OTTAWA – Will it be a 9(1)(h) Christmas in April for some Canadian specialty channels? After much delay, the CRTC has set a date to hear applications for the mandatory distribution of specialty channels (some new, some not) on Canadian BDUs.
The hearing will take place April 23 in Gatineau and the deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers is February 20, 2013. The hearing will also take a look at existing channels that are currently distributed on a mandatory basis (APTN, AMI, etc) and will assess whether these services “should continue to benefit from such distribution,…
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OTTAWA – It’s clear sailing for Paul Girouard who received CRTC approval for his three new category B national, English-language specialty services that are directed to fans of boating, amateur sports and aviation.
Boating Television is to be dedicated to all aspects of boating and nautical activities including boats, water sports and the people involved in these activities. Flying Television would cover all aspects of flight and aviation including airplanes, pilots and stories about air travel. While World Sports Network would focus on international amateur and professional sports primarily through live coverage, documentaries, instructional programs…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC received a total of 75 complaints in 2012 from consumers claiming that Internet service providers (ISPs) were slowing down certain types of traffic. But more than half of the complaints regarding Internet traffic management practices came during the first three months of 2012 when 39 complaints were submitted to the Commission. Complaints have since fallen to a total of 26 for the past six months, with 13 recorded during the final three months of 2012.
Upon the receipt of a complaint regarding a traffic management practice, CRTC staff forward the complaint…
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WHITEHORSE – Northwestel has submitted to the CRTC its plan to invest $233 million in its telecommunications network that will provide 99% of northerners with access to next-generation wireless and wireless broadband services within the next five years. Northwestel says its communications expansion plans are the most ambitious ever undertaken in Northern Canada and submitted its plan to the Commission on January 16, 2012.
"We have developed a modernization plan that delivers for our communities," said Paul Flaherty, President and Chief Executive Officer at Northwestel. "In addition to supplying more northern communities with enhanced services,…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media Inc. has asked the CRTC to amend two conditions of license for The Score to enable it to slightly increase (from 10% to 15% of its schedule) the amount of analysis, interpretation and documentary programming it can provide in order to compete with online services offered by TSN, CBS Sports and ESPN. It also wants to push back mandatory news updates every 15-minutes when its airing live sports events to just once an hour.
Rogers purchased Score Media Inc. this past summer for $171 million and its specialty station The Score currently…
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TORONTO – Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., parent of SiriusXM Canada, reports the satellite radio provider posted a $3.3-million profit in the quarter ended November 30, 2012, reversing a $3.4-million loss it recorded for the same period last year.
Canada’s only satellite radio provider attributed the 9.2% jump in revenue to $68.9 million on its growing self-paying subscriber base which increased 14.3% to 1.6 million from 1.4 million the year before. SiriusXM Canada broadcasts more than 120 satellite radio channels featuring premier sports, news, talk, entertainment and commercial-free music.
"Fiscal 2013 is off to…
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OTTAWA – Find out how independent producers “down under” are meeting the challenges of the global marketplace. Matthew Deaner with the Screen Producers Association of Australia will be at the Prime Time in Ottawa conference from March 6-8, 2013.
Keep on top of the latest consumer trends. Don’t miss presentations from digital guru Robert Tercek, Hollywood’s Senator Chris Dodd, and the CRTC’s Jean-Pierre Blais. But time is running out. Only two days left to register for the Early Bird. Hotel rooms are 50% sold…
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MONTRÉAL – Astral Media which is supporting a $3.38-billion takeover proposal from BCE Inc. reported that its first-quarter profit was $59.6 million, up from $55.8 million for the same period last year. Diluted earnings per share increased by 5% to $1.05 from $1.00 last year. EBITDA grew 4% to $93.7 million from $90.4 million last year, while consolidated revenues totalled $274.5 million, an increase of 1% over the $271.1 million recorded last year. Cash flow from operations at $69.2 million is slightly above last year’s figure of $69.0 million.
"I am very pleased with our company’s…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC approved a pair of new category B specialty service licenses yesterday for Fantasy Sports TV and Quest.
Fantasy Sports TV is a Fight Network (which is controlled by Leonard Asper) application and the channel, if launched, will be “devoted to fantasy sports, allowing viewers to act as owners and assume all the responsibilities associated with operating real sports franchises, and allowing viewers to create, monitor, trade and discuss players on their teams with others also playing fantasy sports,” according to the Commission decision.
Quest’s application was filed by its owner HGTV Canada (Shaw…
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TORONTO – Building on an idea that was dubbed “Watch Canada” back in October, the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada and the CRTC on Wednesday announced the creation of a working group of leading industry executives whose goal will be to “promote the increasing success of Canadian film, television and digital media with a principal focus on the Canadian market,” says a press release.
The creation of the group grew from industry leaders’ feedback at the Symposium on the Promotion of Canadian Films and Television Programs in Canada and Internationally which was held in Ottawa in conjunction with the International…
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