GATINEAU – There were some pretty big surprises as Canada’s large broadcast groups took the stand one last time during the CRTC’s group licensing proceeding in Gatineau last week.
While it should come as no shock that Bell Media maintained its position on symmetrical regulation of Canadian content spending requirements – 30% on Canadian production expenditure (CPE) and 5% programs of national interest (PNI) – Rogers Media shocked commissioners when it asked to be excluded from the group licensing regime.
For Bell, complying with the new group licensing approach is simple: all large broadcast groups should follow the same…
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OTTAWA – The country’s television broadcasters may be a little more worried about the threat from foreign over-the-top (OTT) services than they have let on.
A group of some 35 senior private sector executives from the country’s distribution, telecommunications, broadcasting, production and creative sectors have formed a loose coalition called Over-The-Top Services Working Group to counter, or at least mitigate, the impact that these services could have on their traditional media businesses.
Founded by Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), the group counts industry heavyweights like Bell and Rogers amongst its members. And it has been meeting quietly over the last few…
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OTTAWA – Shaw Communications has asked the CRTC to drop the requirement that Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct be kept structurally separate.
In an application filed with the Commission, Shaw calls the 14-year old regulations “unnecessary in view of Canada’s competitive market for broadcasting distribution.” The rules were first introduced in 1997 when Shaw acquired DTH service Homestar, later christened Star Choice, and now known as Shaw Direct. At that time, they were designed to ensure that no undue preference or advantage passed between the company’s DTH service and Shaw’s cable business.
Shaw says those rules now “discriminate" against Shaw Direct,…
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GATINEAU – Don’t change regulations just to let the major sports broadcasters get out of scheduling problems they created themselves, Score Media told the CRTC this week.
Earlier this week during the group based licensing proceeding, Score executives said that Rogers Media’s and Bell Media’s requests for more schedule flexibility for the likes of OLN and ESPN Classic Canada must be denied.
The two big sports broadcasters said they need the freedom to add some of their sports TV overflow to OLN and ESPN Classic Canada if needed because despite their many channels – Sportsnet, Sportsnet One and the regional channels…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has officially blessed the proposed merger of satellite radio companies XM Canada and Sirius Canada.
After holding a hearing in early March to examine the transaction, the Commission signed off on the deal in a decision on Monday.
While their American parents combined over two years ago, the Canadian firms only announced their intention to follow suit last November. The combined company is valued at approximately $520 million, which includes long-term debt of $130 million.
Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings (CSR), the parent company of XM Canada, has said that it expects the transaction to close during the…
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TORONTO – Former Alliance Atlantis president and CEO Michael MacMillan is getting back into the industry he knows so well.
His company, Blue Ant Media, announced today it has entered into an agreement to acquire GlassBOX Television, which owns and operates digital specialty channels Aux TV, Bite TV and the recently acquired (for $10 million) Travel & Escape.
Blue Ant will initially purchase 29.9% of GlassBOX Television from both existing security holders and company treasury. In addition, an offer has been accepted for Blue Ant to purchase additional shares in GlassBOX from existing shareholders, which will result in a minimum…
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GATINEAU – The Independent Broadcast Group has called on the CRTC to establish a new, flexible framework for smaller and independent Canadian broadcasters.
Appearing before the CRTC last Thursday during the group-based license renewal proceeding, the independents insisted that it’s only fair to provide competitive parity for the unaffiliated broadcasters.
“The CRTC needs to be prepared to provide similar or greater flexibility to independent broadcasters within months of this happening to at least maintain some competitive parity in the short term,” said Naomi Zener, director of business and legal affairs at Channel Zero (owners of CHCH, CJNT, Movieola and Silver…
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Dear Greg,
I just read your article on Pierre Juneau. As you may know I worked with him in different capacities from 1968 till 1982. I have great respect for Mr. Juneau.
I think he is a real hero who stared down the likes of Famous Players and their very powerful lawyers. He was absolutely convinced in the correctness of his position.
I fear that this decision making and attitude based on values has been lost and replaced by a desire to allocate economic privilege between participants with Cancon being a cost of the license.
Keep up the good work and interesting…
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PRINCE RUPERT, BC – City West Cable and Telephone has named William R. Craig as its new CEO. Craig, who will begin on April 18, takes over from Rob Brown who is retiring after nearly 37 years.
A former Rogers exec and senior policy analyst with the CRTC, Craig has also held the roles of CEO of Bermuda Broadcasting, president of Shift TV Inc., president of World On Wireless, and VP of TV and property development for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I can’t think of a better person for this position”, said Steve Lake, chair of the board’s hiring committee, in…
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IT MAY BE 41 YEARS since he made the statement in that headline – during the famous first hearing into making Canadian radio and TV far more Canadian in content and ownership, but former CRTC chair and CBC CEO Pierre Juneau stands by it.
“All broadcasting should be Canadian, should be owned by Canadians, and should contain a percentage of Canadians,” he said just last week in an interview with Cartt.ca.
The Cancon argument dates back well past that historic 1970 hearing and has, amazingly, not abated or seemingly changed one bit as broadcasters this week freshly and further picked…
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