TORONTO – The CRTC is incorrectly interpreting the BBM statistics on television viewership numbers during its examination of community television policy, says Rogers.
As part of this proceeding, the Commission issued a report on April 8 which Rogers says has been used by some critics of cable-provided community television to "prove" that Rogers TV is not often watched. The report states that in the 2008-09 broadcast year, Rogers’ community television stations generated a 0.2% share of the Canadian English-language television market.
But according to a Canadian Media Research Inc. (CMRI) study commissioned by Rogers TV, that figure is deceptive because BBM share…
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MONTREAL – Add Cogeco Cable to the list of cable companies who feel that their community TV channels are working fine as is.
At its appearance Wednesday at the CRTC community TV poilcy hearing, Cogeco offered up independent surveys by Environics Research Group and Cible Recherche that found that approximately 41% of its Ontario households watch TVCOGECO on a weekly basis, and that 90% of the people served said that they believe that the channel “provides a valuable service to the community”.
In Quebec, 57% of Cogeco’s customers watch TVCOGECO every week, a rate that is higher than the 65% observed in…
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OTTAWA – Two acts and three regulators overseeing the Canadian communications world just don’t make sense any more, according to the chairman of the CRTC.
With the differences between what’s a cable operator and what’s a telco nearly gone, from a services provided perspective, and the trend towards distributor-content owner consolidation continuing, maintaining the legislative differences between the various communications companies in Canada no longer makes any sense, says CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein.
“The current piecemeal approach is outdated and no longer up to the task,’ the chairman said Friday during the Law Society of Upper Canada’s biennial conference on…
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GATINEAU – After watching day one of the CRTC’s hearing into its policies on community television, we settled on couple of key takeaways.
1) It would appear unlikely the Commission will adopt the CACTUS plan where the estimated $130 million already devoted to cable community channels via 2% of subscriber fees would be redirected to a new fund backing dozens of new independent, not-for-profit community channels/multimedia centres across the country.
2) The CRTC commissioners do seem to want a higher level of access, accountability and transparency from the cable companies who already offer their own community channels.
First into the live CPAC.ca…
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THE TRANSITION TO DIGITAL television in Canada is officially Heritage Minister James Moore’s to deal with, but Industry Minister Tony Clement doesn’t want to see the August 31, 2011 deadline moved.
That was the word we received directly from Industry Minister Tony Clement on Friday during an interview (which you’ll read below) in his Parliament Hill office.
Cartt.ca readers will know we’ve been prodding the industry and the federal government about their inaction on the transition to digital broadcast television. Using our bully pulpit here and directly with the ministers on Twitter (they are @TonyClement_MP and @mpjamesmoore).
In a…
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OTTAWA – Lobby group OpenMedia.ca took centre stage Tuesday at the House of Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage concerning the future of media.
In an effort to “ignite Canada’s digital media revolution”, OpenMedia.ca said in a statement that it brought “citizen voices to Ottawa” on issues such as net neutrality, media ownership, independent media, and broadband access.
The Committee on Canadian Heritage is exploring the developments in emerging and digital media, how these developments are affecting Canadian cultural industries, and what federal institutions could do to assist Canadians and Canadian cultural industries.
The group is also scheduled to appear at…
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TORONTO – It sounds like Rogers isn’t interested in making any changes to their community channels.
As the CRTC began its review of the community TV policy framework, Canada’s largest cable operator released a survey that found that over 70% of its cable customers “strongly value” their Rogers community television service, just the way they are.
The research, conducted by The Strategic Counsel last month, determined that Rogers cable customers in Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland “support the community channel as is and reject proposals to substitute programming created by those with special interests”.
Rogers’ customers advocated that local information programming (82%), festivals and…
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OTTAWA – More than 3,000 Canadians have pledged their support of community ownership of community TV, according to the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS).
After new analysis of the submissions filed in the CRTC’s review of its community TV policy, CACTUS said that letters appearing to support continued cable authority over communities’ TV channels may not have understood that cable companies have “virtually eliminated Canadians’ ability to create and produce their own programs on community channels”.
“Cable companies have so thoroughly eroded the access concept by replacing community-produced programs with their own productions, that many of those who…
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PLESSISVILLE, QC – The CRTC should guarantee that independent producers have access to Canada’s community channels, and cable companies should foot the bill for the programming that they produce, says The Federation of Autonomous Community Television of Quebec.
On the eve of the CRTC’s community channel policy review hearing, The Federation said that broadening the scope of community channels licences would endow them with “an official status in the Canadian broadcasting system to all groups who claim a right to produce local and access programming for the community channel of cable operators”.
"Autonomous TVCs are a space for citizens’ involvement”, said…
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OTTAWA – Astral has received regulatory approval for a pair of new TV channels.
The CRTC has given the thumbs up for two national, English-language Category 2 specialty television networks entitled TV Time and Superstar in both standard and a high definition formats.
According to Astral’s applications, TV Time will air programming devoted to action and adventure programming from contemporary action and adventure films and series to classical westerns, rodeo and western horse shows. Superstar will be devoted to romance, including relationship-themed game shows and magazine-style programs featuring romantic vacation resorts, as well as programs exploring romantic moments in people’s lives, classic…
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