THE WIRELESS INDUSTRY AND broadcasters look to be readying themselves for a regulatory scuffle over the delivery of television to mobile phone handsets.
The wireless companies say that since the video signal they plan to make available to cell phone customers is delivered via IP, (over the Internet), that it therefore falls under the CRTC’s 1999 new media exemption order and should not be subject to regulation. Period. That order said the CRTC would stay out of regulating the Internet – a decision which was made when the web was still just a toddler, however.
The broadcasters say that television…
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TORONTO – Four new pay television license applications are set to be made public today, one of which tugs on the Commission’s Cancon heartstrings – and if approved, would yank open the existing pay TV channels’ purse strings.
New pay television applications from Allarco Entertainment, Groupe Archambeault, Spotlight Television and Channel Zero will be made public at 11 a.m. this morning, www.cartt.ca has learned.
The Allarco application is backed by Dr. Charles Allard and his family, who used to own WIC and Superchannel and who still own several smaller broadcasting assets in radio in western Canada. Groupe Archambeault is…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Coming up short in its required Canadian content caused the CRTC to issue a shorter than normal license term to Quinte Broadcasting’s CJBQ Belleville.
The license renewal announced today is for a four-year term rather than the full seven. After Quinte and the CRTC reviewed logger tapes from the week of March 9th, “the Commission determined that the licensee had devoted 33.5% of its programming to Canadian musical selections.”
According to the radio regulations, the full complement of required Cancon is 35%.
While this was a first offense and that Quinte had already taken steps to make…
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THERE IS ALMOST NO WAY for an independent Canadian artist to get airplay on radio in this country, says Gregg Terrence, president of Indie Pool.
And even for some signed national artists, finding space in the playlists is very difficult. Artist development in Canada, is stalled.
The reason for this is the Canadian content (Cancon) rules for commercial radio in this country no longer work for those artists. While the rules for radio say that of the total music playlist, at least 35% must be Canadian – which is great, says Terrence – most of that space is taken…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Having received an application for a new broadcasting license to serve Lethbridge, Alberta, the CRTC is calling for additional license applicants.
The deadline is September 12th, 2005.
As is customary, the Commission did not make public who has applied and warned it has not decided whether or not to award any licenses at all.
Lethbridge (pop. 77,500), about 200 kms south of Calgary, is currently served by six FM stations: CJTS (Spirit Broadcasting), CJRX (Rock 106 – Rogers Broadcasting), CKXU (University of Lethbridge), CFRV (The River – Rogers), CJBZ (B-93 Classic Hits – Jim Pattison Broadcasting) and CHLB…
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TORONTO – Pity the poor public relations people who had to type with blinding speed to get today’s tit-for-tat press releases on satellite radio out the door as fast as possible.
First the appeal announcement, then the denouncement, then another one, then the denial of a purchase attempt, and finally, sticking by what was said.
And kudos to whomever at Canadian Satellite Radio came up with MUCHmonopoly. Made us laugh. By the end, they must have been getting tired, though. The last release is but one sentence. Here are all the statements from Tuesday, complete with their release times,…
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TORONTO – CHUM executive Peter Miller says that Canadians would still be able to get satellite radio if his company’s appeal is upheld, as long as we continue to turn a blind eye to the grey market.
Many Canadians (some say around 40,000) subscribe to satellite radio companies XM and SIRIUS right now, using an American address to sign on as customers.
“We’re not going to prevent Canadians who really want this service for their boat or truck drivers… from getting it, and we’re not suggesting that they shouldn’t get it,” Miller, CHUM’s vice-president planning and regulatory affairs, told…
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WASHINGTON – If Canadian broadcasters are still wondering about an absolute deadline for digital/high definition conversion, National Association of Broadcasters CEO Edward Fritts set one yesterday.
In a presentation before the Senate Commerce Committee, Fritts said that his members have come to grips with the fact Congress will set a deadline for digital television conversion of some time in 2009 when government will then reclaim the analog spectrum from the broadcasters.
“Broadcasters accept that Congress will implement a 2009 hard date for the end of analog broadcasts,” Fritts told the committee.
“And we’re ready. We’ve done our part, investing…
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TORONTO – While press releases swirled all around today from CHUM Ltd. and its co-appellants and from Canadian Satellite Radio responding and re-responding to what CHUM had to say, Canada’s other satellite radio license holder, SIRIUS Canada, is quietly getting ready for its fall launch.
That’s not to say that the newly minted company isn’t on side with CSR saying the appeals are all bunk.
“Clearly there’s nothing raised by any of the now-three appeals that is in any way different than the issues that were well-covered at the CRTC hearing,” SIRIUS Canada president and CEO Kevin Shea told…
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TORONTO – Seems like every radio company not involved in a satellite radio investment has now jumped into an appeal of the CRTC’s licensing decision to federal cabinet.
Led by CHUM Ltd. and Astral Media (who were granted a terrestrial subscription radio license), the rest of the appellants are: CHIN Radio, CJRT-FM Inc., Fairchild Radio Group Ltd., O.K. Radio Group Ltd., Newcap Inc., Larche Communications Inc., Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc., Rock 95 Broadcasting Ltd., Evanov Radio Group Inc. and Radio-Nord Communications Inc.
Officially the group of companies filed “a notice to appeal to the Governor in Council to set…
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