Telecom
After months of consultations, the CRTC has issued its Broadcasting Fees Regulations for all broadcasting undertakings in Canada. The decision, released late Thursday, stems from the provisions of the Online Streaming Act. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
Continue reading "CRTC releases new broadcasting fees regulations"
Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, called on BCE Inc. to answer for its recent layoff announcements after the telecom’s scheduled appearance in front of the heritage committee was postponed. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …
Continue reading "Unifor demands Bell be held accountable for layoffs"
The CRTC has decided to look at whether the town of Yellowknife, NWT can support another FM radio station. The commission announced Thursday that it is calling on all interested parties to file an application. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "CRTC to consider new radio station for Yellowknife"
BCE Inc. is the subject of a Part 1 application before the CRTC over access to broadcasting for disabled Canadians. The matter has been transferred from an earlier filing with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "Ontario disability advocate seeks better service from Bell"
OTTAWA, Ont. – No public institution, including Canada’s public broadcaster, should be immune from criticism, but recent attacks calling for it to be defunded are concerning, said Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) president and CEO Reynolds Mastin as he kicked off this year’s annual Prime Time conference. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
Continue reading "Attacks on CBC are concerning, says CMPA president at Prime Time conference"
CBC/Radio-Canada continued to come under fire in Parliament Tuesday with the direction of the crown corporation being raised in both the House of Commons and the Senate. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …
Continue reading "Tait attacked for taking trip to Australia as CBC cutbacks loom"
The current and past Minister of Canadian Heritage were loath to endorse Catherine Tait’s leadership at CBC/Radio-Canada Tuesday. Before the day’s cabinet meeting, both Pascale St-Onge and her predecessor Pablo Rodriguez were asked if they had confidence in the embattled CBC president. Neither gave a definitive answer. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
Continue reading "Ministers reluctant to endorse Catherine Tait’s leadership at CBC"
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge would not take the bait when the Bloc Québécois attacked Catherine Tait, the president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada Thursday. Transcripts of the debate were delayed by procedural wrangling from the Conservative Party that saw MPs staying up for 30 hours to vote on a series of amendments to legislation. This …
Continue reading "St-Onge refuses to say if she will fire CBC president Catherine Tait"
The Bloc Québécois is continuing its fight against cutbacks at CBC/Radio-Canada. Tuesday in Question Period, BQ leader Yves-François Blanchet said this is the worst possible time for the public broadcaster to cut jobs. The job losses were announced Monday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Tuesday Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge issued the final policy direction to the CRTC that will implement the Online Streaming Act. The bill was passed last spring and the commission has been holding consultations on the policy directions this summer. Over 500 comments were received by the regulator. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
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Rogers Communications Inc. has shuttered its all-news station in the nation’s capital and laid off all its employees. CKOY-AM was known as CityNews Ottawa. There were fewer than 10 people on staff. The station went dark at 1 p.m. Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "Rogers closes Ottawa news station, returns licence to CRTC"
The CRTC is proposing to loosen some of Corus Entertainment Inc.’s regulatory requirements after the company’s finances faced a particularly hard year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or …
Continue reading "CRTC considers regulatory relief for Corus as profits decline"
The Conservative Party continued its attack on CBC/Radio-Canada Tuesday with a resolution in a House of Commons committee and a question in the Senate. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …
Continue reading "Tories continue attack on CBC over terrorism terminology"
The CRTC will review the carriage of Fox News as a non-Canadian programming service following a Part 1 application by the LGBTQ rights group Egale. The organization is seeking to remove Fox News over what it deems hate speech directed against LGBTQ people. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have reached an agreement on representation of script coordinators on television and film projects. The script coordinator is an entry level position in the industry, responsible for a variety of duties such as formatting and distribution of scripts as well …
Continue reading "Script coordinators get Writers Guild, IATSE coverage"
The CRTC is stepping in to resolve a dispute between BCE Inc. and Quebecor Inc. over the costs of distributing their sports channels. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial …
Continue reading "CRTC accepts arbitration request in Bell, Quebecor sports channel dispute"
