OTTAWA – The CRTC is seeking input on draft regulation that will require broadcasters and television service providers to control the loudness of TV commercials by September.
The decision, rendered last September, means that both broadcasters and television service providers will be required to adhere to standards developed in 2009 by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) for measuring and controlling television signals to minimize fluctuations in loudness between programming and commercials.
The Commission has proposed amending the Television Broadcasting Regulations, the Specialty Services Regulations, and the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, as well as the standard conditions of licence for video-on-demand undertakings and the exemption…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for feedback on more provisions relating to vertical integration.
The Commission confirmed plans to amend the exemption order for new media broadcasting undertakings, the exemption order for small BDUs, and parts of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, the Pay Television Regulations, the Specialty Services Regulations, and the Television Broadcasting Regulations in order to implement various determinations relating to vertical integration.
Comments are due by January 23, 2012.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The number of telephone and fax numbers registered on Canada’s national do not call list (DNCL) and the number of complaints about telemarketers continued to climb in November, according to the CRTC’s monthly report.
The most recent status report shows that as of November 30, 2011, approximately 198,000 more Canadian numbers had been registered, up from about 120,000 numbers in October. In addition, the Commission received 12,500 complaints about telemarketing communications, up from just under 11,000 in October.
Seventy two new investigations were opened in November, bringing the number of active investigations to 249. One investigation was closed.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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REGINA – SaskTel customers can look forward to higher rates and enhancements to the company's 4G network in 2012.
The provincial telco said Wednesday that it has filed an application with the CRTC to increase rates for customers in its high cost serving areas (HCSA) in accordance with the Commission’s obligation to serve decision issued in May. That decision allows local HCSA rates to rise to an average of $30 per month by June 1, 2013, in order to reduce the amount these rates are subsidized from the national contribution fund which subsidizes high cost rural and remote consumer services.
SaskTel confirmed…
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MONTREAL – TVA Group said Thursday that it is selling its share in specialty channels Mystery TV and The Cave to Shaw Media. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Quebecor Media subsidiary owns a 50% interest in Mystery TV and 51% of The Cave, though both channels have been run by the Shaw Media group.
TVA said that a licence transfer request was submitted to the CRTC last week, and pending approval, the proposed transaction could be finalized in the spring of 2012.
www.tva.canoe.ca
www.shawmedia.ca
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OTTAWA – Throttling is so 2011, according to Bell Canada. In a letter sent to the CRTC this week, representatives from Bell and Bell Aliant said that the company has decided to stop using Internet traffic management practices (ITMPs) on its networks for both retail and wholesale traffic effective March 1, 2012.
While noting that “streamed video and other traffic, P2P file-sharing, as a proportion of total traffic, has been diminishing”, the company credited its “extensive investments” in network capacity as one reason for discontinuing the controversial practice.
“The Companies have consistently maintained that they would continue to monitor the need…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has pushed back by six weeks the procedural dates in its review of the regulatory framework for the small incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs).
The deadline for proposals and interventions has been extended to February 22, 2012 at the behest of l’Association des Compagnies de téléphone du Québec inc. and the Ontario Telecommunications Association, the Commission said Wednesday.
The Regulator said last month that was restarting its review of the small ILECs’ existing price cap regime, subsidy requirements for 2011, the toll interconnection regime, and the local forbearance regime.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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TORONTO – Blue Ant Media announced Wednesday it will acquire Canadian broadcaster High Fidelity HDTV and its four premium high definition television channels – Oasis HD, eqhd, radX and HIFI HD.
The transaction, which has been rumoured for months, is pending CRTC approval. The deal calls for the company to initially purchase 29.9% of shares in High Fidelity HDTV, with the remaining 70.1% closing subject to CRTC approval. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Blue Ant Media is a recently established independent media company led by media veteran, former Alliance Atlantis CEO and co-founder Michael MacMillan. In addition to…
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WE’LL CONTINUE TO cover industry news as it happens on Cartt.ca over the next two weeks, but our newsletters are taking a holiday break. Today's edition will be the final regular newsletter until January 10th as those of us at Cartt.ca pause to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
If there's REALLY BIG news over the holidays, we'll be on it of course, but the whole industry gets a bit quiet between now and the back-to-school week, so that’s when we schedule our break, too.
We'll be pretty busy right away in the new year as Cartt.ca consumer electronics editor John…
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REGINA – It’s been an jarring 18 months for SCN, the former Saskatchewan provincial public broadcaster, and viewers in the province.
Back in the first half of 2010, the government there decided to close the channel down, citing a need to cut costs and get out of non-core government initiatives such as television few seemed to watch. However, just before the government faded it to black, Bluepoint Investments, which is headed by advertising executive Bruce Claassen, stepped into the breach and paid $350,000 for the operation.
The CRTC approved the transaction in late 2010 and altered the…
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