MONTREAL ? With a three-hour break mid-day (we were told someone had to go to a funeral, so quit complaining&), yesterday?s long hearing day featured a ton of back and forth between Bell executives and the panel of CRTC commissioners.
Long lovely narratives explaining each exchange would be nice but time restraints mean we?re going for the bullets only of some of the highlights. We think we?ve hit some of the main points with our bulleted rundown here.
* In his first public appearance as chair of the CRTC, Jean-Pierre Blais acquitted himself well, nailing a few biting comments throughout the…
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MONTREAL – Sensing the opposition to its proposed benefits package was pretty strong, the first thing Bell Canada did Monday morning when it faced the CRTC was to boost that package – making it bigger and, in the opinion of its executives, better.
As many companies which have faced the CRTC over the years are wont to do, Bell looked at the opposition to its benefits package filed with written comments to the CRTC prior to the hearing and boosted what it originally proposed by $41 million dollars, increasing the overall value of the package to $241.3 million, to be…
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MONTREAL – The CRTC, which is currently reviewing the level of competition in Canada’s wireless industry, should leave be a nearly 20-year-old policy not requiring formal regulation if Canada is to remain competitive.
This according to Yves Rabeau, associate professor at UQAM, who argues that contrary to other reports, Canada’s wireless industry pricing, technology and speeds are competitive with the rest of the world. His paper entitled “Is the Canadian Wireless Sector Competitive?” was published today by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).
"To evaluate the wireless industry properly, there are many variables that need to be taken into account…
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MONTREAL – Bell Canada CEO George Cope used his opening address to the CRTC Monday morning to announce that post-merger, pending Commission approval, that is, Jacques Parisien will join Bell Media’s executive ranks, largely overseeing the company’s French media assets.
“Located here in Montréal, Jacques will oversee both French and English-language media properties operating across Canada. In addition, Jacques will contribute to Bell as a key executive leader in our Québec market development efforts through his extensive relationships with stakeholders across the province,” said Cope.
When it came Parisien’s turn to speak, he added: “I would like to begin by saying…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – In the end, indie-rock won out. The CRTC has granted a licence to Rock 95 Broadcasting to launch a new Toronto radio station on 88.1 FM. Rock 95 will offer an English-language music format with a focus on independent and emerging Canadian artists. Forty per cent of the music featured on the new station will be Canadian musical selections, of which at least 60 per cent will be from emerging artists.
“Even in the age of digital media, Canadian artists who do not have major-label support face a tough road to success. Rock 95’s station will give much-needed…
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MARKHAM – The CRTC has approved Bhupinder Bola’s application to air a commercial FM radio station in Markham with an Adult Album Alternative/Adult Contemporary musical format. The commission denied an application for a broadcasting licence to operate an ethnic commercial AM radio station in Markham by Canada Inc.
The station will operate on frequency 105.9 MHz with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 618 watts. Bola currently owns and operates Bolson Consulting Inc., a company offering technical and business development services to the broadcasting industry.
“ to operate a predominantly English-language commercial FM radio station best meets the…
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TORONTO – As Bell officials argue that a bigger Bell will be better for all Canadians at CRTC hearings this week in Montreal, Bell Media announced it will sponsor the Canadian Film Centre’s (CFC) flagship TV program that supports emerging writers for the next three years.
Now called The Bell Media Prime Time TV Program, it’s designed to help train writers and develop new projects for the television marketplace.
"Simulating the story room experience, the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program offers new talent the ultimate mentorship, the chance to learn from the best in the business," said Corrie Coe,…
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MONTREAL – They didn’t really want to say just yet, but under questioning this morning, CRTC Commissioner Suzanne Lamarre forced Bell into divulging the list of radio stations it plans to divest assuming its plan to buy Astral Media is approved.
Bell has said all along it would sell 10 radio stations in order to remain on side of the CRTC’s common ownership policy when it comes to radio stations. While it tried to keep the list confidential saying it would add further stress to already worried employees, commissioner Lamarre was insistent, saying in French they…
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WHILE BOTH SIDES OF the Bell-Astral deal debate were ensconced in Montreal hotels on Sunday polishing their lines and rehearsing their delivery in advance of the CRTC hearing starting Monday morning, the SayNoToBell forces fired out one more press release Sunday afternoon.
The Quebecor-Cogeco-EastLink backed public relations campaign claimed Bell has been preventing its TV ads from airing on CTV until just now.
“Twenty-six days after being asked, CTV has finally broadcast its first television commercial opposing its parent company's ambitions to control an even greater portion of the Canadian broadcasting space,” says the Say No press release which was headlined:…
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AND ON IT GOES…
As we said earlier, while both sides of the Bell-Astral deal debate were ensconced in Montreal hotels on Sunday polishing their lines and rehearsing their delivery in advance of the CRTC hearing starting Monday morning, the SayNoToBell forces fired out one more press release Sunday afternoon.
The Quebecor-Cogeco-EastLink backed public relations campaign claimed Bell has been preventing its TV ads from airing on CTV until just now.
“Twenty-six days after being asked, CTV has finally broadcast its first television commercial opposing its parent company's ambitions to control an even greater portion of the Canadian…
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