BANFF – In her speech launching the 2006 Banff International Television Conference on Sunday, Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, announced the government will ask the CRTC to study the technological changes facing the broadcast industry and throws her support behind sustaining our public broadcaster.
“Other nations began to build the policy framework for the new digital world decades ago,” says the Minister. “Unfortunately, Canada did not.”
“Without a doubt,” she adds, “there are challenges.”
“With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of the private sector and the virtual explosion of choice on our…
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BANFF – Fire up the consultants, it’s going to be a hot summer of TV policythink.
As expected, CRTC chair Charles Dalfen announced a review of the TV broadcasting industry today at the Banff World Television Festival this morning.
In light of narrowing profit margins for conventional broadcasters by two percent since 2001, not the kind of showing seen by the growing revenue line of pay and specialty networks, and the limited spending on Canadian drama, among many other issues presented by new and emerging technology, the CRTC has decided to take a step back and re-evaluate the entire…
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OTTAWA – As long as mobile TV services maintain their current unicast model, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters say they don’t need to be regulated, according to a submission made Friday to the CRTC.
But, that exemption should remain only if the mobile TV services currently offered by Rogers Wireless, Telus and Bell Mobility keep their one-to-one technological model, where a wireless subscriber has content streamed to them individually via their cell phone or other mobile device, says the broadcasters’ lobby group.
The submission was made in response to the CRTC’s call for comments on its decision to…
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BANFF – The CRTC has a new task ahead of it now: predict the future.
During her speech at the Banff World Television Festival today, Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, said the Federal Government will ask the CRTC to study "how continuing technological changes are expected to shape the entire broadcasting industry in the years ahead."
Oda is using Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act, which lets the government request that the CRTC hold hearings or report on issues that fall under the Commission’s jurisdiction.
"With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of…
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BANFF and TORONTO – Watch for coverage of the Banff World Television Festival 2006 in Banff, Alberta and The Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto next week as Cartt.ca provides in-person coverage from both important events.
In Banff, Cartt.ca will plug into the television industry for a look at global content developments. We will attend the lauded after-sessions, follow key announcements and trends; and interview “the personalities” within the industry.
This year’s Banff World Television Festival, June 11-14, 2006 is being held at the Fairmount Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta. It opens with a day-long session led by Kit Readman…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ three-year battle to get the CRTC’s Part II fees abolished cleared a legal hurdle this week.
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld a lower court decision issued last fall that if the fees charged to broadcasters are indeed a tax, then they are unlawful. The matter of whether the fees are a tax will be heard in a trial starting this November. The CAB says the decision will give it “a very good argument” to make during that trial, when it will ask for the Part II licence fee scheme to be abolished….
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OTTAWA – Former CCTA president Michael Hennessy started his new life at Telus this week.
As vice-president broadband and video policy he’s the western telco’s "content guy" Hennessy told Cartt.ca. He will be based in Telus’ Ottawa office working under another former Canadian Cable Television Association president, Telus EVP corporate affairs, Janet Yale,
"I just love this broadband and convergence stuff," added Hennessy, who has been working in the telecom space for the since the early 1980s when he was with the CRTC.
Despite the fact Hennessy has "switched teams" – as many will no doubt say – he…
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TORONTO-BORN BRAD SCHWARTZ’s task looks to be a programmers dream.
To establish a new, analog channel with 4.5 million pre-existing paying customers using one of the world’s best-known media brands among the highly coveted young set: MTV.
The man knows his television. His first job in the industry was as assistant to Saturday Night Live founder and executive producer Lorne Michaels. From there, Schwartz hung around the music and media industries, working his way onto MTV and up the ladder there to director of global marketing in New York, before returning to Toronto as senior vice-president and general manager…
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OTTAWA – With re-comments re-due today on the CRTC’s reconsideration of its 2005 decision on voice over IP telephony regulation, three of the four largest Canadian MSOs came down on the side of the Commission in a joint submission filed this afternoon.
Last month, the Federal Cabinet told the CRTC it had to re-think the decision it made on VOIP telephony and have a decision – again – within 120 days of the May 7th announcement. The cabinet edict was in response to appeals filed by all but one of Canada’s incumbent telephone companies.
Cogeco Cable, Quebecor Media’s…
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OTTAWA – Cable and satellite companies can now advertise their Internet and voice offerings on CNN, A&E, SpikeTV and other American cable channels, the CRTC has ruled.
The American channels make two minutes per hour available for local ad sales – which is a multi-billion-dollar business for U.S. MSOs. However, Canadian cable companies are not allowed, by regulation, to sell the time here.
Seventy-five percent of the time has to be given – at cost – to Canadian broadcasters, while 25% of the time could be used to promote cable’s video offerings – meaning the cablecos could not advertise…
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