GATINEAU – Approvals of new Category 2 ethnic digital TV channels are coming fast and furious, as the CRTC today approved 10 more networks today, having announced 10 new licences yesterday.
The latest to be approved are Hebrew TV, Jamaican TV, Korean TV, Filipino TV, Russian TV, and Chinese TV (all from the Canadian Ethnic Broadcasting Corporation), Channel Punjabi and Music India Television (from Surjit S. Gill, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated), Mehfil TV (from Jaswinder Khosa, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated), and Jyot TV (from Davinder Jhattu, on behalf of a…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media has applied to start its own pay audio service to compete with Galaxie and Max Trax.
In its application to the CRTC, Rogers proposes to operate a pay audio service with at least 30 channels, available through the digital set-top box, providing commercial-free music in a variety of formats, similar to the existing services.
If approved, and the service is carried by Rogers Cable, the cableco would have to carry a third-party pay audio service because of the affiliation, Rogers noted in its application.
The Rogers Media application did not make a clear case for…
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OTTAWA – If the CRTC allowed BDUs such as Telus to carry the Canadian satellite radio services, it could “fundamentally” change the sat rad business plans, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters says in a submission.
In commenting on Telus’ proposal to air either or both of XM and Sirius Canada on its digital cable services in British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec, the CAB noted that the commission had originally licensed the satellite radio services to be carried via satellite directly to consumers. “BDU distribution was not contemplated in the applications and the Commission, in licensing these services, imposed obligations on…
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TORONTO – By the end of this year, more Canadians will have broadband than cable TV.
That it just one of the points Rogers Communications made in its submission to the CRTC today on the future environment facing the Canadian broadcast system. As instructed by Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda in a speech at the Banff TV Fest, the CRTC is conducting a broad ranging proceeding which is looking for input on the impact that new technologies are having on how Canadians access audio-visual content and the impact that is having and will have on the Canadian broadcasting…
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OTTAWA – Senior vice-president policy and regulatory affairs David Keeble has resigned from the Canadian Association of Broadcasters.
After leaving his spot as senior director, strategic planning and regulatory affairs at the CBC, Keeble became a consultant and has worked for CHUM, Bell Canada, Canadian Heritage, the CBC and the CRTC.
Keeble joined the CAB in the fall of 2004 but has decided to return to consulting, he told Cartt.ca. Today was final day
No replacement has been chosen.
www.cab-acr.ca
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TORONTO – Bell Globemedia and CHUM Limited announced yesterday evening that approximately 6.7 million common shares of CHUM, representing more than 99% of the issued and outstanding common shares, have been tendered to the offer BGM made in July to purchase CHUM.
In addition, approximately 19.2 million non-voting class B shares of CHUM have been tendered to the Offer, and notices of guaranteed delivery for tenders of approximately 750,000 class B shares have been received, representing in total more than 93% of the issued and outstanding class B shares, says the press release.
BGM has now declared the offer to…
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OTTAWA – While three Commissioners dissented with the majority in today’s renewed VOIP decision, not all balked for the same reasons.
While commissioners Stuart Langford and Barbara Cram agreed with the confirmation of the 2005 VOIP ruling but not the announced review of the local forbearance decision, Andrée Noel simply reaffirmed her opposition to the first VOIP decision.
"I agree with the majority that the regulatory regime for local voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services decision is correct and should be reaffirmed," wrote Langford. "I disagree absolutely, however, with the majority’s determination… to reconsider the suitability of one of…
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OTTAWA – Broadcasters’ requests to be paid for their signal by cable and satellite companies will remain a part of the TV Policy Review, the Commission told Telus this week.
As exclusively reported by Cartt.ca last week, the western telco petitioned the CRTC to drop discussion of fee-for-carriage due to the changing nature of the broadcast industry both globally (WIPO) and at home (BGM’s proposed CHUM purchase). That and the fact the Commission ruled in 1993 that such fees were beyond its scope of influence.
Broadcasters look at specialty services and the wholesale fees they collect and would like…
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OTTAWA – Moses Znaimer has now officially returned to broadcasting.
Today the CRTC approved his company’s purchase of classical music radio station CFMX Toronto from Trumar Communications, which is owned by Martin Rosenthal. MZ Media will pay $12 million for the station, it’s digital license and Cobourg repeater.
Znaimer, as most will know, is an accomplished Canadian broadcaster best known for his many years shaping the TV brands of CHUM Ltd. He was a co-founder of Citytv after starting his career with CBC.
Since the station has never been profitable, said Znaimer’s submission, he asked that the transaction not…
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OTTAWA – For all the concern about MP3s, streaming, wireless listening and other new technologies that are supposed to hammer radio, there sure are a lot of companies and people sure they want to launch new stations.
The CRTC announced today it will hear 24 applications for stations in Medicine Hat, AB, and Regina and Saskatoon, SK. Only one of the applications is for a frequency change, the rest (eight in The Hat, six in Regina and nine in Saskatoon) are for brand new stations of various formats and from various companies. As reported by Cartt.ca, the Commission Continue Reading
