OTTAWA – The $650 million should go back to consumers, says the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.
The group today filed a motion for leave to appeal CRTC Decision 2006-9 Deferral Account in the Federal Court of Appeal.
The decision, reported on here and here, allows incumbent telcos to take approximately $650 million they overcharged customers, on Commission direction, and direct it to rural broadband development.
This is wrong, says PIAC.
"Since the February 16 CRTC decision to enrich the rural broadband programs of the major telephone companies with the money from overcharges for residential local service, PIAC has…
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FORMER ROGERS EXECUTIVE Len Katz has been overseeing the restructuring and re-organization of the administrative functions of the CRTC.
As reported by www.cartt.ca, the Commission’s processes have been streamlined and the structure from which it works, remodeled. A new "centre pod" of oversight that will examine new technologies, help navigate the paths upon which those technologies lead us, and help bring together the telecom and broadcast portions of this converged industry, has been created. Some in the industry will say it’s long overdue. Others will chafe at the changes because one of those alterations means that…
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OTTAWA – In opposing a recent application by a low-power FM station in B.C. to relocate its transmitter, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters asked the CRTC to take a close look at such licensees and what they’re doing in their markets.
CKFU-FM of Fort St-John, B.C. (Moose FM), applied to the CRTC for permission to change the authorized contours by increasing the antenna height and by relocating the transmitter, a non-directional antenna\antenna height of 45 meters). It wants to move the antenna to a new site to allow for generator backup to power the transmitter if hydro power…
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QUEBEC – Quebec City radio station CHOI-FM has asked the Supreme Court of Canada to delay its moment of truth for an extra 60 days.
The station’s owner, Genex Communications, has filed the request because of “serious discussions” with third parties that “could lead to the settlement of the current legal dispute."
The unusual request comes as the Supreme Court is about to rule on whether or not it will hear Genex’s appeal of the CRTC’s decision in July 2004 to revoke CHOI-FM’s licence. It was granted the right to hook itself back up to the “judicial respirator” last…
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GATINEAU – After a short hiatus, Denis Carmel has returned to the CRTC.
A familiar face and voice, Carmel left the CRTC in 2005 after spending a number of years in the communications branch. He returned to the Commission full-time as director of public affairs in February.
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DARTMOUTH, NS – Small market radio station owner Newfoundland Capital Corporation, said Friday that its consolidated revenue of $24.6 million in the fourth quarter showed a 29% improvement over the last three months of 2004, with year-to-date revenue of $80.6 million being 21% better than last year.
Organic, or same-station growth of 8% contributed to the increase in revenue in the quarter, while new stations and acquisitions accounted for 21%. For the year, organic growth of 9% contributed to the revenue increase while 12% came from new launches and acquisitions.
However, EBITDA (earning before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC announced Friday that Multivan Broadcast Corp. (which owns Channel M in Vancouver) has been granted a transitional digital television license for its territory.
The decision means the multicultural channel now has regulatory approval to go ahead and broadcast in HD, if it wishes.
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GATINEAU – On Friday, the CRTC granted Newcap Broadcasting a license for a new FM station serving Bonnyville, Alberta.
The station (at 101.3MHz) will be a pop format aimed at 18 to 45 year olds, says the license decision.
Bonnyville is a market of about 10,000 people near the Saskatchewan border, about 280 kms northeast of Edmonton.
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TORONTO – CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch said Thursday that if we, as Canadians, want to have a good public broadcaster, it needs better a better, stable funding model.
In a speech to the Empire Club in Toronto, Rabinovitch said he welcomed any governmental review of the CBC’s mandate (as has been alluded to by the new Conservative government) and said one is coming anyway by the end of 2006 when the Corp. faces the CRTC during its license renewal hearing.
The CEO says the broadcaster’s vision is to be "(t)he undisputed champion of compelling Canadian programming," and…
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CALGARY – The claims Vonage is making are wrong and misleading, Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw said today in a press release responding to the VOIP company’s CRTC application.
This week, as reported here, Vonage announced it has asked the Commission to look into the $10 fee (calling it a VOIP tax) Shaw recommends consumers pay per month in order to guarantee quality of service if and when they are using a third party voice provider for local telephony (other than Shaw’s own digital telephony product).
"Vonage’s news release concerning Shaw’s quality of service enhancement is both wrong and…
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