TORONTO – Mobilicity is encouraging the government to follow the lead of the United States and implement a “spectrum screen” to limit spectrum holdings and hoarding during the pending 700 MHz auction.
In a letter sent last week to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Industry Minister Christian Paradis, Mobilicity executive chairman John Bitove detailed the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to apply a spectrum screen in order to help block the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger out of concern that one carrier would hold too much spectrum. The letter also laid out the differences between such a screen, which ensures a carrier’s holdings…
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OTTAWA – The biggest challenge the Canadian broadcasting industry is facing is a subset of distributors who are seeking lower rates for specialty services, Kevin Crull, president of Bell Media, told the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time 2012 conference in Ottawa on Friday morning.
Crull spoke about this issue and other challenges Bell Media is facing in a interview style session with former CTV president, former head of CBC News and current professor, MBA program in arts and media administration, Schulich School of Business, Trina McQueen. Crull said this issue is more important than the group licensing regime…
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TORONTO – John Maduri finds the claims being made by Canada’s wireless companies that they need access to 700 MHz wireless spectrum in order to deliver wireless broadband to rural Canadians to be nothing short of a “myth.”
Maduri runs a company, Xplornet, which has long made its living serving many thousands of customers who live and work nowhere near a high-rise. With a combination of fixed wireless and satellite service – and hundreds of millions of dollars invested – Xplornet is serving rural folks just fine, thanks, Maduri said in an interview with Cartt.ca. It’s…
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OTTAWA – The success of independent producers under the CRTC’s group licensing regime (GLR) will be tied to that of the broadcasters, the Canadian Media Production Association’s Prime Time 2012 heard this morning.
Peter Grant, counsel at McCarthy Tetrault, presented findings of a short paper examining the impact of GLR on indie producers that show under this new regime a substantial increase in money will become available for Canadian programming. He said that money available will jump from $290 million in 2012 to approximately $329 million in 2016. What’s also evident is that programs of national interest (PNI) will make…
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OTTAWA – The country’s national do not call list could run out of money by the end of March unless the CRTC and Industry Canada can establish long-term funding to continue investigating telemarketing complaints and enforcing compliance.
According to the Commission’s quarterly financial report for the period ended December 31, 2011, the lack of long-term funding for the DNCL continues to be “a challenge for workforce stability and staff retention”, and “failure to obtain additional funding beyond 2011?12 will put the continued operation of this activity at risk”.
To date, the CRTC’s investigation and enforcement activities have been funded by interim…
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OTTAWA – Canadian producers stand to reap huge gains from the “videofication” of the Internet – the ever-increasing time spent by consumers watching video content on-line – which is generating increased demand for professionally produced original content specifically made for an online audience. However, that content could also challenge the business models of the traditional television industry, according to a new report by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA).
The report, Content Everywhere: Mapping the Digital Future for the Canadian Production Industry, also examines how major U.S.-based content aggregators like YouTube, Yahoo and Hulu are making significant investments in original,…
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OTTAWA – The federal government could make or break a positive Internet experience for Canadians, Michael Geist, University of Ottawa law professor and Canada Research Chair in Internet law and e-commerce, said at an event in Ottawa yesterday.
Geist was speaking at the Canadian Internet Registration Authority’s (CIRA) Canadian Internet Forum 2012 where he noted that the federal government has tabled a number of pieces of legislation that could greatly affect how Canadians interact with the Internet in the future. Saying that the House of Commons is where “The Other Internet Forum” is taking place, Geist pointed to legislation on…
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TORONTO – Wind Mobile made a final appeal to Industry Canada and the federal government to set aside a portion of the 700 MHz spectrum for exclusive bidding by new wireless entrants. The rules for the pending auction are expected to be announced shortly.
In a statement on Friday, CEO Anthony Lacavera said that the idea of spectrum caps, which was proposed by Telus, will not only shut investors out of the pending spectrum auction, buts it puts the ‘Big Three’ incumbents interests ahead of consumer interests.
“If Minister Paradis makes a decision to announce ‘caps’ over ‘set aside’…
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MONTREAL – One of the most influential figures in Canadian media history, Pierre Juneau, died yesterday in Montreal. He was 89.
A staunch backer of Canadian content on the airwaves, Juneau held three of the most important cultural positions in the country during his long and distinguished career. First, at the National Film Board, he created the French language arm of the organization and is recognized in Quebec as playing a central role in the development of French filmmaking in Canada. Back when TV didn’t exist much (let alone any other form of transmission) Juneau first toured Europe showcasing Canadian…
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TORONTO – CTAM Canada is reminding members they have only one week remaining to submit their applications for the prestigious Executive Management Program (CTAM-U) at the Harvard Business School.
Registration is easy and any CTAM Canada Chapter member may apply. You must:
• Complete the registration form
• Write a 400 word essay on the following topic: "How can BDUs and programmers work together to utilize social media to enhance customer engagement and the value proposition of a video subscription?
• Provide a letter…
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