GATINEAU – Barring a last-minute agreement, Torstar and Rogers Communications will ask the CRTC to finally settle the dispute between the two companies over the carriage of Torstar shopping channel ShopTV.
Earlier this year, Torstar applied for dispute resolution under Section 12 of the BDU Regulations, claiming Rogers was refusing to come to a fair agreement over the carriage of ShopTV by Rogers Cable.
Because Rogers owns The Shopping Channel (TSC) and offers it system-wide, Torstar says it has to be carried across all Rogers Cable systems due to the Commission’s 1:1 regulation which says for each BDU-owned channel carried,…
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GATINEAU – The five-year term of commissioner Michel Arpin, the CRTC’s vice-chair broadcasting, expires at the end of August and according to sources, the Prime Minister’s Office has been firm in saying it won’t be extended.
We’ve heard many rumours from a number of sources who asked not to be named about potential replacements, a few of whom were mentioned in our original story speculating on who may replace him in that role. We’ve also heard speculation that the position may just be left vacant for a while.
Arpin is a well-respected broadcast policy veteran with a long history in…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC will have the opportunity to bless the marriage of CanWest and Shaw at a hearing scheduled for September 20, 2010.
The $2 billion deal was approved by an Ontario court in June, but still requires approval by the Commission and the Competition Bureau.
The Regulator said Thursday that it will first consider an application by CanWest Global Communications for a multi-step corporate reorganization which would see its broadcasting and specialty channel assets fall under one entity.
Next up will be Shaw’s application to transfer the effective control of Canwest Global’s broadcasting entities to a wholly-owned Shaw…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC wants Canadians to sound off about their access to basic telephone and Internet services.
The Commission launched an on-line consultation Friday as part of a proceeding that will include a public hearing beginning on October 26, 2010, in Timmins, ON. The Regulator said that it wants to examine its current regulations in response to the numerous “technological and competitive changes” in the industry, and whether the obligation to provide certain services should be modified in light of the technologies available today.
The topics for discussion are:
– the services that should be included as part of a basic telephone service;– the role of…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC will hold a public proceeding in November to review its policies for direct-to-home (DTH) satellite distribution.
Tuesday’s call for comments invited proposals on its regulatory framework for DTH satellite distribution, particularly with respect to the conventional television stations that DTH distributors are required to offer to their subscribers, and the manner in which DTH distributors perform simultaneous substitution.
Comments and interventions are due before September 8, and the hearing is scheduled to begin November 16, 2010 in Gatineau.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – While the Commission has been prepared to consider applications for competitive news specialty services since last year, it is unmoved when it comes to considering them as a new category 1 must-carry licenses.
That’s what Quebecor Media was told earlier this month by the CRTC in a letter saying the company’s application for a category 1 cable channel license for Sun TV News will not go forward in Gatineau. As Cartt.ca noted when QMI made the very public announcement of the new news channel it plans to launch in January, the CRTC had already said in March…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – With some 400 or so days to go until Canadian over-the-air broadcasters must transition to digital, the CRTC has weighed in on a few of the many issues.
For starters, the Commission agreed to modify its regulation to allow television distributors to offer “a free alternative” to affected viewers in smaller markets where local stations decide not to convert to digital. These companies will be able to offer a package of local and regional stations at no charge to viewers, however, in order to receive the free local package, the CRTC acknowledged that some of those consumers may have to…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has officially amended the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations relating to Part II licence fees.
The Commission said Wednesday that it will calculate licence fees due and payable by December 1, 2010 at the latest, and send out invoices on or about November 1st to undertakings that are licensees on the billing date for which the fee revenues for the broadcast year ending August 31, 2009 exceed the applicable exemption.
After receiving Treasury Board approval, the amended regulations were registered and came into effect on June 23.
Click here for the full list of amendments.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is undertaking a review of television program categories.
Monday’s call for comments asks for input in to the Commission’s proposed amendments to the definitions for specific program categories, as well as matters related to program length and advertising.
It is also seeking comments on the appropriate procedure for identifying and updating the specific award shows that will qualify as ‘programs of national interest’. The Commission announced that the current exhibition requirements for priority programming would be replaced by an expenditure requirement for programs of national interest in BRP 2010-167 relating to a group-based approach…
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OTTAWA – The Outdoor Life Network can add comedy and cartoons to its programming schedule, but still can’t include “stick and ball” sports.
In a decision on Friday, the CRTC approved Rogers’ request that it add categories 7(b) Ongoing comedy series (sitcoms), 7(e) Animated television programs and films, and 7(f) Programs of comedy sketches, improvisation, unscripted works, and stand-up comedy to the list of program categories that may be broadcast by the service. It also okayed an increase the amount of programming that may be drawn from category 7 Drama and comedy, as a whole from 5% of the…
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