GATINEAU – Canada’s independent and ethnic broadcasters faced off before the CRTC on Thursday, with the more established Category A services arguing the removal of buy-through provisions which sustain their businesses would be detrimental to Canadian content – while the newer Category B licensees want them eliminated so they can take advantage of more channel packaging flexibility.
“The BDUs have every incentive to substitute us“ and “without mandatory distribution and buy-through, Canadian programming is compromised,” argued Connie Sephton, director of corporate affairs at Fairchild Television under questioning from Quebec commissioner Yves Dupras.
In its presentation, the company questioned the merits to…
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OTTAWA and GATINEAU – Rogers and Bell are among the last wireless services companies that have yet to fully comply with the CRTC’s wireless code.
On Thursday, the Commission issued a report card assessing the implementation of the wireless code by the country’s 33 wireless services providers. That code, which turns one in December, was designed to make it easier for Canadians to understand their contracts for cellphones and other mobile devices, plus outline their basic rights.
Noting that verification of the code’s implementation is the first step in assessing compliance, the CRTC asked the wireless companies to submit reports…
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THERE ARE ALWAYS A HANDFUL of questions asked repeatedly by commissioners during a CRTC hearing which can tip followers off about the direction the Regulator is leaning on certain topics. The Let’s Talk TV hearing is no different.
Big questions have been asked, answered and covered by us and others over the first eight days of the hearing (just search Cartt.ca for “let’s talk tv”), but there’s one query most have not touched upon yet: CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais’ recurring request for a road map from each of the companies to help him with the timing for changing the rules….
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GATINEAU – At one point during the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV hearing yesterday, chairman Jean-Pierre Blais noted the utter lack of media in the room covering the primary focus of day eight, accessibility.
While we covered the hearing via webcast Wednesday, the chair has a very good point. While the talk of a potential “Netflix tax” or a skinny basic or pick and pay or Super Bowl ads made all kinds of headlines over the past number of days, the fact that a good chunk of the population has a lot of trouble seeing or hearing TV content on any…
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BANFF – I *heart* local cable will be a focal point for the 2014 Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual conference to be held this year at the Banff Fairmont Springs starting Sunday.
The successful cable community channel awards, now in their second year, will honour not just excellent community channel programming, but excellent television that can stand up to any other professional productions (we’ve seen them).
After 350,000 votes cast from coast to coast for member company programming by viewers, the CCSA announced the award winners in July and they will be lauded by their peers Monday…
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GATINEAU – Independent ISP TekSavvy Solutions told the CRTC Tuesday it would love to become a broadcast distributor because that’s what its customers are asking, but added it can’t enter the game at the moment because the cost of bandwidth is simply too high.
According to a study from Nordicity, the bandwidth costs for the ISP to provide basic service would come to $80 if networked PVR capability was included. “That’s just the bandwidth – before we pay for content or anything else,” said TekSavvy CEO Marc Gaudrault in his opening remarks to the Commission’s Let’s Talk TV policy hearing.
He…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Second hand clothing store chain Thrift Magic has paid $250,000 as part of a settlement over violations to the country’s telemarketing rules, plus agreed to correct its telemarketing practices, the CRTC said Wednesday.
Acting on complaints, the Commission investigated Thrift Magic for alleged violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules and found that it made unsolicited telemarketing calls to Canadians whose numbers were registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). Thrift Magic also failed to register with the national DNCL operator and subscribe to the list, plus made calls outside the permitted calling hours.
In addition to paying the…
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OTTAWA – CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais and Privacy Commissioner of Canada Daniel Therrien will join representatives from Google, Bell Canada, TekSavvy and more as speakers at this year’s IIC Canada 2014 Conference.
Scheduled for October 21 – 22, 2014 in Ottawa, 'Vision 20/20 – What's next for Canada's communications industries' will bring together business and government leaders in broadcasting, media, telecommunications and technology, with the goal of unpacking the intersection of policy and politics in today's technology-driven communications sector.
Discussion topics include:
– Recent developments in the communications industries;
– Disruptive innovation, consumers and creativity: a look at what makes Canada's video game industry…
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CHATHAM, ON – While advocating for greater competition for Canadian television viewers Tuesday during its appearance at the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV proceeding, TekSavvy Soltuions announced its new partnership with independent cable company Hastings Cable Vision.
Located in eastern Ontario, Hastings Cable Vision has provided cable television in the Madoc area since 1965. In addition to its popular Channel 4 community television channel, the company also offers Internet and phone services.
TekSavvy said that the partnership will create new opportunities for both service providers, noting that Hastings will help TekSavvy learn more about the Canadian television industry, and TekSavvy will…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC was awarded Public Service Awards of Excellence Tuesday at Rideau Hall for its work in the areas of Official Languages, Employment Equity and Diversity, and Policy.
The Public Service Award of Excellence recognizes employees who have demonstrated excellence in achieving results for Canadians and who reflect the priorities of the public service, while demonstrating key leadership competencies.
CRTC employees received the Official Languages Award for the high degree to which the use of English and French was promoted in all aspects of the CBC/Radio-Canada licence renewal proceeding. Throughout the proceeding, the CRTC instituted measures…
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