Bell confirms April 11 appearance before Heritage committee
In a message titled “Facts Matter” published Thursday on its website, Bell outlined what it says are the facts about its recent restructuring, which includes the elimination of 4,800 positions across the telecom and media company.
The web post appears to have been prompted by what Bell sees as inaccurate information circulating about the situation, saying, “As some distort the truth, here are the facts about Bell’s restructuring as announced on February 8.”
“Bell is supporting each affected team member with…
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The telco wants other satellite TV undertakings exempt
By Ahmad Hathout
Bell has filed a Part 1 application requesting that the CRTC exempt its ExpressVu satellite TV service from its obligation to contribute 5 per cent of its gross annual revenues toward Canadian content.
The telco said the reasons for this request are because of the “significant challenges” facing the traditional broadcasting industry in general and the satellite TV service undertakings in particular; that ExpressVu doesn’t make a “meaningful contribution” to the objectives of the Broadcasting Act; and that the condition applied to such satellite services is unfair when small BDUs and…
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The CRTC wants to hear the public’s thoughts on the establishment of an association to advocate for the needs of indigenous broadcasters in the larger industry.
The regulator said Friday it has heard from participants in the first phase of the co-development of the Indigenous Broadcasting Policy (IBP) about the need for such a “united front” for indigenous broadcasting groups.
Now, in the launch Friday of the second phase of the IBP consultation, the CRTC wants to know the benefits and challenges of establishing an “Indigenous-led and Indigenous-managed broadcasting association.”
It also wants to know who would be best positioned to create,…
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The CRTC announced Friday that Rogers, subject to fulfilling conditions, will receive up to roughly $12 million from the CRTC’s Broadband Fund to build new cell towers to serve roughly 70 kilometres of Highway 37 in northern British Columbia.
The CRTC approved the exact amount the cable giant asked for in its application during the commission’s third call for money from the $750-million Broadband Fund.
It is expecting Rogers to complete the project within three years.
Rogers said it is looking to get new towers up on the highway between Kitwanga and Dease Lake with the latest generally deployable mobile wireless technology,…
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By Connie Thiessen
Traditional broadcasters will pay, starting April 1, lower regulatory fees under a new structure the CRTC announced Thursday.
Drafted with an eye to striking a fair balance between the regulatory fees paid by traditional broadcasters and online streaming services, the Broadcasting Fees Regulations are calculated and based on broadcasting revenues.
“In making these regulations, the Commission was mindful to minimize the regulatory burden on the Canadian broadcasting system in order to support flexibility and adaptability in its regulatory framework,” the commission stated in a summary. “The Broadcasting Fees Regulations allow traditional broadcasters and online streaming services to continue to benefit from exemption…
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The CRTC said last week that it will accept applications for another FM radio station in Calgary.
The regulator received 75 interventions in support of providing at least one more licence for a station in the market it now says is on the economic rebound with strong population growth and higher average household income despite the downturn caused by the pandemic.
“This is mainly due to a strong energy sector, strong oil prices and significant population growth,” which includes growth in the city’s ethnic and indigenous populations, the regulator said in its reasons, adding in the 2021-2022 broadcast year, the market…
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Groups representing deaf and blind Canadians that took part in the CRTC’s two-and-a-half-year review of video relay service (VRS) are accusing the country’s large telecom players of turning the cost claim process for the proceeding into a barrier to Canadians with disabilities.
On Jan. 14, the Canadian National Society of the Deaf-Blind (CNSDB), Deaf-Blind Planning Committee (DBPC) and Deaf Wireless Canada Consultative Committee (DWCC) submitted applications for reimbursement of costs associated with their participation in the CRTC’s 2021-102 proceeding, which was launched in March 2021 and closed in October 2023. The CNSDB and DBPC conducted…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Rogers president and CEO Tony Staffieri told members of the House of Commons industry committee Monday that the wireless price increases it announced in January affect only a small percentage of legacy customers and that millions of customers switched providers and plans last year against a backdrop of increasingly lower prices.
Members of the committee called a meeting with the heads of the country’s three largest telecoms to address concerns about wireless prices after Rogers announced that month that it would hike prices for certain off-contract customers by an average of $5 and by as much as $9.
Staffieri…
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By Ahmad Hathout
After being denied a licence to operate an FM radio station in Yellowknife, Cabin Radio is getting another shot after the CRTC said it found the market may not be as well served now as when it evaluated its application.
The online news radio station filed an initial licence application in August 2019, but the regulator denied it last year on the basis that the market could not support another as commercial radio revenues across the country saw two years of declines. Cabin Radio then quickly filed another application asking for an exception to the…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC wants to know whether news publishers that fail to strike a deal with online platforms to host their content should be required to immediately use CRTC staff for mediation, rather than an external third party.
The concern from the regulator – which launched the consultation period Wednesday on the implementation of the Online News Act – is that much of the allotted 120-day mediation period could be consumed by a search and then agreement on that third party mediator, notwithstanding the cost to smaller news businesses.
“Given that Commission staff already offers mediation services to resolve certain…
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