GATINEAU – The CRTC continued to remake the Canadian broadcasting system in its latest Let’s Talk TV decision. Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2015-96 forces TV distributors to offer a $25 entry-level package along with pick and pay and small bundles for discretionary services.
The highly anticipated decision is the second-in-a-series that have ushered in considerable changes to the domestic broadcasting ecosystem, one that has seen the dramatic rise of on-demand viewing to the detriment of appointment linear TV. This latest decision focuses to a much greater extent on consumers and how they will interact with TV programming and their TV servcie…
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OTTAWA – Announcing the most recent round of Let’s Talk TV decisions last week, CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais spoke about the need to create fewer, higher quality Canadian TV shows instead of a larger number of mixed quality television – and to build a more sustainable production sector populated by larger, well-capitalized firms.
In essence, he was saying less is more. However, those who make the shows believe, conversely, less will only lead to less.
Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-86, released on March 12, made a number of significant changes to Canadian content rules. Chief among…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canadians may soon have more choice and flexibility in their television viewing options after the CRTC releases the next phase of its TV Policy Review (the Let’s Talk TV proceeding) decisions on Thursday afternoon.
The Commission confirmed that it will release its rulings on "measures to maximize choice for Canadian television viewers” at 4:00 PM ET on March 19, following a two hour media lockup (and Cartt.ca will be there).
It is expected that those decisions will include a mandated skinny basic package and new rules around pick and pay for TV channels.
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The score is Rogers – 1, Bell – 0, after the CRTC dismissed Bell’s complaint Monday that Rogers’ GamePlus online hockey viewing app provides that company with an “anticompetitive advantage.”
GamePlus is a feature within GameCentre Live. GameCentre Live is Rogers’ online platform that allows fans to stream over 1,000 NHL regular season and playoff games online and to whatever device they like for $200 a season, a subscription which is open to anyone. GamePlus offers different camera angles, exclusive interviews, highlights and advanced stats, and is exclusive to Rogers’ TV, Internet, home phone and wireless customers who…
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OTTAWA – It appears to be the end of the line for illegal broadcaster Radio India after the Federal Court of Appeal refused to hear its appeal of the CRTC’s decision that it stop broadcasting programing into Canada via over-the-air transmitters located in the United States.
In a two line order issued late last week, the Court dismissed Radio India’s application to appeal Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-587 and Broadcasting Order CRTC 2014-588 and added that “no costs will be awarded”.
As Cartt.ca reported, the CRTC held a show cause hearing last October that determined that Radio India was producing programming…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has returned applications filed by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) challenging the tied selling of streaming services CraveTV and shomi to existing TV subscription services, citing Thursday’s Let’s Talk decisions.
A March 12 letter addressed to the consumer groups and signed by secretary general John Traversy said that the PIAC-CAC applications “would benefit from taking into consideration the Commission’s clarifications” in BRP 2015-86 in which the CRTC said that it would add a hybrid VoD service as a new type of exempt undertaking. “Accordingly, by majority decision, the…
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OTTAWA – Canada’s broadcasters aren’t about to give up spectrum and go through another digital upgrade again without being paid for moving – and believe some of the funds coming from the next big wireless auction must be re-directed towards a new local television production fund.
First comments were due into Industry Canada Wednesday on its consultation into repurposing the 600 MHz band – the slice of spectrum upon which much of the country’s TV signals ride.
While most agree that harmonizing our bandwidth plan framework with the United States is a good idea, independent broadcasters and vertically integrated media and…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC unveiled sweeping changes to the Canadian TV broadcasting system earlier today. The Regulator has eliminated genre protection rules, shifted from Canadian content exhibition quotas to spending requirements and created a new class of online video-on-demand (VOD) services.
In a speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, Commission chair Jean-Pierre Blais underscored the need to adapt the broadcasting system to meet the realities of today where “people watch content in the ways, on the devices and at the times that most suit them.” He acknowledged that content is still king, but added that the viewer is now…
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OTTAWA–GATINEAU – Canadian-made content can hold its own among the best in the world, and therefore no longer requires “certain” regulatory protections, CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said Thursday while releasing the third round of decisions from the Let’s Talk TV proceeding.
The Commission is cutting the Canadian content quota for local TV stations during the day from 55% to zero, but will keep the weekday prime time requirement that 50% of programming aired between 6:00 and 11:00 PM. Specialty channels, which currently have quotas that range from 15% to 85%, will see their Cancon requirements harmonized at 35% overall with…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Florida-based Consolidated Travel Holdings Group has paid $200,000 as part of a settlement over violations to Canada's telemarketing rules, plus agreed to stop making unsolicited telemarketing calls to consumers north of the border, the CRTC said Thursday.
Acting on complaints, the Commission investigated Caribbean Cruise Line Inc. for unsolicited telemarketing calls made via an automatic dialing-announcing device (ADAD) that offered cruises in exchange for answering a survey. The company did not possess a valid exemption to the national do not call list (DNCL) and many of the Canadians who received their calls had their phone number registered on the DNCL….
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