EVERY YEAR AT THIS TIME, both because it’s fun and because we want the weekend off… we re-publish the top 25 stories from the last 12 months.
The other reason why we do it now and not in January is that September, just after Labour Day, is the “new year” for broadcasters. The new fall shows are coming out and speaking from a regulatory perspective, too, the 2009 broadcast year ended August 31st and we are into a new year.
After spending hours pouring over our analytics to identify the top stories, I can say it has been a very busy…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – VideoFACT is changing its name to MuchFACT, as CTV’s MuchMusic and MuchMore take on exclusive funding beginning immediately.
The change comes as Astral Media’s MusiquePlus begins flowing music video production expenditure independently through MaxFACT, administered by Les Fonds Harold Greenberg in Montreal.
“Over the past 25 years, VideoFACT has helped advance the careers of Canadian artists everywhere by funding their music videos, EPKs and websites,” said Brad Schwartz, SVP and GM of The Much MTV Group, in the announcement. “We are honoured to have this initiative re-named as MuchFACT accurately representing MuchMusic’s exclusive support to this vital…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC wasted no time in replying to the tersely worded letter that it received Thursday from five of Canada’s biggest cable companies.
The Commission’s brief response clarified that only answers to interrogatories not filed with the Commission and served on other parties on or before August 31 may be filed with the CRTC and served by September 8, 2009.
The letter, dated Thursday, was signed by Paul Godin, director general of competition, costing and tariffs.
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC will require the owners of Canada’s biggest distributors and broadcasters to publicly disclose aggregate financial data.
Ownership groups such as Astral Media, BCE, Bragg Communications, CBC, Canwest Media, Cogeco, Corus Entertainment, CTVglobemedia, Newcap, Quebecor Media, Remstar Broadcasting, Rogers and Shaw, must file confidential and public aggregated annual return forms with the Commission by November 30 of each year. The filing requirement for the aggregated annual returns, which will begin with the 2007-2008 broadcast year, are due by September 14, 2009.
The public data will be posted on the Commission’s website. The Commission announced in April that the…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Nascent wireless company Globalive is so worried about protecting the identity of its financial backers that this week it has asked the CRTC for what looks like CSIS-level security if and when those financiers do meet the Commission.
In a three-page letter to the Commission, Globalive doesn’t just want their competitive financial information kept confidential, but “requests that the Commission treat as confidential the name and other identifying characteristics of a Canadian financial institution (the Bank), or any other financial institution, which may provide witness to appear at the hearing to discuss Globalive’s financing plans,” reads the letter,…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Nascent wireless company Globalive is so worried about protecting the identity of its financial backers that this week it has asked the CRTC for what looks like CSIS-level security if and when those financiers do meet the Commission.
Others say the request is unprecedented and should be immediately dismissed.
In a three-page letter to the Commission, Globalive doesn’t just want their competitive financial information kept confidential, but “requests that the Commission treat as confidential the name and other identifying characteristics of a Canadian financial institution (the Bank), or any other financial institution, which may provide witness to appear at…
Continue Reading
VICTORIA – On the final day of its temporary reprieve from closure, the employees of CHEK-TV got the answer they were hoping for: Canwest has accepted their offer to buy the station.
Station GM John Pollard confirmed to Cartt.ca that the deal was struck at approximately 2 PM local time on Friday afternoon.
“We’ve bought the station”, Pollard said in a phone interview. “We’ve signed off on all agreements and paid the money. It’s done.”
Pollard declined to name the purchase price, other than saying that it was “nominal”. The deal gives the employees a 20% stake in the station while a…
Continue Reading
FIVE OF Canada’s biggest cable companies have complained to the CRTC for extending a filing deadline – two days after the deadline had already passed.
Calling it “both unprecedented and unacceptable”, the heads of regulatory affairs from Bragg Communications, Cogeco Cable, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Quebecor Media on behalf of Videotron, (collectively, the Cable Carriers), sent a sternly worded letter to CRTC Secretary General Robert Morin on Thursday expressing their collective “deep frustration” with Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2009-261-4.
“…The Cable Carriers want the Commission to understand the deep frustration that the companies feel at having made…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – If the transition to digital television is going to work here, Canadian consumers are going to need digital set top boxes – and help paying for them – says prospective satellite company FreeHD Canada.
In its early submission to the CRTC on Broadcasting Notices of Consultation 2009-411 and 411-3, the company (which just asked the CRTC for BDU and SRDU licenses last month, as first reported by Cartt.ca) notes the substantial issues facing the Canadian broadcast industry with less than two years until analog TV is set to be switched off forever.
BNC 2009-411 and 411-3 are of…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Over-the-air broadcasters serving markets of less than 1 million people can now apply for a share of approximately $100 million from the new Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) which came in to effect Tuesday.
Both private broadcasters and CBC/Radio-Canada television stations can access the LPIF, which is funded by cable and satellite companies who must contribute 1.5% of their gross broadcasting-related revenues from the 2008-2009 broadcast year.
The Fund, administrated by McCay, Duff and Company Management Ltd., will be disbursed over the 2009-2010 broadcast year. One-third of the total funding will be divided equally amongst stations in specific Francophone…
Continue Reading
