OTTAWA – The CRTC’s new wireless code of conduct officially came into effect Monday, designed to make it easier for Canadians to understand their contracts for cellphones and other mobile devices, plus outline their basic rights.
The wireless code will apply to all new contracts signed as of December 2, 2013. It will also apply to existing contracts that are renewed or extended, or where the key terms are amended, as of that same date. In addition, the code will apply to all wireless contracts as of June 3, 2015, regardless of when they were signed.
Among other things, the wireless…
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AT THE 2013 Canadian Telecom Summit, just a day after the CRTC released its Wireless Code of Conduct, Commission chairman Jean-Pierre Blais told delegates, essentially, what’s good for your business should be good for the customer – and vice versa.
In his June 4 speech, he quoted Mary Kay Ash, the enormously successful founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics – a brand built on direct personal relationships who said: “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, 'Make me feel important.' Never forget this message when working with people."
Blais went on to note: “Mary Kay…
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OTTAWA – Bell has received CRTC approval to launch its own community channels via video-on-demand to select official language minority communities in Ontario and Quebec.
The Commission said Friday that it will amend the broadcasting licences for Bell’s terrestrial BDUs so that it is authorized to redirect up to 2% of its gross annual revenues derived from broadcasting activities to each of its English- and French-language community VOD channels in Hamilton/Niagara, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Oshawa, Ottawa, Peterborough, Stratford, Toronto and Windsor, and their surrounding areas, in Ontario.
In Quebec, the communities include Drummondville (region of Centre-du-Québec), Gatineau, Joliette (region of…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The CRTC released a model of its new municipal access agreement Thursday, designed to assist municipalities and telecommunications companies navigate the installation of telecommunications infrastructure.
Municipal access agreements (MAAs) are negotiated between municipalities and telecommunication providers for access to municipal rights-of-way, such as street crossings and other municipal property, for the purposes of installing, operating, and maintaining transmission facilities.
The model agreement was developed, at the CRTC’s request, by a working group that included representatives from Canadian municipalities and the telecommunications industry. While the Commission said that the model agreement will streamline the negotiation process and reduce the likelihood…
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OTTAWA – Turns out that creating actual public policy is far more complicated than a few easy sound bites about choice and protecting jobs.
While the federal government last week demanded a report from the CRTC on letting Canadians break up their subscription TV bundles by April 30th, the written direction to the CRTC from the Privy Council shows an argument that is far more complex than the throw away sentences about “protecting consumers” which were a part of the Speech from the Throne on October 16. It seems to be demanding a report on providing pick and pay without…
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VANCOUVER – The Federal Government told the CRTC Thursday that it wants to be kept in the loop on how Canadians feel about unbundling their television channels.
“As stated in the most recent Speech from the Throne, our Government believes Canadian families should be able to choose the combination of television channels they want,” said Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, in a statement. “This decision is an important step in defending Canadian consumers, who want choice and flexibility in their television services. Our request will ensure that the CRTC develops a more complete…
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DARTMOUTH, NS – Newcap has received CRC approval to sell CHFT-FM in Fort McMurray, AB to Harvard Broadcasting Inc.
This transaction, reported by Cartt.ca last July, is expected to be completed within the next 30 days. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Fort McMurray’s radio market includes competitor Rogers, which owns Country 93.3 FM and Rock 97.9 FM. CHFT-FM, which operates as K-Rock 100.5 in Fort McMurray, will join Harvard’s Mix 103.7 FM station in that market.
"This was a unique situation in a market where two stand-alone stations, Newcap's…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has pulled together a special taskforce to investigate issues and concerns around wireless roaming.
In an internal memo to staff on Tuesday, the Commission said that the new Wireless Taskforce comes as a result of consumer concerns expressed over the last year “with respect to the rates, terms, and conditions associated with wireless roaming”.
“In response to these concerns, Commission staff has conducted some wireless roaming research using publicly available information. Recently, we launched a fact finding exercise on wireless roaming to gather confidential information. The data that has been reviewed to date…
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OTTAWA – One of the most critical aspects of developing regulation is to actively engage Canadians in their formulation, CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais told the annual workshop of the Community of Federal Regulators in Ottawa on Monday.
The CRTC’s new approach of “reaching out to Canadians as citizens, creators and consumers” has both taught some valuable lessons and helped the Commission to become “a more responsive regulator”, he said.
Sharing the process around the creation of the new wireless code of conduct, Blais said that the Commission used social media to solicit feedback and draw…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has turned down a request from Rogers Communications to shift its licenses for its cable business, on-demand business and Sportsnet service to Mountain Cablevision as part of a corporate reorganization.
Rogers acquired Hamilton Ontario-based Mountain Cablevision from Shaw earlier this year. In an application to the CRTC, Rogers requested the issuance of broadcasting licences to Mountain under the same terms and conditions as those in effect under the current licences and authorization for Rogers Communications Partnership (RCP) to continue operating its broadcasting distribution, video-on-demand, and pay-per-view undertakings. Rogers explained its request was for…
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