TORONTO – Bell ExpressVu has thrown its support behind Spotlight Television Inc., which is one of the applicants vying for a new pay television license.
The DTH company has filed a note of support for Spotlight’s application to the CRTC and has acquired the right to obtain a minority interest in Spotlight.
The arrangement shouldn’t be surprising since Kilmer Enterprises (the company backing Spotlight) and Bell Canada Enterprises already hold some broadcast partnerships. For example, Kilmer-owned Insight Sports is a part owner of the NHL Network along with Bell Globemedia division TSN and several Canadian NHL teams.
As well,…
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TORONTO – An on-line survey done by music services provider Indie Pool says that over 90% of independent Canadian artists support satellite radio.
Of 568 artists who responded to the satellite radio survey question sent out, 518 answered "Yes" to the question: "Were you in favour of the CRTC licensing satellite radio in Canada?"
Indie Pool sent an online survey to a sample group of Canadian independent artists between July 15 and August 5 asking a variety of questions about artist activities and interests. Respondents represented a wide variety of musical genres, each province and territory and ages ranging…
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LIVING IN THE BIG CITIES, it’s easy to forget – or to never think about – what it’s like in smaller, more remote communities.
A few months ago, I mentioned to a small operator how a far larger MSO still had some substantial 330 MHz and 450 MHz cable systems remaining to rebuild (with just a little mocking disdain in my voice). His response was a little bit sarcastic, wondering what’s wrong with systems like that, since much of his programming and data was still being delivered over such plant to presumably happy customers.
It cleared my head and…
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OTTAWA – Monday was deadline day for submissions to Industry Canada’s Telecom Policy Review Panel.
Not surprisingly, all stakeholders are calling for massive changes, with each pointing towards different ways to change telecommunications policy in Canada. Featured here are snippets from the Bell Canada, Telus and CCTA submissions. Look for more on this from www.cartt.ca as we wade through the submissions –everything from the large stakeholders in this story to the angry Telus workers complaining that the company is blocking their web access.
Bell Canada – change everything, promote ICT and R&D The country’s largest telco says that the…
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GATINEAU – Should access to the inside wiring of commercial or institutional buildings be expanded? The Commission wants to hear about it.
Responding to a complaint from Bell ExpressVu that Rogers Cable was keeping the satellite company out of hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and other buildings the cableco wired, the CRTC Monday issued a call for comments on “possible regulatory amendments that would expand competitive access to inside wire,” said the Commission.
ExpressVu said section 10 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations covers properties of the type mentioned above and if not, they should be.
No way, says Rogers. The MSO said…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC Thursday asked the industry how it should – or if it should – regulate TV on the mobile phone handset.
As reported last month by www.cartt.ca, this issue has been emerging from behind the scenes throughout 2005 as both Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and Look Communications announced plans to offer television channels to its mobile customers.
When those announcements happened earlier this year, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters sent a letter to the Commission asking it to make a determination as to how TV to the handset should be regulated under the Broadcast Act.
“In…
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GATINEAU and DARTMOUTH – The CRTC announced today it approved the sale of CIZZ-FM and CKGY-FM in Red Deer, Alberta by Corus Entertainment to Newcap Inc.
The $8.4 million transaction is expected to close within 60 days.
"The completion of this purchase is very significant to Newfoundland Capital," said Rob Steele, president and CEO of NCC, in a release. "It represents an opportunity to provide our customers with even greater coverage in the province".
Newcap has a strong presence in Alberta, already serving 22 communities there. Red Deer is the third largest city in Alberta and is an important…
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PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Vista Broadcast Group, a single-station operation until recently, is ramping up its operations with several purchases, the most recent of which is its agreement to purchase Cariboo Central Interior Radio Inc., which was announced this week.
The joint announcement was made by Terry Shepherd – president and managing director of CCIR Inc. and Margot Micallef, chair and CEO of Vista Broadcast Group. Terms of the sale, which is subject to CRTC approval, were not disclosed.
Vista Broadcast Group is the owner of CJSU-FM (SUN FM)in Duncan, British Columbia (on Vancouver Island) and recently announced that…
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GATINEAU – Using SAP for CPAC is not good enough for the federal government.
Earlier this year, the feds directed the CRTC to change its exemption policy when it came to the Cable Public Affairs Channel so that most systems will now be forced to carry both the English and French channels.
Friday, the Commission issued a Public Notice, calling for comments on the revised distribution order for CPAC (which carries House of Commons and Senate proceedings as well as other public affairs programming), reflecting the government’s order.
Currently, most cable systems carry one video feed of CPAC, with…
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GATINEAU – Thanks to the NHL lockout, both TSN and Rogers Sportsnet couldn’t make their required Canadian content spending obligations and were granted license exemptions today by the CRTC to reflect that.
Normally, in any broadcast year, Sportsnet and TSN are allowed to spend up to 5% less than the minimum required expenditure for that year. If that happens, the channels must then spend in the next broadcast year of the licence term, “in addition to the minimum required expenditure for that year, the full amount of the previous year’s under-expenditure,” says their licenses.
However, with no hockey to broadcast,…
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