By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Bell is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to review whether the CRTC was allowed to automatically renew its broadcasting licences without notice or consultation.
The CRTC approved all of the broadcaster’s 66 television and specialty channel licences until August 2026 on an administrative renewal basis. But Bell still had an outstanding appeal in the form of Part 1 applications to the CRTC asking it to reduce the regulatory burdens on it because the financial climate for broadcasters has changed from when the licences were last renewed for a five-year term in 2017.
“There…
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Regulator credits Quebecor for lowering prices in market
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Quebecor will need to use the rate proposed by Bell for access to the telco’s national wireless network, the CRTC ruled Tuesday.
The regulator selected Bell’s price per gigabyte of data after the two parties could not on their own agree to commercial terms for access by Quebecor’s mobile virtual network operator business to Bell’s national wireless network.
“That rate best meets the evaluation criteria, and will promote competition, affordability, and continued investment by both companies in their networks,” the regulator said in a statement.
“With access to larger networks, regional…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Representatives from the country’s largest independent internet service provider spoke directly with CRTC chair Vicky Eatrides in February about acquisitions that have swept the industry in recent months, according to documents obtained by Cartt.
Andy Kaplan-Myrth, TekSavvy’s vice president of regulatory and carrier affairs, sat down with the head of the regulator to talk about an “overview of market conditions for retail internet services,” including “observed pricing trends,” and a discussion “regarding the recent acquisitions in the market,” according to an outline of the morning meeting held on February 15 and obtained via access to information…
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MONTREAL – Freedom Mobile’s newest ad spots — in which Freedom spokesperson Canadian actor Will Arnett is humorously replaced by a lower-paid, not-exactly-lookalike actor — is the first campaign Quebecor’s collaborative marketing agency Qolab has developed for the wireless provider, Qolab announced last week.
Freedom Mobile was acquired by Quebecor’s Videotron in April and the new ad campaign, running under the banner “Bigger, Better, Faster Than Ever,” has been appearing on TV, web, social media, print and out-of-home platforms since August.
Capitalizing on Arnett’s popularity, “Qolab offers up an entertaining campaign in which the popular…
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OTTAWA – The Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) announced Tuesday a number of changes to its board of directors that include long-time board member Jim Deane assuming the role of chair.
Until his retirement from Regina-based Access Communications earlier this year, Deane had served as Access CEO since 2000. He has been a CPAC director for more than 20 years “and brings a wealth of institutional knowledge to the role” of board chair, says a press release announcing CPAC’s board changes.
Pam Dinsmore, vice-president of regulatory for cable at Rogers Communications, is joining the CPAC…
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TORONTO – Kids’ and family entertainment company WildBrain and toy company Mattel, owner of several children’s entertainment franchises, announced Tuesday they have greenlighted new seasons of kids’ shows Fireman Sam and Polly Pocket, based on the popular Mattel brands.
WildBrain also announced it has secured several new international distribution deals for previous seasons of both shows, plus new distribution deals for Mattel titles Bob the Builder and Little People.
“The new greenlights and distribution deals are part of a multi-year co-development, production, distribution and licensing agreement between Mattel and WildBrain,” a press release explains.
Season 16 of Fireman Sam, scheduled to…
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MONTREAL – Quebecor Media’s TVA Group announced Monday the appointment of Patrick Jutras as president of MELS, its film and television production services division, effective Oct. 2.
Jutras will be tasked with accelerating MELS’s growth and strengthening its business relationships, both locally and internationally, to attract even more major productions to its studios and postproduction service facilities, says a press release announcing his appointment.
His new responsibilities will be in addition to those he has held since 2019 as chief advertising officer of Quebecor Media and TVA Group, the release explains.
With…
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MONTREAL – Quebecor subsidiary Videotron announced Tuesday it has almost completed the projects it was awarded under the Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed funding program, and will soon be able to offer Videotron’s full range of services to more than 37,000 additional households in 259 municipalities across Quebec.
“This major achievement by Videotron crews gives thousands of households in outlying regions access to services of the same quality as those offered in major urban centres, at the same price,” Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor, said in a press release.
“Our…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC rejected Monday an application by Quebecor to force the legacy telephone companies to refund amounts collected and impose a pay-per-use system as they work to fully implement the next-generation 911 network.
Quebecor said in the application filed in December that it’s not fair for providers like itself to simultaneously pay for both the existing 911 and future next-generation network – which will include the capacity to handle audiovisual information from distressed callers. It asked the CRTC to refund the fees paid toward the NG 911 network development – expected to fully replace the…
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Cogeco hopes for mobile wireless launch by this time next year
By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri said Tuesday that Freedom’s competitive mobile wireless offers ahead of the back-to-school season didn’t have a “material impact” on its market share in Ontario.
“They launched a few, I would say, price points didn’t have a material impact on the market, frankly,” Staffieri said during the BMO telecom conference.
“So one of the things we’ve gotten a lot better at is to let the competition do their thing, we’ll do our…
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