MONTREAL- Locked-out Bell TV workers are holding an information picket this week at CRTC hearings into the proposed Bell Canada and Astral Media merger.
"In our experience, the bigger Bell Canada gets, the worse it treats its employees," says Barb Dolan, Ontario Administrative Vice-President of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP) in a statement.
"Our members, who have been locked out while trying to obtain a first collective agreement, have a clear message for the CRTC: Along with corporate growth, goes a responsibility to treat workers fairly."
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TORONTO – Cartt.ca has confirmed the CRTC will announce tomorrow the winning bid for the coveted 88.1 FM slot in Toronto and judging by the wide range of applications it promises to alter the city’s radio landscape.
The 88.1 frequency became available after the CRTC revoked the license from Ryerson University’s CKLN after multiple license infractions spread over years.) The commission’s hearing to award the 88.1 slot attracted a record 22 applications. A common theme in all the applicants’ pitches was the stated need to take 88.1 FM in a completely new direction.
For example, Newcap wants to develop a…
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TORONTO – As Bell officials argue that a bigger Bell will be better for all Canadians at CRTC hearings this week in Montreal, Bell Media announced it will sponsor the Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) flagship TV program that supports emerging writers for the next three years.
Now called The Bell Media Prime Time TV Program, it’s designed to help train writers and develop new projects for the television marketplace.
"Simulating the story room experience, the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program offers new talent the ultimate mentorship, the chance to learn from the best in the business," said Corrie Coe,…
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MONTREAL – They didn’t really want to say just yet, but under questioning this morning, CRTC Commissioner Suzanne Lamarre forced Bell into divulging the list of radio stations it plans to divest assuming its plan to buy Astral Media is approved.
Bell has said all along it would sell 10 radio stations in order to remain on side of the CRTC’s common ownership policy when it comes to radio stations. While it tried to keep the list confidential saying it would add further stress to already worried employees, commissioner Lamarre was insistent, saying in French they…
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WHILE BOTH SIDES OF the Bell-Astral deal debate were ensconced in Montreal hotels on Sunday polishing their lines and rehearsing their delivery in advance of the CRTC hearing starting Monday morning, the SayNoToBell forces fired out one more press release Sunday afternoon.
The Quebecor-Cogeco-EastLink backed public relations campaign claimed Bell has been preventing its TV ads from airing on CTV until just now.
“Twenty-six days after being asked, CTV has finally broadcast its first television commercial opposing its parent company's ambitions to control an even greater portion of the Canadian broadcasting space,” says the Say No press release which was headlined:…
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AND ON IT GOES…
As we said earlier, while both sides of the Bell-Astral deal debate were ensconced in Montreal hotels on Sunday polishing their lines and rehearsing their delivery in advance of the CRTC hearing starting Monday morning, the SayNoToBell forces fired out one more press release Sunday afternoon.
The Quebecor-Cogeco-EastLink backed public relations campaign claimed Bell has been preventing its TV ads from airing on CTV until just now.
“Twenty-six days after being asked, CTV has finally broadcast its first television commercial opposing its parent company's ambitions to control an even greater portion of the Canadian…
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MONTREAL – CPAC will present live coverage of the CRTC hearing regarding the BCE acquisition of Astral Media beginning Monday. CPAC will televise the week-long hearing in Montreal in its entirety beginning at 10 am each day, and provide online coverage beginning at 9 am ET.
Since the House of Commons is not sitting until the week of September 17th, CPAC has the ability to carry long-form coverage on the channel in addition to the web site.
Due to the size and scope of the proposed transaction, the Commission has stated it will likely…
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MONTREAL – The SayNoToBell.ca campaigners claim that nearly 50,000 Canadians, both consumers and industry leaders, have signed their petition urging the CRTC and government to deny the Bell/Astral merger. CRTC hearings into the proposed deal are poised to begin next week.
SayNoToBell.ca says 42 of the 60 interveners to be heard have already publicly opposed the deal or questioned the transaction. Notable industry presentations include:
• Québécor – Monday, September 10
• Eastlink – Tuesday, September 11
• Cogeco Cable – Wednesday, September 12
• Rogers Communications – Wednesday, September 12
• Telus – Wednesday, September 12
• Canadian Cable Systems Alliance – Friday, September 14
Notable…
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“OH, PEOPLE CAN COME UP with statistics to prove anything… 14% of people know that.” – Homer J. Simpson
Released this week, the 240-page mound of data known as the CRTC Communications Monitoring Report was reduced to a pair of press releases this week, one which purported that Bell buying Astral was a very bad and scary thing, and the other that Bell buying Astral was a very good and normal thing.
According to the Say No To Bell forces – the public relations effort put together by Quebecor, Cogeco and EastLink and co-ordinated by National Public…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – In unveiling its highly anticipated three-year plan the CRTC says it will focus efforts on three key pillars it refers to as “connect,” “create” and “protect.” The commission said it will be targeting specific results from each of the pillars and will report annually on its progress towards their achievement.
For example, it pledged to keep a close watch on the availability of Canadian programs, the amount spent annually on their creation and the audiences they attract. The regulator will also monitor broadband speeds and the choice of Internet service providers available to Canadians, as well as…
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