By Connie Thiessen
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters blasted today’s CRTC review of commercial radio, saying it doesn’t do enough during a time when broadcasters are losing money and are having to compete against “unregulated options.”
The first commercial radio policy update since 2014, one of the review’s key changes offers greater flexibility to Common Ownership Policy. For markets with eight commercial radio stations or more operating in a given language, an individual may now be permitted to own or control as many as four stations, with a maximum of three stations within one frequency band (FM or AM) in…
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By Howard Law, former director of media locals for Unifor, who writes in mediapolicy.ca
The Australian finance minister’s overdue anniversary review of the groundbreaking News Media Bargaining Code (NMBC) gives Canadians some welcome pointers on how to think about, improve or critique our bill C-18, the “FaceGoogle” Online News Act.
The report does two things well, the first being an evaluation of how well the Australian legislation was implemented. The other is that finance minister (‘Treasurer’ in Oz lingo) Jim Chalmers unapologetically backs the code as an anti-oligopoly law and downplays using the code…
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Consultation issues have been prevalent over the years
By Ahmad Hathout
SALT SPRING ISLAND, B.C. – Innovation Canada rejected a challenge earlier this year to a tower build by Rogers Communications in Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, after residents complained about the structure and the local land trust committee initially rescinded approval for it. The latest challenge has again put the spotlight on challenges to telecom builds.
On May 31, 2021, Rogers completed a public consultation process for the proposed tower build on the island, with approval from the Salt Spring Island Land Trust Committee (SSLTC) in August of that year. But…
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Adds Competition Act is outdated
By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – Investment company Globalive Capital said yesterday that its offer to purchase Freedom Mobile from a combined Rogers-Shaw entity is still open, as it blasted the prospect of Quebecor’s Videotron acquiring Shaw’s wireless company at a discount.
“Globalive’s bid to purchase Freedom Mobile at a $900 million premium over Videotron remains open, and is a reminder that Canada has choices,” said the statement, which came on the day that the Competition Tribunal wrapped up its hearing on the evidence in Rogers’s pursuit of buying Shaw Communications. Globalive sent a letter to Innovation Canada, the competition commissioner, and…
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PETERBOROUGH – Norm Slater, who in 1993 helped found Capella Telecommunications Inc. and served as the president of the broadcast and television vendor for 23 years, passed away on Tuesday, one day short of his 69th birthday.
Slater battled pancreatic cancer over the past six years, according to Wayne Rabey, who replaced Slater as president when he retired in 2016 from the company that provides technical solutions to the broadcast, cable television and telco market.
Rabey said he passed away peacefully.
Slater spent 40 years in the industry. In 1976, he joined Cablesystems Engineering, the forerunner of Rogers Engineering, after graduating from…
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Wireless issues top the list with largest share of complaints
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – A watchdog that fields telecommunications complaints said in a report released today that Canadian complaints about their services have dropped 25% compared to the same period last year, with wireless taking the top spot for issues and with some trending issues that one advocate said are “disturbing.”
All telecommunications services recorded by the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services reported declines in complaints for the 2021-2022 year compared to the previous 2020-2021 period. The CCTS said it resolved 88% of complaints, often within 30 days.
Wireless topped issues…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications today released its financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year that ended August 31, 2022, reporting a 1.5% year-over-year (y-o-y) decline in quarterly revenue to $1.36 billion and a 1.1% y-o-y decrease in full-year revenue to $5.45 billion.
Shaw’s adjusted EBITDA increased by 1.6% to $624 million in Q4 2022 and by 1.4% to $2.53 billion in fiscal 2022, when compared to the same periods of fiscal 2021.
Funds flow from operations declined 5.3% to $487 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and fell 11.4% to $1.99 billion…
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It’s the first residual auction in four years
OTTAWA – Canada’s largest telecoms have applied to be in a sealed-bid auction held by Innovation Canada for left-over spectrum licenses.
Innovation Canada posted on its website Friday the applicants for the residual spectrum in the 600 MHz, 2500 MHz, and 3500 MHz bands, mid-band spectrum that was auctioned in the summer of last year and is used for 5G services. The slices of spectrum went unsold in previous auctions or were returned to the department.
The auction will be in a sealed bid format, meaning telecoms will submit their bids…
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By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – The CRTC should look into the existing agreements and structures in place that deal with network reliability issues before it does anything hasty, according to panelists at the Canadian Telecom Summit, after the chairman said yesterday the commission plans to hold proceedings on the matter.
During his keynote speech on the first day of the conference yesterday, CRTC Chairman Ian Scott said the regulator will be planning proceedings that could examine issues related to reporting of major network outages, including enhancing network resiliency, access to emergency services, consumer communication and compensation, and penalties on providers.
But…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Innovation Canada is searching for a contractor to examine what other jurisdictions do or wish to do in cases where telecommunications services are threatened by hazards.
The department on Friday released a contract opportunity, bids for which will close on December 5, that seeks to “evaluate the regulatory, policy, guidelines and compliance measures for telecommunications reliability from all-hazards implemented or under consideration in other similar jurisdictions to make recommendations that are suitable for the Canadian telecommunications environment,” according to a description of the requirement.
The department has already extended invites to bid on the contract, which includes…
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