OTTAWA – Consumer coalition TV Alliance is calling on Heritage Minister James Moore to ensure that consumers can participate in the upcoming public hearing on billing practices for TV services in Canada.
“The Heritage Minister directed that special hearings take place for consumers on the TV debate, but consumers are being denied fair treatment in the process," said Alliance advisor Michael Janigan, in a statement. "The Minister should not support a two-tier consultation process, with privileged industry riding in first class while consumer groups ride in coach if at all."
The call comes in response to last month’s Order in Council…
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TORONTO – The new board of the new Canadian Media Fund launching in April is new and much smaller – with a much more prominent voice from the companies which must funnel a piece of their revenue into it – but how, exactly, will the administration of this $300 million money pot change as compared to the old CTF?
The BDUs (Rogers, Shaw, Bell, et al), which have to contribute 5% of their revenues to this fund to create Canadian content challenged the way it was run almost three years ago and said they should have more…
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TORONTO – Members of the Local TV Matters campaign are encouraging radio stations across Canada to dedicate airtime to the fee-for-carriage debate to help consumers understand the issues.
In a press release on Thursday, the coalition, which consists of CTV, /A\, Global, CBC, and CHEK News, encouraged Canadians to “to call in and ask the tough questions”.
"The more Canadians talk and learn about the issues, the more support grows for local TV and our reasonable and practical solution," said Paul Sparkes, CTVgm’s EVP of corporate affairs, in the release. "Let’s talk about it because the solution is simple: let us…
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TORONTO – Wind Mobile has chosen CommScope’s Andrew solution to provide its forthcoming network with enhanced 911 service.
“We are committed to creating the best wireless experience for Canadians which also includes ensuring their safety in times of emergency,” said Wind CEO Ken Campbell, in the announcement. “Enhanced 911 technology helps ensure that emergency responders are better able to locate the position of a caller. That way, even if the caller is unable to speak or unsure of where they are, they can rest assured that help will be on its way.”
The Andrew solution includes a combination of Assisted-GPS and…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has amended some of the requirements set out in the lists of eligible satellite services.
The amendments include the removal of the requirement that licensed BDUs receive certain services from licensed satellite relay distribution undertakings (SRDUs), the revision of requirements relating to the distribution of the U.S. 4+1 signals, and the deletion of the requirement that BDUs wishing to distribute certain services must enter into contractual agreements with those services.
The Commission also revised the requirement relating to the deletion or substitution of duplicate programming.
Click here to read the full broadcasting regulatory policy.
In related news,…
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OTTAWA – Canwest has received CRTC approval for a new channel known as Reality TV.
The national, English-language category two specialty channel will air reality-based programs, including competition-based reality and do-it-yourself makeover programs, according to its application.
Canwest further indicated that 35% of both the broadcast day and the evening broadcast period programming would be offered in high definition.
www.crtc.gc.cawww.canwest.com
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TORONTO – While broadcasters and TV distributors fight it out over fee-for-carriage, ACTRA is calling on them both to commit to supporting Canadian programming.
Noting that private broadcasters spent $740 million on U.S. and foreign programming versus $54 million on Canadian English-language drama last year, the performers’ union said that private broadcasters and BDUs should reverse this trend “by giving more back to the system without passing the buck on to Canadians”.
"Performers will support fee-for-carriage if broadcasters commit to putting the money back into producing Canadian programming”, said national executive director Stephen Waddell, in a statement. “We agree that cable…
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OTTAWA – There could be two more sports network hitting the airwaves in Canada.
The CRTC has received applications from Rogers Broadcasting and Quebecor-owned TVA Group for national, category two services tentatively entitled Rogers’ Mainstream Sports Specialty Service, and TVA Sports.
In an application dated September 16, 2009, Rogers said that its new network will air “programming dedicated to all aspects of sports with an emphasis on mainstream Canadian professional sports”.
“Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. will leverage our expertise in sports programming and our existing infrastructure to establish a premium service offering blue chip mainstream sports events with widespread viewer, subscriber and…
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THE PUBLIC RELATIONS war between Canadian BDUs and broadcasters over fee-for-carriage got a little sillier yesterday.
Right away, I already know the broadcasters are reading that opening line and getting hot under the collar. “It’s not fee-for-carriage, it’s value-for-signal,” or “it’s about the right to negotiate for fair value for our signals,” they are muttering.
And now, the BDUs out there are thinking “screw that, it’s a fee, call it what it is.”
In an extreme nutshell, broadcasters are trying to re-frame the debate saying now they only want the ability to negotiate for a fee for their local TV signals, which…
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IT’S TIME FOR CANADA to take a coherent and holistic approach to creating a national digital strategy.
We need an overall vision to guide the current social and economic transformation in the interest of all Canadians, otherwise, debate will be mired in the arcane and fragmented languages of broadcasting regulation, copyright revision, technological innovation, cultural subsidies, and broadband infrastructure.
For Canada to compete in a digital world, we urgently need to integrate these often conflicting narratives, or we risk being left behind.
Digital Britain raises the bar for Canada The release of Digital Britain this past June draws attention to…
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