CAMBRIDGE, ON – CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein is suggesting “a conceptual rethink” of communications regulation in Canada, perhaps with all policy united under one government department.
In a speech at the annual Broadcasting Invitational Summit in Cambridge late last week, von Finckenstein expressed frustration (as he’s done with other speeches during his tenure) with the country’s legislation, regulation and institutions that he says has failed to keep pace with “digital technology, the Internet and vertical integration”.
“Currently, we are operating under three separate and very different Acts”, he said, in reference to the Broadcasting Act, the Radiocommunication Act and the…
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OTTAWA – The CBC has finally convinced the CRTC to accept a new programming proposal for its category 1 specialty service bold, sparking sharply worded dissents from two of its commissioners.
As Cartt.ca has reported, the Commission directed CBC to come up with another programming strategy in line with the channel’s original nature of service, (programming reflective of the living realities of rural Canadians), after rejecting the CBC’s first attempt last April. CBC re-branded the channel as bold from Country Canada in March, 2008 claiming challenges in sourcing programming, and limited financial resources to produce original content consistent with…
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ONE THING BECAME CLEAR pretty quick when I sat down to with Phil Lind a not long ago. He wanted to talk about fee-for-carriage.
The vice-chairman and executive vice-president, regulatory, at Rogers Communications gets a little animated and agitated when it comes to fee-for-carriage(or the renamed value-for-signal). Over four years ago, when we said (wrongly at the time) that it seemed inevitable the CRTC would grant OTA broadcasters the right to charge a fee for their signal, he called me up out of the blue to tell me in no uncertain terms how wrong I was.
For that particular proceeding,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is calling for comments on access to inside wire in commercial and institutional properties.
Specifically, the Commission said Thursday that it would like feedback on a proposal made by Bell on amending the BDU regulations to permit access to inside wire owned by BDUs that is located in commercial and institutional properties, such as long-term care establishments, prisons, student residences, military bases, restaurants, hotels and motels, hospitals and work camps.
Intervention are due by June 3, and the deadline for submitting replies is June 13, 2011.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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TORONTO – Quebecor has asked the CRTC to intervene in its battle with Bell over Sun News.
As first reported by Cartt.ca, the new Quebecor’s news-talk channel was removed from the Bell TV satellite line-up at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 3, and while Quebecor claims this is clearly a matter of undue preference under sections 9(1) and 9(2) of the Broadcast Distribution Regulations, Bell says that simply isn’t so and is but one of multiple disagreements the companies have with each other.
While the Sun News channel slot itself remains, the feed has been replaced with text telling customers that…
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OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada applauds the CRTC’s decision to have satellite television providers carry more local television stations, noting it could be the shot in the arm that some of them need.
Responding to Wednesday’s revised satellite distribution policy, the Corp called the new rules “a critical step” in strengthening local programming in Canada.
“Local stations provide a fundamental public service to their communities”, said Steven Guiton, VP and chief regulatory officer, in a statement. “They help citizens connect with their local government, businesses, schools and community organizations. They help define, build and sustain the local culture and local democracy. Our five-year strategy,…
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OTTAWA – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said that it “deplored the lack of vision” after the CRTC declined to create a fund for rural broadband access in Tuesday’s obligation to serve decision.
"If there is no rural broadband now, there will not be any more thanks to this decision," said PIAC counsel John Lawford, noting that the organization argued for a contribution fund for rural broadband access at the CRTC hearing last November. "You’re on your own Canada – see you at the bottom of the OECD broadband lists."
PIAC also described the CRTC decision to…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Bell TV and Shaw Direct must carry more local television stations, the CRTC said Wednesday while announcing its updated its satellite distribution policy.
Beginning September 1st, Canada’s two satellite distributors must offer an affiliate of each national television network; five English- and five French-language CBC stations – or as many CBC stations as are distributed from a private broadcasting group in either official language; one television station per province from each major Canadian broadcasting ownership group; and two stations from each of the other Canadian broadcasting ownership groups.
“Canadians in all markets should have access to their local…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC declined to add an American sports channel to its list of eligible services on Tuesday citing genre protection, a decision that prompted dissenting opinions from two of its commissioners who said that the policy is past its prime.
Rogers Communications asked the Commission to add Fox Cable Networks-owned Fuel TV to the digital lists last June. In its application, it described the channel as “an English-language programming service that offers a range of action sports programming portraying the lifestyle and culture of non-mainstream action sports and the underlying social relationships and communities of…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has set a speed target for broadband Internet and has maintained the obligation for telephone companies to provide basic home telephone service in what’s widely known as its ‘obligation to serve’ decision released late Tuesday.
In what will surely be a surprise to the country’s telephone companies, the Commission mandated that all Canadians have access to broadband speeds of at least 5 Mbps for downloads and 1 Mbps for uploads by the end of 2015.
“A well-developed broadband infrastructure will serve as a gateway for Canadians to participate in the digital economy,” said CRTC chairman Konrad von…
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