TORONTO – Cineflix Media on July 25 surprised the production industry by saying it was restructuring as it pulls back from Canada to focus on the U.S. and U.K. markets. The reason given for the pivot was an "in-depth evaluation of our operations and our broadcasting client requirements."
Translation: Cineflix Media's business model on the factual side to create original series and intellectual property (IP) and sell those shows worldwide is being undermined by localized format adaptations like Big Brother Canada and Amazing Race Canada both of which have been hits for their Canadian broadcasters. "The general consensus in the…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Network Operators Consortium has filed an application with the CRTC asking that a number of new regulations be applied to cable company ISPs who are not fairly treating its members acting as third party internet access providers.
The independent TPIAs (such as Teksavvy, Primus and Telnet) who provide internet service to their customers by purchasing wholesale high speed access service from the likes of Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw and Videotron say that either through malice or indifference their businesses are being seriously harmed by the cable companies and the CRTC must step in.
“This is necessary because ISPs,…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canadians may soon be able to permanently register their telephone and fax numbers on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL), the CRTC said Monday.
While marking the DNCL’s fifth anniversary, CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais said the CRTC has extended number registrations for another year – to September 30, 2014, while it looks at making registrations permanent. The requirements originally said that Canadians would have to re-register their numbers every five years to avoid unwanted calls from telemarketers.
The Commission added that “it would be too cumbersome to establish a procedure to remove numbers that have been disconnected or…
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OTTAWA – Canada’s wireless industry has released a national blacklist of lost or stolen devices in an effort to help crack down on the theft of wireless devices.
Effective immediately, the authorization of any GSM, HSPA, HSPA+ or LTE wireless device on any participating Canadian carrier's network will require verification that the 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number of the device has not been reported as lost or stolen on that network or any other participating Canadian network as of September 30, 2013. The blacklist will also include devices that have been reported as lost or stolen by U.S. carriers…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – While more Canadians report consuming content online, traditional television and radio services continue to hold their own, according to the 2013 edition of the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report
The report, released Thursday, provides an overview of the Canadian communication system. In 2012, Canadians listened to an average of 17.5 hours of radio each week, compared to17.7 hours in the year before, and watched an average of 28.2 hours of television per week, down slightly from 28.5 hours. Collectively, they watched 931.3 million hours of television per week, 48.9% of which were Canadian programs.
At the same time, more than…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC and the Competition Bureau signed a Letter of Agreement Wednesday that calls for closer cooperation between the two agencies.
The agreement, among other things, calls for the sharing of best practices through joint training exercises of employees and knowledge transfer sessions, plus provides for the creation of an employee exchange program. The two agencies have also committed to semi-annual meetings between senior management to discuss further avenues for cooperation and collaboration.
“This agreement will allow us to build upon our longstanding relationship with the Competition Bureau in areas of mutual interest, said CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais, in the announcement. …
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MONT TREMBLANT – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance celebrated its 20th anniversary in grand style Monday with top notch seminars, a well-attended trade show, awards and a gala dinner which featured Canadian comic Sugar Sammy.
After an opening speech by CRTC vice-chairman telecom Peter Menzies, “unmarketing” pro Scott Stratten wowed the audience with an entertaining take on how in order to go viral, you have to give up control (and don’t sweat your logo too much). Then, with over 300 delegates at this year’s conference, the trade show floor was packed through mid-day then customer service…
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SASKATOON – CBC Radio One's Saskatoon Morning will make its on-air debut on Thursday morning following the approval of its broadcast license by the CRTC on Monday.
Starting September 26 from 6:00am to 8:30am on 94.1FM in Saskatoon, host Leisha Grebinski, online host Matt Kruchak and newsreader Dan Kerslake will provide listeners with a fresh, new conversation on-air and online each weekday with up-to-date local news, weather, traffic and community events.
"As a new morning radio show and digital service, Saskatoon Morning is unparalleled in the market," said John Agnew, managing director for CBC Saskatchewan, in the announcement. "We're…
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MONT TREMBLANT – With the number of people using anything but a television set to watch TV growing rapidly, the CRTC is betting a lot on the upcoming review of all things television, set to begin this fall. In short, it wants to dramatically change the way it conducts its business.
Vice-chair telecom Peter Menzies gave delegates to the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Connect Conference an early look into the Commission’s Communications Monitoring Report which is being released this week – and tied it into the TV Review, which will begin soon with a direct discussion with Canadians, or “as…
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MONTREAL – Jacques Parisien, Bell Media’s president of national specialty and pay TV, radio, and out-of-home (and the man pitched to be the company's leader in Quebec) is surprisingly, leaving the company at the end of the year.
Before joining Bell Media, Parisien was the executive vice-president and COO of Astral Media Inc. and president of Astral Radio where he was responsible for the company's operation and growth strategy. He has spent his professional career in the communications industry, having worked for many years at Telemedia before joining Astral.
"I have been at Astral for nearly two decades. I have seen…
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