I HAVE READ WITH interest the astonishing assertion by Glenn O’Farrell that he should be allowed to poach local avails and direct the money, “wherever it is needed.” (See "Avail sales can help make Cancon", Cartt.ca, November 25, 2009) Two previous ill-conceived plans similar in nature were turned down for a few good reasons.
Perhaps Mr. O’Farrell is unaware that local avails are part of affiliation agreements that are between two parties, not three. When BDUs are licensed and agree to carry services such as CNN, Golf, Speed and A&E, part of those agreements permit the BDU to occupy two…
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GATINEAU – The sale of advertising time on American cable channels, by a new third-party company, is now back on the industry’s agenda.
In its presentation to the CRTC this morning Telus advocated an approach by Mediadenovo which would see the new company (Italian for “media of the new”, we’re told) – which is headed by former Canadian Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Glenn O’Farrell – sell the two minutes per hour of local availability ad time to national advertisers.
American cable channels like CNN, A&E, Golf Channel and others make that time available to distributors to sell into local…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable said that it is broadcasters’ “rampant spending to purchase major US network programming” that is at the real root of what ails the industry, not simply the erosion of market share and advertising revenue.
In a statement released after its appearance at the CRTC hearings Tuesday, the cable co said that granting broadcasters the right to charge compensation for signal “would be irresponsible and inappropriate”.
"Compensation for signal is only a partial and inappropriate solution to a much broader problem," said president and CEO Louis Audet, in a statement. "We are entitled to ask why the broadcasters…
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OTTAWA – Telus’ Michael Hennessy says that it all comes down to priorities.
In advance of his company’s presentation in front of the CRTC on Tuesday, the SVP of regulatory and government affairs said that the current fee-for-carriage discussions are “doing everything backwards” because they failed to set priorities, and to recognize consumer sovereignty in today’s digital world.
“Our fundamental position is that what we’re talking about now is a tremendous waste of our time and resources because we’re not giving consumers enough credit, and listening to how they want to define the television world, or the entertainment and informational world…
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OTTAWA – There could be a new BDU coming to the Greater Toronto Area.
The CRTC has approved an application by MTT Networks for a broadcasting licence to operate a Class 1 terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertaking to serve Toronto and the surrounding areas.
MTT is controlled by its majority shareholder, president and CEO Selvaruban Ruban Selvarajah.
In its application dated March 6, 2009, MTT asked to distribute the Buffalo signals of the four U.S. commercial networks (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX) and the non-commercial PBS network in its basic service; the Buffalo signal of WNYO-49 (Warner Brothers) on a digital…
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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…
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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…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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