OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has come down hard on VOIS Inc., slapping the Calgary-based telecom service provider with a $15,000 penalty after it was expelled from the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunication Services (CCTS).
CCTS ejected VOIS last August after it refused to co-operate during the investigations of six customer complaints, and failed to compensate those customers as CCTS had directed. Following its expulsion from CCTS, VOIS was summoned in front of the CRTC last November.
Participation in the CCTS is mandatory for all telecommunications service providers (TSP). This marks the first time the CRTC has imposed a penalty…
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GATINEAU – Today, the CRTC approved satellite radio company Sirius XM Canada’s ownership change as it goes from a public traded company to one that is privately held.
The CRTC decision will see Sirius XM Canada allocate nearly $29 million over the next seven years to funds that promote Canadian musical talent, such as FACTOR and Musicaction.
The CRTC release says the transaction, valued at $479 million, is in the public interest because it will ensure the sustainability of the satellite radio service, while supporting the Canadian broadcasting system investments through tangible benefits.
Sirius XM Canada is the sole provider of…
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MONTREAL – The Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) is accusing the CRTC of “systemic and overt racism and a colonial mentality” and wants the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Canadian Heritage to investigate.
CMAC describes itself as a non-profit organization comprised of academics, legal advisors, policy consultants and community media practitioners working towards equitable representation and access for underrepresented communities within the broadcasting system, including the CRTC.
In a letter dated April 24, CMAC called for action “to ensure the CRTC supports racial equity and the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples”. It referenced its recent…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications announced today that it will close its community cable TV stations in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver and redirect $10 million annually that would normally fund those stations to Corus Entertainment’s Global News.
Beginning September 1, 2017, Global News will use these new resources to sustain and expand its local journalistm.
The CRTC gave vertically integrated companies in large metropolitan centres the option to do this when it re-wrote the rules on funding local programming in 2016. Rogers Communications already has announced it will take advantage of the new regs,…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC has opened up the public proceeding to decide on the setup, governance, operating, and accountability frameworks, as well as eligibility and assessment criteria, for its new $750 million fund to bring broadband at 50 Mbps downstream and 10 Mbps upstream, everywhere.
The Regulator’s new universal service objective was set out in December in Telecom Regulatory Policy 2016-496, which made providing broadband to everyone a necessity for network operators.
The Commission set the following targets for the basic telecommunications services that Canadians need to participate in the digital economy:
speeds of 50 megabits per…
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$20/month Pik TV aimed at cord-nevers
VANCOUVER – Telus has soft-launched a new, live, subscription television service to seven communities in British Columbia and Alberta.
Called Pik TV, it provides live TV and on demand content, as well an interface to popular streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, without a contract, starting at $20/month. The new service offers a slimmed-down feature set from Optik TV, giving customers more choice to design an entertainment experience around how they want to watch. It runs on smartphones, tablets and an Android TV powered box the company is distributing.
The news was…
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Buys CISL 650 from Newcap
VANCOUVER – Rogers announced Tuesday it has purchased CISL 650 from Newfoundland Capital Corporation – and that it will turn the AM station into an all-sports format, under the Sportsnet brand, this fall.
The station currently bills itself as “Vancouver’s Smooth and Easy favourites, along with engaging lifestyle talk radio for baby boomers.” Financial details of the purchase were not released and the purchase is subject to CRTC approval.
“We are excited to build upon our strong radio brands in the Vancouver market. With Vancouver being such a passionate sports town, there is a strong appetite for all-sports radio…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC took a big step towards ensuring that net neutrality reigns in Canada with its decision today to order Vidéotron to no longer zero-rate its Unlimited Music service.
In Telecom Decision 2017-105, the Commission ruled that Videotron violated subsection 27(2) of the Telecommunications Act by providing certain customers with access to Unlimited Music at no charge and not having it count against their data plans. The company has conferred its eligible subscribers and content providers included in the service “an undue and unreasonable preference", says the regulator in its decision.
It went on to say that Vidéotron subjected…
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SAINT JOHN, NB – Voting is now open for for the 2017 Tuned-in Canada awards, the annual nation-wide competition highlighting the efforts of local, independent providers of television and communications services in Canada.
Canadians are invited to visit Tuned-in Canada 2017 now through May 4 at midnight AT to vote for nominees in the categories of best customer service story, best community building story, best community channel programming, and best on-camera community channel personality.
Voting takes place using a Facebook-authenticated voting process and voters can cast one vote per day. The winners will be announced May 12 and each will receive…
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MISSISSAUGA – Globalstar Canada Satellite says that its location-based messaging and a lifesaving products have surpassed the milestone of initiating 5,000 rescues since launching in 2007.
These rescues, utilizing its SPOT family of products, have taken place on six continents and in over 89 countries, reads the news release. Some 30% (or 1,500) of SPOT rescues around the world have been initiated in Canada, primarily involve hiking and mountain sports, boating and water sports, motor vehicle and medical incidents.
SPOT provides location-based messaging and a lifesaving S.O.S. service to hundreds of thousands of users worldwide, including those who enjoy outdoor adventures…
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