With nearly three decades of communications policy and regulatory experience under his belt, Ian Scott has quite a bit to say as he leaves his CRTC leadership post today. Listen in as Scott asserts his “vision” for the commission and what it truly means to serve the public interest.
Scott doesn’t hold back on accomplishments, such as narrowing the digital divide, consensus building, and the biggest challenges faced on the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications fronts since 2017.
Scott, never a media-hound, is blunt and frank when addressing criticisms of his tenure. This is a no-holds-barred conversation that includes a few personal…
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OTTAWA — Former CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein was appointed last week to the Order of Canada, announced the Governor General of Canada.
He was recognized for “his distinguished and multifaceted career in law and federal public service,” which includes being the chair of the CRTC from 2007 to 2012.
He is listed on his LinkedIn page as an arbitrator for mediation firm JAMS.
A lawyer by training, von Finckenstein was a judge on the Federal Court from 2003 to 2007, commissioner of competition from 1997 to 2003, and before that assistant deputy attorney general in the Justice Department,…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Bell on Wednesday filed a Part 1 application asking the CRTC to strike a decision it made this month that would allow the regulator to collect millions more dollars for a $750-million Broadband Fund that allegedly has yet to distribute the majority of existing funds it has.
The CRTC said in a 2022 revenue-percent charge decision on December 15 that it will collect from service providers $150 million next year for the fund intended to connect more underserved areas with high-speed internet. Increasing amounts of money for the fund is collected on an…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA — The Attorney General of Canada has told the Federal Court of Appeal that it intends to file an application for the court to hear its arguments against a decision by the CRTC forcing CBC/Radio-Canada to apologize for a program’s use of the slur, saying the regulator was not in its statutory right to do so.
Last month the public broadcaster appealed the June 29 decision, stating in arguments filed to the court that the CRTC had no jurisdiction under Section 3 of the Broadcasting Act and failed to take into consideration Charter values…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC said today it has selected the wholesale rate proposed by WildBrain for Rogers to carry its discretionary channels.
“With regards to rates paid by non-Rogers BDUs for the Services, the Commission considers that both offers are competitive,” the commission said in its decision. “Factoring in the ownership composition of the market for Canadian linear youth and children’s services and the Commission’s related public policy objectives, the Commission finds that WildBrain’s offer better reflects the Service’s relative market value.”
Rogers filed an application this summer for the commission to initiate a final offer arbitration process after the two…
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Note: This story has been updated on Tuesday morning with comments from the Competitive Network Operators of Canada and former CRTC Chairman Konrad von Finckenstein
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA — Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced today the appointment of lawyer Vicky Eatrides as chairwoman of the CRTC for five years, effective January 5.
Eatrides will replace outgoing chairman Ian Scott, who leaves the post on January 4.
Eatrides is a lawyer who has worked since 2005 in various federal positions, including for the Competition Bureau, Natural Resources Canada, and Innovation Canada. Over a 12-year period at the Competition Bureau, she held senior positions…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Videotron parent Quebecor has filed a Part 1 application to the CRTC arguing that it is unfair that Bell can charge fees for both the existing 9-1-1 system and the next generation emergency system at the same time.
The cable company must pay a monthly rate to Bell – which is responsible for the operation of 9-1-1 networks – to connect it with emergency services. But because Canada is transitioning to an internet-based system in which distressed callers can send videos, photos and medical information to first responders, the CRTC has ordered that ISPs also pay…
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Regional carriers say no conflict with ISED’s spectrum licensing rules
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The CRTC’s decision last spring to mandate seamless roaming between networks should be struck down because the technical configurations of such a requirement falls exclusively in the domain of the Radiocommunications Act administered by Innovation Canada (ISED), the large telecoms argued today.
The regulator’s April 2021 decision, which broadly mandated wholesale access by regional players to the large wireless networks, also included the requirement that the host network ensure that calls are not dropped when the user on one network is switched to another when roaming. It…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Canada’s largest telecoms argued before the Federal Court of Appeal today that the CRTC was wrong when it ruled in its mobile wireless review last year that it did not have jurisdiction to address issues related to wireless access to municipal infrastructure.
The case stems from an August 2021 appeal by Telus against parts of the CRTC’s wireless review decision, which approved mandatory wholesale access to the large networks by regional service providers with facilities and spectrum.
But in the CRTC’s April 2021 decision, it also refused to wade into the issue of wireless…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – The Senate transportation and communications committee pushed forth more amendments on the last leg of its clause-by-clause review of the Online Streaming Act, approving an age verification requirement for explicit material on the internet.
“Online undertakings shall implement methods such as age verification…to prevent children from accessing programs on the Internet that are devoted to depicting, for a sexual purpose, explicit sexual activity,” according to a committee-approved amendment this week.
Bill C-11 would give the CRTC the power to further regulate digital platforms, so platforms will be subject to scrutiny to implement those measures.
Other amendments adopted by…
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