By Howard Law, author of Canada vs. California, and MediaPolicy.ca
Last week the CRTC released its anticipated “Phase One” ruling on the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11. The headline was the $200 million price tag put on Canadian content contributions assessed by the commission on large foreign online audio and audio-visual streamers operating in Canada.
Following the commission’s decision, many industry players and public policy commentators were quick to declare victory or disaster, something we can expect in a regulatory drama that never quits.
This drama is chronicled in my book, Canada vs California: How…
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Bell Canada announced Tuesday its intention to sell its subsidiary Northwestel to Sixty North Unity, a consortium of indigenous organizations from the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, in a transaction worth up to $1 billion in cash.
The deal will see Northwestel become fully indigenous-owned, making it the largest telecommunications company worldwide with full indigenous ownership, a Bell press release says.
The strategic transaction will create more opportunities for investment and ownership in critical infrastructure and communications projects for northern indigenous communities, the release says. In addition, the acquisition “will provide Indigenous communities with greater access to…
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SaskTel, Samsung Canada and provincial agency Innovation Saskatchewan announced Tuesday the launch of Saskatchewan’s first-ever 5G innovation labs.
Named the SaskTel 5G Innovation Lab – powered by Samsung, these new labs are designed and equipped to provide local businesses, university students, researchers and other innovators with tools and facilities “to unlock the full potential of 5G technology and develop innovative solutions that will shape the future of communication and connectivity across Saskatchewan,” a SaskTel press release says.
The 5G Innovation Labs are located at the Collider co-working spaces in Saskatoon and Regina, part of the Innovation Place research…
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Bell Media and Corus to lose trademark licensing rights for several channels
By Linda Stuart
Rogers Communications on Monday announced multi-year deals with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery for the licensing rights to several TV channels and content currently held by Bell Media and Corus Entertainment.
Starting this September, Rogers will launch NBCUniversal’s Bravo channel in Canada, and will become the English-language television content rights holder in Canada, featuring unscripted programming that will include new seasons of Bravo’s hit franchise series, a Rogers press release says. The deal also includes content rights to new Bravo series, a Rogers spokesperson…
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By Ahmad Hathout
If the CRTC raises the revenue threshold for contributions to the regulator’s administration of telecom matters, it will effectively concentrate the burden on fewer providers, which is the opposite of what it has been trying to do with changes to broadcasting fees that an application to raise the threshold is partially relying upon, Bell argues.
The Independent Telecommunications Providers Association filed a Part 1 application in late April calling for the increase in the revenue threshold from $10 million to $25 million to contribute to the CRTC’s administration of the telecom regime, with an annual…
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The CRTC last week asked the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee’s (CISC) Emergency Services Working Group (ESWG) to provide recommendations to ensure 911 calls routed to intermediary call centres are handled in the caller’s preferred official language.
The request stems from incidents reported in January in which 911 calls from francophone residents of Quebec were routed to Sudbury-based intermediary call centre Northern911 and answered in English.
In a May 31 letter to Ryan Anstey of the CISC’s ESWG, the CRTC’s executive director of telecommunications, Leila Wright, says the commission is concerned about the reported events.
“Canadians need…
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The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) announced Monday the 2024 Indiescreen Awards will be handed out at the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) in Halifax this September.
Presented in partnership with Telefilm Canada, the Indiescreen Awards recognize excellence in Canadian independent feature film production.
Applications will open on Tuesday, June 4, for the Established Producer award, which includes a $20,000 prize, and the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer award, which includes a $10,000 prize. Eligibility criteria and other application information will be available on the Indiescreen Awards webpage at 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday. The deadline…
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Global studios and streamers have been the driving force behind the expansion of the Canadian audiovisual production sector, with global production fuelling employment at a rate three times higher than that of domestic production over the 2012-2022 period, according to a new report from KPMG commissioned by the Motion Picture Association – Canada (MPA-Canada).
Using data from a May 2023 report from the Canadian Media Producers Association, the KPMG report notes foreign location and service (FLS) productions in 2022 accounted for more than half (57 per cent) of total film, television and streaming production…
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By Catherine Tait, president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada
In 2022, CBC/Radio-Canada asked hundreds of people with disabilities: If you had a magic wand to make accessibility barriers disappear in one area, which one would it be?
Employment? Built environment? Transportation? Any of the other seven priority areas in the Accessible Canada Act to make Canada barrier-free by 2040?
The answer? None of the above.
Canadians living with disabilities said that attitudes were the greatest barrier they face to full and equal participation in society. Few people understand what life is like with a disability, and many hold incorrect assumptions…
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Cogeco announced Wednesday a new organizational structure combining the commercial, operational and technical functions of its Canadian telecommunications business Cogeco Connexion and its U.S. telecom business Breezeline into a single North American organization.
Cogeco said in a press release the streamlined structure “will enable the creation of strong cross-border centers of expertise in key strategic areas such as digital, advanced analytics, and technology.” In addition, it “will also accelerate the deployment of top talent and best practices across the organization and will facilitate the harmonization of systems and platforms,” Cogeco said.
“We identified…
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