OTTAWA – The VOIP decision will stand, with a "but".
Today the CRTC re-affirmed its May 2005 decision on voice over Internet protocol. Federal cabinet told the Commission in May of this year to reconsider that decision after all but one of Canada’s ILEC’s filed an appeal.
However, because of the sheer speed in which Canada’s incumbent local exchange carriers are losing customers, the Commission did signal it’s prepared to alter course when it deems necessary and will already re-examine its March 2006 decision on local forbearance.
Specifically, it "declared that competition in local telephone service is…
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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 – The VOIP decision will stand, with a "but".
Today the CRTC re-affirmed its May 2005 decision on voice over Internet protocol. Federal cabinet told the Commission in May of this year to reconsider that decision after all but one of Canada’s ILEC’s filed an appeal.
However, the Commission did signal it’s prepared to alter course when it deems necessary. Specifically, it "declared that competition in local telephone service is taking hold more firmly than anticipated," said this morning’s press release. "As a result, the CRTC is taking steps to reassess certain aspects of its…
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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
TORONTO – After passing the Competition Bureau and CRTC tests, Bell Globemedia announced today that it has completed the closing of its new ownership structure.
The CRTC approved the new ownership structure on July 21st and on August 18th the Competition Bureau rubber-stamped it. The decisions clear the way for BGM to implement the changes to its ownership structure announced on December 2nd of last year, including the investment by each of Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) and Torstar Corporation, and the increased investment of Woodbridge Corp.
All three purchased stakes from Bell Canada Enterprises for a total…
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OTTAWA – There’s a regulatory skirmish crawling through the CRTC right now over who gets to program for the diaper and rattle set (think Baby Einstein-type of shows and not as old as Dora the Explorer).
While the potential new viewers spend a lot of time asleep or with their fingers up their noses, pondering the mystery of their blankie, the positions drawn by the parties are as old as Canadian TV regulation. One side (usually a cable company) wants a foreign channel in. The other (usually a programmer) wants it kept out so it can launch its own service in…
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WHO COULD BLAME CANADIAN lawyer Richard Warman for taking a shot with the CRTC last week? What would you do if someone used the web to threaten to kill you, or urge others to do it? Use as many tools as might be at your disposal to protect yourself, I should think.
As you may have read in a number of media reports over the past few days, an Virginia man, Bill White, has called for the Ottawa man’s death (and the death of all Jews, for that matter) and even posted his home address, too, in case someone…
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CALGARY – Saying it’s just being consumer-friendly, Shaw Communications today added Rainbow Media’s American Movie Classics to its analog channel lineup.
Shaw is believed to be the first Canadian carrier to offer the 24-hour classic-movie-based network (which also offers some original content, too), even though the channel has been on the CRTC’s eligible satellite list for years.
What’s always held AMC back were the Canadian copyrights it didn’t have, an issue "that’s been dealt with," Shaw Communications president Peter Bissonnette told Cartt.ca this afternoon.
AMC has the Canadian rights to most of its programming and for the titles that…
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