ANTHONY LACAVERA CARRIES two BlackBerrys with him wherever he goes. One is a Wind Mobile handset, of course. The other, Rogers (with the logo scratched off).
The Globalive chairman and Wind Mobile CEO wants to make sure wherever he goes, he can do a real-time comparison of his own of his company’s network performance versus the Canadian mobile market leader, via his own handset. Just last week he was doing that in Kitchener-Waterloo, Wind’s newest market.
In a couple of years, he hopes to be able to do the same thing in many more places using a more robust bit…
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TORONTO and MONTREAL – Rogers Sportsnet is partnering with Quebecor-owned TVA on the new French-language sports channel TVA Sports that will launch nationally on September 12.
The new channel plans to air more than 60 Toronto Blue Jays baseball games and 25 regional Ottawa Senators hockey games (Rogers owns the English-language broadcast rights to these properties, plus the Blue Jays team). TVA Sports has declared itself the official broadcaster of Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact, plus has signed a multi-year agreement with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for live fights and The Ultimate Fighter series (which also airs on Rogers Sportsnet).
The…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has tweaked the general authorizations for broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs).
Wednesday’s amendments remove the expiry date from the authorization to down-convert digital-only conventional programming services; add an authorization to permit BDUs to up-convert analog versions of programming services into standard definition; and update the general authorizations as a result of amendments made to the BDU regulations.
Click here for more details.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The industry will now have a chance to comment on BCE’s proposed Broadcasting Accessibility Fund and Canadian Broadcasting Participation Fund.
When the CRTC approved BCE’s purchase of CTVglobemedia, the conditions of approval included requirements that BCE make specific commitments to benefit the broadcasting system, including the funding of an independent Broadcasting Accessibility Fund to improve the accessibility of the Canadian broadcasting system, and the creation of an independent Canadian Broadcasting Participation Fund to help pay the costs of public interest groups that participate in Commission broadcasting proceedings.
BCE’s proposal addresses, among other things, accountability measures, a funding…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has announced plans to develop a regulatory framework for the French-language television market.
Wednesday’s notice of consultation said that this process “will determine the most appropriate approach to take in regard to the French-language television market, to define the obligations to be imposed on French-language conventional television broadcasters and to establish the relevance of a group-based approach, in order to meet the objectives of the Broadcasting Act”.
During the hearing, which has been scheduled for December 5th at the Omni Mont-Royal Hotel in Montreal, the Commission pledged to address a group-based approach, programs of national interest, independent…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – GoodLife Fitness Centres has paid a $300,000 fine after being investigated by the CRTC for its telemarketing practices.
The Commission said Tuesday that GoodLife had used automated calling devices known as robocalls to inform its members of new club openings and invite them to grand opening events without obtaining their prior express consent. The CRTC’s automatic dialing and announcing device rules prohibit telemarketers from using these devices to sell or promote a product or service unless a consumer has consented to be called by them.
In addition to paying the administrative monetary penalty to the Receiver General for Canada,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has loosened the restrictions around customer/carrier services groups after receiving industry feedback on their roles and regulations.
A customer/carrier services group (CSG) is a distinct, functionally separate group within a telecommunications or broadcasting company whose role is to liaise and coordinate with competing service providers when conducting a variety of inter-carrier activities, primarily with respect to customer transfers.
Historically, the main purpose of a CSG has been to isolate and safeguard competitively sensitive information pertaining to retail customers and competing companies from other internal groups, such as sales and marketing. The reason for this practice is to…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC released two reports Monday which it says reiterates its commitment to official-language minority communities (OLMC).
The reports, Annual report on results – Implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act (2010-2011) and Results-Based Action Plan – Implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act (2011-2014) highlight recent CRTC decisions which the Commission claims “will lead to improved access to broadcasting and telecommunications services, and increased OLMC representation within the broadcasting system”.
“OLMCs have increased their participation in processes that affect their development. They have shared their viewpoints and priorities,” said CRTC…
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A MONTH FROM TODAY, Canadian Cable Systems Alliance members, their supporters and suppliers will gather at the Fairmont Tremblant in Mont Tremblant Quebec for Connect 2011, its yearly conference and annual general meeting.
The gathering will begin Sunday with a board meeting and CCSA members-only sessions, followed by an evening President’s Reception for all attendees.
After breakfast on Monday, September 19, Rob McCann of Clearcable Networks will host a technical session “to talk about recent development relevant to independent operators,” said CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend.
After that will be the popular trade show (last year’s, held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is pictured below)…
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GATINEAU – John Traversy, the CRTC’s executive director, telecommunications, has been named the next Secretary General of the CRTC, Cartt.ca has learned, replacing Robert Morin, who is retiring.
In a short note to staff, CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein let the folks at the Commission know that a notice tomorrow on the federal government’s public service staffing web site will note Traversy’s promotion after “a recent competitive process,” wrote the chair. “The appointment cannot be made officially until next Thursday the 25th, but since you will all see the announcement on the web site, I thought I would advise…
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