OTTAWA – Parties to telecommunications proceedings may now coordinate and organize interventions in support of their position into a joint supporting intervention.
After changing its practice to allow joint supporting interventions in the context of broadcasting proceedings in January 2010, the Commission said Tuesday that joint submissions should also be allowed in telecommunication proceedings, noting the process’ improved efficiencies.
The joint supporting intervention must include the following:
– the supporting interventions;
– a list setting out the names of persons filing the supporting interventions;
– a statement by the person filing the joint interventions that the persons on the list have requested…
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OTTAWA – With more Canadians than ever connected to all manner of devices in so many ways, complaints about wireless services, Internet access and VoIP providers more than doubled in the past year, according to the 2010-2011 annual report for the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS).
The CCTS said that it received 8,007 complaints, up 114% over last year, which Commissioner Howard Maker noted was the largest year-over-year increase in complaints in the organization’s four year history.
Wireless complaints accounted for 62.3% of all complaints, up from 51.7% last year, which Maker said reflected the increasing availability of…
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OTTAWA – Astral-owned Super Écran will remain alone in the French pay TV genre, at least for the time being.
The CRTC called for new applications for French-language general interest pay television services that would compete with Super Écran back in February, but said Friday that it had not received any applications.
The Commission said that it would stick with its original position to not to open up the French-language general interest pay television service genre to competition, and closed its consideration of this file.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The CRTC awarded broadcasting licences for three new Hindi movie services and a Teletoon-affiliated service on Friday.
Asian Television Network International Limited (ATN) received approval to operate ATN Hindi Movie Channel 3, ATN Hindi Movie Channel 4, and ATN Hindi Movie Channel 5, three national, niche third-language ethnic Category 2 specialty services that will show movies in the Hindi language and additional programming linked to the movies.
The Commission also approved a channel known as Teletoon Kapow! a national, English-language Category 2 specialty channel devoted to programming from international markets, featuring the latest trends in non-violent action, adventure, superheroes, comedy…
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GATINEAU – The chairmanship of the CRTC is often said to be a thankless job, so, many of the leading regulatory folks in Canadian telecom set about to change that this week, getting together to thank outgoing CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein for his yeoman’s work these past five years.
When he came on board as chair in 2007, von Finckenstein promised an open, accountable and transparent Commission. With dozens of public proceedings and many new ways to include the public in the debate launched under his watch, we got that in spades under von Finckenstein, who oversaw his final…
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OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix used the public broadcaster’s third annual public meeting and 75th anniversary to hammer home its commitment to accountability and transparency.
Speaking Wednesday afternoon at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Lacroix highlighted the Corp’s newly created website that details its executive expenses, information about audits and Board meetings, and includes a monthly bulletin reporting on its “progress” on Access to Information requests. He also stressed its accountability to Canadians through Parliament, the CRTC, the Auditor General and its government-appointed Board of Directors.
“We take accountability and transparency very seriously”, he said…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications said Tuesday that it will try out a leaner basic programming package that it claims will provide its cable customers with the choice and flexibility that they have been asking for.
Available November 8 as a trial in London, ON, the Rogers Digital Starter Pack will offer a standard set of 86 core TV channels, including government mandated channels, for a base price of $20.29/month excluding taxes. Customers can order the Digital Starter Pack and may then choose any additional 15, 20 or 30 channels from more than 100 options, starting at $26.38/month, plus taxes. The Digital Starter…
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GATINEAU – Some consensus around a Rogers Communications proposal for IP to IP connection emerged during the first day of rebuttals Monday at the CRTC’s interconnection hearing.
Rogers decided that it would be easier to live with the status quo in IP interconnection and pay for the costs of converting IP traffic to TDM (time-division multiplexing) to terminate voice calls on ILECs network as long as ILECs would negotiate IP interconnection where they offer it to either a subsidiary, a division or an unaffiliated carrier. Last week, Rogers requested the commission require the ILECs to pay…
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OTTAWA – Heritage Minister James Moore, CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Hubert Lacroix, and CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein are among the big name speakers confirmed for the 2011 International Institute of Communications (IIC) Canada conference.
Scheduled for November 28 – 29 at the Ottawa Convention Centre in Ottawa, the event is themed ‘Competition, Innovation and Applications: Towards a Digital Economy for Canada’. Cartt.ca is a media partner.
This year's conference will also feature a pre-conference on public broadcasting, presented in conjunction with CBC/Radio-Canada, on the morning of November 28. Plenary panels will include ‘Copyright and the digital economy’; ‘Over-the-top services: reframing the content…
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OTTAWA – Namir Anani, the CRTC’s executive director, policy, development and research, is leaving the Commission, it was announced today.
He has accepted the position of CEO of the Information and Communications Technology Council in Ottawa. A not-for-profit sector council, the ICTC is geared towards the creation of a prepared, diverse and highly educated Canadian ICT industry and workforce. “ICTC is a catalyst for change, pushing for innovations that will provide standards, labour market intelligence, career pathways and immigration for the Canadian ICT industry, educators and governments,” reads its web site. “We forge partnerships that will help develop the quantity…
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