MONTREAL – Bell has confirmed it will ask the federal Cabinet to intervene regarding the CRTC's “shocking decision to completely ignore its own rules and policies in rejecting in its entirety Bell's acquisition of Astral Media.”
The telecom will file a request that Cabinet issue a policy direction to the CRTC under Section 7 of the Broadcasting Act, requiring the Commission to “follow its already in-place policies when reviewing change of control transactions in broadcasting.”
"The Broadcasting Act explicitly empowers the Cabinet to issue directions to the CRTC on broad policy matters," said Mirko…
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IN ITS FULL DECISION to deny Bell Canada’s request to purchase Astral Media, the CRTC addressed a number of the issues which arose over the months-long process and public hearing held in Montreal during the week of September 10th.
The rest of the industry would probably do well to heed the advice doled out in this decision.
THE CRTC WON’T COUNT THE YANKS: “For clarity, the Commission considers that ‘total television share’ is based on viewing to Canadian commercial television services, consistent with the Commission’s Communications Monitoring Report (CMR) and past practice. While the Commission recognizes that…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC said Thursday that Corus Entertainment's OWN and G4techTV (co-owned by Rogers Communications with minority owner Comcast Corporation) specialty channels are not complying with their licenses and must tell the CRTC why those licenses shouldn't be revoked or suspended. The hearing is set for December 11 in Gatineau, Quebec.
As analyzed by Cartt.ca in August, Corus had filed an application to change OWN (the Oprah Winfrey Network which began life in 1999 as Canadian Learning Television) from a Category A service to a Category B service and to drop its educational…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has reversed its earlier requirement that all incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) that have transferred responsibility of their inside wire to their single-line residential and business customers ensure that a jack-ended demarcation device is installed free of charge.
This past February the CRTC announced its intent to require phone companies to install a “jack-ended demarcation device” on the first diagnostic service call to a home that was not so equipped. The Commission believed that following this process “would result in a consistent practice among ILECs and more equitable treatment of customers who…
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GATINEAU – They’re confused, angry and just won`t take it anymore. So, as first reported by Cartt.ca yesterday morning, the CRTC has taken the unprecedented action of calling on the public to help it create a comprehensive code of conduct for wireless service providers.
Input will be accepted until November 20, 2012 and the public consultation process will begin on January 28, 2013, in Gatineau, Quebec. The Commission will also be announcing shortly details regarding an online consultation to further promote discussion among Canadians on the issues and questions raised by its proceeding.
"Our…
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OTTAWA – Rogers Communications bid to extend Citytv into the Maritimes through simultaneous substitution of the broadcast feeds from bordering U.S. stations has been denied by the CRTC.
Bell Media, the CBC and several individuals argued that the proposal does not adhere to the simultaneous substitution policy, which grants simultaneous substitution privileges to only local and regional stations. The group also contended approval of the application would grant Rogers the benefits of having a local station in Atlantic Canada without investments in service to the region. The CBC added that Rogers had not substantiated its claim…
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GATINEAU – Watch the CRTC’s web site today as the Commission plans to open a new public process aimed at creating a code of conduct to govern the contracts consumers sign for various wireless devices and services, Cartt.ca has learned.
Urged on by many inside the industry (led by Telus) and outside of it, the CRTC in April asked for comments on whether the wireless market in Canada warranted its intervention in the development of a national retail wireless services consumer code.
Fuelled by voter backlash, a number of provinces have introduced their own…
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OTTAWA – In his first public appearance as chair of the CRTC where he was the one answering and not asking the questions, Jean-Pierre Blais gave the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage a brief look at the direction and the future he envisions for the Regulator so many Canadians (including some MPs) misunderstand.
Chairman Blais has already put his stamp on the CRTC by signalling rather overtly that under his watch the Commission will be consumer, or citizen-focused like never before. He has already hired a chief consumer officer, Barbara Motzney and during the hearing into…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU, WASHINGTON – The CRTC and FTC are closing down a total of seven alleged tech support scams based mostly in India that tricked tens of thousands into paying from $49 to $450 for the removal of bogus viruses and spyware by allowing the scammers to remotely access their computers.
The CRTC is demanding Pecon Software Limited and Avaneesh Software Private Limited cease their current telemarketing practices and pay fines of $495,000 and $12,000 respectively for breaking Canada's telemarketing rules.
The CRTC charges these companies were making unsolicited telemarketing calls to Canadians who had…
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OTTAWA – It may not have all the drama of the Obama vs Romney debate, but new CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais’ faceoff Thursday afternoon before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage promises to be far more informative. The committee is charged with examining the role and future mandate of the CRTC.
It will be a reversal of fortune for Chairman Blais who will be answering, not asking, the questions when he meets with MPs for the first time since he took over as head of the CRTC this past June. The meeting gets under way tomorrow afternoon…
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