By Ahmad Hathout
Cogeco is still working toward securing a deal with the national carriers to launch its mobile virtual network operator business on their networks, the telecom’s senior vice president and chief financial officer said Friday.
“Where we are right now is we’re still in negotiations…at the same time building what is required to launch as well,” Patrice Ouimet said during the company’s fiscal second-quarter conference call with analysts. “I would say the situation is not that different from what I said last quarter. That being said, we are making progress.”
Ouimet said he couldn’t go any deeper because these are…
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Bell confirms April 11 appearance before Heritage committee
In a message titled “Facts Matter” published Thursday on its website, Bell outlined what it says are the facts about its recent restructuring, which includes the elimination of 4,800 positions across the telecom and media company.
The web post appears to have been prompted by what Bell sees as inaccurate information circulating about the situation, saying, “As some distort the truth, here are the facts about Bell’s restructuring as announced on February 8.”
“Bell is supporting each affected team member with…
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The telco wants other satellite TV undertakings exempt
By Ahmad Hathout
Bell has filed a Part 1 application requesting that the CRTC exempt its ExpressVu satellite TV service from its obligation to contribute 5 per cent of its gross annual revenues toward Canadian content.
The telco said the reasons for this request are because of the “significant challenges” facing the traditional broadcasting industry in general and the satellite TV service undertakings in particular; that ExpressVu doesn’t make a “meaningful contribution” to the objectives of the Broadcasting Act; and that the condition applied to such satellite services is unfair when small BDUs and…
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The CRTC announced Friday that Rogers, subject to fulfilling conditions, will receive up to roughly $12 million from the CRTC’s Broadband Fund to build new cell towers to serve roughly 70 kilometres of Highway 37 in northern British Columbia.
The CRTC approved the exact amount the cable giant asked for in its application during the commission’s third call for money from the $750-million Broadband Fund.
It is expecting Rogers to complete the project within three years.
Rogers said it is looking to get new towers up on the highway between Kitwanga and Dease Lake with the latest generally deployable mobile wireless technology,…
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By Connie Thiessen
Traditional broadcasters will pay, starting April 1, lower regulatory fees under a new structure the CRTC announced Thursday.
Drafted with an eye to striking a fair balance between the regulatory fees paid by traditional broadcasters and online streaming services, the Broadcasting Fees Regulations are calculated and based on broadcasting revenues.
“In making these regulations, the Commission was mindful to minimize the regulatory burden on the Canadian broadcasting system in order to support flexibility and adaptability in its regulatory framework,” the commission stated in a summary. “The Broadcasting Fees Regulations allow traditional broadcasters and online streaming services to continue to benefit from exemption…
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Groups representing deaf and blind Canadians that took part in the CRTC’s two-and-a-half-year review of video relay service (VRS) are accusing the country’s large telecom players of turning the cost claim process for the proceeding into a barrier to Canadians with disabilities.
On Jan. 14, the Canadian National Society of the Deaf-Blind (CNSDB), Deaf-Blind Planning Committee (DBPC) and Deaf Wireless Canada Consultative Committee (DWCC) submitted applications for reimbursement of costs associated with their participation in the CRTC’s 2021-102 proceeding, which was launched in March 2021 and closed in October 2023. The CNSDB and DBPC conducted…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri told members of the House of Commons industry committee Monday that the wireless price increases it announced in January affect only a small percentage of legacy customers and that millions of customers switched providers and plans last year against a backdrop of increasingly lower prices.
Members of the committee called a meeting with the heads of the country’s three largest telecoms to address concerns about wireless prices after Rogers announced that month that it would hike prices for certain off-contract customers by an average of $5 and by as much as $9.
Staffieri…
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By Ahmad Hathout
After being denied a licence to operate an FM radio station in Yellowknife, Cabin Radio is getting another shot after the CRTC said it found the market may not be as well served now as when it evaluated its application.
The online news radio station filed an initial licence application in August 2019, but the regulator denied it last year on the basis that the market could not support another as commercial radio revenues across the country saw two years of declines. Cabin Radio then quickly filed another application asking for an exception to the…
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Moses Znaimer, founder and CEO of ZoomerMedia Limited, last Friday announced Serge Blumenfeld has assumed the role of the Toronto-based media company’s chief financial officer following the departure of Terence Chan who has left to pursue family business opportunities.
“The Board thanks Mr. Chan for his dedication and excellent service and wishes him the best in his future endeavors,” a press release says.
With more than 20 years of experience in a variety of finance and technology roles, Blumenfeld has previously held senior positions at a number of Fortune 1000 companies, including Citibank,…
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Not-for-profit media company Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) filed a Part 1 application with the CRTC late last month requesting that the regulator hike the rate broadcasters pay to carry its programming temporarily until the next licence renewal period in August 2026.
Broadcasters are required to carry English-language AMI’s AMI-tv and French-language AMI-tele programs, which are funded by the fees AMI is paid for that mandatory carriage under the Broadcasting Act’s 9(1)(h) rule. AMI says an overwhelming majority of the revenue of its services come from these BDU subscription fees.
However, because the cost of doing business has gone up due to…
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