TORONTO – The CRTC seems prepared to follow up a busy 2008 with an even busier 2009, judging by its six telecom industry initiatives for the coming year, outlined by CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday morning.
Last year saw the CRTC tackle issues such as wireless 911, the National Do Not Call List, improved accessibility to communications services for disabled persons (with a decision coming this month, said von Finckenstein), and improved dispute resolution, among other initiatives. For the year ahead, the CRTC will expand on some of its recent work while…
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TORONTO – Moses Znaimer’s ZoomerMedia is buying VisionTV’s broadcasting assets in a deal worth $25 million.
VisionTV (VTV) operates the multi-faith and multicultural channel by the same name that is available in nine million homes in Canada on basic cable, in addition to diginet One: the Body, Mind & Spirit channel, and the conventional TV stations Joytv 10 in Vancouver and Joytv 11 in Winnipeg.
ZoomerMedia Limited (ZML) is a publicly traded company that caters to the interests of Canadians aged 45-plus through its radio, broadband and magazine properties, including CARP, Canada’s largest association for retirees.
“The VisionTV group of channels deliver unique…
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OTTAWA and GATINEAU – Canada’s AM and FM radio stations generated $1.58 billion in revenues for the broadcast year ending August 31, 2008, an increase of just over 5% from the year prior, according to a CRTC report.
Canada’s 474 FM radio stations reported over $1.25 billion in total revenues for 2008.
Over the past five years, average revenues for FM stations have increased by approximately 8%, with revenues for English-language FM stations topping $1 billion, and their French-language counterparts generating $219 million. Ethnic FM stations increased their revenues by over 4% for a total of $16.8 million.
With…
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GATINEAU – Scolding the broadcast industry for not heeding its warnings two years ago, the CRTC approved Pelmorex Communications’ plan to make emergency alerts available to all broadcasters across the country.
“The Commission recognizes that The Weather Network and MétéoMédia make a unique contribution to public safety and are exceptionally important to the achievement of Canada’s broadcasting policy,” said the Regulator’s press release today. Pelmorex owns and operates the English and French language weather nets.
So, under the 9(1)(h) portion of the regs, which stipulate that if a TV service is deemed to be of “exceptional importance,” it would…
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GATINEAU – With no emergency broadcast system in place in Canada (and none on the horizon yet), Pelmorex Media (owners of the Weather Network and MétéoMédia) asked the CRTC earlier this year for both approval of its new emergency alert service – and for mandatory carriage on all cable and satellite operators in Canada.
A decision is coming on Thursday morning, Cartt.ca has learned.
As Cartt.ca reported in April, the company spent a couple of days in front of the Commission explaining the system – and why that should be tied to 9(1)(h) (i.e. mandatory) carriage. Pelmorex’s plan is…
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CASEY’S RESTAURANT has been a popular watering hole in Timmins for years. Right on Highway 101, which bisects the Northern Ontario town, everyone knows where it is and being a chain, those passing through recognize the name and often stop to eat on their way home from, or deeper into, the far north.
Also on the property, in behind the eatery, sits an Ontera telecom vault.
For the uninitiated, Ontera is the telecom subsidiary of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. It provides backbone services in and out of – and around – the north to larger centres like Sault…
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BANFF – With Flashpoint, The Listener, The Bridge and Copper, all Canadian shows airing or about to broadcast on a U.S. conventional network, Canada’s creative community was given the low-down on the trend at the just wrapped Banff World Television Festival (BWTF).
It’s a good deal for them (Americans) because they can get the programming for a fraction of the price of what it would cost them to wholly fund a series, said Tara Ellis, vice-president of Showcase and drama content at Canwest, on Wednesday at a broadcaster briefing. Canwest-backed E1 Entertainment’s Copper, a series about five rookie cops,…
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STRATFORD, Ont. – "We have the opportunity to lead the world in digital media and create a national advantage by investing in innovation and turning that into commercially viable content and technology,” said Tom Jenkins, chairman of the Canadian Digital Media Network’s Advisory Board, and executive chairman and chief strategy officer of Open Text, in closing the Canada 3.0 conference on Tuesday.
To be a leader in digital media all Canadians should be connected to content and able to access that content on an equal level, organizers of the conference agreed. Content needs to be respected and copyright and…
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OTTAWA – Current Media Canada has received CRTC approval to launch ‘Current TV’, a cat. 2 diginet aimed at young adults that will broadcast short-form, user-generated content.
Current Media Canada is co-owned by the CBC and former U.S. vice president Al Gore’s company Current Media. The companies announced their partnership last November.
Versions of Current are available in over 58 million households in the U.K., Ireland and Italy, through Comcast, Time Warner, DirecTV, Dish Network, Verizon, AT&T, BSkyB, Virgin Media and Sky Italia.
www.crtc.gc.ca www.current.com
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OTTAWA and GATINEAU – Reaction to the CRTC’s broadcasting in new media report has been swift, and predictably, mixed.
The news that the Commission will continue to exempt new media broadcasting services from its regulation got high marks from Internet service providers (ISPs) Telus and Rogers.
“The CRTC is often criticized, but give them in credit in this case,” Rogers’ senior vice president of regulatory, Ken Engelhart, told Cartt.ca on Thursday. “The Internet’s power comes from the consumer, not regulation and not taxes. This decision is very progressive and far reaching and we support it.”
Michael Hennessy, Telus’ senior…
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