TORONTO – It’s all in the wording, or perhaps the lack of it. According to Globalive, parent company of wireless upstart Wind Mobile, the real problem with Canada’s telecommunications foreign ownership rules is that their lack of clarity leaves them open to interpretation.
“The (Telecommunications) Act, as it is written, is very confusing if you’re not living it and breathing it every day”, said Globalive and Wind chairman Anthony Lacavera, in an interview with Cartt.ca. “The Act is unfortunately worded with a double negative – ‘a company cannot be controlled by non-Canadians’. That needs to be clarified.”
Lacavera was responding to…
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TORONTO – A coalition of some of Canada’s largest accessibility organizations is accusing BCE of ignoring Canadians with disabilities.
Access 2020 says that Bell’s response to interventions filed in regards to its pending purchase of CTV “failed to address the issue of accessibility – or even mention the word”. In fact, the group continued, not only did Bell’s reply not respond directly to the coalition’s suggestions, paragraph 111 of its response says that “all Canadians with access to television can view the programming”.
Not so, said Beverley Milligan, executive director of Media Access Canada, which is heading up the coalition.
“Over 800,000 blind Canadians…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has revoked the broadcasting licence of CKLN-FM, the community-based campus radio station located at Ryerson University, after finding that it breached numerous regulations and conditions of licence.
“Holding a broadcasting licence is a privilege that comes with responsibilities and regulatory obligations,” said CRTC chair, Konrad von Finckenstein, in a statement. “CKLN Radio was given several warnings and opportunities to come into compliance. Each time, it demonstrated an inability or unwillingness to address our concerns. Taking away its licence is the only appropriate course of action in this case.”
The station has been told to cease broadcasting no…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC reaffirmed its support for the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) on Wednesday after releasing the full details of its review of the telecom consumer agency.
“Following an extensive review, we are satisfied that the CCTS is doing a good job of resolving complaints on behalf of consumers and small businesses,” said Leonard Katz, the CRTC’s vice-chairman of telecommunications, in a statement. “An independent agency like the CCTS is an essential intermediary in a market where competition is growing by the day and the majority of telecommunications services are no longer regulated.”
The Commission approved…
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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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