EDMONTON – Squeezed out of its niche by a couple of new stations in the market, Edmonton’s 96X became Big Earl today.
Branded as the hit music alternative, Newcap Broadcasting’s 96X felt the ratings push from two recent launches in Edmonton, The Bounce 91.7 (the CHUM/Milestone-owned urban/Top 40 station launched in 2005) and Sonic 102.9 (OK Radio’s recently launched modern rock station). Both took some of the 96X’s younger audience with it, a fact borne out in the latest ratings.
“We weren’t surprised by that,” Newcap Edmonton’s operations manager Rob Mise told www.cartt.ca this afternoon. “When the CRTC licensed…
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TORONTO – As part of its acquisition of OMNI TV B.C. and Manitoba, Roger OMNI Television has announced a benefits package totalling $950,000 for independent producers based in the provinces.
The money will go towards 30- and 60-minute documentaries focusing on religion and faith, considered category 4 programming under the CRTC regulations. The fund will be spent over seven years, with no more than $250,000 allocated in each year.
Proposals for stories, biographies, and documentaries examining religious, spiritual, ethical, and/or moral values in all faiths will be reviewed twice a year: from Jan. 1 to Mar. 1, and from…
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GATINEAU, Que. – Aboriginal Voices Radio Inc. has applied for another extension to the CRTC to begin broadcasting programming in aboriginal languages in Vancouver, Abbortsford, B.C., Calgary, Ottawa, and Montreal.
The broadcaster was granted licences to create stations in 2001 (Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa) and in 2003 (Abbotsford and Montreal) but has yet to launch. Aboriginal Voices wants until Sept. 1, 2006 to launch “for primarily technical and logistical reasons,” the commission says.
The application for an extension of the time limit to start operations marks the sixth such request for Ottawa, the fifth request for Vancouver and Calgary,…
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LAST WEEK’S ANNOUNCEMENT of BCE’s divestiture of all but 20% of its ownership holding in Bell Globemedia left one enormous burning question.
What is the company going to do with the $1.3 billion in proceeds from its sale of control of one of Canada’s largest media companies? BCE CEO Michael Sabia told an analyst conference call last week that the company won’t be announcing what it plans to do with the money until February.
Here, in no particular order, is the www.cartt.ca Top 10 List of things BCE could do with its new pile of money, when it…
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BARRIE, Ont. – Christian radio is a bit of an immature niche in Canada.
Until 1993, such stations simply were not licensed in Canada so – while the market for Christian stations grew in the U.S. for years (and is apparently 600-stations strong there) – only recently are similar operations seeing growth here (about 30 so far).
One such station is Barrie’s Life 100.3. On the air for over six years now, the station has added repeaters in Owen Sound, Peterborough and Huntsville. Currently, the Barrie station operates at 1,800 watts, but wait for early 2006, when the signal…
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OTTAWA – Some more Quebec City radio hosts have landed in hot water over coarse language. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council today released its decision on a complaint against the hosts of the afternoon show on CJMF-FM, Le Trio de l’enfer.
During a broadcast on Dec. 17, 2004, the hosts were discussing the state of radio in Quebec City. They referred to competitors André Arthur and Jeff Fillion, the controversial CHOI-FM hosts whose crude comments eventually caused the CRTC to rescind the station’s licence, as “trous de cul,” or “assholes.” A listener complained to the CBSC.
The CBSC said…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable is the first BDU in Canada to carry The Israeli Network, offering the service to digital cable customers in Ontario.
A free preview of the network, on channel 635, is available until Jan. 4, 2006. After that, it will cost $14.95 a month, not including the rental or purchase of the digital set-top box.
"We’re thrilled to launch The Israeli Network on Rogers Digital Cable," says Slava Levin, co-founder, CEO, and President of Ethnic Channels Group Limited, which operates the channel. "Our years of experience in the multicultural television and broadcast industry will allow us…
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TORONTO – Saying the viewing public just isn’t interested in music videos the way they used to, Corus Entertainment’s CMT has asked for a license amendment to reflect that.
It recently applied to the Commission to alter its license so that only 50% of its programming has to be drawn from the music video clips category, rather than the current 70%.
It intends to fill the space with programming from categories 2b (docs), 8c (music video programs), 9 (variety), 10 (game shows), 11 (general entertainment) and 12 (interstitials). and says that such alternate programming shall continue to conform…
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OTTAWA – On Thursday the CRTC told Telus that it can avoid using an SRDU for its Telus TV service and granted the telco some flexibility when it comes to the U.S. 4+1 signals it chooses.
However, the Commission denied the company’s request distribute the same Part 2 Eligible satellite services and Canadian distant signals on the same basis as the incumbent in the market without the need for a further regulatory process. It also said no to Telus’ desire to add the same audio programming services as the incumbent, without the need for a further regulatory process.
Telus…
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TORONTO – A new ownership structure has been announced for Bell Globemedia that would see BCE Inc. give up its position as major shareholder, as the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Torstar join as new shareholders.
BCE would decrease its share to 20% from 68.5%, while The Woodbridge Company, the Toronto-based holding company of the Thomson family, would increase its ownership from 31.5% to 40%. The two new shareholders—Teachers’ and Torstar—would each acquire a 20% stake in the Canadian media giant.
“The continuing support of BCE and Woodbridge and the addition of Teachers’ and Torstar represents a strong vote of…
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