OTTAWA – Canada’s broadcast regulator is proposing a new television broadcast regime that will ensure affordable access to a broad variety of content. The CRTC says this can be accomplished by forcing distributors to offer a small all-Canadian-only basic package along with the ability for consumers to either build their own package or pick the individual services they desire.
In a report to Cabinet due at the end of the month but published early, April 24, the Commission says results from the first two phases of its Let’s Talk TV Conversation with Canadians initiative reveal consumers want more flexibility in…
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OTTAWA–GATINEAU – The CRTC launched the third phase of Let’s Talk TV: A Conversation with Canadians Thursday, a formal review of the television system that draws on the issues and priorities identified in Phases 1 and 2 of the initiative. Phase 3 will also include a public hearing that will begin on September 8, 2014.
The Commission said that it intends to explore “a number of changes to the television system to meet the current and future needs of Canadians as citizens, creators and consumers”. Those changes will include choice and flexibility in programming, ways to encourage the creation of compelling and diverse Canadian…
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OTTAWA–GATINEAU – Canadians who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired will have access to a new telecommunications service as early as the fall of 2015.
The CRTC said Tuesday that video relay service will be made available in Canada for users of American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ). When it launches, the service will facilitate conversations between people who are deaf, hard of hearing and speech impaired and other Canadians, and vice versa. An operator facilitates the conversation between the two parties by relaying the conversation between sign language and spoken language.
Although video relay service will…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has been awarded with the 2013-14 Regulatory Excellence Awards in the areas of collaboration, leadership and innovation by the Community of Federal Regulators.
The Community of Federal Regulators (CFR) is a partnership of federal departments and agencies that facilitates collaboration and the professional development of employees involved in regulations across the federal government.
The CRTC received the award for Collaboration for its video relay service proceeding, which was launched in March 2013. In partnership with Public Works and Government Services Canada's translation bureau, the CRTC provided unprecedented access for Canadians who are deaf, hard of hearing,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied requests from the CBC and Bell Media to average their respective weekly local programming requirements on a quarterly basis, rather than weekly, throughout the broadcast year.
Bell asked the Commission last October to amend the standard conditions of licence applicable to its English-language conventional television stations, whose licences were renewed as part of the Commission’s group-based licence renewals in 2011, to average their weekly local programming obligations quarterly throughout the broadcast year.
That prompted the CBC to file an application to amend the condition of licence applicable to its English-language conventional television network and stations to…
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OTTAWA – Various parties continued to question the level to which Rogers Media will use its recently acquired NHL hockey content as a component of its Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) commitments at the company’s licence renewal hearing before the CRTC while Rogers said they need not worry.
The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), in its opening remarks on Wednesday fretted that Canadian content will suffer because Rogers will use the NHL to account for its CPE commitments, particularly if the Commission approves Rogers request to be treated under the group licensing framework (GLF).
“We have to wonder if hockey fans will…
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OTTAWA – Consumer complaints received by the CRTC regarding bandwidth throttling by their Internet service providers (ISPs) for the first quarter of this year are down slightly from those reported in the last quarter of 2013.
In its latest status report issued Wednesday, the Commission reported that it received a total of 11 complaints regarding Internet Traffic Management Practices (ITMPs) from January 1 to March 31, 2014, down from the 13 complaints that were filed from October 1 to December 31, 2013.
There is no distinction made between ITMP disclosure complaints, (those related to whether the ISP has disclosed information, on…
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ROGERS MEDIA SPENT MUCH of Tuesday playing defence during its licence renewal hearings before the CRTC, deflecting criticism over the company’s desire to have its hockey broadcasts considered programming of national interest (PNI), or be part of the company’s Canadian programming expenditures (CPE).
CRTC vice-chair of broadcasting Tom Pentefountas took the first shot by questioning whether hockey programming should be included in Canadian content or PNI commitments. After a series of questions on whether this type of sports programming needs regulatory help from the commission, he wondered why hockey should account for CPE or fall under PNI programming.
Keith Pelley, president…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments on DHX Media’s proposal to buy Family, Disney XD, and the English- and French-language Disney Junior channels from Bell Media.
As Cartt.ca reported, the Halifax-based children's entertainment company proposed the acquisition, valued at $170 million, last November. The deal comes as part of Bell Media's requirement to divest some properties to comply with regulatory conditions attached to its acquisition of Astral Media.
The Commission made the application public Thursday, noting that it will also consider DHX’s proposed tangible benefits package and amendments to the broadcasting licence for Family Channel.
The deadline for the…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has upheld its rules relating to automated calling devices in an effort to further protect the privacy of Canadians from telemarketers.
On Monday, the Commission turned down an application by the Canadian Marketing Association (CMA) to loosen the rules around the use of automatic dialing-announcing devices (ADAD). Specifically, the CMA had asked to make automated calls without having express consent, when there is an existing business relationship between the telemarketer or client of the telemarketer and the called party.
The CRTC said that it considered the CMA's proposal in the context of a broader public review of…
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