OTTAWA – CRTC chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais took the rather unusual step Wednesday of issuing an open letter to the editor (to all us editors) to “set the record straight” on erroneous media coverage in the wake of the Commission’s recent licence renewals for large French language TV groups. Such as this story, we suppose.
Below is the letter in its entirety.
On May 15, following a public process, the CRTC published the decisions regarding renewal of the broadcasting licences for TVA, V, Bell and Corus. Some incorrect information from those decisions recently circulated in the…
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OTTAWA – Delinquent telecom service provider VOIS Inc. has failed to rejoin the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), contrary to a mandatory order from the CRTC last month requiring it to do so.
Participation in CCTS is a regulatory requirement imposed on telecommunications service providers by the CRTC. CCTS terminated VOIS’ participation in August 2016 for failing to co-operate with its complaint resolution process, including ignoring binding recommendations regarding six separate customer complaints.
After a public proceeding on April 27, the CRTC ordered VOIS to re-join CCTS by May 29, subject to any specific requirements imposed by…
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TORONTO – The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) is calling for a public-private partnership to improve the reach and quality of cellular data services in Eastern Ontario.
The $213 million plan, pitched Monday to Ontario Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli and Rural Affairs Minister Jeff Leal, also includes a dedicated, public safety broadband network to seamlessly connect first responders region-wide. EORN says that building both networks together would cost about $299 million, saving about $47 million compared to building them separately.
"Too often, Eastern Ontarians find themselves with no signal or dropped cell services”, said EORN chair J. Murray Jones, in a…
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THE CANADIAN CREATIVE community (by which I mean writers, actors, directors and other makers of television) is up in arms over the CRTC’s recent decision to harmonize a floor for spending by Canadian broadcasters on programming of national interest at 5%.
Historically speaking, the guilds, unions and associations have every right to fear any reduction in the Cancon spend mandated by the CRTC. Our broadcasters do not exactly have a stellar record of treating the production and airing of Canadian content (except for news and sports) as anything but a tax on their operations that they…
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DARTMOUTH – Vancouver listeners will soon have a new sports radio station after the CRTC approved the sale of Newcap-owned CISL 650 to Rogers Media.
As Cartt.ca reported in April, Rogers said that it plans to turn the AM station into an all-sports format, under the Sportsnet brand, as early as this fall.
The deal is expected to close within 90 days.
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Chapter of the International Institute of Communications (IIC Canada) will host its first Communications Law and Policy conference at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa on November 14 and 15, 2017.
The conference will bring together leading communications sector players to discuss developments in Canadian and international communications law and policy. A preliminary list of topics includes:
Private International Law in the Internet Era – Including a consideration of the reach of Canadian and foreign courts over the provision of multi-jurisdictional Internet services;
Surveillance and Cyberattacks – Including the Government of Canada's cyber security consultations, reconsideration of…
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MONTREAL – On Thursday, Videotron filed an application with the CRTC to review, vary and stay a recent decision which said the company's Unlimited Music service violated the tenets of network neutrality because it did not count the data used by customers enjoying the service against their data plans – a practice better known as zero rating.
In a press release, the company said it needs the stay of the decision“in order to minimize the impact on customers who are already using the service”.
In a short statement, the company said that it “would like to work with the CRTC”, and…
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TORONTO – The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) took a little more time to review last week’s CRTC’s broadcast policy changes and licence renewals before joining its fellow associations in denouncing the move to allow broadcasters to spend less on Canadian Programs of National Interest (PNI).
DOC said Tuesday that it applauds the extra credits offered for programs produced by Indigenous producers and producers from official language minority communities, and “fully supports” the convening of an event on increasing women’s access to key creative and production positions.
Executive director Pepita Ferrari said that DOC is pleased that the CRTC plans…
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HAMILTON – Like many community cable channels, Cable 14 has been airing bingo for some time. Half a century, in fact.
To some, that may sound like something from a quaint, bygone era we’ve forgotten about where your grandma would the only one who would still care to watch and play along. However, it’s the second-most popular piece of programming on the channel’s schedule (behind the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs games), and it’s not just for the blue-hair set.
“You see people watching it in bars and restaurants now. They’re tuning it in and they’re selling bingo cards there. There are bingo…
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OSOYOOS, BC – Likening Canadians’ appetite for local news to their preference locally sourced goods and services, the CRTC’s Stephen Simpson said that the key to success in media is the ability to make and keep a deep and personal connection with audiences.
Speaking Thursday to the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters, the regional commissioner for British Columbia and the Yukon admitted, however, that establishing and maintaining this audience connection is every broadcaster’s single-biggest challenge.
“Successful broadcasters take advantage of this trend by emphasizing and honouring their community roots, he said. “I think this is another facet of connecting with audiences –…
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