OTTAWA-GATINEAU – As we told you on Monday, the CRTC will release its new policy on conventional, over-the-air television. In fact, it will be released today.
The primary issue is whether or not Canadians will soon have to pay an additional fee for conventional broadcast signals from CTV, Global and the CBC, as we noted on Monday.
Watch Cartt.ca today and tomorrow for more on this story.
Continue Reading
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Saying the need for new subscriber fees wasn’t demonstrated by conventional broadcasters, the CRTC’s new convention television policy does not include a boost in Canadians’ cable or satellite bills.
The new policy will, however, "ensure Canadians have access to digital and high-definition television programming, and that broadcasters continue to contribute to the production, acquisition and broadcast of high-quality Canadian programming.
The Commission has decided to:
* Remove restrictions on advertising time limits after gradually increasing the amount of advertising allowed;
*Establish August 31, 2011, as the date by which television licensees will only broadcast digital signals (about…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Perhaps stung a little by the tough line of questioning the company faced in front of the Commission a few weeks ago, CTVglobemedia sent a letter to the CRTC last week attempting to modify its application to purchase CHUM Ltd.
In it, CTV said it would consider divesting CHUM’s Citytv stations in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary, so long as the Commission was willing to place limits on the further growth of CanWest Global’s CH network. Global, for example, went through a hearing in February where it asked the CRTC for a Calgary and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The Commission this week okayed the application by Fifth Dimension Properties for a category two digital license which will be branded Penthouse TV.
Fifth Dimension is a company owned and operated by Stuart Duncan, who also runs Ten Broadcasting, the parent company of Hustler TV in Canada.
Should it gain carriage, Penthouse TV will join the likes of Playboy TV, Hustler, AOV and others in the adult category on cable and satellite lineups in Canada.
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – We’ll find out sometime in the next few days whether or not Canadians will be paying more for their television (among many other things). The CRTC’s new policy for conventional television will be released this week, likely tomorrow, said the Commission’s chairman last week.
In a speech to the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters, which Cartt.ca reported on here, chairman Konrad von Finckenstein told delegates: "Around May 15, we will issue our determinations arising out of our review of over-the-air television."
The primary issue is sure to be whether or not Canadians will soon have to pay…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC should immediately regulate monthly contributions to the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) and establish an arms length dispute resolution mechanism to deal with any concerns raised about the fund, recommended the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications in its report released Thursday.
The second recommendation of the report, The Challenges Ahead for the Canadian Television Fund, is that the government re-examine the CTF’s spending envelopes, especially with respect to the CBC/Radio-Canada.
One of the complaints of Shaw and Quebecor when they withdrew their monthly contributions earlier this year was that 37% of the CTF went…
Continue Reading
PENTICTON – Since Konrad von Finckenstein’s appointment as CRTC chair in January, there has been much to say on the telecom file, but many in broadcasting has wondered where he stood and in what sort of direction the Commission will go on that side of its business..
Wonder no longer.
In a speech to the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters on Thursday, von Finckenstein outlined the Commission`s very ambitious goals, which reflect the “market forces” approach of our federal government.
There were four main points in the B.C. speech, which we all might look back on as the day…
Continue Reading
OAKVILLE – Emergency management authorities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island used The Weather Network’s localization technology this week to issue test emergency warnings to the public.
The messages were seen by cable TV subscribers only in those provinces, although The Weather Network is available across Canada.
“We are very pleased that the Maritime Provinces are showing leadership in the area of public alerting,” said Pierre Morrissette, president and CEO of Pelmorex Media Inc., which owns The Weather Network. “Targeted broadcasts over The Weather Network will mean that viewers elsewhere in Canada will not see warnings…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Look Communications Inc. and Bell Canada have put their spat on hold, and have agreed to extend the May 10 deadline for Bell to disconnect the services it provides to Look.
The two companies have agreed to the following:
1. Bell will not disconnect services provided to Look pending the decision of the CRTC;
2. Once the decision of the CRTC is issued, Bell will not suspend services to Look for five business days from the date of the CRTC decision;
3. Look will provide Bell with its notice of motion for an injunction and supporting affidavit…
Continue Reading
WINNIPEG – MTS Allstream has applied to the CRTC for local telephone forbearance in Winnipeg.
MTS Allstream is the latest company to ask for residential phone service deregulation following the April 4 announcement by Canada’s Industry Minister Maxime Bernier that telecommunications companies can apply for a relaxation of regulations in communities where customers can choose between at least three service providers with their own network infrastructure, one of which can be a wireless provider, and where they meet specific Quality of Service (QoS) measures for six months.
Last month, Telus filed for forbearance in Vancouver and Edmonton, and Bell…
Continue Reading
