OTTAWA – With vice-chairman, telecom Len Katz’s term expiring October 11 and former Ontario commissioner Rita Cugini gone since April, the CRTC will find itself without Ontario representation in just days. But at least the federal government finally got around to posting the positions on Monday.
The ideal candidate for the vice-chairperson (telecommunications) position must possess: “extensive knowledge of the legislative framework and mandate of the CRTC and other relevant federal legislation. Knowledge of the regulatory and technological environments in which the broadcasting, telecommunications and digital media sectors operate in Canada and abroad is necessary. ……
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TORONTO – More than a year in the works, Sirius and XM users can finally find out what the other is listening to for an extra $4 a month. But can SiriusXM’s new premier subscription service compete against free?
With the launch of “Best Of” SiriusXM Canada is following the lead of its U.S. counterpart and is now offering subscription packages allowing Canadian Sirius and XM subscribers to add a selection of channels from the other service.
"Our combined subscriber base has been waiting for this exciting benefit since the Sirius XM Canada merger and we're…
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OTTAWA – The Competition Bureau has appointed economist John Pecman as the interim Commissioner of Competition for up to a one-year term. One of Pecman’s first major tasks will be to analyze and respond to the CRTC’s upcoming decision on Bell’s proposed purchase of Astral Media. He takes over from former commissioner Melanie Aitken, who left the bureau on Friday, with two years left in her mandate.
"With nearly 30 years of experience at the Bureau, Mr. Pecman has a keen understanding of competition law and marketplace conduct," said Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry,…
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HUNTSVILLE – Delegates to the 2012 Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual Connect conference were advised by a series of speakers Monday afternoon (and we’re paraphrasing here) that their customers care only about themselves and what’s happening, or isn’t happening, on their screen, whichever one they happen to be using, rightnow.
As any cable operator will know, customers are increasingly demanding, but this where independents have a chance to shine, digital marketing expert Mitch Joel of Montreal’s Twist Image told delegates (a number of pictures of whom are posted below this piece). He demonstrated how the retail world is moving more…
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ST. JOHN’S – Cutbacks, concentration of ownership, reimagining public media, and even the cable bill of president and CEO Hubert Lacroix were all up for discussion at CBC’s 4th annual public meeting. Ahead of its CRTC renewal hearing scheduled for November 19, executives also called for a regulatory framework that will enable the public broadcaster to maintain a presence “no matter what degree of industry consolidation may happen, or how fast technology and demographics might evolve.”
But before they got to the CBC’s numbers, Lacroix, whose future at the CBC remains unclear as…
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OTTAWA – In a battle of GOs, Telus is charging Corus Entertainment and Shaw Communications of conspiring to block its efforts to stream Movie Central/HBO content to its Optik On The Go customers, which competes directly now with Shaw`s GO TV Everywhere service.
Telus filed a complaint with the CRTC last week saying Telus has tried unsuccessfully for nearly a year to acquire the premium content for its Optik on the go service from Corus, to no avail.
“Corus is offering in-home, out-of-home and on-the-go access to Movie Central…
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GRANTING BELL THE RIGHT to buy Astral Media will make an already big company that acts badly, enormous, add incentive for it act even worse, which in the end will crush competition and choice in Canada. Therefore, the deal needs to be quashed altogether or tough new rules applied to constrain the biggest player in Canadian media, say final replies to the CRTC’s public proceeding into Bell Canada’s quest to buy Astral Media.
Those last written rejoinders to the Commission’s public proceeding into Bell Canada’s purchase of Astral Media (CRTC 2012-370) from intervenors were due into the Commission on Friday,…
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I DON’T RECALL THIS question being clearly asked last week of the company executives who would block Bell Canada’s purchase of Astral Media: Why do you fear Bell would act the way you say it will?
The subject was broached a few times last week during the CRTC hearing and was sort-of asked, just not in as direct a way as we’ve put it above. The answer was given a number of times. Put simply, the executives of Quebecor, Cogeco, Rogers, EastLink and others say Bell is behaving poorly already and they fear an even bigger Bell would act as…
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MONTRÉAL – Rogers Communications in its $10.3 million proposal for Montréal’s CJNT-TV (Metro 14) says it has found the “optimal solution” that provides the city with a new English-language commercial TV station while also supporting a local plan for a new multilingual station. And even if the CRTC says no, it’s got a back-up plan to loosen CJNT’s current ethnic programming requirements.
Under Rogers’ optimal scenario the new station would be branded Citytv Montreal with programming and conditions of licence similar to the company's other Citytv…
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TORONTO – Tom Pentefountas, CRTC Vice Chair will provide an update on the commission's activities at his first appearance at the Ontario Association of Broadcasters Fall Conference.
Pentefountas has been with the CRTC since April 2011, and most recently was in Montreal to attend the CRTC’s hearings into Bell’s purchase of Astral Media. With his legal background combined with on-air experience, Pentefountas has a fresh perspective on the ever changing broadcasting industry.
Connection 2012, a one-day conference, will be held on Tuesday, November 6th…
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