GATINEAU – The simultaneous substitution of American broadcast signals for Canadian ones, when the programming is identical, has been going on since the 1970s.
Back then, cable operators were often described by broadcasters and others as pirates who brought in American TV channels and charged customers for the privilege of seeing them, even though they paid nothing for the signal and Canadian broadcasters had often purchased the copyrights of much of that U.S. programming for our country. Faced with the threat of a federal government crackdown on its business (yes, the Commission of the day was pondering forcing all American…
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OTTAWA – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) are challenging Bell Canada’s practice of using customer information for behavioural and other marketing.
In an application filed Monday with the CRTC, the consumer organizations argue that Bell’s practice of collecting, using and disclosing customer information for marketing runs contrary to Canadian telecommunications policy, rules they say are intended to protect Canadians’ privacy.
“PIAC/CAC contend that aside from being contrary to the policy objectives, and to specific Commission rules about privacy, an overarching concern is that Bell’s Relevant Ads program does not provide sufficient detail to customers…
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OTTAWA – Corus Entertainment’s purchase of Ottawa-based radio stations CKQB-FM (The Bear 106.9) and CJOT-FM (Boom 99.7) from Bell Media will close on January 31st , Corus confirmed Tuesday.
Formerly owned by Astral, Corus agreed to buy the stations last March as part of the divestitures required as conditions of Bell Media’s purchase of Astral Media. The deal received CRTC approval late last week.
Corus has established a Montreal-based management team led by Mario Cecchini, president of Corus Média and head of Eastern Ontario tadio and television. In addition to overseeing Corus' Quebec-based specialty services, Cecchini will now be responsible for Corus' eastern Ontario radio and local television…
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OTTAWA – Corus Entertainment has received CRTC approval to proceed with its purchase of a number of television stations being sold by Bell Media.
The Commission said Friday that the $400 million sale of Teletoon, Historia and Séries+ “will result in a consolidation that will facilitate the creation, promotion and distribution of diverse, high-quality Canadian programming for Canadian and international audiences, particularly in the children’s and animation programming sectors. It will also enhance diversity and foster greater competition in the French-language market.”
It did, however, impose conditions of licence designed to “limit the potential for anti-competitive behaviour by Corus”, and ordered the broadcaster to file licence…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canadians will soon be able to subscribe to any homegrown news service they want, either in theme packs or a la carte, the CRTC announced Thursday.
“Canadian news services are an important part of our democracy,” said CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, in a statement. “With the rules we are announcing today, Canadians, as citizens, will have access to the news services that are of interest to them and will therefore have an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of opinions on matters of public concern.”
The move is like Christmas coming early for struggling Sun News Network which…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has laid out a $233 million, four-year modernization plan for Northwestel that includes improved broadband Internet services and 4G wireless services for northern Canadians.
The Commission said Wednesday that these improvements must include:
– upgrading and expanding its broadband Internet service offering;
– extending wireless services to many additional communities; and
– upgrading equipment in order to support enhanced calling services, such as call display and call waiting, as well as local number portability and local network interconnection.
“We recognize that modern telecommunications services play an essential role in the North’s economic development and in meeting the growing demand for…
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OTTAWA – The federal government is capping domestic wholesale wireless roaming rates in an effort to benefit Canadian consumers and give a leg-up to new wireless entrants.
Industry Minister James Moore said Wednesday that the Government will amend the Telecommunications Act to prevent large wireless providers from charging other companies more than they charge their own customers for mobile voice, data and text services. This measure will be in place until the CRTC, which launched its own investigation into roaming rates last week, makes a decision.
Minister Moore said in a statement that high domestic roaming rates hold back many providers, especially…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is expected to rule this week on Corus Entertainment’s request to buy French specialty channels Historia and Series+ and the piece of Teletoon (including its other animation brands) it does not yet own.
Corus agreed to purchase the assets last March as part of the divestitures required as conditions of Bell Media’s purchase of Astral Media. While Corus already held 50% of Teletoon/Télétoon (as well as Teletoon Retro in English and French, and the Cartoon Network) with Astral, it owned neither of the two French specialties, both of which had been split…
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I’VE BEEN COVERING this business since 1997 but not until now do I have my first ever actual submission, well co-submission, to the CRTC. It’s not a traditional one but I do hope Cartt.ca readers – and anyone else for that matter – find it interesting.
When we first heard of the Commission’s idea for flash conferences as a way to inform its overhaul of the policies governing television in Canada, I immediately wondered what I could do in Cartt.ca’s hometown of Hamilton, Ont. It’s a neat idea and kudos to whomever came up with it at the Regulator.
Since I’m…
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– OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Green Shield Windows and Doors and Peak Windows and Doors have paid $100,000 in penalties as part of settlements over violations to the country’s telemarketing rules.
The CRTC said Wednesday that its investigations found that both Green Shield and Peak failed to subscribe and pay all applicable fees to the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) operator, resulting in the companies making telemarketing calls to consumers whose numbers were registered on the list. Green Shield paid a penalty of $65,000 and Peak has forked over $35,000.
In addition to paying monetary penalties, both companies have ceased making telemarketing…
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