OTTAWA – BCE insists that it does not have to pay tangible benefits on its proposed acquisition of CTVglobemedia, noting requiring it to pay a second time is inconsistent with Commission policy.
In reply comments, the company argues that it paid a $230 million benefits package in 2000 when it first acquired CTV and despite the decision to sell an 85% stake in the broadcaster in 2006, it never relinquished control and therefore shouldn’t be required to pay again.
“If the Commission were to require that the same acquirer (BCE) pay tangible benefits on the same assets (CTV) on…
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OTTAWA – Citing BCE’s monopoly over the distribution of Montreal Canadiens content in the Quebec market, if its acquisition of CTVglobemedia is approved, Quebecor Media Inc. (QMI) is asking the CRTC to adopt a new regulatory framework for sports programming.
In the comparable Toronto market, there are four entities that hold the rights to distribute Toronto Maple Leafs games: Sportsnet, TSN, CBC and team-owned Leafs TV. QMI wants the Commission to ensure that Quebec viewers have a similar choice by implementing a system where the Canadiens broadcast rights would be divvied up by a number of distributors.
QMI argues that…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has sided with Telus and Bell in a complaint against Videotron over exclusivity of some of its video-on-demand content.
In separate applications made last June, Telus and Bell claimed that Videotron owned the exclusive rights to popular programs from TVA network, which it offered on its illico on-demand platform, but would not license them for the telco’s own on-demand platforms in Quebec, contrary to VOD regulations.
TVA is the largest conventional television network in Quebec and is owned by Quebecor Media, which also owns Videotron.
The Commission determined on Wednesday that a condition of undue preference does exist, and…
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OTTAWA – Usage-based billing rates should be set at 15% less than comparable rates for retail Internet services, the CRTC has ruled.
Tuesday’s decision comes after the Commission called for comments last October on whether UBB rates for wholesale residence gateway access services (GAS) and third-party Internet access services should be set at levels below the carriers’ respective comparable UBB rates for retail Internet services and, if so, by how much.
While determining the amount of the wholesale UBB discount, the Commission said that it considered that if it is too large, the effectiveness of UBB as an economic…
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OTTAWA – CBC News Network may not distribute news programming unique to British Columbia on a separate feed, the CRTC has ruled.
In an application to the Commission, CBC News Network (formerly known as CBC Newsworld), said that the change would “enhance the quality and relevance of its national news service and give audiences in British Columbia an opportunity to access more regionally relevant news programming”, plus address the issue of NHL playoffs which pre-empt the local news programming of CBUT Vancouver each spring.
But the Commission cited Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2009-562-1, which deems it “inappropriate” to allow competitive news services…
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THE CRTC MUST ENSURE that independent broadcasters have sufficient access to distribution in the wake of the BCE Inc. proposed acquisition of CTVglobemedia, say those ‘casters.
As well, the Commission has to force BCE to pay the full benefits to producers in the form of 10% of the transaction’s entire $3.2-billion value, say some of those producers. These are two of the critical issues that the CRTC will have to stickhandle once it begins hearing arguments on the proposed transaction on February 1st.
Generally, Bell’s fellow distributors are in favour of the transaction. But they say that safeguards need to…
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OTTAWA – The complexity – some might say silliness – of Canada’s telecommunications foreign ownership rules were on full display last week as the Federal Court heard arguments on a petition to overturn Cabinet’s decision to approve Globalive Wireless’ ownership structure.
According to people at the hearing, Globalive Wireless’ lawyers argued that because the Telecommunications Act says Canadian telecom firms can’t be controlled by non-Canadians doesn’t mean they must be controlled by Canadians. Therefore, a telecom company can find itself in the situation of being controlled by neither Canadians or non-Canadians.
Globalive, of course, is in business under the Wind…
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“COME WITH ME. I’LL show you why I wanted to be president of the CBC.”
Those were CBC president and CEO Hubert T. Lacroix’s first words to me last week as we sat down in the meeting room overlooking the Montreal skyline and St. Lawrence River at Radio-Canada’s headquarters. I jumped to my feet and followed him into his office.
Just inside his door is a headless mannequin dressed in a whimsical suit, topped with a bowler cap. “It might be a bit before your time but do you know who this is?” he asked me, excitedly. I wrack my brain…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Responding to a wave of public criticism, the CRTC has asked the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) to reconsider its decision to ban the unedited version of the Dire Straits song “Money for Nothing”.
After the CBSC’s January 12th determination that the use of a derogatory word for gays in the song breached broadcast codes, the Commission said that it has received over 250 letters from Canadians, “most of which have suggested that the CBSC made an incorrect decision, and many of which have urged the Commission to take corrective action”. In addition to the “strong public reaction”, the…
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TIMMINS, ON – The NDP is calling for tighter net neutrality rules after describing usage-based Internet billing (UBB) as unfair and anti-competitive.
New Democrat digital affairs critic Charlie Angus, who is also the MP for Timmins-James Bay, said that the CRTC’s decision to allow useage-based billing will unfairly drive up Internet costs for all Canadians, rather than for just “the so-called bandwidth hogs”.
“We’ve seen this all before with cell phones”, Angus said in a statement. “Allowing the Internet Service Providers to ding you every time you download is a rip-off. Canada is already falling behind other countries in terms of choice,…
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