Third in a three-part series
By Len St-Aubin
FOR DECADES, CANADIAN broadcasting policy, grounded in the limitations of over-the-air radio and TV, has restricted consumer choice in the name of Canadian culture.
Quietly, Canadians have resisted: with set-top “rabbit ears”, roof-top antennas, pre-regulation cable-TV, and satellite dishes big and small, we asserted our freedom of choice, pulling in foreign signals. We took to online streaming like fish to water.
If passed, Bill C-10 would apply those increasingly out of touch (OOT) policies to online streaming. Virtual private networks (VPNs) are about to flourish.
It’s not that Canadians don’t like Canadian content. Our maple-leaf hearts…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – Federal government officials, most notably Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault, have been saying since Bill C-10 was introduced, that it could deliver as much as $830 million in new dollars, per year, for the production of Canadian content, by 2023.
Cartt.ca has attempted to guesstimate how the federal government came up with that amount, which is being used as a keystone figure by those who like the bill which would amend the Broadcasting Act. The amount would, of course, be made up from contributions from streamers (or “online broadcasters”) to the Cancon production system.
Knowing our…
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SEVERAL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT for Southwestern Ontario are getting behind Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) and its 2.0 GigaProject, calling on the federal government to provide funding for the project which aims to bring 1 Gbps broadband services to 95% of the population in the region by 2026.
In a letter dated February 10, the 14 MPs who signed the letter ask Francois-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry, and Maryam Monsef, minister of rural economic development, to ensure the SWIFT 2.0 GigaProject receives federal funding. The MPs point out the Southwestern Ontario region did not receive funding for…
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GATINEAU — Independent telecom provider Primus notified the CRTC earlier this month that it and Bell Canada have resolved a dispute over Bell’s rate increases for its unbundled local loops (ULLs) which was effective January 1, 2021.
The resolution of the issue was revealed in a Commission letter published February 15 on its website, which says Primus’ Part 1 application asking for relief related to the rate increases is now closed. Details of how the issue was resolved were not disclosed.
Cartt.ca told you about Primus’ complaint in December 2020, after its application was filed with the Commission.
Since that…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – During last month’s CRTC hearing on the renewal of the CBC’s broadcasting licences, Commission chairman Ian Scott and commissioner Claire Anderson asked numerous times for the CBC to file the “mission metrics” public opinion survey which the corporation uses to measure the fulfilment of its mandate.
“In terms of perception about the corporation’s programming, my understanding is that the corporation has been conducting the mission metrics public opinion survey for well over a decade, and it was designed to measure whether Canadians believe that CBC/SRC is fulfilling its mandate under the Broadcasting Act,” the Chairman asked…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – Netflix’s announcement last Thursday that it will open a Canadian office and, in the words Ted Sarandos (above), co-CEO and chief content officer, hire a “dedicated content executive to work directly with the Canadian creative community” is a “first good step,” federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told Cartt.ca in an interview on Friday.
His concern, though, is the “cozy relationship” the federal government appears to have with major digital platforms, including Netflix.
Singh referred to the “secret deal” between the California-based company and Ottawa in 2017 in which then-Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly provided little…
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MARKHAM, Ont. – Versant Solutions Group today announced that Mediacom Communications, a top-10 U.S. cable operator, has selected its NetVersant automated network design solution, and is set to commence deployment in early 2021.
The NetVersant Design solution will allow Mediacom to run multiple design scenarios to produce technically compliant, cost-optimized preliminary designs for access network upgrades “in hours and days rather than weeks and months,” reads the press release. “NetVersant Design delivers significant time and cost savings to operators by using software-based automation to do what it’s best at, while maximizing the effectiveness of their valuable network planners and engineers.”
“We…
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TORONTO – ACTRA National announced today the hiring of Raj Shoan as general counsel, effective February 16, 2021.
Shoan “brings with him a solid understanding of Canada’s regulatory framework after having spent the past 18+ years working in our broadcasting, telecommunications, and entertainment sectors,” reads the announcement sent to members from ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) executive director Marie Kelly. “Raj’s extensive knowledge of entertainment law and regulatory policy and compliance will help support our union’s objective of improving the working lives of Canadian professional performers.”
Shoan held various roles with the CRTC over the years, including…
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By Doug Bingley
AS A RADIO BROADCASTER, I’ve seen governments and their policies to support Canadian culture come and go. The formation of the CRTC in 1968 ushered in an era where a key goal was to ensure Canadian artists and Canadian content creators receive the exposure they deserve.
Creating and supporting Canadian content remains an important part of the work I do today, through the three stations I own in Ontario. I am proud of the creative output of our talented staff; I see how important our stations have become to the communities we serve, and equally important, how we…
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By Etan Vlessing
OTTAWA – As Canada hopes to modernize its broadcasting laws via Bill C-10, CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Catherine Tait (right) and CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin (left) on Tuesday debated how best to steer U.S. streaming dollars to Canadian content production without forcing local indie producers to give up their intellectual property rights – and Canada its cultural sovereignty.
And the solution both industry execs agreed on after touching on Hollywood scenarios involving France, Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra and I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel standing up to Netflix was for the Canadian TV industry…
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