TORONTO – The National Congress of Italian Canadians says it wants the CRTC to hold a public hearing about the cuts made by Rogers to its OMNI Television's programming.
“We intervened in this process because the program changes announced by Rogers for its OMNI stations affect the 1.4 million Italian Canadians across Canada,” said Michael Tibollo, president of the Congress, said in a release. On May 30, Rogers Media announced the closure of its 18-month old all-Toronto news station CityNews Channel, as well as some news programming cancellations at OMNI, resulting in the loss of 62…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Along with today’s numerous decisions regarding license application requests and renewals and mandatory carriage status, the CRTC also invited Canadians to participate in a review of its policy on the licensing of Canadian national news television services.
Today’s notice of consultation to conduct a review of the state of Canada’s national news services originated from evidence presented during the public hearing in April on mandatory distribution, where a number of issues and concerns came to light over the challenges faced by new entrants offering Category C national news specialty services.
Canadians…
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GATINEAU – For many companies there is much riding on what the CRTC has to say at 11 a.m. this morning.
The Commission will make public its decisions on a wide range of license application requests and renewals Thursday morning, but a few will get far more notice than most. For example, if Sun News does not get its must-carry (and must-pay) status, will owner Quebecor Media really follow through on its threat to close up shop?
Did all-Canadian movie channel gambit Starlight pull the right heartstrings with the panel of commissioners to be granted an all-Canadian…
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OTTAWA – Today’s decision by the CRTC to renew and approve new television programming broadcasters for mandatory distribution represents a step forward in making television services accessible and affordable for Canadians, said consumer rights group the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
“The CRTC’s decision today ensures that Canadians’ essential interests are well served by basic television services in Canada. The Commission has also heard the consumer interest in keeping rates low in approving these channels,” said PIAC executive director John Lawford in a release.
PIAC appeared before the CRTC at its mandatory distribution…
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DARTMOUTH, NS – Radio broadcaster Newfoundland Capital Corp. almost tripled its net profit to almost $6 million in the second quarter over the previous three months, driven by what the company calls “organic” increases in revenue.
Revenue for the second quarter was $35.8 million, an increase of $1.5 million or 4% higher than last year. Year-to-date revenue of $64.9 million was $3.1 million or 5% higher than 2012.
EBITDA was at $10.3 million, which was $1.1 million or 12% higher compared to the same period in 2012. Year-to-date EBITDA of $15.5 million was $1.6 million or…
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OTTAWA – And then there were three.
Of the 22 broadcasters that applied for mandatory distribution on cable and satellite companies’ digital basic television service, only three brand new applications received CRTC approval.
Those 22 applications comprised services looking to renew their existing mandatory distribution, existing services seeking to obtain a first distribution order, and from brand new applicants.
NEW APPROVALS
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IQALUIT – Promising choice, lower prices and advanced telephone services, Iristel announced today that its local phone service is now available to residents of the capital of Nunavut.
Iristel say its local phone service, which will be available to homeowners and businesses in Iqaluit through Iristel’s local agent, Qikiqtaaluk Information Technology Corp. (QITC), will allow customers to keep their existing phone numbers.
Maged Bishara, the company’s VP of operations and national sales, said the cost of Iristel’s local phone service will be “drastically less” than what rival NorthwesTel currently charges. Business customers, for example, could…
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OTTAWA – Ethnic broadcaster Asian Television Network has filed a complaint with the CRTC alleging that Ethnic Channels Group’s ZEE TV has breached its nature of service requirement as a Category B niche third-language women's programming service and is actually operating as a general interest programming service that unfairly competes with ATN’s flagship Category A SATV service.
Citing the CRTC’s policy for third-language specialty Category A services, ATN filed a complaint with the CRTC in early June (which was posted to the Commission’s website today), alleging that ZEE TV’s programming does not reflect its nature…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC announced Friday it has issued two notices of violation totalling $17,000 in penalties as part of a wide-ranging investigation into the use of robocalls by political parties, elected officials and telemarketers.
Paul Dewar, an M.P. for Ottawa Centre and the NDP’s foreign affairs critic, entered into a settlement agreement with the CRTC and paid a $7,000 penalty for violating the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules (UTR). In an unrelated investigation, Strategic Communications Inc. also cooperated, agreed to settle and paid a penalty of $10,000 for similar violations.
“We appreciate the…
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OTTAWA – Andrea Rosen, the CRTC’s first chief compliance and enforcement officer who has negotiated more than $3 million in penalties during her tenure, has announced she will be retiring after almost 32 years in public service.
Rosen, who will retire at the end of September, took on the then-new CRTC position in 2010 and established the compliance and enforcement sector as it evolved from the first Do Not Call office in the Commission’s telecommunications department.
As chief compliance and enforcement officer, Rosen designed the operational criteria for the Do Not Call and Canada’s Anti-Spam law….
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