OTTAWA – Toronto’s crowded FM dial may be the home to another new station after the CRTC issued a call for new applications to serve the Toronto market.
The Commission said Wednesday it issued the call after receiving an application by Dufferin Communications to change the frequency of its station CIRR-FM Toronto (also known as Proud 103.9) from 103.9 MHz to 88.1 MHz, as well as to increase its transmitter power. Dufferin is owned by independent radio broadcaster Evanov Radio Group.
Applications are due by December 19 and must include evidence giving clear indication that there is demand and a market…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has taken the rare step of halting the sale of Vancouver radio station Shore 104 FM to Astral Media Radio, citing a violation of its licence trafficking policy.
Shore 104 FM is is the licensee of CHHR-FM, an English-language commercial radio programming undertaking in Vancouver. According to documents, the private company is owned by a group of broadcast and business veterans that include president Roy Hennessy, David Aisenstat, Sam Feldman, Bob Mackowycz and son Bob Mackowycz Jr., Sean Morrison and TSN’s Michael Landsberg. The station was also being represented in the field by Astral Media Radio Sales, Continue Reading
TORONTO – Bell Media president Kevin Crull laid a verbal smackdown on the CRTC Monday in Toronto.
Speaking to a Broadcast Executives Society luncheon, Crull railed against last week’s CRTC vertical integration policy decision, which Bell is among just a few companies who came out against the Commission’s determination, saying the new policy will cause significant harm to the Canadian industry.
After pointing out the TV business suffers with “a failed financial model for delivering conventional television,” Crull also pointed out how his company (owners of conventional broadcast brands CTV and CTV Two along with specialty channels like TSN, Discovery,…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) is calling on the CRTC to hold a public proceeding to examine the role of television broadcasters in supporting Canadian English-language theatrical films.
The CMPA released two studies on Tuesday relating to Canadian theatrical films – one on the financing provided by broadcasters to English-language films supported under the Canada Feature Film Fund, and one related to the broadcast of films in the television system.
Canadian Television Broadcasters’ Financial Participation in the Production of English-language Theatrical Films Supported by Telefilm Canada Under the Main Program of the Canada Feature Film Fund found…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments as it contemplates creating a model municipal access agreement (MAA).
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 Commission said Friday that a model MAA would provide predictability, lower personnel costs in terms of time and money, and entry into new small markets on a more efficient basis, while allowing for a degree of customization to incorporate unique circumstances.
The CRTC has proposed developing a model MAA…
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CONSUMER GROUP AND self-described “pro-Internet group” OpenMedia.ca expressed cautious optimism towards the CRTC’s new plan on how it will handle complaints about Internet service providers’ (ISPs) traffic management practices.
While saying that it is “pleased with the CRTC’s move toward transparency and the establishment of clearer guidelines”, OpenMedia.ca executive director Steve Anderson also said that the process for enforcing Internet openness rules still relies far too heavily on customer complaints.
"The onus to identify and report unfair traffic management practices still rests on Canadians, many of whom will be unable to identify a violation and properly navigate the complaints process”, Anderson…
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WHILE SAYING HIS company has not yet decided on a course of action, Bell Canada’s regulatory chief says thanks to the CRTC’s new vertical integration policy, he wants to start over when it comes to our broadcasting laws and its regulation.
(Explained here, the new policy: prohibits exclusives on linear TV content when it comes to mobile and online platforms; bans tied selling of specialty services ensuring BDUs can buy them from programmers one at a time; calls for consumers to be able to buy more specialties one at a time in a pick-and-pay format; outlines a specific code…
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OTTAWA – Corus Entertainment’s request for a new channel called Harmony dedicated to romance, love and relationships programming is among 16 new broadcasting applications that the CRTC will consider at a hearing set for November 21 in Gatineau.
The Commission made the new applications public on Monday. Other applications of interest include four from GlassBox Television – two for GlassBox News and GlassBox Horror, plus two French-language channels, an entertainment channel known as GlassBox Système and a music channel GlassBOX Créneau Musical.
The deadline for interventions is October 19, 2011.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments on a revised condition that would apply to Canadian carriers that offer services to local VoIP service providers.
Currently, Canadian carriers, as a condition of providing telecommunications services to local VoIP service providers, must include in their service contracts or other arrangements with these service providers the requirement that the latter comply with the 9-1-1 obligations.
On Monday, the Commission said that the 9-1-1 obligations should apply to all local VoIP service providers, including resellers that do not have contracts directly with the Canadian carriers (i.e. resellers that obtain service from…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has decided to uphold its existing regulatory measure associated with the provision of detailed monthly billing for small and large incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs).
In addition, the Commission said Friday, market forces can continue to be relied upon with respect to the detailed monthly billing requirement in forborne markets, consistent with policy direction.
Commissioners Suzanne Lamarre and Michel Morin both offered dissenting opinions which decried the decision’s lack of transparency. Commissioner Lamarre recommended that the regulations be extended to all local exchange carriers (LECs) and other telecommunications service providers (TSPs) in both regulated…
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