OTTAWA – The CRTC today released a call for comments on the distribution of the Russian state-financed English-language news channel RT in Canada after receiving an order from the Governor in Council requesting a hearing be held on the matter.
A motion to issue the order was passed in the House of Commons this past Monday, a day after major television service providers including Bell, Telus and Rogers announced they would be dropping RT from their channel lineups.
The order, which was sent March 2, specifically asked the Commission to “hold a hearing to determine whether RT (formerly known…
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Rogers, Shaw continue to work with government; Quebecor CEO weighs in
OTTAWA – Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne will not allow Rogers Communications to acquire all of Shaw Communications’ wireless licences, he said in a statement today.
“The wholesale transfer of Shaw’s wireless licences to Rogers is fundamentally incompatible with our government’s policies for spectrum and mobile service competition, and I will simply not permit it,” the statement reads.
Champagne noted the importance of access to Internet and wireless services and said the “government is making every effort to ensure that telecommunications services are reliable, innovative, competitive…
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OTTAWA – Two representatives from Rogers Communications appeared (virtually) before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today to reassure committee members local news will not be worse off after Rogers merges with Shaw.
As Cartt.ca previously reported, there were concerns expressed during the CRTC’s recent hearing on the proposed merger about Rogers’s plan to redirect funding Shaw has previously allocated to Corus’s Global stations to its own City TV stations.
Colette Watson (above), president of Rogers Sports and Media, told the committee the deal will enhance City TV’s local news services.
“Our City TV news stations are located in Winnipeg, Calgary,…
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TORONTO — As the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games prepare to get underway on Friday, March 4, the Canadian Paralympic Media Consortium, including primary broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada, announced today their broadcast, live streaming and digital coverage plans for the event, which runs until Sunday, March 13.
The Canadian broadcast schedule for Paralympics coverage includes almost 150 total TV hours across CBC/Radio-Canada, Accessible Media Inc.’s AMI-tv and AMI-audio, and Rogers Sports and Media’s Sportsnet, according to a press release.
“We are set for an incredible Paralympic Winter Games and are very excited for people across the country to be able to watch Canada’s Paralympians dazzle…
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Document filed reveals new information about 2019 meeting with Bell COO
By Amanda OYE
CHATHAM, Ont. – TekSavvy Solutions Inc. filed a disclosure of facts and circumstances today to the federal Integrity Commissioner regarding the actions of CRTC chair and CEO Ian Scott, which provides new information on the widely reported meeting between Scott and then Bell chief operating officer (now CEO) Mirko Bibic at an Ottawa bar.
According to a public version of its disclosure, TekSavvy is arguing Scott “committed a wrongdoing within the meaning of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.” The company is seeking further investigation into this matter.
The…
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By Mark Goldberg
ON TUESDAY EVENING, a Twitter thread by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez requesting a rushed CRTC review of Russia Today (RT) caught my eye:
That’s right. Two weeks.
The Heritage Minister, the Minister responsible for the CRTC, is asking the independent, quasi-judicial regulator to collect evidence and render a decision in two weeks on whether RT should be continue to be permitted as a broadcasting service option for Canadians.
Two weeks.
The Commission regularly takes two weeks just to have a decision translated. Please tell me how the CRTC can prepare a…
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TORONTO — toober, a Toronto-based live television app that connects viewers to specialty TV from around the world, announced today it is making Ukrainian channels available at no charge for the foreseeable future, effective immediately.
Cartt.ca readers will be familiar with the Canadian technology company behind the toober app – video broadcast solutions provider Nextologies.
“Our mission has always been to help people worldwide stay connected to their homelands through news and entertainment,” said Sasha Zivanovic, CEO of toober and Nextologies, in a press release. “In times of crisis, nothing is more important than getting accurate reporting of events directly from…
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PM wants CRTC to review channel’s presence in Canada
CANADIAN TELEVISION SERVICE providers are dropping Russia Today (RT) an English-language international news channel funded by Russia, from their channel lineups.
There has been growing concern about the channel’s presence in Canada specifically, and about Russian-funded international media around the world more generally. Many concerns relate to the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation.
On Feb. 26, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez posted on Twitter, saying, “I share the concerns of many Canadians about the presence of Russia Today in our broadcasting system. We’re looking at all options.”
Since then, several Canadian television service providers…
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CANADIAN TELECOMS ARE helping customers connect to family and friends in Ukraine by waiving charges for calls and texts from Canada to Ukraine, and in some cases they are waiving roaming charges for customers currently in Ukraine as well.
Companies that have made such announcements include:
Sasktel announced today it will automatically waive long-distance charges for its wireless, landline, and business calls from Canada to Ukraine, international text messaging fees for texts sent from Canada to Ukraine, and roaming charges for calls, text and data overages for its customers who are currently in Ukraine.
Cogeco tweeted today it is waiving…
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TORONTO – Distributel and Primus Communications, which was acquired by Distributel in 2021, today announced they are waiving all home phone long-distance charges for calls to Ukraine until March 31, 2022.
“The news of what is happening in Ukraine has touched all of us at Distributel. We are committed to doing what we can to help all those who need to reach their loved ones during this time of need,” said Brad Fisher, chief revenue officer at Distributel, in a press release. “We will always strive to do what’s right and help our customers where we can.”
Yesterday, several companies…
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