IT’S THE VERY LAST item in a 600-page budget document and since it was announced in March literally nothing has happened with it, but the Quebec government’s proposal to block illegal gambling websites has disturbed the Internet Society enough that six months later, it sent a letter to the government warning it about the consequences.
The letter, dated Aug. 4 but published on Sept. 24, lays out in simple terms the problem with the yet-to-be-proposed legislation, saying it would cost more to implement than it will gain in additional revenue, that it would…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has released its greatly anticipated Wholesale Code, intended to help simplify, and perhaps smooth the waters, in many aspects of the relationship between television service providers and television channel owners.
The Commission said Thursday that BRP 2015-438 governs certain aspects of the commercial arrangements between broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs), programming undertakings, and exempt digital media undertakings.
“It will ensure that subscribers have greater choice and flexibility in the programming services they receive, that programming services are diverse, available and discoverable on multiple platforms, and that negotiations between programming services and BDUs are conducted in a fair…
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HAMILTON – Community television will never be the same in Canada.
Cable 14 Now launched Tuesday in the Steel City allowing Hamiltonians the opportunity to watch live and on-demand HD video of local content on web-connected devices at their convenience. The online service is the product of three local companies working together as Cable 14 partnered with Clearcable networks in Hamilton and Ancaster’s Hifyre, a digital media company.
“This will allow the cross-pollination of community channels across the country,” Rob McCann, president of Clearcable told Cartt.ca at the launch event. “We will be launching another (online service) in Quebec…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has issued revised standard conditions of licence for new and existing Canadian discretionary services operating as national news services, the latest in series of changes in the wake of its Let’s Talk TV proceeding.
The Commission said Wednesday that licensing criteria for national news services “must better reflect the national nature of these services and that these services must demonstrate the capacity to gather news and report events happening throughout Canada”.
Among other conditions, expectations, and encouragement, the CRTC also decreed that the types of programming broadcast by national news services should be comprised almost exclusively of…
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PARIS – The plethora of viewing options has created a legion of “content bulimics”, escalating content discovery and promotion to “a global challenge”, says CRTC broadcasting vice chair Tom Pentefountas.
Speaking Monday at the Culture et médias au défi de l'attention conference in Paris, Pentefountas invited the world to take part in the Commission’s upcoming Discoverability Summit, an event designed to examine and understand the new consumption habits of listeners, viewers and Internet users.
“The Summit, as well as the preliminary discussions, will be opportunities to bring together key creators and thinkers in the industry, and government and university representatives from Canada…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – CRTC employees were honoured at a ceremony at Rideau Hall Wednesday for the Commission’s work on modernizing northern telecommunications.
The CRTC received a Public Service Award of Excellence in the “Excellence in Policy” category. Further to a public hearing, the CRTC developed a regulatory policy for the modernization of the Northwestel network, which will result in improved broadband Internet services and the delivery of advanced wireless services. Canadians living in the North will have access to affordable telecommunications services that will allow them to participate in the digital economy, reads the Commission’s news release.
The Public Service Award…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has officially kicked off its review of the policy framework for local and community television programming.
The Commission said Monday that in addition to building on the determinations made during the Let’s Talk TV proceeding, it hopes that the review will achieve the following outcomes:
– Canadians have access to locally produced and locally reflective programming in a multi-platform environment;
– Both professional and non-professional independent producers and community members have access to the broadcasting system; and
– Locally relevant news and information programming is produced and exhibited within the Canadian broadcasting system.
As per BRP 2015-24 in…
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OTTAWA – Consumers need more effective privacy rules to protect the collection, use and disclosure of their location, says a new report from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
The report, Off the Grid: Pinpointing Location-Based Technologies and the Law, examines whether Canada has sufficient protections in place to address risks posed by location-based technologies. It also addresses whether Canadian consumers have sufficient disclosure regarding how and when telecommunications service providers collect and use location-based personal information.
“Location is highly unique, highly identifiable, and highly personal in nature, even when anonymized and aggregated,” said PIAC executive director and general counsel…
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OTTAWA – It’s rare when the incumbent wireless carriers and the new entrants find themselves on the same side of an issue, but the response to a Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) appeal of the CRTC’s wholesale wireless decision last month is one of those occasions where the normally combative firms see eye to eye.
CNOC has appealed portions Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-177, saying the Commission erred in fact and made errors of law in not granting mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to the radio access networks (RANs) of the wireless carriers. The second…
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WINNIPEG – Local TV – the place where many Canadians turn to for news about their community and country – may cease to exist inside of a decade, thanks to the unending growth and development of technology and the opportunities and challenges that development fosters.
A new discussion paper from Winnipeg consultancy Communications Management Inc. entitled Canada's Digital Divides paints a grim picture of the near future of both local TV and newspapers – and tries to make sense of what that means for journalism and democracy. Ubiquitous broadband, argues the paper “continues to enhance news-gathering and distribution,…
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