OTTAWA – Canada needs a stable regulatory environment to support investment in digital networks, argued Robert Ghiz (above), president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), during his keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference yesterday.
Ghiz pointed out how during the pandemic, when suddenly people became more reliant on the Internet and mobile communications, there was concern about “whether our digital networks would buckle under the strain.” This did not happen – “Canada’s digital networks rose to the occasion,” he said.
Ghiz attributed this to Canadian network operators having “invested heavily and consistently” in…
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TORONTO — During a virtual celebration last night, Rogers Communications awarded Ted Rogers Scholarships to 350 Canadian youth graduating high school to support them in their post-secondary education and in recognition of their community leadership and volunteerism.
“We are proud to invest in these hard-working and dedicated young Canadians whose ideas and education will continue to strengthen our country for years to come,” said Tony Staffieri, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, in a press release.
“Rogers is committed to helping youth, particularly those from equity-deserving and underserved communities, to discover and reach their highest potential by helping to remove financial…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In a keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications’ annual conference in Ottawa on May 16, Pierre-Karl Péladeau, CEO of Québecor, in his usual frank manner urged Parliament to pass Bill C-11 and Bill C-18. As well, he wants to see more competition in wireless. (Péladeau gave his speech in a combination of English and French.)
Wireless
“Our legislative and regulatory system has to ensure a healthy competition in the market, to benefit consumers but also to ensure the perennity of the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems,” he said.
Péladeau mentioned the Competition Bureau indicated…
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OTTAWA – Conservative critic John Nater (above) called into question the CRTC’s ability to effectively fulfill the responsibilities that would be handed to it by Bill C-18, the Online News Act, during second reading of the bill, which began today in the House of Commons.
Nater more specifically asked why the Commission was selected “to enforce and oversee the act when the CRTC does not have a history or experience in regulating online platforms.”
The Conservative critic further questioned the Commission’s suitability for the role by pointing to its chair Ian Scott’s “clear lack of judgement” when meeting Bell…
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CEO says they are looking with “increasing favour” on expanding their wireless business
MONTREAL – Quebecor today reported its first quarter 2022 financial results, showing revenues fell by 0.3% to $1.1 billion, compared to the first quarter of 2021.
Adjusted EBITDA was also down, with the company reporting it decreased by 2.3% to $442.1 million.
Quebecor’s telecommunications segment reported revenues declined to $903.4 million in Q1 2022, compared to $914 million in Q1 2021 and adjusted EBITDA for the segment was reported to be $460 million in Q1 2022, compared to $450.9 million in the same quarter last year.
Videotron reported an 8.7%…
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OTTAWA – The divestitures proposed by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications to gain approval for their proposed merger will not prevent “substantial” lessening of competition, according to the Commissioner of Competition.
As Cartt.ca reported earlier this week, the Competition Bureau has filed applications with the Competition Tribunal to prevent Rogers from acquiring Shaw due to the impact it believes the merger will have on wireless competition.
Rogers is currently in the process of divesting of Shaw’s wireless assets after Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne issued a press release at the beginning of March saying he would…
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CRTC called out for “vague”, “unenforceable” safeguards
OTTAWA – Telus, Bell, Independent Broadcast Group (IBG), and the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance Inc. (CCSA) have each filed separate comments in support of the National Pensioners Federation and Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s (NPF-PIAC) petition to the Governor-In-Council, asking for the CRTC’s recent decision to approve Rogers Communications’ acquisition of Shaw Communications’ broadcasting assets to be set aside or referred back to the Commission.
(Cartt.ca obtained copies of the submissions from PIAC and Bell.)
Whittled down to its core, the argument put forth in NPF-PIAC’s petition and the submissions made in support of…
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OTTAWA — CBC/Radio-Canada’s Media Technology Monitor (MTM) today released a new report that shows the number of Canadians, both English and French-speaking, who subscribe to paid TV services is still relatively high.
“Although paid TV subscriptions have been in decline for over a decade, they still remain fairly high with 69% of anglophone households having a paid TV service,” reads a press release highlighting MTM’s findings for the English Canadian paid TV market.
For French-speaking Canada, the percentage of households that subscribe to paid TV services is approximately 75% (three out of four), according to MTM’s research on the French market.
In…
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By Monica Auer
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is asking Canadians to trust the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to implement new legislation about electronic communications.
The CRTC is now responsible for implementing Canada’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts, Canada’s ‘Anti-Spam’ law as well as parts of the Canada Elections Act and the 2019 Accessible Canada Act: the government is proposing through Bills C-11 and C-18 to give the Commission more powers over Canadian and foreign Internet broadcasters as well as Canada’s news media, along with new authority to levy administrative monetary penalties for non-compliance with the CRTC’s requirements.
In February the government assured…
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Officially filed application to Competition Tribunal seeking to block the merger
GATINEAU – The Competition Bureau has filed applications to prevent Rogers Communications from acquiring Shaw Communications, in part due to its findings that competition has already taken a hit since the announcement of the proposed merger.
“Following an extensive investigation, the Bureau determined that competition between Rogers and Shaw has already declined,” a press release says. “The Bureau’s position is that if the proposed merger is allowed to proceed, that harm will continue and may worsen.”
The investigation found before the merger was announced, “Shaw planned to enter new wireless…
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