OTTAWA – When the CRTC gets around to doing its delayed radio review, the satellite radio decision will be front and centre.
Following the CRTC decision released today authorizing the introduction of two satellite and one terrestrial subscription radio services in Canada, the CAB “strongly urges the CRTC to ensure for local commercial radio a fair regulatory environment in a highly competitive marketplace,” said its press release today.
“Subscription radio will compete for audiences, and consequently will have an impact on conventional radio in Canada,” said Glenn O’Farrell, president and CEO of the CAB. “The licensing of these new…
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OTTAWA – While most (including cartt.ca) concentrated on the satellite radio ruling today, the CRTC also issued a public hearing notice on 18 new category two digital specialty channel applications.
Actually, not all of them are new. Some are re-applications for licenses that were allowed to lapse since they have not yet launched since first being licensed in 2000.
And, with half of the 18 applications for French language services, it appears broadcasters are coming to believe there are now enough digital cable and satellite customers in Quebec to make business sense. When the first of the digi-nets launched…
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BANFF – Mountains, cocktails, double espressos and screenings with senators and stars, sure. But the Banff World Television Festival, as with almost every major international entertainment confab, is all about l’argent. Dollars for deals and creators hopes running as high as the bar bills at the Banff Springs Hotel.
The biggest rightnow payoff for those high hopes is the CTV Documart pitch session where a total of $100,000 worth of program development cheques is handed out to three teams of documentary pitchers. Walking away with the top prize of $50,000 Wednesday morning was Brett Gaylor, a producer at Montreal’s…
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OTTAWA – The future of one of three subscription radio services licensed Thursday by the CRTC is up in the air as the applicant considers whether it’s worth competing against the others when it feels the conditions of licence are unfair.
CHUM, with minority partner Astral, proposed to launch a terrestrial pay radio service in major Canadian cities with 50 homegrown channels. But the commission is requiring the two satellite services, SIRIUS Canada and Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. (CSR), to launch with a minimum of eight Canadian channels, with a ratio of at least one Canadian channel to every…
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TORONTO – Like the rest of the industry, more than 20,000 Canadian artists, represented by Indie Pool, are anxiously awaiting Thursday’s CRTC decision on bringing satellite radio to Canada.
Independent artists from across the country have long supported the satellite radio applicants’ bid as an opportunity to champion and promote Canadian artists both at home and abroad,” says the organization in a release.
“We have been waiting for this decision for a very long time," said Gregg Terrence, president of Indie Pool, which represents more than 20,000 independent artists across Canada. "Satellite radio technology has the potential to finally…
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TORONTO – So what’s it like going from one side to another, is what people often want to know from Janet Yale.
She spent four years as president and CEO of the CCTA (Canadian Cable Television Association ) before bolting to Telus in late summer 2003 and is now executive vice-president, corporate affairs. Yale (right) tries not to see her move from one side to another, and draws similarities between cable and telecom.
However, while each are facilities-based providers, cable and telecom are clearly at each others’ throats right…
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OTTAWA – Three of the nation’s incumbent telcos are going to the Federal Court of Appeal saying the CRTC’s win-back rule violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Bell Canada, SaskTel and Telus today officially applied to the Federal Court of Appeal challenging the "win-back rule" imposed on them by the CRTC, saying it violates their freedom of expression.
The Commission likely knew this was coming since, as reported here by www.cartt.ca, the companies had already filed that complaint with the Commission, only to be told it would be rolled into the local forbearance hearings beginning…
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BANFF – The federal government is promising better governance and more stable funding for the Canadian Television Fund and has begun addressing those needs with an announcement of $100 million worth of support to the CTF for 2006-07.
Heritage Minister Liza Frulla announced the news as part of a speedy visit to the Banff World Television Festival today.
In a speech moved back one day to Sunday, to allow the politician to be in parliament for Monday morning (never know when those pesky votes might happen…), Frulla hit four main points. First, an oft-heard pledge to secure stable funding…
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WASHINGTON – While denying a request from electronics makers and sellers to put the brakes on digital television conversion, the Federal Communications Commission went a step farther by actually speeding up the process.
On Thursday, the FCC denied an application by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Consumer Electronics Retailers Association (CERC) to delay the date by which 50% of mid-size TV receivers manufactured and imported must include built-in digital television (DTV) tuners, announced a press release.
Then, “to further its efforts to ensure that consumers are able to receive off-the-air digital broadcast television services, the FCC also…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC will release its decision on subscription radio on June 16th at 4 p.m.
Applicants include two satellite radio companies. One is U.S. company XM Satellite led by Canadian entrepreneur John Bitove. The XM Canada group also includes investor Corus Radio and others such as Golden West and Rawlco Radio. The other satellite application is SIRIUS Satellite Radio with Canadian partners Standard Radio and the CBC.
CHUM Limited, with Astral Media as a minority partner, have applied for a digital terrestrial subscription radio license.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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