GATINEAU – The CRTC is considering requests from Videotron and Rogers Cable to add more foreign channels to the list of eligible satellite non-Canadian services that can be carried here on digital.
The commission is calling for comments on the proposed addition of seven services, described below from the cablecos’ proposals.
From Videotron:
* XXL, a service from France, entirely in the French language and offering adult content, mainly erotic films, series, and magazine programs programmed in a four-hour block that is repeated throughout the broadcast day, seven days a week.
From Rogers:
* De Pelicula Channel, a niche…
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OTTAWA – Seven out of 10 Canadians don’t want the incumbent telephone companies to set their own prices for local phone service, according to a new survey conducted by a consumer watchdog group opposing telephone deregulation.
The survey asked 1,200 Canadians if they agreed with the statement, “My local telephone company should be able to charge what it wants for monthly local telephone rates without having them approved as reasonable by the CRTC.” Four percent strongly agreed, and 16% agreed. But 36% disagreed and another 36% strongly disagreed. (Seven percent had no opinion, and 2% either didn’t know or…
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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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