MPA filed challenge against mandated foreign streamer contribution to news
By Ahmad Hathout
Amazon and Apple have filed Wednesday separate challenges at the Federal Court of Appeal against the CRTC’s decision to impose a base contribution on foreign streamers, arguing among other issues that it isn’t equitable because it doesn’t require the same for online Canadian streamers that are part of large broadcasting groups and goes beyond Canadian contributions for audio services.
Amazon, which has a video and music streaming service, said the CRTC’s mandated five per cent of annual revenues is contrary to section four of cabinet’s policy direction to the…
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By Ahmad Hathout
One of the major contention points throughout the CRTC’s proceeding to bring online streamers under its ambit is now the subject of a judicial review application at the Federal Court of Appeal, as the Canadian affliate of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) hopes the court will hear its argument that foreign streamers shouldn’t have to contribute to a news fund from which its members derive no benefit.
As part of the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, the regulator issued a proposed order early last month that foreign streamers making $25 million or more must…
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Telus announced Tuesday several private investments totalling $21.1 million to deploy and update its networks in Quebec’s Lower St. Lawrence, Gaspé Peninsula and North Shore regions.
These investments are being paired with financial contributions of $17.55 million from the government of Quebec and $14.4 million from the CRTC’s Broadband Fund, which will allow for the addition of a total of 35 new 5G wireless sites across the three regions, according to Telus.
In the Lower St. Lawrence region, money from the Quebec government announced in April will enable 12 new sites to be built to…
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A request by Rogers to postpone the completion date for its transport fibre project in Bruce Station, Ont., by 10 and a half months has been approved by the CRTC.
The project, which is receiving funding through the CRTC’s Broadband Fund, was previously granted a six-month extension by the commission in January. Rogers had said the additional time was needed to mitigate the discovery of asbestos at one of the project sites. As a condition of the funding, the project was originally supposed to be completed by February 2024.
In its…
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The CRTC has approved a broadcasting licence for Comité de la radio communautaire Huronne-Wyandot inc. (Radio Huronne-Wyandot) to operate an indigenous (Type B) FM radio station in Wendake, located in the Quebec City region.
The station will operate at 100.3 MHz with an average effective radiated power of 239 watts. Its licence will expire Aug. 31, 2030.
As part of its conditions of service, not-for-profit corporation Radio Huronne-Wyandot each broadcast week must devote at least 35 per cent of its popular music selections to Canadian selections broadcast in their entirety.
In addition, Radio Huronne-Wyandot must adhere to the…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC has ordered Iristel to pay amounts it owes Bell and its subsidiary Northwestel after finding the far north provider failed to show sufficient evidence that it was wronged in an interconnection dispute.
Iristel, which admitted to withholding amounts due because of perceived wrongdoing, alleged in a Part 1 application last October that Bell has failed and had no intention to add an interconnection point at Kuujjuaq in northern Quebec for Iristel to carry its call traffic in the region. In the interim, the telecoms voluntarily agreed since 2015 to have the traffic routed…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC wants to know whether it should exempt Google from having to negotiate with news publishers to host content for five years and thereby lock-in an agreement the platform struck with a news collective earlier this month.
Google held an open call, as it’s required under the new Online News Act, between February 28 and April 30 to field prospective eligible news businesses that want a piece of the $100 million it agreed to distribute every year to host news content. The process resulted in Google reaching an agreement with the Canadian Journalism Collective…
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By Connie Thiessen
Corus Entertainment has pulled the plug on two of its AM radio formats in Vancouver and Edmonton, and laid off staff.
880 News (CHQT-AM) Edmonton, a sister station to 630 CHED, had been owned by Corus since 2000. It was re-launched as an all-news station in 2008. It has regularly finished near the bottom of the PPM ratings in the market.
AM 730 (CKGO-AM) Vancouver, a sister station to 980 CKNW, was formerly branded as Mojo Sports Radio, prior to the launch of what was billed as North America’s only “all-traffic” station in 2006. It’s also served as the primary game broadcaster for select local sports…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC is asking the public Tuesday for how it should go about mandating accessibility features on online streaming platforms as part of the implementation of the Online Streaming Act.
The regulator is bound by the new law to not only regulate online streamers, but to also force them to comply with accessibility rules, namely described video and audio description for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted and closed captioning for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
While there are closed captioning (CC) rules for traditional broadcasters, the regulator is asking for comments by August 19 to questions…
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A private member’s bill that proposed amending the Telecommunications Act to require internet service providers to provide Canadians with the “typical” download and upload speeds that customers should expect during peak periods received royal assent last week, after passing third reading in the Senate earlier this month.
Bill C-288 was introduced in 2022 by Dan Mazier, Conservative Member of Parliament for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, who wanted the act to be amended so ISPs could not use language such as “up to” and “maximum” to advertise theoretical speeds when marketing their internet packages.
In April 2023, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne…
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