The CRTC last week approved amendments to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB)’s operational plan for the Commercial Radio News Fund (CRNF), which distributes a portion of the five per cent base contribution money from streamers toward the programming of commercial radio broadcasters in smaller markets.
This follows the CRTC’s conditional approval in August 2025 of the CAB’s plan to administer the fund and the CAB’s subsequent filing of a revised plan in October at the request of the commission, which had asked for amendments to the governance,…
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In a letter last week, the CRTC has asked Canada’s largest mobile providers to file additional information regarding the international roaming offerings they have launched to date, as the commission continues to monitor the big three telecoms’ progress in providing more affordable and flexible roaming options.
The letter comes after the CRTC last year directed Bell, Rogers and Telus to file progress reports on May 5 and Nov. 5, 2025, with information on any new offerings launched, as well as on the price and consumer uptake of their offerings. The three telecoms…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Friday it will hold dedicated consultations with groups representing the interests of official language minority communities (OLMCs) when a decision will adversely impact them.
“During these dedicated consultations, the Commission will provide groups representing the interests of OLMCs with additional time to submit comments, as well as additional notice of proceedings, which will provide an explanation of the issues relevant to OLMCs,” the CRTC said.
OLMCs, as defined by the Broadcasting Act and the Online News Act, are English-speaking communities in Quebec and French-speaking communities outside of Quebec. The CRTC is keeping with that strict definition….
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By Ahmad Hathout
Bell’s Crave added more than one million subscribers in 2025, the telco said Thursday, pushing the streaming service to 4.6 million subscribers by the end of the fourth quarter.
The last three months of 2025 was the most watched single quarter in the history of the streaming service in a year that also includes its most hours viewed. Bell attributed the success in part to more premium, original and diverse content.
In November, Bell Media announced the largest ever expansion of its content library — more than 10,000 additional hours with integrated live programming from CTV,…
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Rogers says claim is “baseless”
By Ahmad Hathout
Ztar Mobile is claiming Rogers is making it difficult for the reseller to port the numbers of some 40,000 customers to a new provider after the cable giant terminated its wholesale agreement.
Rogers ended a roughly 20-year agreement with Ztar last year, leaving the small mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which provides low-cost pre-paid phone services to convenience stores, scrambling to assist with the transition because it claims it no longer has access to the cable giant’s system, according to the complaint dated last week.
The MVNO, which found an alternative to Rogers, is asking…
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Social media driving engagement
By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – With Canadian audiences viewing a plethora of content, a major focus for Canadian creators is to get their programming noticed, according to producers on a panel addressing discoverability at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA’s) Prime Time annual conference in Ottawa on Jan. 30.
“Discoverability is an ongoing challenge, especially in this industry with so much content out there,” said Mark Montefiore, founder and CEO of New Metric Media. “How do you stand out in this ecosystem?”
His company is a producer of Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story, a Canadian comedy television…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – As the CRTC brings foreign streamers under regulation via the Online Streaming Act, Bell’s Heated Rivalry is being viewed as an example of exportable Canadian programming that can thrive with enough investment in the Canadian broadcasting system.
The producers and two cast members of Bell Media’s Crave series along with Mark Carney – a first-ever appearance by a prime minister at a Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Prime Time event – were the highlight Friday that shone a bright light on the six-episode TV series that has become a red-hot global phenomenon.
After walking a special red…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Bell is claiming that it has not been able to fully launch fibre internet service in British Columbia and Alberta because Telus has allegedly refused to provide adequate systems for the setup.
Bell CEO Mirko Bibic announced in November that the telco had been running a trial for internet service in Kelowna, British Columbia using Telus’s network, with the expectation that it would fully launch internet services – with plans to bundle content and mobile – this month.
But that has not happened yet, Bell claims, because Telus has failed to provide the requisite systems to…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The attorney general is telling the Federal Court of Appeal that challenges to the CRTC’s rule on requiring disclosure of certain financial information is premature because the order is not final.
“As a general principle, decisions and orders must be final in nature to be considered by courts of law,” AG said in its response submission, dated Monday. “A statement about how an administrative decision-maker intends to act in the future has no legal effect.”
The Canadian affiliate of the Motion Picture Association (MPAC) and its members, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Paramount+, Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
Every-Day Computers Inc. (Ev-Com) is accusing Telus of blocking its ability to launch a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business.
Ev-Com, a facilities-based carrier operating a fixed-wireless and wholesale internet network in Terrace, British Columbia, says it wants to operate the MVNO with an initial service target being the Highway 16, known as the Highway of Tears. It says it has Tier 4 spectrum licences for the Skeena, Smithers, and Prince George service area and has applied for 3.9 GHz spectrum to “secure a long-term 5G path for this region,” including in rural communities.
Despite being a qualified wireless…
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