Search Results for: crtc

Radio / Television News

Montreal AM radio license holders secure transmitters as launch deadline approaches

MONTREAL – There may yet be hope that a group of Montreal-based entrepreneurs will launch a pair of news-talk AM radio stations in Montreal almost five years after the first was approved for a licence by the CRTC. Cartt.ca covered this back in July, saying then a launch looked unlikely. Nicolas Tétrault, one of the partners in 7954689 Canada Inc. (known as TTP Media), posted (and then deleted) a video to YouTube last week announcing that the company has acquired dormant transmission equipment on the Kahnawake native reserve south of Montreal from Cogeco Media, and that… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Canadians back CRTC decision, says TekSavvy survey

CHATHAM, ON – Canadian consumers understand and support the CRTC’s recent decision to cut wholesale Internet prices in Canada, says a new survey commissioned by independent telecom provider TekSavvy Solutions. TekSavvy, who along with other independent broadband operators have long said the wholesale rates set by incumbent telco and cablecos are too high, said that it undertook the survey to get a better sense of whether consumers understood that the Commission’s changes to wholesale high-speed access rates would benefit them, too. The company tapped Twentify Inc. to collect 420 responses in Ontario and Quebec, between October 10 – 12, 2016,… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CRTC vetoes new radio station for Sudbury

OTTAWA – Sudbury, ON won’t have a new radio station anytime soon after the CRTC determined that the market cannot sustain any additional new commercial radio stations at this time. The Commission said Friday that it will therefore return the application from Larche Communications for a new English-language commercial radio station to serve that market, and will not issue a call for new applications. Located 65 kilometres north of Lake Huron and 115 kilometres west of North Bay, the city of Sudbury is currently served by six commercial radio stations. www.crtc.gc.ca Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CRTC clarifies what makes content Canadian

OTTAWA – In seeming response to backlash over its revised policy framework for Certified Independent Production Funds (CIPFs), the CRTC is offering a detailed explanation on how TV programs and films are recognized as “Canadian”. In a notice updated Thursday, the Commission elaborated on the points system, whereby points are awarded for productions based on the key creative functions being performed by Canadians. “After a further extensive consultation, Canadian Certified Independent Funds can now have the flexibility to support all productions that earn the Canadian standard 6/10 points (instead of the previous 8/10)”, the CRTC detailed.  “This standardization will enable… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

#DigiCanCon: Whatever the CRTC changes, Minister expects public monies to be spent on Canadians

HALIFAX and TORONTO – Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly hosted the second and third of six in-person discussions on Canada’s cultural and creative industries this week in Halifax on Tuesday and in Toronto Wednesday. Dozens of professionals from the TV, radio, film, art and printed word industries gathered to talk about Canadian Content in a Digital World, as the federal government seeks input on how best to strengthen Canadian content creation, discovery and export in a digital world and to examine our current cultural policies and laws Canadians are encouraged to join the conversation and take part in the discussions at any… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Laurence knocking items off Rogers 3.0 checklist

TORONTO – When Guy Laurence came to Canada nearly three years ago to take the helm at Rogers Communications, he was not shy about telling people his first goal was to tackle a mountain of customer service problems. It was a widely acknowledged failing. Even the fellow who stamped Laurence’s Canadian work visa back then wasn’t shy about telling him “Your service sucks,” the CEO recalled when he met with members of the media last Thursday to launch the company’s new self-service wireless bandwidth management tool. Laurence set to work when he was… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

UPDATED: Angry Commission sets own wholesale high-speed access rates; independents rejoice

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC took matters in to its own hands Thursday, throwing out the wholesale high-speed access rates proposed by the country’s large cable and telephone companies in favour of its own. In its decision, the Commission said that the proposed rates from incumbent carriers “were not just and reasonable” and that they were therefore revised downwards.  It also expressed “significant concern” that that some of the companies have not conducted their cost studies in accordance with well-established costing principles and methodologies, and disregarded the CRTC provided Regulatory Economic Studies Manuals . “Competitors that provide retail Internet services to Canadians using… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Why Bell and others insist VMedia can not use the same rules to be both OTT and BDU

TORONTO – It’s a little complicated (and raises the spectre of the long-gone iCraveTV), but a Bell Canada injunction says VMedia can’t apply the BDU regs to its new OTT vice service. Bell says that the independent ISP and BDU is in the wrong by claiming it can distribute CTV and CTV2 as a retransmitter under section 31 of the Copyright Act. “There is nothing in the Act, or otherwise at law, that permits VMedia to do so,” Bell writes in an October 3 injunction filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against the Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CRTC catches, fines, six more telemarketers

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Six home-improvement companies have been fined $420,000 for making non-compliant telemarketing calls to Canadians, the CRTC said Tuesday. Spurred by complaints, the Commission said that an investigation by its chief compliance and enforcement officer found that the companies called Canadians whose numbers were registered on the national Do Not Call List (DNCL). In addition, certain companies had failed to register with or subscribe to the national DNCL, made calls to Canadians during restricted hours, and used inaccurate versions of the list. The companies and the penalties are: – Just Energy Corp.: $240,000 – Green Planet Home Services Inc.: $90,000 – 4140800 Canada… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CRTC rejects telemarketer’s appeal of $18K fine

OTTAWA – The CRTC has upheld an $18,000 fine against a Toronto-area restoration business over violations to Canada's telemarketing rules. Robert Gendron, carrying on business as Dynique Restoration and Victorian Restoration, was ordered to pay administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) for 18 violations at $1,000 per violation, for a total amount of $18,000.  The Commission said that it issued a notice of violation to Gendron on November 30, 2015 after investigating telemarketing complaints between December 4, 2013 and February 13, 2015 for initiating telemarketing telecommunications to consumers whose numbers were registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) while he (i) was… Continue Reading