Commission should also call Quebec government on the carpet
TORONTO – The CRTC should bring back informal closed door meetings with the industry to improve the regulator's knowledge, cool down temperatures at formal hearings and allow some things to be said that are avoided in open hearings, said Mirko Bibic, Bell Canada’s chief legal and regulatory officer.
He made the suggestion Tuesday during the annual regulatory blockbuster panel at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto, a session where provocative and entertaining arguments are often made.
“The (hearing) process has become ‘overly judicialized’,” Bibic (pictured, right, with PIAC's John Lawford) said. “I think…
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MONCTON – Rogers is taking its Ignite Gigabit and Ignite for business Gigabit Internet services east, launching Tuesday in the Greater Moncton area.
The company said that it will continue to expand Ignite Gigabit service across New Brunswick before launching in Newfoundland in the coming months.
"Rogers Ignite Gigabit Internet is ideal for these connected households with multiple devices – at top speeds, customers can download an HD movie in less than 30 seconds, a full album in less than one second, and a game in about five minutes," said Kelly Atkinson, Rogers’ EVP of residential services, in the news release. "Customers…
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TORONTO – The big story out of the recent Los Angeles Screenings, as reported by Cartt.ca, was Canadian broadcasters are now horse-trading for new American shows against Netflix as video streaming continues to transform TV.
The result had the Canadians paying more to their Hollywood suppliers for digital rights as they continue to fend off the streaming giant. However, the way top Rogers Media execs tell it, Netflix didn't out-muscle or out-fox the Canadians in Los Angeles.
If anything, Netflix is moving to embrace their network TV model.
"Netflix was looking to diversity from SVOD and looking to get into day-and-date. And…
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GATINEAU – The basic service objective (BSO) hearing changed mid-stream when CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais made the unprecedented move of delivering a statement declaring broadband “vital” to Canadians. After that, a National Broadband Strategy (NBS) – what should it look like, how do we get there and the role for the Commission – became a huge part of the discussions.
In his April 18 address to the hearing, he asked parties to think about these and other issues related to an NBS and present potential policies.
When Rogers Communications appeared before the commission in April, it raised the concept of a…
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GATNIEAU – Many broadband Internet providers say the CRTC must refrain from adopting new funding mechanisms for the deployment of high-speed networks to under-served and unserved areas of the country and let the market play it out.
In final submissions to the basic service objective (BSO) proceeding, providers are nearly unanimous in arguing that the current approach of market forces and targeted government funding is working. They say 96% of Canadians already have access to a minimum 5/1 Mbps (downstream/upstream) service and that figure will jump to 98% once the final round of Connecting Canadians funding is spent.
For Bell Canada,…
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TORONTO – Canadian broadcasters have returned from the Los Angeles Screenings, where they were wrong-footed by Netflix snatching must-have U.S. series from under their noses for the first time.
"With Netflix in the mix, license fees went through the roof as it brought blank checks to the table and went in to buy world rights," one U.S. studio seller privately told Cartt.ca on the weekend. "Anybody selling anything just has to do one-stop shopping," they added.
Another studio executive told Cartt.ca on condition of anonymity that post-broadcast rights fees (i.e. the ability to stream shows on the likes of CraveTV, shomi…
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OTTAWA – Bell is third big wireless provider to reach an agreement with the Competition Bureau to credit or refund its customers who were charged for premium text messages that they had been led to believe were free.
The Bureau said Friday that Bell will issue rebates of up to $11.82 million to select current and former wireless customers after it concluded that the company made, or permitted to be made, false or misleading representations in advertisements for premium text messages, including trivia questions and ringtones, in pop-up ads, web pages and on social media.
The rebates will be issued to certain…
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EDMONTON – The Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta today granted Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc. and Allarco Entertainment Limited Partnership (which does business as Super Channel) protection from its creditors under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA).
The initial period is for 30 days, to expire on June 25, 2016, subject to extensions, if granted by the Court. According to court documents, the company owes $115.7 million to various creditors, including the likes of Twentieth Century Fox, Starz and Warner Bros. for content airing on the pay TV service.
The company, which operates as the Super Channel TV brand in Canada,…
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The story of a mostly unwanted TV package implemented clumsily and reported on thoughtlessly
MY 80-YEAR OLD MOTHER-IN-LAW now pays $24.99 a month for her cable TV. That’s her monthly price. No other fees. No add-ons except HST. It is the skinny basic package. She’s glad to have it.
She is a Rogers customer in Hamilton who only really wants to watch CHCH and The Weather Network. This package is perfect for her.
How did I secure such a price while apparently all Canadians can’t figure out this new package and are outraged by the additional charges that can be applied that…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s Bravo has unveiled a slate of new and returning dramas as it preps for a month-long free preview starting June 1st.
The new shows include crime drama Animal Kingdom which debuts June 14 with a two-hour premier, mystery series Guilt on June 21, as well as the return of its original series 19-2 (pictured) on June 20. Cult favourite Pretty Little Liars also debuts on Bravo starting June 21.
The Bravo Freeview will run June 1 – 30 on over 30 TV service providers across Canada, including Bell, Rogers, Eastlink, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Cogeco, Telus, Sasktel, Tbaytel, Videotron,…
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