WHITECOURT, Alta. – Just six weeks after the Newcap Broadcasting was granted a license by the CRTC for a station in Whitecourt, the company launched Rock Station 96.7 THE RIG July 1st at 6 a.m.
“For some time now, Whitecourt and area has been awaiting arrival of a new rock station,” says a press release from Newcap Alberta Fox Radio Group general manager Dave Schuck
“The Rig is synonymous with the key oil and gas industries that provide work for thousands of men and women in the area. This Classic…
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WASHINGTON — XM Satellite Radio recently announced it added more than 640,000 new net subscribers during the second quarter of 2005 for a total of more than 4.4 million.
This subscriber gain represents a 53% increase in new net subscribers compared to the second quarter of 2004, when XM recorded 418,000 new net subscribers. Additionally, the 640,000 net subscriber gain represents an 18% increase over the first quarter of 2005 when XM recorded 540,000 new net subscribers.
"This was the best second quarter in the history of XM. The momentum behind XM’s subscriber growth is undeniable. In just one…
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THE VOIP REVOLUTION could end with a single phone call.
No, not by a call from the CRTC deregulating the incumbent telcos, but by one dropped 9-1-1 call.
I’ve often wondered why, since the launch of VOIP, the newcomers came to market without 9-1-1 service. When Primus and Vonage and others began, buried in their marketing materials in teeny type, were notes mentioning their service can’t offer some of the basics people have come to expect, like, oh, 9-1-1.
While they’ve since moved to offer the emergency calling feature, I thought its absence was unconscionable at launch.
Personally, if I’m…
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TORONTO – The Canadian culture establishment took a swing at Indie Pool yesterday in response to its support of the CRTC’s satellite radio decision.
A statement yesterday from the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, “expressed major concern with statements attributed to Indie Pool owner Gregg Terrence yesterday claiming that 20,000 independent musical artists support the CRTC’s recent decision to award broadcast licenses to two foreign services,” it said.
"I’m not really sure where Mr. Terrence gets his figures, but to claim he speaks for 20,000 Canadian independent recording artists is interesting, to say the least," said CIRPA’s executive director…
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MONTREAL and TORONTO – Satellite radio provides great sound and many programming choices, but it’s still a line-of-sight technology.
That means if something is between the receiver and the satellite (like office towers and condos), reception will be zero. So, numerous terrestrial repeaters must be installed in high-traffic, low reception areas to make satellite radio work.
Today, Canadian Satellite Radio (the Bitove/XM group) announced the first phase in addressing that issue by hiring Yves R. Hamel et Associés Inc. (YRH) to conduct the drive testing required to implement its terrestrial repeater network in Canadian cities..
This is the start…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Maybe things are getting faster at the Commission after all.
The CRTC today released its sixth annual Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report. The report assesses the impact of its regulations, policies and decisions on the Canadian broadcasting industry, in light of the objectives of the Broadcasting Act.
Beginning this year, publication has been moved up several months so that data contained in the report will be available to the Canadian public and the regulated industries on a more timely basis.
The report deals with the radio, television, and broadcast distribution sectors, as well as social issues and the…
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TORONTO – The CRTC’s satellite radio decision is the thin edge of the wedge that could bring down the Canadian cultural industry, says a coalition of arts groups.
That coalition (ACTRA, the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, the Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union of Canada, the Directors Guild of Canada, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, the National Campus & Community Radio Association, SOCAN, the Songwriters Association of Canada, and the Writers’ Guild of Canada.) is demanding the federal government tell the Commission to overturn its June 16th decision on subscription radio.
Three new subscription radio licenses were handed out…
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KELOWNA, B.C. – Independent radio station owners are a dying breed.
Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. They’re not really dying, they’re more of a selling breed. Single-station owners often find the going too expensive – and the offers to buy their station too lucrative – to resist, most often selling to a larger radio group.
Not so with Silk FM and its president Nick Frost (right). The radio station celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 21st and the recent Spring ratings book places it at the top of the heap in the seven- Continue Reading
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that cable operators in the States do not have to open their networks to competitive third party Internet service providers if they don’t want to.
Known as the “Brand X” case, one wonders how many Canadian cable operators are looking wistfully southward, wishing that was so, here.
In Canada, however, the CRTC ruled in the mid-1990s that the Internet is a telecom service and, like telcos, cable operators must make space on their networks for third party Internet providers. The Commission even set wholesale rates (in the $20 to $24 range)…
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TORONTO – Indie Pool, which says it represents more than 20,000 Canadian artists, today called the appeal began yesterday by others in the creative community “irresponsible”.
Click here to read the www.cartt.ca story on the topic.
“We are disappointed that this ground-breaking decision may be appealed," said Gregg Terrence, president of Indie Pool. "One week ago, the CRTC opened the door for 20,000 Canadian independent artists with the licensing of satellite radio in Canada. Today, we are flabbergasted to learn that this landmark decision that will offer so much to our Canadian artists, will likely be appealed by…
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