GATINEAU — In two separate decisions today, the CRTC denied applications for new radio station licences in Vancouver, B.C. and Grande Prairie, Alta., saying neither market can support an additional radio station at this time.
Rogers Media had filed the licence application for the Vancouver market, where it currently operates three commercial radio stations and also a rebroadcasting transmitter, CKKS-FM-2, which Rogers wanted to convert to an originating station with the new licence.
In total, 22 commercial stations serve the Vancouver market, and a joint opposing intervention to Rogers’ licence application was submitted by incumbents Bell Media, Corus Entertainment and Stingray…
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GATINEAU — Amid ongoing concerns about Super Channel’s ability to comply with its conditions of licence regarding Canadian programming expenditures and regional outreach programs, the CRTC announced last week it is renewing the pay-TV specialty channel’s broadcasting licence for a four-year period, but was also suspending the licence at the same time.
However, the Commission says in its decision, the suspension will automatically go into effect only if:
the licensee (Allarco Entertainment) fails to make shortfall payments or remit reimbursed funds related to required script and concept development expenditures set out in its conditions of licence; or
the licensee…
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GATINEAU – Despite receiving a request from Rogers Communications to extend the final comment date of the CRTC’s wireless policy review proceeding by another two weeks (which was widely supported by other parties), the Commission decided to stick with the July 15th deadline.
That deadline, of course, was already a months-long extension enacted due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the companies’ and Commission’s operations.
On June 25th, Rogers Communications filed a request to extend the date by two more weeks. Bell Mobility, Videotron, TbayTel, the Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic and OpenMedia supported the request, while…
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By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – On Friday Telus made public the board resolution its CEO Darren Entwistle cited during the CRTC’s wireless hearing earlier this year, which says the company will need to free up $1.1 billion if the CRTC carries forward any plan to mandate mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) – companies which ride on incumbent networks without necessarily having their own infrastructure.
The regulator had already expressed a preliminary view prior to the hearing that MVNOs would be appropriate to induce competition in the industry and the federal government has strongly signalled its support for the same.
Telus used audit…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – Faced with an advertising market that has been cut in half in some cases, broadcasters are scrambling to survive the Covid-19 pandemic (to say nothing of the shifting media sands in general) and are seeking stronger lifelines from the federal government.
Earlier this month, during an appearance before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, representatives of the Independent Broadcast Group (IBG) said while the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has helped keep staff on the payroll, broadcasters need further relief.
On behalf of the IBG, a consortium of 10 independent Canadian television broadcasters, Luc Perreault…
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By Bram Abramson
A RARE CRTC DECISION on the appeal of a “notice to produce”, compelling Hydro-Québec to produce the personal information associated with 10 service addresses, has shed further light on how the Commission will use the information-gathering powers of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) when dealing with intermediary service providers.
Compliance and Enforcement Decision CRTC 2020-196, issued on June 18 against Hydro-Québec, echoes a similar 2016 decision in the Royal Bank of Canada’s appeal of a third-party notice to produce. The Hydro-Québec decision interprets the CRTC’s CASL information-gathering authority largely in terms of whether the information compelled by…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC met its obligations under the 2006 cabinet directive, was never beholden to requirements for detailed explanation, and the wholesale rate review itself proved the Regulator has been aware of and followed-through on its cabinet and statutory obligations, lawyers for the third party internet access providers said Friday.
The final day of the two-day Federal Court of Appeal virtual hearing about whether the CRTC erred in law when it decided in August to slash the wholesale internet rate for resellers and force retroactive payments to them from the incumbents, featured lawyers for the independent ISPs…
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By Greg O’Brien
WHILE SOME PRO SPORTS have returned to play, like the English Premier League, the PGA, NASCAR and others, new and growing outbreaks of the Covid-19 virus in the U.S. threatens the return of the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, each currently planning for a July start or re-start.
If marquee North American pro sports don’t come back to TV soon, as planned, there may be permanent effects on the pay-TV bundle and the overall value of the TV rights, says a recent report from Scotiabank’s media and telecom analyst Jeff Fan.
There are between 8 million and 9…
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GATINEAU — While it determined the radio market in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough cannot support an additional commercial English or ethnic service, the CRTC announced today it will consider an application already submitted for a specialty Christian music station in a future non-appearing public hearing.
In January 2019, the Commission announced it had received an application from International Harvesters for Christ Evangelistic Association for a broadcasting licence to operate a new Christian music FM station in Scarborough.
The Commission received a number of interventions, some opposing the introduction of a new commercial service in the Scarborough market, and one opposing…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Some of the country’s largest carriers tried to persuade a panel of Federal Court of Appeal judges Thursday that the CRTC – in its reasoning that led to a decision to slash the wholesale internet rate – did not adequately balance the impact of the decision with a 2006 cabinet directive setting out a market-based approach to regulatory decisions.
The 2006 cabinet directive outlines that the CRTC “should rely on market forces to the maximum extent feasible and regulate, where there is still a need to do so, in a manner that interferes with market…
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