SEATTLE – Amazon Prime Video in late September first announced it had picked up the BBC and AMC crime drama McMafia for 200 territories, excluding the U.S. and Canada, where AMC was to air the eight-part crime drama.
However, Amazon on Thursday announced it will exclusively stream McMafia in Canada on its local Amazon Prime Video platform from January 2, a day after the world premiere on BBC in the UK.
McMafia, based on a best-selling non-fiction book, is a co-production involving the BBC, AMC Network and Cuba Pictures, and is distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide. A spokesperson for BBC Worldwide…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has promoted Claude Doucet to Secretary General.
Doucet (pictured), formerly executive director of communications and external relations at the Commission, took on the role on an acting basis in September after Danielle May-Cuconato left for a position at Public Works Canada. Executive director broadcasting Scott Hutton and executive director telecom Chris Seidl also filled in while a permanent replacement was being sought.
In a note to staff on Thursday, CRTC chair and CEO Ian Scott said that the recruitment process attracted a number of highly qualified internal and external candidates.
“As a seasoned senior executive in the federal government,…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian government underscored its support of net neutrality on the same day as the Federal Communications Commission voted to roll back U.S. laws implemented in 2015 under then-president Barack Obama on the issue.
In a brief statement, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said that the Feds back “an open Internet where Canadians have the ability to access the content of their choice in accordance with Canadian laws.”
“Net neutrality is one of the critical issues of our times, much like freedom of the press and freedom of expression before it”, Minister Bains said in a…
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Oh, and is it time for Bell Media and Corus to merge?
NETFLIX IS THE NUMBER one TV channel in Canada. Quibble with old definitions of an OTT and TV network if you like, but our big, linear networks are nowhere near as big anymore in the face of the global juggernaut that is Netflix. It’s been that way since last fall, and it’s not even close.
Who says this? Our largest pure-play media company: Corus Entertainment. In its December 1st submission to CRTC on the federal government’s call for comments on future distribution models, the company states on page three:…
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Company fined $15K; owner/president ordered to pay $10K
OTTAWA – The CRTC is cracking down on an alleged telemarketer for violating the Telecommunications Act by ignoring its repeated requests for information.
In Compliance and Enforcement Decision CRTC 2017-445 issued Wednesday, the Commission found that Topline Air Duct Cleaning and its owner and president, Naveed Raza, failed to respond to a request for information (RFI) letter dated July 31, 2015 despite two deadline extensions and a show cause proceeding in August.
“The Commission reiterates that individuals and companies cannot blatantly ignore RFIs made in the course of an investigation without consequence”, reads Wednesday’s decision. “As part…
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CANADIAN CABLE SYSTEMS Alliance CEO Jay Thomson knows Canadian networks and media inside and out. How could he not? Before the CCSA, he worked for the Canadian Cable Television Association, the Canadian Association of Internet Providers, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Media Producers Association (Telus and the CRTC, too).
The long-time Ottawa executive was hired as CEO of the CCSA in January 2017, replacing Alyson Townsend, who was let go in the summer of 2016. Thomson is steeped in the business and, as importantly, knows government – especially an Ottawa whose politicians and bureaucrats tend to be…
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LE PDG DE LA CANADIAN Cable Systems Alliance, Jay Thomson connaît les réseaux et les médias canadiens de fond en comble. Comment pourrait-il en être autrement ? Avant de travailler à la CCSA, il a travaillé à l’Association canadienne des télécommunications par câble (ACTC), Canadian Association of Internet Providers, l’Association canadienne des radiodiffuseurs et la Canadian Media Producers Association (également à Telus et au CRTC).
Ce dirigeant de longue date d’Ottawa a été embauché comme PDG de la CCSA en remplacement de Alyson Townsend qui a quitté son poste à l’été 2016. Thomson est à l’aise dans ce secteur et, de manière aussi…
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Whatever the future of TV may hold
GATINEAU – The rise of online TV distribution platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and others are upending the delicate balance of the Canadian broadcasting system and that means the federal government and the CRTC need to change the way they regulate the sector. In a nutshell, Canadian broadcasters, producers and distributors want these platforms treated the same way they are.
In comments to the CRTC’s consultation on new TV program distribution models (which was requested by the federal government ostensibly as the first step towards modernizing the Broadcasting Act and Telecom Act), many…
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100 Mbps – up and down – is the goal for all customers
ZURICH, Ont. – Independent incumbent telecom provider Hay Communications has launched a new 100 Mbps basic internet package for $50 a month, boasting symmetrical speeds – meaning upload speeds are as fast as download (something normally not the case for most ISPs).
The service, powered by the 100-year-old company’s growing fibre network, also has no data caps. While not everyone in Hay’s rural southwestern Ontario service regions (Exeter, Zurich, Grand Bend, Dashwood, Hensall and areas in between), can get those speeds yet, “our goal is to give 100%…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC said Tuesday it wants the opinions of Canadians about additional information provided by the large French- and English- language television groups as part of the reconsideration of decisions to renew their television licences.
The CRTC will gather comments until January 23, 2018.
On May 15, 2017, the CRTC issued a series of decisions to renew licences for the television services of large English- and French-language private ownership groups (Bell Media, Corus Entertainment, Rogers Media, Groupe V and Quebecor Media). On August 14, 2017, the Governor in Council referred back to the CRTC certain…
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