OTTAWA – Canada should establish a universal service obligation to ensure that communication services like telephone, broadband Internet and broadcasting are affordable for all Canadians, says a new report from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
No Consumer Left Behind: A Canadian Affordability Framework for Communications Services in a Digital Age surveyed existing legal and policy explorations of how much Canadians can afford to pay for their communications services, plus conducted focus groups and interviews with organizations that work with low and moderate income families to develop a framework for defining “affordability” of communications services. The report concluded that that…
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GATINEAU – There are always some interesting figures which emerge with the publishing of the annual aggregate returns of the large carriers and broadcasters by the CRTC.
Below are a few highlights from the data filed by Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV companies (we’ll look at the conventional TV, pay and specialty and radio numbers later) for the broadcast year ended August 31, 2014.
Of the subscriber losses suffered by the large, established TV carriers (cable and satellite brands Rogers Cable, Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct, Videotron, Bell Satellite TV, Cogeco Cable and Eastlink) almost all went to…
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OTTAWA – Saying he can’t see how Bell Mobility will suffer irreparable harm due to CRTC Broadcasting and Telecom Decision 2015-26 (which ordered Bell and Quebecor’s Vidéotron to cease providing mobile video applications that are exempt from counting toward the cap on their wireless data plans) Federal Court of Appeal judge Denis Pelletier dismissed Bell’s request for an immediate stay of the Commission decision.
(This decision to dismiss the stay request does not, however, affect Bell’s overall appeal of the CRTC decision, and a decision on whether to hear it is…
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OTTAWA – As last week’s game-changing TV carriage rulings continue to sink in, two more TV service providers have publicly voiced their support for the CRTC’s most recent Let’s Talk TV decisions.
Videotron, which has allowed customers to build their own programming packages for more than 10 years, said that it welcomes the Commission's decision to offer consumers even more flexibility in their TV viewing options.
"We share the CRTC's desire to give consumers still greater flexibility and more freedom of choice," said president and CEO Manon Brouillette, in a statement. "Videotron is in a better position in this regard…
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OTTAWA – While some have yet to react and others have decried the CRTC’s decisions today on the carriage portion of the Commission’s TV Policy Review, the overall reaction has ranged from generally positive to indifferent. Bell Canada and Quebecor Media have chosen not to respond as yet.
Shaw Communications president and CEO Brad Shaw:
“We support the Government’s direction and the Commission’s commitment to maximize choice for Canadians – as citizens, producers, and consumers. We are pleased that the Commission has built on the foundation of previous Talk TV decisions to support a bold yet balanced and orderly policy framework…
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OTTAWA–GATINEAU – Let the unbundling begin. The CRTC said Thursday that Canadians TV viewers will be able to subscribe to a skinny basic programming package for $25 starting next March, and by December, will be able to choose TV channels on a pick-and-pay basis as well as in small packages.
In the fourth in a series of decisions stemming from its TV Policy Review, known as Let's Talk TV, the Commission said that a skinny basic service “will prioritize local and regional news and information programs" plus include public interest channels such as the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) and…
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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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