TORONTO – While revenues for Canada’s private broadcasters increased slightly in 2007, they cut their spending on Canadian programming slightly too, pointed out ACTRA, the actors union, in a press release.
The CRTC released its omnibus communications industry report last week which showed revenues for private conventional broadcasters rose 1.3% to $2.2 billion in the 2007 broadcast year (ended August 31, 2007) while spending on Canadian television dropped 1.2% to $616 million. Spending on American programming rose 5% to $722 million.
“The CRTC’s industry report confirms that Canada’s private broadcasters are overspending on U.S. programming while failing to produce…
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MONTREAL – Quebecor Media’s broadcasting, publishing and movie unit, TVA Group, reported net income of $12.8 million for the second quarter of 2008, 23% lower than the corresponding quarter of 2007.
TVA saw a drop of $1.5 million in the television sector’s operating income against the same quarter of 2007, “resulting essentially from the negative impact of an accrual of $5.7 million related to disputed regulatory fees,” says the release. Those are the Part II fees that had been collected by the CRTC for years, but that broadcasters fought in the courts as an illegal tax. In late 2006,…
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GATINEAU – The new list of people who can’t just ignore a ringing phone during dinner, or who have never heard of call display goes live on September 30th.
Actually, it’s called the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) and the CRTC will launch it in two months, the Regulator said Wednesday.
Consumers will be able to register on the National DNCL for free to reduce the number of telemarketing calls they receive.
“For many Canadian consumers, the National DNCL will come as a relief to the nuisance of telemarketing calls,” says the CRTC release.
The DNCL will, however,…
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GATINEAU – In an attempt to reflect the converging industries it regulates, the CRTC today issued its first ever monitoring report that covers the entire telecom, cable and broadcast industry.
The first Communications Monitoring Report shows that the Canadian communications industry posted revenues of $51.1 billion in 2007, an increase of 5.7% over the $48.3 billion reported in 2006.
"The convergence of technologies and industries has dramatically reshaped the communications landscape in recent years," said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., chairman of the CRTC. "This year’s monitoring report gives us our first comprehensive look at the state of the overall…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications share price dipped somewhat today as the company missed analysts expectations, but overall, the wireless, telecom, cable and media company turned in a solid second quarter of 2008, ended June 30, 2008.
Highlights of the second quarter of 2008 (taken right from the RCI press release) include the following:
* Generated continued double-digit growth in quarterly revenue and adjusted operating profit of 11% and 17%, respectively, while net income increased to $301 million (or to $364 million on an adjusted basis), and adjusted operating profit less interest expense and PP&E additions rose 20% to $475…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), based at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, has asked the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to open an investigation into targeted web advertising.
Using certain technologies, including deep packet inspection, Canadian ISPs can identify tendencies of its users in order to better target the web ads sent to their computer screens as they search. The idea is to deliver better, more relevant ads to consumers and deliver better, more relevant customers to advertisers.
The practice, known as behavioral targeting, is used in many jurisdictions, such as…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Broadcasters annual convention will take place in the nation’s capital again this year from November 2-4 at the Westin Hotel Ottawa.
This year’s theme – The World View – “reflects the increasingly global nature of the issues that are affecting the radio and television industries,” says the association.
In addition to plenary and keynote presentations, this year’s 12 concurrent sessions have been divided into four distinct tracks that focus on the latest “hot button” issues. They are, as quoted from the CAB:
Track 1: Trendspotting – Broadcasting 3.0? Technology and market forecasters share…
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WASHINGTON – While the Sirius-XM merger process officially ended on Friday, the debate continues on whether satellite radio is any closer to becoming mainstream.
After 17 months of deliberation and intense lobbying by broadcasters to halt the merger, the Federal Communications Commission approved the deal in a 3-2 vote after Sirius and XM agreed to pay $19.7 million in fines.
It was Republican commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate’s vote that removed the final hurdle to the merger’s completion. The companies voluntarily agreed to pay a combined $19.7 million in fines to settle FCC rule violations to gain her support. This includes locating towers…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has revoked the licence of embattled University of Manitoba radio station, Flava 107.9 FM, (CJWV-FM), which ceased broadcasting last October.
The licensee, Harmony Broadcasting Corporation, has been in breach of various regulations and conditions of licence since 2005 and has failed to comply with a number of mandatory orders imposed by the commission.
Flava’s previous management had been raked over the coals by the CRTC for failing to comply with its licence. The station had strayed from its prescribed programming format and had failed to establish an education program as required by the CRTC when granting the…
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DARTMOUTH – Newcap and Rogers Broadcasting Limited have agreed to exchange radio stations subject to approval from the CRTC.
Newcap will exchange its CFDR AM broadcast licence in Halifax, Nova Scotia and receive in return Rogers’ CIGM AM licence in Sudbury, Ontario and $5.0 million. Both parties have simultaneously submitted applications for this transfer of assets along with applications requesting conversion of the AM licences to FM.
"If approved by the CRTC, this transaction will improve service to the public with superior FM quality signals in both Halifax and Sudbury. We have owned CFDR for over 20 years, and…
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