TORONTO – Representatives from the film, television and digital media sectors and their union representatives gathered today at Queen's Park to support a private member's bill that would ensure disputes arising from their collective agreements can be resolved at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The bill was introduced by Peter Tabuns, NDP MPP for Toronto Danforth.
Currently, producers and unions can end up in prolonged court arguments debating jurisdiction rather than just settling the dispute.
"When this bill becomes law, producers and unions alike will have a fair and legally-binding dispute resolution mechanism to see…
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WHILE CONCEDING THAT THE various accusations and complaints levelled against it over the past weeks and months show a high level of “competitive and financial tension” evident in the Canadian TV business nowadays, Bell Canada told the CRTC Friday that this tension should not impact the approval of its purchase of Astral Media.
In its final written reply to the CRTC hearing into the purchase, Bell Canada insisted its decision to buy Astral Media and all of its radio stations, TV properties and other assets is in the public interest and that only by owning the…
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OTTAWA – After years of delay, will this be the venue where the government finally provides details about its digital economy blueprint for the country? Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture), will provide the closing keynote address at the 2012 International Institute of Communications (IIC) Canada Conference, Innovation, Investment and Infrastructure, on October 30th.
In late August Paradis spoke at the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto where he once again promoted the importance of the digital economy, but provided scant details on what the government’s upcoming digital economy strategy will…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC has told Canada’s wireless companies that their collective inaction when it comes to the loss or theft of customer handsets – and the personal data those mobiles contain – will not be tolerated.
Back in the summer, the Commission sent a letter to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association asking what the group and its members (which include all Canadian wireless carriers, big and small) are doing to keep track of lost or stolen mobile phones and help their customers who are impacted. In most other jurisdictions around the world, a central database has been created so…
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TORONTO – Bill Roberts, a 12-year broadcast veteran who built VisionTV into a specialty channel that reached 10 million Canadian homes and was head of S-VOX and most recently ZoomerMedia (TV), is calling it quits effective October 31, 2012.
During Roberts’ tenure he shaped VisionTV into Canada’s preeminent multi-faith and multicultural broadcaster. Seen in over 10 million households across Canada, VisionTV presents inspirational, insightful and original programming that celebrates diversity and promotes understanding among people of different faiths and cultures. Under Roberts’ leadership, VisionTV has grown to be among Canada’s top 25 specialty channels in…
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MONTREAL – Some 55 years and 40 acquisitions later, Cogeco’s growth from $20 million to $1.5 billion in projected annual revenues stems from focusing on the future, while providing customers the best services and support each day says the company president and CEO. Louis Audet made the remarks last Wednesday to the Canadian Club of Montréal at the Hôtel Delta Montréal, where he also revealed the company’s ambitious data hosting strategy and explained why its controversial decision to purchase Atlantic Broadband remains a “terrific opportunity.”
Audet calls Cogeco’s video, Internet and telephony services that cover more than 1.6 million…
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OTTAWA – Just days after announcing it would ensure its rural customers continued access to high-speed Internet, the federal government has intervened by deploying more spectrum and granting SaskTel a second extension to find a better solution.
SaskTel’s 8,000 customers have relied on a system of towers that were to be discontinued at the end of this year due to broadband spectrum allocation changes being implemented by Industry Canada. The Crown Utility’s original proposal earlier this week to have customers choose from SaskTel High Throughput Satellite (HTS) Internet Service or a 4G Mobile Internet Stick service plan was met…
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MONTREAL – Pledging to help improve the sustainability of Canada’s healthcare system, Telus has launched TelusHealth.com, an online hub that provides professionals with resources, tools and technology to help improve health outcomes.
The healthcare hub features Telus Health products and services and offers customers smart healthcare solutions and other resources designed to help health professionals improve both health outcomes for patients and Canadian healthcare in general.
The new online hub will provide:
– Solutions and services information such as eClaims, personal health records and home care monitoring are easy to access and understand…
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OTTAWA – Beginning October 15th visitors to CPAC’s new online digital archive can travel back in time to relive Canada’s most famous political battles and landmark commissions.
As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations, the Cable Public Affairs Channel will be launching The CPAC Digital Archive: Rewinding the Public Record. It will house thousands of hours of prime political programming, from the proceedings of the House of Commons to the inquiries that made the headlines, all available online.
“The cable industry has proudly owned and invested in CPAC for two decades,” says Ken Stein, Chair of CPAC’s…
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ST. JOHN’S – Cutbacks, concentration of ownership, reimagining public media, and even the cable bill of president and CEO Hubert Lacroix were all up for discussion at CBC’s 4th annual public meeting. Ahead of its CRTC renewal hearing scheduled for November 19, executives also called for a regulatory framework that will enable the public broadcaster to maintain a presence “no matter what degree of industry consolidation may happen, or how fast technology and demographics might evolve.”
But before they got to the CBC’s numbers, Lacroix, whose future at the CBC remains unclear as…
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