MONTREAL – With the CRTC having indicated in its upcoming review of broadcast distribution undertakings and specialty services that it is prepared to let market forces begin to dictate how the TV industry works here, a group of artist and cultural business groups are demanding something different.
They have asked Canadian Heritage, Josée Verner, “to use her power to issue policy direction to the CRTC so that the Commission gives primary consideration to social and cultural factors, as required by the Broadcasting Act, in all its decisions to do with the broadcasting sector,” says a press release.
The release…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The $375 million transaction to purchase the five Citytv conventional television stations by Rogers Media closed earlier today. it received CRTC approval last month.
The stations acquired from CTVglobemedia were under the control of Mr. John D. McKellar, C.M., Q.C., trustee under a voting trust agreement in respect of CHUM Limited. The Citytv network includes Citytv Toronto (CITY-TV), Citytv Winnipeg (CHMI-TV), Citytv Edmonton (CKEM-TV), Citytv Calgary (CKAL-TV) and Citytv Vancouver (CKVU-TV).
In light of this announcement, Rogers Broadcasting, a Rogers Media subsidiary, takes immediate control of the Citytv operations under the direction of Leslie Sole, CEO of Television…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – In an effort to reduce operating costs, Quebec private TV network TQS has abolished 40 jobs across the province, just as 60% owner Cogeco and its minority partner CTVglobemedia are embarking upon a review of their investment in the broadcaster.
Employees learned of the cuts from TQS president and CEO René Guimond.
“It saddens us to make this decision,” Guimond said. “We chose to act now to reduce our operating costs so that we can protect our programming schedule. If we hadn’t, the company could have been forced to take more drastic action.”
He laid part…
Continue Reading
WITH THE CLOSING OF the Persona purchase by Bragg Communications (owners of EastLink) last last month, the Canadian cable industry lost one of its leading champions – and true characters.
Dean MacDonald worked his way up through the industry beginning at Avalon Cable in Newfoundland 25 years ago, evenutally rising to president of Danny Williams’ Cable Atlantic. The exploits of Dean and Danny are part of industry lore and this reporter once published a photo of the both of them dressed as Carmen Miranda, giant fruity headresses and all.
When Cable Atlantic was sold to Rogers Cable in 1999…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The 81st annual Canadian Association of Broadcasters convention kicks off this Sunday in Ottawa and runs through Tuesday, November 6th.
(Cartt.ca, which is a media sponsor, will be there with a team of reporters covering the sessions – and will also produce a printed show daily on-site.)
The 2007 convention theme, Broadcasting, Redefined, “targets issues of fundamental importance to the broadcasting and distribution industries: new technologies and platforms, new business models and partnerships, and new policies and regulations that will allow Canada’s private broadcasters to thrive in an increasingly complex global business environment,“ says the CAB.
There…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – Canadian sports fans will soon be able to get a far greater dose of American college games as the CRTC today approved the addition of College Sports Television to the eligible satellite list for digital distribution.
Its addition to the Canadian list was sponsored by Rogers Cable.
CBS-owned CSTV is a 24-hour network devoted exclusively to broadcasting college sports programming. It televises 35 men’s and women’s college sports, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling and volleyball, from every major conference in the United States.
Click here for the full decision.
www.crtc.gc.ca www.cstv.com
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – MTS Allstream reiterated Friday that it believes a robust definition of telecom “essential facilities” is more important than ever, or continued competition and innovation in the Canadian telecommunications landscape, may wither.
Such a definition is important when it comes to “the associated benefits of choice and competitive pricing for customers, especially in the business market,” says their release, which came as the CRTC holds hearings to review the definition of those essential facilities, as Cartt.ca has covered.
"The government has deregulated the retail pricing of the large former monopolies in major markets across Canada for both consumer…
Continue Reading
Dear Editor,
This is in response to the letter to the editor Cartt.ca received from Bill Roberts, president and CEO of Vision TV, earlier this week criticizing the Rogers’ brief in the upcoming review of the regulatory frameworks governing BDUs and discretionary services. Mr. Roberts appears to have either misread or misunderstood our filing and I would like to set the record straight.
In his letter, Mr. Roberts alleges that our key message in this proceeding is to remove protections for Canadian services and make it easier to import foreign services. In fact, our key message in this…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – A joint submission to the CRTC’s BDU and specialty policy review from seven independent broadcasters recommends putting those channels in all BDUs’ digital "basic" packages.
Saying the diversity of the Canadian television system depends on preserving a place for small, independent specialty services, the channel owners say they should all be in digital basic in order to offset impact of media concentration and integration (See: Rogers buying Citytv, CTV buying CHUM, CanWest buying Alliance Atlantis…).
Such a move would grant the independent Canadian channels "must-carry" status.
The members of the independent specialty services group are: Aboriginal Peoples…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Broadcasters said today that Global Edmonton news anchor Lynda Steele will be the 2007 recipient of the Gold Ribbon Award for Outstanding Community Service by an Individual Broadcaster.
Steele is passionately committed to community service, says the CAB, particularly in promoting literacy. “While Lynda has a special fondness for events that promote literacy, she has thrown herself behind several causes. She has been at the forefront of efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence, fundraise for cancer research, and find affordable housing solutions for Edmonton’s less fortunate,” says the CAB release.
She is…
Continue Reading
