GATINEAU – There's no Say No To Bell campaign this time around, but most of Bell's major competitors have again told the CRTC they are strongly against the takeover of Astral Media by BCE, even with the new promises to divest English-language TV assets.
Quebecor, Rogers and Telus all said they were against the deal in submissions sent to the Commission on Friday, the deadline for interventions in the new application for change of ownership.
Quebecor Media, which owns the Vidéotron cable provider and broadcaster TVA, "asks the Commission to categorically refuse the approval of the revised application," saying it would…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable is urging the CRTC to reject BCE’s $3.38 billion bid to purchase Astral Media, and is asking to appear at the Commission’s public hearing scheduled to begin on May 6, 2013 in Montreal.
In a press release issued today, the company cited concerns over competition and TV and radio ownership concentration, the same concerns it raised in its submission filed last October with the Commission. Cogeco says approval of the Bell-Astral deal would “give BCE unprecedented market power that could not be constrained through regulatory safeguards, whether administered by…
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OTTAWA – Five Canadian consumer and public interest groups say that Bell and Astral’s new proposed merger is not in the public interest and should be denied.
The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), who also acts as counsel for the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC), Council of Senior Citizens’ Organization of British Columbia (COSCO), National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation (NPSCF) and Option consommateurs (OC) filed comments with the CRTC on Friday opposing the proposed acquisition of Astral Media Inc. by Bell Canada, a division of BCE Inc.
“Increased media concentration into the hands of…
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TORONTO – Blue Ant Media announced today it will launch the Cottage Life specialty TV channel this fall. The new HD channel is an extension of Cottage Life Magazine, which Blue Ant took over last November when it acquired the magazine’s parent company, Cottage Life Media Inc.
The new Cottage Life television channel will feature new programming focusing on DIY, food, makeovers and outdoor themes that celebrate the people, places and activities closest to the heart of Canada, says the company. “Cottage Life has always been a trusted source for engaging weekend living…
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OTTAWA – In a decision released today, the CRTC approved three of the four changes requested by Shaw Media in its application to amend certain aspects of the tangible benefits package related to the transfer of control of Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting Inc.’s broadcasting companies.
The Commission approved Shaw’s proposals to reallocate the $14 million of the tangible benefits package devoted to news and public affairs so that it would spend $6 million on a current affairs show and $8 million on the expansion of international news bureaus. It also approved the reallocation of $2.4 million…
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TUESDAY’S ARTICLE ON PACKAGING flexibility, the cost of sports, and the evolving demands of consumers unfortunately misinforms and misleads readers by providing a narrow view of a complex ecosystem. Several important facts are worth pointing out. (Note, for simplicity I’ll use “cable” to represent all cable, satellite, and IPTV distributors, except where specified).
FACT: Content costs are indeed increasing.
Creating and acquiring content is frustratingly immune to productivity and efficiency improvements demonstrated in industries like computers and technology. Creating content is entirely a people business. The cost goes up every year. And sports content costs are increasing the fastest. But…
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OTTAWA – If you’ve ever found it difficult to find things on the CRTC's web site, now you have an opportunity to let the Commission know (they already know the site needs a dramatic overhaul). The Commission launched an online survey today asking for input to help better organize the content on its website.
The survey, which uses online usability testing software from a New Zealand-based company called Optimal Workshop, presents a series of pages with lists of hyperlinks. You are asked to find specific pages of CRTC-related content by clicking through each list and indicating…
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WHILE ACQUIRING SPORTS rights is getting increasingly expensive for broadcasters, the fact is it’s still a profitable business – and in Canada, Rogers is in the best position to profit from sports programming, according to a new report from BMO Capital Markets.
Sports programming, reads the research report by analyst Tim Casey, is a critical category for all BDUs. “Sports are live. They are PVR-proof. They are relatively piracy proof. As media distribution platforms proliferate, sports programming has emerged as the most resilient, and therefore most important, category for video suppliers and packagers.”
National…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC announced today that Comwave Telenetworks Inc. has paid a penalty of $100,000 as part of a settlement over telemarketing practices pertaining to calls made by its independent dealers.
Comwave Telenetworks Inc. is affiliated with Comwave Telecommunications Inc., a provider of telecommunications services, such as home telephone, VOIP telephone and long-distance services.
The CRTC issued a notice of violation after its investigation and found that while Comwave did subscribe to the National Do Not Call List (DNCL), there were months where they erroneously did not download the list as required. As…
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AS THE DEADLINE APPROACHES for submissions in the CRTC's hearing to examine our plan to unite Astral and Bell Media, competitors are already revving up their rhetoric.
Last week in a blog post, Telus's director of regulatory affairs, Anne Mainville-Neeson, road-tested the company's lines on why "vertical integration in the broadcasting industry can be harmful.” This position conveniently overlooks the fact that the federal Competition Bureau has comprehensively reviewed and cleared the proposed Astral-Bell Media transaction, and that the CRTC is of course conducting its own comprehensive analysis.
It also ignores the fact that the CRTC already has a…
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