OTTAWA – The CRTC has imposed an $18,000 penalty on Imperial Data Supply Corp. for initiating six faxes to consumers whose fax numbers were or should have been on the company’s internal do not call list. It also was charged for initiating telecommunications without being registered with the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) operator, in violation of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules.
The CRTC says it received numerous complaints dating from November 2009 to July 2011, in relation to fax telemarketing telecommunications made by Imperial Data.
In its defence, Imperial Data claimed it had not been properly informed of its obligation…
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OTTAWA – As the CRTC prepares to review the relative success of the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF), it has released new numbers for the 2010-2011 period, ending August 31st, which indicate Shaw Communications paid the most into the fund, followed by Bell Canada and Rogers Cable.
Shaw (cable and satellite) combined to pay almost $32 million (an earlier version of this story had an erroneous amount for Shaw), followed by Bell at $25.08 million and Rogers at $24.05 million. Quebecor (Videotron) contributed $13.6 million and Cogeco, $6.77 million.
Shaw, the LPIF’s largest contributor, received only $8.06 million in…
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OAKVILLE – MétéoMédia and The Weather Network owner Pelmorex Communications officially launched its National Alert Aggregation & Dissemination System (NAAD) for weather and other warnings today. The company also announced that Environment Canada will participate in the NAAD system by providing more than 80% of the overall NAAD system content.
Pelmorex's NAAD System collects public safety messages (be they weather, train derailments, chemical spills or missing children) from authorized provincial and federal government authorities and distributes those messages by satellite and through the Internet to broadcasting undertakings such as radio and television stations, cable and satellite TV companies and other…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC said today that it will continue to license satellite relay distribution undertakings (SRDUs) because of a lack of competition in that market, but will not incorporate the transport of pay and specialty services into SRDU licensing.
In its decision the Commission maintained that its dispute resolution process “remains the best way to address concerns regarding uplink fees that the Bell direct-to-home undertaking charges Canadian pay and specialty services for the transport of their signals to cable headends in cases where they do not need to use Bell’s SRDU facilities.” Canada’s only two SRDU operators, Shaw Satellite…
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GATINEAU – Hot on the heels of Shaw Communications’ application to review and vary the CRTC’s newly set policy on wholesale Internet, both Rogers Cable and now Videotron have also submitted similar appeals to the CRTC of its Telecom Regulatory Policy 2011-703, the so-called wholesale usage-based billing decision.
The decision quashed the idea of usage-based billing for third party independent internet service providers in favour of incumbents charging independent ISPs either a flat rate, or a rate based on capacity and the number of users. While most liked the idea, few liked the rates (independent ISPs…
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OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada today confirmed a lower court ruling that internet service providers are not broadcasters and therefore not subject to the Broadcasting Act, nor the policies which have sprung forth from that law.
Back in 2009, the CRTC sent the question of whether or not ISPs are broadcasters to the Federal Court to decide, since many on the creative side of the industry insisted they are and should be contributing to the production of Canadian content passing through those wires or over those wireless waves. Plus, the Commission figured then that…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC wrapped up its review of the country’s telecom regulations Thursday after cutting out a lot of red tape.
The Commission said that it has either eliminated or streamlined over 60% of its 80 telecommunications regulations, though left alone regulations deemed to be in the public interest such as those relating to 911 services, accessibility, and customer privacy.
The review concluded with a decision regarding telephone wiring in which the CRTC directed large telephone companies to provide a free diagnostic service if their customers experience a problem with their phone line and do not have a jack-ended demarcation device…
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GATINEAU – Canadian consumers need their wireless companies to be much more transparent when it comes to contract terms and other matters, so the industry should have national standards when it comes to the provision of wireless services, Telus told the CRTC on Wednesday in calling for a public hearing on transparency in wireless.
The call for that new process came in a letter to the Commission from the company’s senior vice-president of government and regulatory affairs, Michael Hennessy, where he denied an accusation leveled by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre that Telus routinely charges wireless customers for 30 additional…
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OTTAWA – CMPA president and CEO Norm Bolen has chosen to step down from his position in June, says Canadian Media Production Association chair Tom Cox.
“Three years ago, Norm put his personal plans on hold to serve as president and CEO of our association during a pivotal time for both our organization and the industry. His contributions have been immeasurable and we thank him for his steadfast commitment and exemplary leadership,” said Cox, in a release.
Bolen was hired in 2009. He was formerly executive vice-president, content, for Alliance Atlantis, and prior to that spent over 20 years as an executive…
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HAMILTON, ON – As the CRTC prepares to review the success of the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF), independent broadcaster CHCH is asking its viewers for help in maintaining the fund.
The station added a page to its website crediting its increase in homegrown content to the fund, and asking viewers to either complete a survey or contact the CRTC directly in support of local programming.
“We've added more news, sports and local programming that matters to you”, it reads. “We've been able to do a lot of what we do, thanks to a federally-mandated fund, that you pay into via your…
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