By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – Even though next week was supposed to be devoted to constituency work, the members of the Heritage Committee have worked out a deal and have agreed to devote five hours to start hearing witnesses on Bill C-11 on Tuesday, May 24, on autopilot (and the following week for five hours on the 30th, five hours on the 31st and five hours either on June 1 or 2, depending on the availability of rooms and personnel.)
This equals a total of 20 hours for witnesses, the list for which must be submitted to the clerk…
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OTTAWA – Canada needs a stable regulatory environment to support investment in digital networks, argued Robert Ghiz (above), president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), during his keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference yesterday.
Ghiz pointed out how during the pandemic, when suddenly people became more reliant on the Internet and mobile communications, there was concern about “whether our digital networks would buckle under the strain.” This did not happen – “Canada’s digital networks rose to the occasion,” he said.
Ghiz attributed this to Canadian network operators having “invested heavily and consistently” in…
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OTTAWA – Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez says he has heard the criticisms of the CRTC, but he still believes the time has come to modernize it, and in doing so, entrust it with regulating online platforms through bills C-11 (the Online Streaming Act) and C-18 (the Online News Act).
“Some argue that the CRTC is not responsive to consumers and creators, that it lacks the expertise and resources to deal with the new legislation,” Rodriguez said during the final keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference yesterday.
Rodriguez acknowledged that essentially, some say…
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CHATHAM, Ont. — As the one-year anniversary of the CRTC’s wholesale Internet rates decision approaches, independent ISP TekSavvy Solutions Inc. announced today it has relaunched its Pay Less To Connect campaign to enable Canadians to express their views about the CRTC’s decision to their members of Parliament.
“By the end of the month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Cabinet must decide whether to overturn a controversial CRTC ruling that allows big telecom companies to hike prices and legally pillage consumers’ steadily evaporating savings,” reads an email from a TekSavvy spokesperson.
“TekSavvy has relaunched its PayLessToConnect.ca campaign this…
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“We support all forms of competition,” chair says
By Amanda OYE
OTTAWA – As he approaches the end of his term as CRTC chair, Ian Scott (above, right) is brimming with confidence – confidence in the Commission’s recent decisions, in its reputation and in its ability to take on more responsibility.
Speaking during a keynote interview with National Post reporter Anja Karadeglija at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference being held in Ottawa, Scott listed the Commission’s accomplishments during his time as chair, which is coming to an end.
He noted how hard everyone at the Commission has worked…
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By Ken Kelley
OTTAWA – Less than a week after the House of Commons voted to send Bill C-11 to Canada’s Heritage Committee, a panel gathered at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s 2022 conference weighed the details and realities of the act.
Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, was first introduced in February 2022. Its goals include clarifying the scope of the Broadcasting Act, which dates back to 1991, and determining how the latter should apply equitably to online streaming services.
Today’s panel comes on the heels of a Globe & Mail-Nanos Research poll, which shows…
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By Denis Carmel
FOR MANY YEARS, deploying fibre has been a priority for the Government of Québec.
But the delays in interconnecting the various networks and utility poles, which were to comprise the backbone of the deployment of fibre across Québec, frustrated them to the point that a lot of the money allotted to the various high-speed Internet projects in the remote areas lapsed.
So, they decided to put together a coordination table that would have representatives of each utility company, including Hydro-Québec, sit down and resolve the issues arising from growing demand in the building of the networks.
After reviewing the…
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OTTAWA – Conservative critic John Nater (above) called into question the CRTC’s ability to effectively fulfill the responsibilities that would be handed to it by Bill C-18, the Online News Act, during second reading of the bill, which began today in the House of Commons.
Nater more specifically asked why the Commission was selected “to enforce and oversee the act when the CRTC does not have a history or experience in regulating online platforms.”
The Conservative critic further questioned the Commission’s suitability for the role by pointing to its chair Ian Scott’s “clear lack of judgement” when meeting Bell…
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By Howard Law
HERITAGE MINISTER PABLO RODRIGUEZ has promised a CRTC policy directive to implement Bill C-11’s broad mandate to sweep foreign streaming platforms into our national program to create, fund and promote Canadian content.
C-11 has now passed second reading in the House of Commons and is on its way to the Heritage Committee for amendments and further debate. It’s time for the minister to table a draft directive.
What should be in it?
The minister has said he’s receptive to strengthening the definition of Canadian content, currently codified by the CRTC, the Canada Media Fund, and the Heritage tax credit…
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By Dru Oja Jay, Amélie Hinse and Cathy Edwards
CANADA’S COMMUNITY TV stations understand that the federal government’s revisions to the Broadcasting Act represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the challenges of the past two decades: the CRTC’s regulatory capture, the collapse of local news media in smaller markets, and a steady decline in confidence in institutions.
Canada once had a thriving network of cable-managed community TV stations. In the ’80s and ’90s, over 300 studios across the country supported volunteer-driven broadcasting. These stations taught a generation about media production, developing world-famous Canadian talent from Dan Ackroyd to Tom Green to…
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