OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for feedback on proposed amendments to its broadcasting regulations.
The new regulations, which will come in to effect on September 1st, will amend the Radio Regulations, 1986; Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987; Pay Television Regulations, 1990; Specialty Services Regulations, 1990; and the Broadcasting Information Regulations, 1993.
Monday’s notice says that the proposed revisions will “address concerns” raised by Parliament’s Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations related to the prohibition on broadcasting false or misleading news; the prohibition on broadcasting programming that contains obscene or profane language; and the submission of information by licensees to…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has announced plans to take a closer look at the proposed Canadian merger of satellite radio companies Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. (XM Canada) and Sirius Canada Inc. at a hearing slated for March 7, 2011.
While their American parents combined over two years ago, the Canadian firms only announced plans to follow suit last November. That announcement pegged the combined company at approximately $520 million, which includes long-term debt of $130 million.
Interventions and comments are due by February 7th. Click here for more on the hearing.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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TORONTO – This week, Rogers Television (the community channel arm of Rogers Cable) announced the cancellation of its local news and information show, First Local, effective immediately.
Local versions of the show had been produced in York Region, Durham Region, Mississauga, Barrie, Brantford, Stratford, Guelph and a provincial edition in New Brunswick. The program never existed in Ottawa or Toronto and had already been axed in Collingwood, London and Kitchener.
“The decision was made as a result of the CRTC’s new community television policy issued in August,” said Colette Watson, vice-president of Rogers TV. The policy imposed increased requirements for…
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TORONTO – Is Kory Teneycke coming back to run Sun TV News? A story in the Globe and Mail says yes, next week.
Sun TV News, a new TV news channel which will launch sometime in the first quarter of 2011, is Quebecor Media’s first foray into English language Canadian news and Teneycke, before his resignation in late summer under a cloud of controversy, touted the channel as a distinct new voice that would challenge the establishment at every turn.
Teneycke is a former senior advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and at vice-president development, was the force…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has given Bluepoint Investments the go ahead to proceed with its purchase of the Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN).
The satellite-to-cable programming undertaking distributes educational programming in Saskatchewan. Bluepoint offered $350,000 for the provincial pubcaster just days before the Saskatchewan government was to pull the plug, as Cartt.ca reported.
The Commission also approved Bluepoint’s request to broadcast 14 minutes of advertising per hour during 63 hours per week, noting that “the requested flexibility in the commitments and conditions of licence will be in the public interest and will help preserve the diversity of programming choices in Saskatchewan…
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OTTAWA – Telecom consumers are still not getting the benefits promised to them by industry competition, and have received few benefits from government reforms designed to deregulate telecom services, says the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
The Ottawa-based consumer organization released a 218-page report Thursday stressing the need for reform of the regulation and performance of markets for telecom services. Specifically, the report calls on the government to rescind the Policy Direction of December 2006; establish a licensing regime for all carriers with codes of conduct for all licensees; and give the CRTC more powers and resources as recommended by the…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC’s new procedural rules for broadcasting and telecommunications proceedings will come in to effect on April 1, 2011.
While developing a set of rules that will apply to both sectors, the Commission said that it purged 29 sections and 13 forms to avoid duplication or because they were no longer necessary. For the next four months, broadcasting proceedings will continue to be conducted under the ‘CRTC Rules of Procedure’, and telecommunications proceedings will be carried out under the ‘CRTC Telecommunications Rules of Procedure’.
“I’m pleased that we have reached this important milestone in our efforts to adapt to…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has moved up the date of its hearing on Bell’s acquisition of CTV by a week.
The hearing will now begin on February 1st in Gatineau, rather than February 8, 2011, the Commission said Tuesday.
Click here for the revised meeting notice.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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WE JOURNALISTS JUST love our year-end lists, don’t we? They are everywhere. However, we don’t do predictions here. They only thing I have found to be certain when trying to predict the future is that nearly all the time, the predictions are wrong.
So instead, here’s our list of 10 open questions heading into 2011.
1. How much market share will the Telus and Bell Canada IPTV services take from incumbent cable companies? The user experience of the Microsoft Mediaroom-driven Optik TV and Fibe TV is just so darn good and so darn integrated (I’d switch just for the whole-home PVR…
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VANCOUVER – The city of Vancouver has waded into the usage-based Internet billing debate after issuing a motion that calls on the CRTC to disallow the practice.
Councillor Andrea Reimer introduced the motion at a City Council meeting late last week on behalf of the city’s residents. It was debated and eventually passed, though one councillor opposed the motion.
Reimer claimed that the CRTC’s usage-based billing policy, which allows telecom companies to impose a limit-based pricing system on the independent Internet service providers that purchase wholesale broadband from them, “will stifle innovation, harm job creation, and make it more difficult for individuals…
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