KANATA, ON – The existing CRTC should be split into separate broadcasting and telecommunications regulators to help alleviate any perception of bias on the part of the Regulator, says a proposal by Internet Society Canada Chapter (ISOC Canada).
This was just one of eight recommendations made by the Ottawa-area organization, chaired by former CRTC commissioner Timothy Denton, in a proposal addressed to Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly and ISED Minister Navdeep Bains as part of the Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications Act review.
“The Internet has separated content and carriage and it is time for the regulation of same to follow”, reads the…
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OTTAWA – On Tuesday morning, the federal government will name former Telesat and Telus executive Ian Scott as chairman of the CRTC, Cartt.ca has learned. (Scott is pictured in a screen cap from cpac.ca during 2016's basic services objective hearing.)
As well, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada legal counsel Caroline Simard will be named vice-chair, broadcasting. Both will assume their new duties and begin their five-year terms in September.
CRTC senior legal counsel Christianne Laizner will also be named interim vice-chair telecom, effective immediately, filling the slot left open by Peter Menzies’ departure last week to…
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JAMAIS DEPUIS 50 ANS, les décisions du CRTC furent aussi âprement contestées. Au cours des deux derniers mois, pas moins de cinq appels devant le Cabinet fédéral ont été déposées, demandant l’annulation de décisions prises par le président sortant, Jean‑Pierre Blais. Il n’y a aucun précédent dans l’histoire pour une telle avalanche d’appels devant le Cabinet et d’un tel degré d’exaspération.
Au cours des derniers jours, Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), et Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) ont conjointement présenté un appel de la décision sur le renouvellement des licences des…
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NEVER OVER THE LAST 50 years have the CRTC’s decisions been as hotly contested. Over the last two months, no fewer than five appeals to federal Cabinet have been launched, requesting the cancellation of decisions made by the departed chair of the Commission, Jean-Pierre Blais. There is no precedent in the history of the CRTC for such an avalanche of Cabinet appeals and such a degree of general exasperation.
Over the last few days, the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) have jointly appealed…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has tweaked the disconnection practices between telecommunications service providers (TSPs) in an effort to mitigate the impact of potential disconnections on Canadian end-customers.
The Commission said Thursday that TSPs must, as a condition of offering and providing any telecommunications services, notify both it and end-customers at least four business days in advance of any disconnection of services by an underlying Canadian carrier or a non-carrier that the service provider relies on to provide services to end-customers.
In addition, TRP CRTC 2017-235 directed service providers to use the CRTC’s informal and formal dispute resolution services, as appropriate,…
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GATINEAU – Some of the project evaluation and eligibility criteria proposed by the CRTC for its new broadband deployment fund must be altered or it risks repeating the deferral account fiasco, according to comments on a new broadband funding regime.
Introduced as part of the Basic Service Objective decision last year, the proposed funding model would provide much needed capital to broadband deployment projects in unserved and underserved communities across the country. It also set a new standard called the Universal Service Objective (USO) with a minimum requirement of 50/10 Mbps.
In comments to Telecom Notice of…
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TORONTO – TNW Wireless is asking the CRTC to compel Bell and Telus to provide it with wholesale roaming agreements in order to further the rollout of its proprietary iPCS technology that it says will offer Canadians a new low cost mobile service.
The company says that Bell and Telus have refused to sign roaming agreements with it, contrary to the Commission’s regulatory framework for wholesale mobile wireless services, because the two big incumbents “believe TNW will allow permanent roaming on their respective networks”. But that is not the case, continued TNW, which has also asked the CRTC to rule…
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Creator community shares deep concerns about “devastating effects” of decisions
OTTAWA – Canada’s independent producers, performers and directors have petitioned Heritage Minister Joly to either set aside, or refer back, the CRTC’s group licence renewal decisions for large television broadcasters released last month.
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) submitted a joint petition to the Minister Thursday, underscoring their shared concerns about the Commission’s decision to lower the amount that Bell Media, Rogers Media and Corus Entertainment must spend on Programs of National Interest…
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TORONTO – The Writers Guild of Canada is appealing to Cabinet to reject the CRTC’s “potentially disastrous” broadcast policy changes and licence renewals announced last month.
WGC said Tuesday that that the Commission’s decision to reduce Bell Media’s and Corus Entertainment’s minimum spending requirements on programs of national interest (PNI) have “created deep concern in the Canadian screenwriting community” because they cut private broadcaster funding to Canadian programs by 40% which the Guild says could lead to over $200 million in reduced broadcaster spending on Canadian shows over a five-year licence term.
“We appeal to Heritage Minister Mélanie…
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GATINEAU – In an email to staff this morning, the CRTC’s vice-chair, telecommunications Peter Menzies announced he is resigning as of July 15th, 2017.
After a career in publishing, Menzies was appointed as a part-time CRTC commissioner in 2007, and would later become the full-time Alberta/NWT commissioner. He was appointed vice-chair telecom in 2013. His term was only to officially expire in June 2018 and Menzies has told staff he is leaving to pursue another opportunity, which he has not yet named.
“Seventeen commissioners, four chairpersons, four vice chairs, six ministers, 50 (appearing) public hearings, billions of dollars distributed and fought…
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