is postponing its Connect 2020 Conference at Mont Tremblant, Que., for a year, until September 2021.
The decision was made “based on extensive consultations with experts and others facing similar issues given the uncertainty as to how long travel and physical distancing restrictions may remain in effect,” says the email notification.
“We know this event may seem far away right now and that you were looking forward to enjoying its valuable educational and networking opportunities; however, putting the conference together involves a substantial financial commitment and a great deal…
Continue Reading
IN A LETTER to Netflix, Amazon and other OTT video providers, a trio of Canadian associations which represent smaller, independent network operators — the Independent Telecommunications Providers Association (ITPA), Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) and Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) — have asked the streaming services to decrease their video bitrates to temporarily provide relief to their members’ networks.
“Collectively we have seen that OTT video services are contributing to a 20-30% increase of aggregate Internet transit over the last 7-10 days as health organizations and governments are encouraging citizens to stay home to flatten the curve and prevent the…
Continue Reading
CCSA says mandated access to 5G nets is a must for rural
GATINEAU – In advising the CRTC to mandate just one national MVNO to boost mobile wireless competition here, three former wireless and telecom executives said threats from the big national players about reduced investments and job cuts are not to be taken seriously.
“The market is so clearly dominated by the Big Three ,” Alek Krstajic, the former Freedom CEO and past executive at Bell and Rogers, told CRTC commissioners at the beginning of the second week of the Regulator’s review of the wireless industry.
“In fact,…
Continue Reading
