DARTMOUTH – Small market radio station owner Newfoundland Capital Corporation delivered “one of its most impressive years on record” after posting double-digit revenue growth that doubled the industry average.
For the year ended December 31, 2010, the company reported growth of 12%, ending the year with revenue of $117.4 million, while EBITDA was $25.6 million compared to $21.1 million last year. Net income for the fourth quarter of $4.7 million and $10.7 million for the year were lower than last year due to the CRTC Part II fee reversal, an increase in copyright fees, a broadcast licence impairment charge in…
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OTTAWA – For even more proof on how political the issue of usage-based billing (UBB) has become, one need look no further than at a few press releases that arrived in Cartt.ca’s in box on Monday.
The first was from the Liberal party calling on the CRTC “to protect open, affordable Internet access” by expanding the scope of its review of its initial decision on UBB. In the release, Liberal Industry, Science and Technology critic Marc Garneau also encouraged Canadians to sign a petition at a website featuring the title “Don’t give the CRTC a second chance to make the same mistake”,…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – It’s official – the CRTC has given its stamp of approval for BCE to buy CTVglobemedia Inc.
In an announcement late Monday afternoon, the Commission noted that the $3.2 billion transaction will improve access to local programming through the carriage of at least 43 additional conventional and community television stations on BCE’s satellite television service.
“We are pleased that BCE has addressed our questions regarding how this transaction would contribute to the vitality of the Canadian broadcasting system,” said CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein, in a statement. “BCE will provide stability to the CTV Television Network. It will…
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MONTREAL – Bell will introduce a new business unit called Bell Media and retire the CTVglobemedia holding company name once its acquisition of CTV is finalized early in the second quarter of this year.
Bell Media will include all CTV properties plus Bell’s Sympatico web portal. Those properties include CTV with its 28 conventional stations; 29 specialty TV channels; on-line digital media destinations such as CTV.ca, MuchMusic.com, MTV.ca, RDS.ca, TSN.ca and TheComedyNetwork.ca; as well as CHUM Radio, which operates 33 radio stations across the country.
"The CRTC’s expeditious approval of the CTV transaction means Bell is on track to complete our acquisition in early…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC estimates its total broadcasting regulatory costs for the the 2011-2012 fiscal year are $29.881 million.
The broadcasting licence fee regulation provides for the payment of Part I licence fees by specific distributors, as set out in section 9(1) of the Broadcasting License Fee Regulations.
The Commission also calculated the annual adjustment for the 2009-2010 fiscal year at $2.060 million. The net billing for the Part I licence fee for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, taking into account the adjustment, is $31.941 million, which is a 10.8% decrease (or $3.871 million lower) than last year’s net billing of $35.812…
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OTTAWA – Let’s not get lost in the weeds, Canadian broadcasters have told the CRTC.
With respect to calls for more specific Canadian content spending requirements suggested by some parties to the group-based licence renewals of the private broadcasters, broad and flexible rules will do a much better job than micro-managing the broadcasters’ Cancon spending obligations – and any requirements to spend additional money on Canadian content should be rejected, say those broadcasters.
CTVglobemedia, Rogers Media, Shaw Media and Corus Entertainment argue that many, particularly those from the creative sector, are trying to re-write the rules by requiring specific spending obligations…
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TORONTO – Media Access Canada (MAC) has asked Industry Canada to use the pending 700 MHz spectrum auction to top-up its accessibility fund initiative.
MAC, on behalf of the Access 2020 Coalition, MAC is urging Industry Canada to include a 10% buyer’s premium on successful bids for the 700 spectrum, and apply a portion of the funds collected to the accessibility fund. MAC and Access 2020 are committed to financing a business model to achieve 100% captioning and description by 2020. Currently at $5.7 million, the fund’s establishment is conditional on the CRTC approval of BCE’s acquisition of CTV.
“The Accessibility…
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TORONTO – The value-for-signal issue may not be a fait accompli just yet.
Cartt.ca has learned that Rogers plans to appeal Monday’s Federal Court decision which confirmed that the CRTC does have the authority to permit broadcasters to negotiate a fee from BDUs for their off-air signals.
The appeal would head to to the Supreme Court, if the court chooses to hear it. No word yet if any other BDUs will jump on board, but stay tuned.
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CHATHAM, ON – TekSavvy Solutions said that it is “encouraged” by Industry Minister Tony Clement’s opposition to usage based billing (UBB), and cheered his stance on the need for competition in Canada.
The independent ISP applauded the Minister’s comments made earlier this week that described UBB as “inconsistent with good public policy”, and agreed that the best way to provide consumer choice is through “vigorous competition”.
“Minister Clement has a deep understanding of the complex issues that need to be addressed to ensure Canadians have the benefit of robust competition in Internet service,” said TekSavvy CEO Rocky Gaudrault, in a…
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OTTAWA – Usage-based billing (UBB) threatens to limit the benefits that innovative and creative businesses such as those involved in cloud computing could bring to the Canadian economy, Industry Minister Tony Clement told a Parliamentary committee Tuesday.
Speaking to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology on Tuesday, Clement argued that the CRTC’s UBB decision is not consistent with good public policy and “is quite simply the wrong way to proceed.”
“Independent ISPs must not be forced to adopt the same retail pricing strategy as the incumbents. To do so is to limit consumer choice and…
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