HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of new dollars could pour into the Canadian television system under a new fee-for-carriage plan proposed by Canada’s two main private broadcast networks.
Rivals CTVglobemedia and Canwest made a little history Friday by filing a joint submission to the CRTC’s review of its policies governing broadcast distribution undertakings (cable and satellite companies) and specialty services. Those hearings are set to begin April 7th.
Saying conventional television – thanks to the ever-increasing rate of audience fragmentation driven by specialty services and new media outlets – is in “crisis”, the broadcasters want the Commission to add a subscriber…
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TORONTO – Four women, along with one company, are being recognized by Canadian Women in Communications for their contributions to Canada’s communications industry and their work to promote the advancement of women within the industry.
The CWC’s annual awards presentation takes place on Feb. 26, 2008, at the CWC 2008 Annual Awards Gala in Ottawa. The Gala reception begins at 5 p.m., with the dinner and the awards presentation starting at 6 p.m.
The event regularly attracts over 600 of Canada’s top communications VIPs, government representatives and industry leaders to the Ottawa Congress Centre. Confirmed to attend this year’s…
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TORONTO – The line of direct reports to Errol Da-Ré, executive vice president, sales at Canwest Broadcasting has been clarified.
This announcement follows the CRTC’s recent approval of Canwest’s acquisition of the broadcasting assets of Alliance Atlantis and last week’s announcement of new senior executive responsibilities.
“These individuals possess the experience, skill and passion required to help guide us through the next exciting chapter of the company,” said Da-Ré, in today’s release. “I look forward to working with this talented group as we leverage our industry-leading channels and web sites to take Canwest Broadcasting to new heights in innovative…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC will seek a third party to investigate National Do Not Call List (DNCL) and telemarketing complaints, it announced today.
The third party will work closely with the National DNCL operator – which will be Bell Canada, the Commission announced in December – and the CRTC to ensure that complaints are dealt with consistently and in a timely manner.
All telemarketers, including those making exempt calls, will pay fees to the investigator to cover its costs. The fee amount will be determined once the successful bidder has been selected and is expected to be approximately $100.
The…
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TORONTO – Comments due today on the expanded scope of the CRTC’s hearings into policy governing broadcast distribution undertakings and specialty services show the fee-for-carriage debate will be the dominant issue, come April.
While most companies are not filing their comments until 5 p.m. today, CTVglobemedia issued a press release just before noon touting what it believes are the necessary features of new BDU policy.
While the policy review has been set for some time (the hearing begins April 7), the Commission only announced in November that it had expanded the scope of the proceeding and invited comments from…
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TORONTO – The speed at which change arrives and is being forced on everyone in the media space is still so breathtaking that hard and fast answers on what we must do today, tomorrow and well beyond are still pretty elusive.
After listening to some strategy, regulatory and technical sessions at this week’s annual Canadian Broadcast Distribution Association conference (formerly the Canadian Satellite Users Association), those were my conclusions, anyway.
The last 12 months have born witness to four large mergers: CanWest now owns Alliance Atlantis; CTVglobemedia runs the former CHUM channels; Rogers has Citytv; and Telesat got together…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC announced Tuesday it was calling for comments to identify and prioritize the review of various social and other non-economic regulatory measures in telecommunications. The call follows an order from the Governor in Council requiring the regulator to implement non-economic regulatory measures in a symmetrical and competitively neutral manner to achieve the objectives of section 7 of the Telecommunications Act.
The social regulatory measures, which include privacy safeguards and obligations, retail quality of service rate rebate plans and standards and a Consumer Bill of Rights, are being considered subsequent to the establishment of a telecommunications consumer agency….
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Jay Thomson has joined the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) as vice-president of regulatory and policy. He will be responsible for regulatory matters dealing with programming content and social policy issues as they pertain to private broadcasters, including policy development, industry analysis, strategic planning and advocacy with government and industry stakeholders.
Thomas was vice-president of legal and regulatory affairs at the now-defunct Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA), where he worked heavily on Internet retransmission issues. After the CCTA folded, he moved to Telus Communications, where he was assistant vice-president of broadband policy. He has also worked as legal counsel…
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TORONTO – An official announcement will come later this week, but Canwest is today implementing further restructuring, informing existing employees and executives of new responsibilities and cutting others loose, Cartt.ca has learned.
Having received the CRTC’s final approval on its purchase of Alliance Atlantis just last week, Canwest is today implementing its new organizational plan for the new combined broadcasting company. The new company will, say sources, retain a number of people from the Alliance Atlantis side of the merger.
Canwest spokesperson Deborah Lewis today confirmed “some reductions, which is always difficult,” and added an official announcement will be…
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OTTAWA – Following a request by the federal government to reconsider a regulatory decision, the CRTC issued Monday a ruling that practically mirrors its first decision.
In Broadcasting Decision 2008-12, the CRTC confirmed that Avis de Recherche (ADR), a digital channel devoted to crime prevention, had to be carried on digital basic by all Class 1 and Class 2 cablecos and satellite TV distributors in Quebec at a monthly wholesale rate of 6 cents per subscriber. These are the same terms as the original decision issued in July 2007.
Mandatory distribution of the French-language channel comes into effect on January 24, according to…
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