By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is asking the public Tuesday for how it should go about mandating accessibility features on online streaming platforms as part of the implementation of the Online Streaming Act.
The regulator is bound by the new law to not only regulate online streamers, but to also force them to comply with accessibility rules, namely described video and audio description for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted and closed captioning for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
While there are closed captioning (CC) rules for traditional broadcasters, the regulator is asking for comments by August 19 to questions…
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A private member’s bill that proposed amending the Telecommunications Act to require internet service providers to provide Canadians with the “typical” download and upload speeds that customers should expect during peak periods received royal assent last week, after passing third reading in the Senate earlier this month.
Bill C-288 was introduced in 2022 by Dan Mazier, Conservative Member of Parliament for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, who wanted the act to be amended so ISPs could not use language such as “up to” and “maximum” to advertise theoretical speeds when marketing their internet packages.
In April 2023, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is seeking a contractor to analyze the wireline transport market, as it prepares to make a decision on an updated wholesale internet access framework.
According to the procurement document, dated Thursday, the regulator is looking for a contractor to draft a definition of wholesale wireline high-speed transport services market, which should “allow for upcoming technological changes.”
It is also seeking an analysis of the group of products that consumers would consider to be substitutes for the service and an assessment of the geographic area in which a customer purchases a service and “whether or not a customer…
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Videotron says no undue preference or disadvantage
By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers is alleging Videotron has refused to allow the cable giant to audit its subscriber information for the purposes of determining whether it’s paying a proper rate of access for Rogers’s OMNI Regional programming.
The comments come in an intervention supporting a complaint by not-for-profit media company Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), which alleges Videotron is forcing it to sign a pre-audit memorandum of understanding (MOU) before AMI is allowed to analyze Videotron’s subscriber records. The problem, according to AMI, is that the MOU includes language that turns bulk subscribers from institutions like…
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By Ahmad Hathout
A new bill that would force the CRTC to “consult” with the provincial governments on matters affecting French-speaking markets is drawing concern from regulatory authorities both in its legal terminology and the precedent it could set for a tribunal freshly saddled with increased responsibilities.
The private member’s bill C-354, which passed second reading in the House and is in the committee stage, would amend the CRTC Act to add to section 12 a paragraph that would require it to “consult with the Government of Quebec or the governments of the other provinces, as the case…
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A community television advocate is calling on the CRTC to reject a May application by Rogers to broaden certain broadcast regions to meet its local programming obligations, alleging the result will subvert community programming.
Rogers wants to broaden into four large zones – Vancouver Island, British Columbia; Southern Interior, British Columbia; Central Saskatchewan and Southern Manitoba – the areas that it must serve with community and local programs for the purpose, it said, of avoiding having to use repeat programming to meet its community and local TV obligations. It said this must be done because of the…
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Corus Entertainment announced Monday the early retirement of its president and CEO, Doug Murphy, effective immediately.
The media company’s board has appointed Corus executives Troy Reeb and John Gossling as co-chief executive officers.
“These appointments are effective immediately and reflect the strength of Corus’ leadership bench and a forward focus on managing through a challenging environment,” reads a Corus press release announcing the changes.
Murphy had been with Corus for 21 years, first joining the company in 2003 as executive vice president of business development and holding successively more senior positions until 2015 when he was promoted to president and CEO.
“During his…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers and TekSavvy have come to an agreement to avert an impending disconnection of wholesale customers at two Toronto buildings.
Earlier this week, TekSavvy requested that the CRTC suspend a Part 1 application it filed late last month asking the regulator to intervene in a case where its customers at two buildings on Sherbourne Street were at risk of disconnection as Rogers transitions to pure fibre connections.
The CRTC sent a letter dated Wednesday to both telecoms outlining that TekSavvy sent a letter on June 11 saying that an agreement had been reached between the two companies “to…
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By Howard Law, author of Canada vs. California, and MediaPolicy.ca
Last week the CRTC released its anticipated “Phase One” ruling on the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11. The headline was the $200 million price tag put on Canadian content contributions assessed by the commission on large foreign online audio and audio-visual streamers operating in Canada.
Following the commission’s decision, many industry players and public policy commentators were quick to declare victory or disaster, something we can expect in a regulatory drama that never quits.
This drama is chronicled in my book, Canada vs California: How…
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By Connie Thiessen
Layoffs at Global News announced this week will impact about 35 unionized staff in newsrooms from Toronto to B.C., Cartt sister publication Broadcast Dialogue has learned.
Calgary has been hit the hardest with 13 jobs in the bureau eliminated, followed by eight in Edmonton, seven in Toronto, three in Ottawa, three in Lethbridge and one in B.C.
An unknown number of non-unionized positions are also impacted.
According to a report by the Western Standard, which obtained a recording of a staff meeting in Alberta led by Global Calgary News Director and Station Manager Carmela Gentile earlier this week,…
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