OTTAWA – According to the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP), the CRTC should “force” cable and satellite companies to pay for the local TV stations they use.
Canada’s largest media union, scheduled to appear at the Commission’s hearing Tuesday afternoon, said that it’s up to the CRTC to “re-balance” revenues in the broadcasting system by having BDUS pay for the local TV stations they carry, just as they already pay for foreign signals.
"Canadians are already over taxed by cable companies drunk on profits so high that oil companies must be envious," said Peter Murdoch, VP of media, in a…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – This particular decision has been rumoured to be near for months, but it appears the CRTC will officially say whether or not international news channel Al-Jazeera English can be added to list of eligible satellite services for distribution by Canadian cable, satellite and telco TV carriers.
It’s expected the Commission will approve the addition of the channel, which is owned by the Emir of Qatar and is available around the world, when it makes its announcement sometime this week.
Because Al-Jazeera’s Arabic language channel has in the past aired a number of people who espoused virulent anti-Semitic views…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC has rejected a request from a telemarketer charged with violating the national Do Not Call List to waive his fines, after he claimed that he didn’t receive the violation notice.
In an application dated September 11, 2009, Sugar requested that the Commission drop the penalty, claiming that he had not received adequate notice of the violation after a neighbour accepted delivery of the document on his behalf at his address, but that the package was never brought to his attention. The Commission fined Rob Sugar $4,000 in August for violating the DNCL rules.
In its decision, the…
Continue Reading
QUISPAMSIS, B.C. – Having been unable to secure a wireless partnership for its membership with one of the three incumbents, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance is looking forward to having more players in that market.
The independent cable and telecom group which represents member companies in most of Canada said in a letter to Industry Minister Tony Clement on Wednesday that its members are “keenly interested in offering full communications service bundles, including wireless telephony.”
However, no CCSA member companies operate wireless services because they have not been able “to negotiate commercial partnering arrangements with existing wireless carriers to offer such services…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Corus Entertainment has received CRTC approval to buy specialty channels Sex TV and Drive-In Classics from CTV for $40 million.
In its applications, Corus attributed a definitive value of $16 million to the assets for SexTV and a definitive value of $24 million to the assets for Drive-In Classic. It proposed, and received approval for, a tangible benefits package representing 10% ($4 million) of the value of the transaction to be paid over a seven-year period.
The two former CHUM category two specialty channels were transferred to CTVglobemedia back in 2007 when CTVgm acquired its broadcasting assets.
www.corusent.com Continue Reading
TORONTO and CALGARY – With Industry Canada’s review of the CRTC decision on Globalive still on-going, it’s hurry up and wait for the potential new wireless entrant.
With nothing but time on its hands, the company has sent 400 of their newly trained employees out in Calgary and the Greater Toronto Area to commit ‘random acts of kindness’ such as distributing hand sanitizer and pumping gas, or helping with charities such as the Salvation Army and local food banks.
In the meantime, incumbent telcos and even Globalive itself have been busy compiling their submissions for Industry Minister Tony Clement to aid in the review process. All…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The word of the day on Wednesday at the CRTC hearing? Rebalancing.
While both presenters yesterday (Quebecor and CanWest Global) said they wanted to “rebalance” the regulatory system, they meant it in different ways. And Quebecor’s way – where a value for signal regime wouldn’t cause another carrier rate increase – was likely music to consumers’ ears.
Quebecor (which, of course, owns the largest Quebec cable company in Videotron and the most successful French-language broadcaster, TVA) went first and the tone between its executives and the commissioners was far less testy than prior presenters.
This is what we heard on…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) has thrown its support behind the broadcasters’ demands for fee-for-carriage, but only if they promise to put that money back into Canadian programming.
The group said that with “record high profits, cable companies can and should contribute more to Canadian broadcasting”, but should not be allowed to “pass the buck” to consumers.
“Private broadcasters and cable companies have been getting a free ride for too long, and consumers and audiences already aren’t getting what they’ve been paying for through their cable fees and taxes”, said national president Ferne Downey, in a…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – A portion of the subscriber fees paid by BDUs to specialty TV channels must be diverted to private broadcasters if conventional television is to survive, according to Quebecor Media.
In a statement on Wednesday morning prior to its appearance at the CRTC hearings, Quebecor proposed that two conditions should be attached to the payments: the fees paid by BDUs to private television stations, networks, specialty channels and pay TV services should be negotiated on a free market basis, and, the changes in fees must have no impact on the prices paid by consumers.
"I don’t see anything outrageous in…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – We could have a story here about the CBC’s plea for a skinny basic.
We could have re-analyzed its re-demands for new revenue in the form of a wholesale fee and how forcefully its executives argued it needs one, despite how detractors point out it already gets a billion dollars from taxpayers and as a public broadcaster an increase from that stream seems more appropriate.
We could have expended more words on Bell’s SD Freesat proposal and how the company re-iterated it will resist new fees to local broadcasters no matter what right to negotiate might be enshrined in…
Continue Reading