The CRTC Friday granted an FM licence to Four Senses Entertainment Inc. to operate an FM radio station in Squamish British Columbia. It will be an Adult Album Alternative station located at 99.7 on the dial. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
Continue reading "Squamish BC gets new FM station to compete with Rogers"
Animators at WildBrain Ltd.’s Vancouver studios are attempting to unionize. A drive by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is currently underway. A union spokesman estimates that the company has anywhere from 600 to 1200 workers under contract, depending on the need. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
Continue reading "WildBrain animators taking part in union drive"
The CRTC denied an application by BCE Inc., Bragg Communication Inc.’s Eastlink, Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp., and Cogeco Inc. to increase the price of basic television service from $25 per month to $28 per month with yearly indexing tied to inflation due to a lack of evidence to suggest that the current rate “is no …
Continue reading "No financial justification to increase skinny basic rate from $25 to $28: CRTC"
Canadian retail chain Peavey Mart has joined Stingray Group Inc.’s audio advertising network, according to a Thursday press release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …
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Streaming platforms are saying it is too early to be discussing contribution requirements at this stage of the new regulatory framework’s development given that the CRTC is still revising the definition for Canadian and Indigenous content, among other things. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
Continue reading "Streamers tell CRTC to “take pause” before regulating CanCon contributions "
In an ongoing tug-of-war at the CRTC, tech giants are arguing that a level of consensus has emerged surrounding the applicable revenue threshold for registration under the newly-passed Online Streaming Act that the threshold should be applied on a “service-by-service” basis. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
Continue reading "Streamers hope to illustrate emerging consensus on exemption orders"
Rogers Communications Inc. is asking the CRTC to amend the conditions of licence (COL) for its broadcasting properties to allow for more independently-produced programming and to expand what is defined as a program of national interest (PNI). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
Continue reading "Rogers asks CRTC to redefine PNIs, change conditions of licence"
Quebecor Media Inc. is asking the CRTC to remove some of the conditions of licence (COL) and reporting requirements for its subsidiary Groupe TVA Inc., calling the current framework a “regulatory straitjacket,” according to a translation of one of its French-language part 1 applications. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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The government has extended the term of Catherine Tait as president and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada. She will now stay on until Jan. 2, 2025. She has served in the role since July 2018, the first woman to do so in the history of the public broadcaster. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
Continue reading "Catherine Tait reappointed as president of CBC/Radio-Canada"
OTTAWA–Delegates to the International Institute of Communications Canadian chapter’s annual conference were told Monday that current Canadian content rules are working, with only one dissenting panelist. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …
Continue reading "CanCon rules do not need vast overhaul, IIC Canada hears"
After months of contentious debate, Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, has become law. The Senate voted 52-16 on third reading Thursday. Shortly thereafter, Governor-General Mary Simon gave it Royal Assent. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …
Continue reading "Cheers, jeers, as streaming act becomes law"
The Conservatives are keeping up their battle against the government’s online legislation, with a party critic seizing on the Liberals’ own answers to combat them. The Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11 is back before the House of Commons after moving through the Senate; the Online News Act, Bill C-18, is heading to the Red Chamber. …
Continue reading "Conservatives and Liberals keep up dispute over online legislation"
Fiscal 2023 will be an “especially challenging” year for Corus Entertainment Inc., according to the company’s CEO, because of the “double whammy” of an advertising recession and an “unexpected” CRTC decision requiring the company to pay its deferred Canadian content obligations. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
Continue reading "Corus again blames ‘recession’ for revenue drop; looks ahead to C-11"
Public broadcasting advocacy group Friends is “frustrated” that the federal government has left out the CBC/ Radio-Canada from its 2023 budget, released Tuesday. Meanwhile, on the telecom side, the government is cracking down on telecom “junk fees” and device charges. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "CBC funding absent in budget 2023; gov. cracking down on telecom fees"
Broadcasting arbitrator Monica Song has updated her list on the amount of time registered political parties are eligible for free-time political broadcasts in the next election. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …
