WHILE SAYING HIS company has not yet decided on a course of action, Bell Canada’s regulatory chief says thanks to the CRTC’s new vertical integration policy, he wants to start over when it comes to our broadcasting laws and its regulation.
(Explained here, the new policy: prohibits exclusives on linear TV content when it comes to mobile and online platforms; bans tied selling of specialty services ensuring BDUs can buy them from programmers one at a time; calls for consumers to be able to buy more specialties one at a time in a pick-and-pay format; outlines a specific code…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has taken steps to improve its complaints resolution process for Internet traffic management practices through new guidelines that include strict timelines and the threat of public shaming.
Thursday’s decision details how the Commission will now deal with complaints about Internet service providers (ISPs) slowing down certain types of traffic. Upon the receipt of a complaint regarding a traffic management practice, CRTC staff will forward the complaint to the ISP in question within 15 calendar days, and request a response within 20 calendar days of the company receiving that complaint.
If the ISP fails to respond or…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has given Shaw Communications the green light to eliminate the rules that require it to keep its DTH service Shaw Direct structurally separate from its corporate sibling Shaw Cable.
In Wednesday’s decision, the Commission noted that the distribution market has become “significantly more competitive” than when the conditions of licence in question were imposed. (Ed note: at that time, some 14 years ago, DTH BDUs were new players in the distribution market and Shaw was the only owner of terrestrial BDU, DTH and SRDU holdings).
The CRTC agreed with Shaw that the rules may place…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC’s new policy on vertical integration, released late Wednesday, tries hard to balance the wants of Canadian television viewers with the commercial demands of the country’s largest vertically integrated broadcasters and television distributors, and the needs of the smaller and independent ones.
Following a five day long hearing in June, the new policy offers flexibility to the likes of Bell Media, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Quebecor Media, but also includes a number of safeguards and a code of conduct.
Highlights of the new policy include:
– Companies are prohibited from offering television programs on an exclusive basis to…
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OTTAWA – Corus Entertainment’s request for a new channel called Harmony dedicated to romance, love and relationships programming is among 16 new broadcasting applications that the CRTC will consider at a hearing set for November 21 in Gatineau.
The Commission made the new applications public on Monday. Other applications of interest include four from GlassBox Television – two for GlassBox News and GlassBox Horror, plus two French-language channels, an entertainment channel known as GlassBox Système and a music channel GlassBOX Créneau Musical.
The deadline for interventions is October 19, 2011.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments on a revised condition that would apply to Canadian carriers that offer services to local VoIP service providers.
Currently, Canadian carriers, as a condition of providing telecommunications services to local VoIP service providers, must include in their service contracts or other arrangements with these service providers the requirement that the latter comply with the 9-1-1 obligations.
On Monday, the Commission said that the 9-1-1 obligations should apply to all local VoIP service providers, including resellers that do not have contracts directly with the Canadian carriers (i.e. resellers that obtain service from…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC’s decision on new policy for the country’s vertically integrated companies is expected this week, most likely on Wednesday after the markets close, Cartt.ca has learned.
After a five day long hearing in June, the primary issues that emerged were a potential code of conduct that the large companies – Bell Media, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Videotron – must abide by when negotiating for content and/or carriage; exclusive content allowances; the need for a skinny basic programming package; and protections for independent broadcasters and distributors.
Stay tuned – Cartt.ca will have a full report on the new…
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MONTREAL – The short list of TV veterans has been whittled down to three for the position of executive vice-president, French services at the CBC, sources have told Cartt.ca.
While no final decision has yet been taken, we have learned that former TVA executive Philippe Lapointe and former Rogers exec Marc Blondeau are in the running, as is CRTC commissioner Michel Morin.
Morin (right) has over three decades of experience as a journalist with Radio-Canada and was chief editor, television news, for Radio-Canada and RDI from 2003…
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OTTAWA – Industry stakeholders will have more time to compile their comments after the CRTC pushed back deadlines for its proposed English-language closed captioning quality standards, and BCE’s proposed broadcasting accessibility fund and the Canadian broadcasting participation fund.
The Commission said Friday that comments on quality standards for English-language closed captioning are now due by October 28, and the deadline for the submission of replies has been extended to December 7.
Comments on BCE’s broadcast accessibility fund and Canadian broadcasting participation fund have been extended to November 7, and the deadline for the submission of a reply by BCE Inc. has…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has pushed back its deadline for comments on proposed French-language closed captioning quality standards.
Further to a request, the Commission said Wednesday that the deadline for the submission of interventions has been extended to September 23 from September 14, and that the deadline for the submission of replies has been extended to October 4, 2011.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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