OTTAWA – The CRTC has crushed George Burger’s plans for his own TV network for the second time after denying his application for a new service to be known as Crush.
The former Alliance Communications Corp. executive was also behind a failed attempt a few years ago for a national English-language pay television licence called Spotlight. The Commission awarded the license to Allarco Entertainment for Super Channel, as Cartt.ca reported.
In his latest application, Burger asked for a license for a national, English-language Category 2 network targeting males aged 18 to 34, that would air a mix of theatrical…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – TV and film production stakeholders are urging the CRTC to not lose sight of its Canadian programming expenditure (CPE) benchmarks when considering the group-based licence renewals of the large, vertically integrated, broadcasters.
The Canadian Media Production Association tells the Commission that it shouldn’t acquiesce to any demands to deviate from its proposed 30% CPE requirement and argues that the CRTC should reject outright broadcasters’ demands to have CPE requirements lower than 30%.
“Since the broadcaster groups all compete for the same types of programming (both Canadian and foreign) and for the same advertisers, they should all be…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The merger of XM Canada and Sirius Canada is one step closer to fruition after the Competition Bureau proffered its blessing to the proposed union this week.
Canadian Satellite Radio Holdings (CSR), the parent company of XM Canada, said that it was “pleased” by the Competition Bureau’s announcement that it does not intend to make an application to the Competition Tribunal to challenge the proposed acquisition of Sirius Canada by CSR.
"Coming on the heels of last week’s CSR shareholder approval, (the Bureau’s) announcement is another exciting step forward in the process towards the proposed merger”, said CSR executive…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA and TORONTO – Another complaint from an unhappy Rogers Internet customer prompted the CRTC to question the company’s Internet traffic management practices (ITMPs), the third time in as many months.
In a letter dated February 23rd, the Commission asked Rogers to respond to a customer’s allegation that its “ITMP incorrectly identifies time sensitive traffic generated by inter-active games as P2P traffic, subjecting such traffic to the ITMP and rendering the games unusable”. Section 2009-657 of the Telecommunication Act dictates that ITMPs that result in a noticeable degradation of time sensitive audio or video traffic require prior Commission approval.
When contacted by…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – If you ask Netflix, the CRTC’s planned review into wholesale broadband usage based billing, as it stands, is “unduly narrow” and “disconnected from the broader regulatory framework and priorities for high-speed access services.”
The web-based video streaming provider offered those comments and more this week in response to the Commission’s call for comments on modifying the scope and terms of its review into usage based billing (UBB).
Netflix also backed recommendations made by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC), which include an examination of whether UBB is, in fact, the…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – With nothing happening in the marketplace to inform Canadians that they will no longer be able to get an off-air TV signal without some new digital gear come August 31, 2011, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has called CRTC officials to appear before it on Monday.
Executive director of broadcasting, Scott Hutton, ED policy development and research Namir Anani and senior general counsel John Keogh are scheduled to appear.
Canadian broadcasters have been told by the CRTC to get cracking on letting Canadians know that for most of them, their analog TVs with rabbit ears will receive nothing…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – The Federal Court of Appeal has refused to hear an appeal by Astral Media to halt the now completed sale of 11 Quebec radio stations to competitor Cogeco.
According to a Canadian Press report, Astral spokesperson Hugues Mousseau expressed disappointment with the move, and accused the CRTC of “flouting its own policies and rules of procedure”.
Astral filed a motion with the Federal Court of Appeal last month seeking to overturn the CRTC’s decision to allow Cogeco to maintain a third radio station in the Montreal market. The move relaxes the Commission’s common ownership policy limiting…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Look for a number of new TV stations from the likes of Rogers and the CBC to hit the Canadian airwaves.
The CRTC approved five applications from Rogers this week for national, English-language Category 2 channels. Specifically:
– The Competition Channel, which will air reality-based programming, including competition-based reality and do-it-yourself makeover programs;
– Contessa, which will feature programming on relationships, lifestyle, beauty, trends and style, and focus on the interests and needs of working women aged between 25 and 54 years;
– Epic TV which plans to show classic television programming;
– Luxury Living featuring all things that can bring a…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Haliburton Broadcasting Group has received CRTC approval to buy three radio stations in Ontario.
The company said last September that it planned to acquire Stratford combo 1240 CJCS-AM and 1077 MIX-FM (CHGK-FM) from Raedio Inc. and CFSF-FM Sturgeon Falls from JOCO Communications. The Commission valued the transactions at $3.8 million and $500,000, respectively.
Haliburton Broadcasting Group owns and operates 17 radio stations throughout Ontario in rural markets that include Haliburton, Huntsville and North Bay.
www.hbgradio.com
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Community-based campus radio station CKLN has received a temporary reprieve after appealing a CRTC decision revoking its broadcast license.
After filing a motion with the Federal Court of Appeal just days before it was scheduled to go off the air, Federal Judge Carolyn Layden-Stevenson granted the station a stay on the CRTC’s decision to shut it down. This allows it to remain on-air pending determination of CKLN’s application for leave to appeal.
Located on the Ryerson University campus in Toronto, the radio station had its licence pulled by the CRTC last month after determining that the broadcaster breached numerous regulations…
Continue Reading