Continue reading "Free-time political time allocations released by federal arbitrator"
The CRTC announced that it will publish the data collected in its Annual Digital Media Survey – covering 2020-2021 – aggregated by industry segment, audio and audiovisual. For the latter segment, the commission will combine revenues from digital media broadcasting undertakings (DMBUs) with those revenues reported by hybrid video-on-demand (HVOD) services. This content is available …
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After years of consideration, the CRTC determined that Yellowknife, NWT cannot support another FM radio station. Two commissioners disputed that finding, filing dissenting opinions to the decision Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you …
Continue reading "CRTC won’t grant Yellowknife FM station, two commissioners dissent"
During Tuesday’s Question Period, two Conservative MPs from Quebec took up the cause of mandatory consultation with the province for the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11. The provincial government is seeking talks with its federal counterparts over provisions of the legislation, which is in the final stages of working its way through Parliament. This content …
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OTTAWA–Australia has followed a different path to film and television production that could be a lesson for Canadian producers. That message was delivered at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s Prime Time conference Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
Continue reading "Australia provides a model for Canadian production, CMPA conference hears"
The CRTC announced Monday that it will hold proceedings in February to consider six applications before it. Two are proposals for new stations, two are transfers of existing stations and two are for rebroadcasting transmitters. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
Continue reading "CRTC to hold hearings on radio station proposals"
Broadcasting arbitrator Monica Song has released the schedule for free-time political broadcasts for the next federal election. A decision was written Aug. 25 but not issued by the CRTC until Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …
Continue reading "Broadcasting arbitrator divides free-time broadcasts among federal parties"
The CBC/ Radio-Canada’s English services may have a target on its back, depending on who wins the Conservative leadership race, after three of the five candidates in the running said they want to defund the public broadcaster while the remaining two are calling for changes to its mandate. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
Continue reading "Tories take aim at future of CBC in leadership race"
The CRTC has granted a sweeping flexibility that paves the way for CBC/Radio-Canada to shift toward a focus on digital outputs and away from its linear programming. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …
Continue reading "CRTC grants CBC flexibility for push to digital"
Following the issuing of an order-in-council from the cabinet on Wednesday night, and announcements from both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez earlier in the week – the CRTC Thursday opened a consultation to review the presence of Russia Today (RT) on Canadian airwaves. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
Continue reading "CRTC opens consultation on Russia Today removal after request from Gov."
Canada’s attempts to control internet content and online harms will be a minefield of regulations, court challenges and regulator discussion, an online panel heard on Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …
Continue reading "Regulating internet will be difficult, online panel told"
A Federal Court judge has granted intervenor status to the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic at the University of Ottawa (CIPPIC), and Beanfield Technologies Inc. in an effort by several broadcasters seeking Canada’s first-ever “dynamic” site-blocking order. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
Continue reading "Court grants CIPPIC, Beanfield intervenor status in dynamic site-blocking case"
The site-blocking order that will block a rolling list of pirate streaming sites during NHL games sought by a trio of hockey broadcasters requires new legal safeguards, given that at least some of the technology used to identify pirate streamers will be based on automated techniques, according to the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public …
Continue reading "New ‘dynamic’ site-blocking needs new safeguards: CIPPIC "
With advertising revenues battered by the pandemic — particularly the second half of the year — the CRTC Friday reported widespread drops in broadcast revenues for the 2019-2020 year, with total revenues coming in at over $15.7 billion. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Quebecor Inc. are asking a Federal Court for a permanent injunction against a set of unknown users of IP addresses that the companies say are being used to facilitate the illegal streaming of NHL hockey games. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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The CRTC granted a request by Shaw Cablesystems Ltd. to revoke its broadcasting licence for the Sault Ste. Marie area of Ontario on Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …
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