Search Results for: crtc

Radio / Television News

Oda appoints Radio-Canada’s Morin as newest commissioner

OTTAWA – Michel Morin, has been appointed as a CRTC commissioner, announced Bev Oda, minister of Canadian Heritage. Morin has spent more than 34 years in broadcasting and has been a journalist, economic news editor, leader of a team of journalists, and, most recently, chief editor of television news for both Radio-Canada and the French language news network RDI. "His career encompasses a broad range of assignments, including program anchor and research assistant in Ottawa; parliamentary correspondent in Québec City; foreign correspondent in Paris; and journalist, desk editor, and chief editor for the past 14 years in Montréal," reads… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Source gets VOD license

HAMILTON – The CRTC approved Source Cable’s application for a video on demand license today. The 18,000-customer cable company serves portions of southern Hamilton. It’s new license is effective from September 1st 2007 through the end of August 2014. Click here for the full decision. Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

A more fashionable application gains approval

GATINEAU – It took a second pass through the CRTC, but Corus Entertainment won approval for Cosmo TV today. The category two digital channel, a partnership with Cosmopolitan Magazine owner Hearst Corp., will join the popular W in the broadcaster’s women’s division. As we reported in February, the Commission denied the first attempt by Cosmo TV for a license saying it infringed on the genre protection of other Canadian specialties such as the FashionTelevision Channel and Star!. This second time around, Cosmo agreed to some programming restrictions so it wouldn’t infringe on the protections of others, such as: *… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

ILECs happy that major phone markets are to be deregulated

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canada’s major phone markets will soon be free from most local residential phone service controls as the CRTC has opened the floodgates to more deregulation. The commission has approved applications from the ILECs to forbear Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa-Gatineau, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton, Victoria, Winnipeg, Quebec City, London, Rimouski, and many other cities. They join Halifax, Charlottetown, Fredericton, and Fort McMurray, announced recently, as markets where the incumbent telcos will no longer need to get the commission’s approval to set local phone rates or introduce new services and packages because the regulator has deemed there is enough… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CRTC orders CSI: New York off History Television, writers say

TORONTO – The CRTC has ordered History Television to stop airing CSI: New York because the show is not historical, says the Writers Guild of Canada, which filed a complaint with the commission seven months ago. The WGC says the regulator has given History Television until Jan. 1, 2008 to pull CSI: New York from its schedule, where it currently airs at least twice a day. The WGC says the CRTC initially agreed with the guild that the show does not meet the channel’s mandate to air programs of historical significance to Canadians, but it gave owners Alliance Atlantis… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CRTC allows Shaw to show VOD commercials

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Shaw Cable has received partial approval from the CRTC to air some kinds of commercials on its video on demand service. The commission has approved Shaw’s application to show programs containing commercial messages when the program has already aired in Canada on a Canadian channel. It’s also allowed to charge a fee to subscribers to watch those programs containing commercials. But the regulator denied Shaw’s request to show programs with commercials that had already aired in Canada but on a non-Canadian channel that’s on the list of eligible foreign satellite services. The decision applies to Shaw’s wholly… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Bell Canada’s wireless business picks up in Q2

TORONTO – BCE Inc. posted modest growth in the second quarter of 2007, posting revenues of $4.438 million, up 1.5% compared with the same period last year. BCE’s operating income was up just 0.4% to $898 million, as higher EBITDA offset higher amortization and restructuring expenses. The parent company experienced higher revenues at Bell Canada, Bell Aliant, and Telesat. However, Bell’s operating income declined 1.0% from Q2 of 2006, to $681 million. There’s better news on the earnings per share front, as BCE’s net EPS was $0.83 for the second quarter, compared with $0.53 for the same period last… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Consumer groups appeal to cabinet to overturn payphone rate hike

OTTAWA – A coalition of consumer advocacy groups is petitioning the federal cabinet to overturn the CRTC’s approval to raise payphone rates from 25 to 50 cents per local call. The groups cite a public opinion poll of more than 1,000 Canadians conducted for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) in July showing that 75% of respondents agreed that 50 cents was too much to pay for a local payphone call. The petition calls for the cabinet to overturn the rate hike, announced as part of the CRTC’s new price cap regime, and send the matter back to… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers’ profits swell 20% in second quarter

TORONTO – Times are very good for Ted Rogers and company and its shareholders. Profits are swelling, the dividend is increasing, and customers are growing to all aspects of the business, except for basic cable. Rogers Communications Inc.’s consolidated operating profits grew by 20% in the second quarter of 2007, the company announced today. In the three months ending June 30, adjusted operating profits were $898 million, compared with $746 million in the same quarter in 2006. Consolidated operating revenue rose 16% in Q2 of 2007 to more than $2.5 billion. The board of directors also more than tripled… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CanWest releases more details on Alliance Atlantis acquisition

TORONTO – CanWest Global Communications has announced more details on the $2.3 billion acquisition of Alliance Atlantis. The deadline for the deal has been extended by a week to Aug. 15, as reported earlier, so CanWest and Goldman Sachs can obtain bridge financing from a banking syndicate. CanWest said in a statement today that it’s deferring its previously considered high-yield debt offering “due to recent turmoil in the North American debt markets.” CanWest and Goldman Sachs say they have settled the terms of their joint venture, including their contributions of equity to the company that will acquire Alliance… Continue Reading