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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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC released its annual look at the financial performance of the broadcast distribution undertaking sector (cable and satellite) today.
Using its traditional August 31st year-end the figures are from the 2004 broadcast year ending that day. Overall, there was a good increase in the revenues of Canadian BDUs, except among the small, few fixed wireless TV providers, which continue to fare poorly.
Revenues for the cable industry saw an increase of 9.4% in one year, going from close to $4.2 billion in 2003 to more than $4.5 billion in 2004. This growth is consistent with the…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian-content-advocate side of the creative industry issued a press release this morning saying they are appealing the CRTC’s satellite radio decision to federal cabinet.
“The coalition is seeking an early opportunity to brief the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the opposition critics. A similar initiative is being announced today in Montreal by a coalition of francophone cultural organizations,” said the release.
The organizations who make up the appealing coalition are: 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…
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OTTAWA – "Disparaging, insulting and abusive," is how the CRTC described comments made by radio host Doc Mailloux during two broadcasts in September of 2003 and February of 2004 on Montreal talk radio station CKAC AM 730.
CKAC was owned by Astral Media at the time, but has since been purchased by Corus Entertainment.
Usually, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council handles complaints about Canadian broadcasters and the offensive stuff they sometimes say and show on air, but this time, the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) wanted the Commission to deal with statements Mailloux made on air that…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC today approved four new FM radio stations for the national capital region today.
The winners are: * Newfoundland Capital Corporation, for an English-language alternative rock station at 88.5 FM, with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 5,200 watts, (to go with its existing pop station Hot 89-9). * Newcomer CKMW Radio Ltd. (Evanov), for an English easy-listening station at 98.5 FM, with an effective radiated power of 2,961 watts. * Radio Nord Communications, for a French-language pop/rock/urban station at 96.5 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,750 watts. * 3077457 Nova Scotia Limited,…
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