OTTAWA-GATINEAU – With the Commission’s report on what ails the Canadian Television Fund due out tomorrow afternoon (the CRTC under the new chair sure is speedy these days!) Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw sent a letter to CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein making it quite clear his feelings on the whole matter.
Shaw, and then Videotron, both suspended their payments to the fund this past winter thanks to a number of long-standing complaints. Mr. Shaw said then and since that because the money was coming from Canadians through their cable and satellite companies they should have better…
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VANCOUVER – An new activist organization is trying to get everyday Canadians to care enough about their media to get involved.
Canadians for Democratic Media said today it is urging people to "send a message to the CRTC calling for policies that limit concentrated and cross-ownership in the media and support public and community-based media," says its press release.
It is also offering an online form letter supporters may sign individually and have automatically sent to the Commission prior to July 18th, which is the deadline for submissions on the CRTC’s diversity of voices proceeding. So, there could be…
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OTTAWA – If the level of radio today’s teenagers now listen to stays consistent as they age, the long-term future of radio appears a little bleak.
Numbers released today by Statistics Canada show that overall, Canadians devoted less time listening to their radios as a form of entertainment in 2006 than in previous years (see chart below), especially teenagers and young adults, many of whom appear to be switching to digital music players and online music services.
"On average, Canadians tuned in to their radios for 18.6 hours during ‘measurement week’ in fall 2006, down from 19.1 hours…
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OTTAWA – Astral Media Radio Inc. is proposing a $63.3 million benefits package over seven years as it seeks regulatory approval for its $1.082 billion acquisition of 52 over-the-air radio stations and two small-market TV stations from Standard Radio Inc. Astral also pledges to take measures to ensure compliance by the Standard Radio stations that didn’t meet licence conditions with regard to Canadian content, and to pay any outstanding tangible benefit amounts connected to stations previously purchased by Standard that are included in the Astral deal.
Referring to the deal as “evolutionary, and not revolutionary,” Astral tells the CRTC…
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TORONTO – Billing itself as "The Canadian Solution", Canadian investment banker Catalyst Asset Management has announced a bid for Bell Canada Enterprises which, on the face of it, presents no regulatory hurdles whatsoever.
The bid, the fifth one to become public, would maintain Bell Canada as a stand-alone public company, and would benefit "all Canadians and Canada," says the press release.
Catalyst’s proposed transaction would be completed by way of an exchange offer by a Canadian Corporation formed exclusively for this purpose. That new company will offer one "stapled security" in exchange for each outstanding common share of Bell…
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GATINEAU – Having received applications for a new radio station in each of Peterborough, Ont., and Ottawa-Gatineau, the CRTC has opened a broad call for new applications, as is its practice, for both markets.
The application deadline is August 21, 2007.
Click here for more.
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TORONTO – Except for the five Citytv stations going to Rogers Communications, CTVglobemedia said Friday afternoon that it has closed the transaction for CHUM Limited, having satisfied all of the conditions for approval as set out in the June 8th CRTC decision.
CTVgm CEO Ivan Fecan held a town hall-style meeting today to address employee concerns and allay fears, telling employees that changes will be minimal but that the A Channels will likely be rebranded.
Also this week, CHUM CEO Jay Switzer announced he is stepping down.
All of the assets of CHUM Limited have now been released…
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CALGARY – In the face of a chipper AGM report from the Canadian Television Fund, Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw remains displeased over how the CTF is run.
Thanks to a serious amount of pressure put on the Minister for Canadian Heritage, Bev Oda, and the CRTC by Shaw – and then Videotron – when the two companies pulled their funding from the CTF early this year, the Commission created a special panel headed by broadcasting vice-chairman Michel Arpin.
The panel is examining everything about the CTF, top to bottom, front to back and will file its…
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OTTWA – Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. has applied for a licence for another sports channel, called Sportsnet 2, which would primarily cover soccer, cricket and rugby. The application for the national Category 2 digital licence was gazetted Thursday by the CRTC (Broadcasting Notice 2007-7).
The new channel would seek “a limited ability to cover other sports,” but is prepared to accept a condition of licence prohibiting coverage of North American professional sports leagues (National Hockey League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Canadian Football League and National Football League).
Rogers tells the CRTC in its application that Sportsnet 2 would…
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OTTAWA – Canadian Heritage minister Bev Oda said it would be “inappropriate to prejudge its review” of the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) currently underway by the CRTC, in her response earlier this week to a Parliamentary committee’s report on the private-public fund.
The government’s response to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s “The Funding Crisis of the Canadian Television Fund,” offered no opinions on the report’s conclusions.
Oda’s response consisted of a summary of events surrounding the funding crisis resulting when Shaw and Quebecor decided to withdraw their monthly contributions to the CTF. Those payments have since been resumed….
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