OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments on a proposed code of conduct and best practices for campus and community radio stations.
Submitted by the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA), the proposed codes address clauses relating to programming, the handling of complaints, sponsorship and advertising, and employees and volunteers, plus the codes’ application and administration, while the guidelines are intended to provide additional context for the interpretation of the codes.
If approved by the Commission, NCRA members would abide by the codes instead of the CAB Code of Ethics.
Comments are due by February 16, and the…
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OTTAWA – BDUs must provide at least 60 days notice to broadcasters before changing their terms of carriage, packaging or retailing of any programming service, the CRTC has reiterated to carriers in a letter this week.
The Commission drove home this point, originally set out in Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-35, at the behest of the Independent Broadcast Group/Le groupe de diffuseurs indépendants (IBG/GDI). In a letter to the CRTC, one that also copied vertically integrated companies Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Quebecor, the group expressed concern that the notice policy might be discounted by the big BDUs.
“If adequate notice is not provided,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC’s first call for comments on its vertical integration policy is centering on audit provisions for BDUs and on the potential creation of a standard form non-disclosure agreement.
The Commission said Monday that it is seeking comments on the timeframes and other modalities around audits, the wording for a standard form non-disclosure agreement, and to whom such agreements should apply.
During its recent VI hearing, stakeholders such as independent broadcasters expressed their concern to the CRTC about delays after submitting an audit request to a vertically integrated BDU. The Commission said that it is therefore encouraging responses that…
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OTTAWA – Brama Telecom has been ordered to appear before the CRTC over its failure to become a member of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).
The Commission said Thursday that it has scheduled a public hearing at its Gatineau headquarters on March 22 at 9:00 AM at which time it will review whether or not to disconnect the VoIP providers’ services.
Under the Telecommunications Act, all telecommunications service providers (TSPs) that provide services within the scope of the CCTS’s mandate must become members after being informed by the CCTS of a complaint against it. After receiving five complaints from…
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WHITEHORSE – Northwestel is ready for local competition and has already made “significant changes”, the Yukon-based telco said Friday.
Responding to Wednesday’s decision by the CRTC to open parts of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut to local telephone competition, and to deny the incumbent’s request for a rate increase, Northwestel said it is committed to its customers’ needs and that it will find ways to offer more products and services at competitive prices. It also pledged to provide affordable telephone services to remote, higher cost communities in its operating area, notwithstanding the lack of a rate increase.
The company also…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Bell Mobility gave itself a “significant competitive advantage” by entering into exclusive agreements for the mobile rights to popular National Hockey League (NHL) and National Football League (NFL) content, the CRTC ruled Monday.
The decision comes as a result of a complaint filed by Telus last January after it attempted to negotiate with Bell and the two leagues, without success, for the rights to the content. Telus said that “to the extent that bundling of services plays an important role in delivering value to consumers, the effect of ‘carriage of content’ (Bell’s content) exclusives on mobile platforms may…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has amended the exemption order for terrestrial BDUs serving fewer than 20,000 subscribers.
The Commission said Wednesday that starting April 1, 2012, exempt BDUs will be required to make a contribution to Canadian programming of 5% of gross revenues from broadcasting activities. For the 2011-2012 broadcast year, this contribution will be payable on gross revenues from broadcasting activities earned between April 1 and August 31, 2012, and for subsequent broadcast years, the contribution will be payable on gross revenues from broadcasting activities earned over the entire broadcast year.
In addition, exempt BDUs are authorized to…
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OTTAWA – Manitoba and Saskatchewan regional CRTC Commissioner Candice Molnar has been reappointed for another five-year term, it was announced today.
In a short note to staff, CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein congratulated her for the renewal which will take her service until 2017. Her term was due to come to an end on January 6th.
Molnar spent over 20 years at SaskTel, as general manager of customer service and GM of the Crown Corporation’s regulatory department. (Ed note: And regularly asks tough, intelligent questions during Commission hearings. She clearly does her homework.)
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has approved the mandatory standards for French-language closed captioning submitted by the French-language Closed Captioning Working Group (FL-CCWG).
The closed captioning quality standards are sets of standards that address the quality of closed captioning provided by Canadian television broadcasters. Once approved by the Commission, all TV licensees will be required to adhere to the closed captioning standards through conditions of licence that will be applied at the time of licence renewal or approval of a new licence.
On Thursday, the Commission also directed FL-CCWG to submit an updated version of the standards by January 7, 2012…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC said Wednesday it has been alerted some people claiming to represent the CRTC are making telephone calls to Canadians and informing them that their computers are potentially at risk.
The caller then asks to remotely connect to the computer to scan for and remove any viruses.
These callers are not CRTC employees, says the Commission, which has placed a new page on its web site to warn people. “Canadians should never grant remote access to their computers or give their passwords to someone who has called them claiming to represent a government organization,”…
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