OTTAWA – The CRTC has excluded Whitehorse, Yukon; Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; and Iqaluit, Nunavut from the list of mandatory markets for conversion to digital television.
The Commission said Monday that broadcasters intend to shut down five of the six television transmitters in Whitehorse and Yellowknife, and noted that the transmitters are located in small and remote markets, that they do not operate on channels 52 to 69, and that their continued operation would have no impact on television stations in adjacent markets. The CBC transmitter in Yellowknife is scheduled to remain in operation and converted to digital.
The Commission also noted that…
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TORONTO – Money worries and digital strategies seem to be the key business issues keeping radio industry honchos awake at night, judging by their comments during a special radio exec panel session at the annual Canadian Music Week convention held in Toronto last week.
“Our company is in a tremendous growth pattern right now, but I worry about 2008 happening again,” said Christopher Grossman, owner and president of Haliburton Broadcasting Group. Haliburton owns radio stations in 18 small markets in central and northern Ontario, with expansion into two more communities expected soon. “I worry about what would happen if…
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By Steven James May
TORONTO – Nearly two years after its switch to digital TV, the American broadcasting industry has turned its attention to some of the new potential digital can deliver.
When the American presenters rolled into Eaton Theatre at Ryerson University Tuesday for SMPTE Toronto’s meeting on Canada’s upcoming digital television transition, their enthusiasm for the ATSC and ATSC Mobile TV digital television standards was palpable.
With the U.S. digital television transition well behind them, speaker Jerry Whitaker, vice president for standards development at ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) reminded everyone that his organization continues to offer grants…
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OTTAWA – Those in charge of the digital television transition have dropped the ball in informing Canadians on the impacts of the change to DTV, said some MPs during The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting this Monday.
The Department of Canadian Heritage, which has taken the lead on the digital TV transition file, has set up a web site (www.digitaltelevision.info.gc.ca and www.televisionnumerique.info.gc.ca) and a toll-free number that are supposed to provide Canadians with information on how the transition may affect them.
Despite these initial efforts, committee members questioned why a broad public awareness campaign has yet to…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) said that it is “pleased” with the CRTC’s decision to require BCE to allocate $100 million to independently-produced programs of national interest as part of its acquisition of CTV.
“This decision ensures there’s new money to put new Canadian programs on our screens – programs that otherwise would not be made,” said president and CEO, Norm Bolen, in a statement. “And it means these new programs will be produced by independent, lean, entrepreneurial companies that reflect a diversity of voices from across the country.”
However, the organization expressed disappointment that the Commission approved…
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TORONTO – While the CRTC’s approval of BCE’s purchase of CTV will put more than $140 million into new Canadian television, digital and radio programming, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is “disappointed” that less than half of the total package will be going to new on-screen programming initiatives.
Monday’s decision requires BCE to contribute 10% of the value of the television assets to public benefits, however ACTRA says that those funds should have been directed towards more Canadian dramas, documentaries and award shows that promote Canadian culture.
“We’ve come a long way from the start of…
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DARTMOUTH – Small market radio station owner Newfoundland Capital Corporation delivered “one of its most impressive years on record” after posting double-digit revenue growth that doubled the industry average.
For the year ended December 31, 2010, the company reported growth of 12%, ending the year with revenue of $117.4 million, while EBITDA was $25.6 million compared to $21.1 million last year. Net income for the fourth quarter of $4.7 million and $10.7 million for the year were lower than last year due to the CRTC Part II fee reversal, an increase in copyright fees, a broadcast licence impairment charge in…
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OTTAWA – For even more proof on how political the issue of usage-based billing (UBB) has become, one need look no further than at a few press releases that arrived in Cartt.ca’s in box on Monday.
The first was from the Liberal party calling on the CRTC “to protect open, affordable Internet access” by expanding the scope of its review of its initial decision on UBB. In the release, Liberal Industry, Science and Technology critic Marc Garneau also encouraged Canadians to sign a petition at a website featuring the title “Don’t give the CRTC a second chance to make the same mistake”,…
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MONTREAL – Bell will introduce a new business unit called Bell Media and retire the CTVglobemedia holding company name once its acquisition of CTV is finalized early in the second quarter of this year.
Bell Media will include all CTV properties plus Bell’s Sympatico web portal. Those properties include CTV with its 28 conventional stations; 29 specialty TV channels; on-line digital media destinations such as CTV.ca, MuchMusic.com, MTV.ca, RDS.ca, TSN.ca and TheComedyNetwork.ca; as well as CHUM Radio, which operates 33 radio stations across the country.
"The CRTC’s expeditious approval of the CTV transaction means Bell is on track to complete our acquisition in early…
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OTTAWA – Let’s not get lost in the weeds, Canadian broadcasters have told the CRTC.
With respect to calls for more specific Canadian content spending requirements suggested by some parties to the group-based licence renewals of the private broadcasters, broad and flexible rules will do a much better job than micro-managing the broadcasters’ Cancon spending obligations – and any requirements to spend additional money on Canadian content should be rejected, say those broadcasters.
CTVglobemedia, Rogers Media, Shaw Media and Corus Entertainment argue that many, particularly those from the creative sector, are trying to re-write the rules by requiring specific spending obligations…
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