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TAGGED AS CANCON
Election 2019: watch for price caps, Netflix regs, Huawei ban
Even before the federal election campaign officially kicked off, telecom price caps already emerged as a proposal that, if implemented, would reverse a decades-long policy trend in Canada and diverge from international norms. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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Federal Court of Appeal will review Bell’s CanCon concert spend case
BCE Inc. has formally filed its appeal arguments challenging a CRTC decision that said a quarter of its Canadian content contributions toward two concerts were not eligible. 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. …
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Creative groups lobbying for tax credits on content development
Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal is lobbying both the Alberta and Ontario governments about their tax credit policies on film and television production in the provinces. 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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Heritage working groups examining regulation of online content
Heritage Canada has commissioned seven working groups that are looking at how to modernize the Broadcasting Act, parallel to the government-appointed expert panel whose recommendations are due in January. 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 …
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Bell asking court to review CRTC decision on CanCon concert spend
BCE Inc.’s media division is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to look at a CRTC decision last month that made concert tickets the broadcaster distributed for promotional purposes ineligible as Canadian content contributions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
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Broadcasters’ digital revenue growth slowing, new CRTC data shows
The CRTC has released digital media revenue and expense information compiled from the twenty private broadcasters. 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 Wire Report now. …
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Rodriguez promises CanCon rules for ‘web giants’
Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a social media post Wednesday that the Liberal government plans to force large online services to make and promote Canadian content on their platforms. 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 …
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Few surprises in BTLR ‘what we heard’ report
The blue ribbon panel in charge of reviewing Canada’s communications legislation has released its interim report, which — as expected — offers no indication of what policy positions the seven members might take in their final recommendations. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Labour lawyer Marie Kelly new ACTRA exec director
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) said it has a new national executive director in Marie Kelly, effective on Monday. 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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NDP MP says gov’t must clarify if Netflix deal had any French-language funds
OTTAWA — Quebec NDP MP François Choquette has filed a judicial review application with the Federal Court to contest the alleged premature closing of an investigation by the Official Languages commissioner into the 2017 Netflix deal that the MP claims underserves francophone Canadians. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …
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CRTC asks whether streaming spending should count toward CPE
The CRTC wants to update both its Canadian Programming Expenditure policy and its annual broadcasting survey to reflect the growth of streaming and other digital options and is asking for input on how to do so. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Content exporters ask consulting panel for CMF envelope they can access, match
A trade association for Canadian-based television and content distribution companies is seeking new federal incentives it says would lead to increasing up-front distributor investments into Canadian productions and boosting exports. 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 …
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Online discoverability a challenge for books, magazines, BTLR hears
Organizations representing Canadian publishers are flagging the difficulty of identifying Canadian content online to the panel in charge of reviewing the broadcasting and telecom acts. 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 …
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Public music should feature Canadian content, Stingray says
Music in public establishments such as malls, bars and restaurants should be required to include Canadian content, resulting in additional revenue for homegrown artists, Stingray Group Inc. is suggesting. 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 …
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Bell’s panel submission calls for CMF to get 20% of foreign OTT revenues
BCE Inc. wants to inject the Canada Media Fund (CMF) with a potentially significant influx of cash by forcing foreign over-the-top (OTT) services to fork over 20 per cent of their Canadian revenues to the non-profit every year. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Gaming companies bristle after review panel suggests they’re broadcasters
A meeting with individuals leading the federal government’s review of communications legislation caught the video game industry off-guard, when the panel members’ questions suggested the gaming industry could be brought into the broadcasting system. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
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New Broadcast Act should ‘unambiguously exclude’ OTT: Netflix
Netflix Inc. is defending against calls to rope foreign over-the-top players into Canada’s broadcasting framework — which could require the company to abide by CanCon quotas, fund Canadian programming through CMF contributions or artificially weigh their algorithms to make Canadian programming more prominent. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Shaw calls for removal of 5% BDU content contribution
Shaw Communications Inc. is asking the government to drop the five per cent revenue contribution TV service providers make to Canadian content, but says if CanCon needs a subsidy then it should be a direct one from government coffers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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FRPC wants CanCon visibility on search engines
As a rule, when Canadians search keywords on the internet, they should be presented with Canadian content related to those searches, argues the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications. 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 …
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Fast-track OTT review, clock ticking on CMF ‘top-up’: CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) wants the government to immediately launch a review of the CRTC’s enforcement powers when it comes to regulating over-the-top (OTT) streaming services like Netflix Inc., according to its submission to a government-appointed blue-ribbon panel reviewing Canada’s communications laws. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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CBC calls for site-blocking provisions for ‘manipulated content’
CBC/Radio-Canada wants the federal government to grant the CRTC the ability to issue orders requiring ISPs to block websites sharing “manipulated content, including news,” as well as pirated content. 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 …
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Bell must pay $433k in ‘ineligible’ tangible benefits
The CRTC has dismissed an appeal by BCE Inc. and ordered it to pay nearly half a million dollars in tangible benefits an audit found was ineligible for a music festival headlined by a non-Canadian singer four years ago. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
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Don’t give Corus tangible benefits exemption: CanCon groups
A proposal by Corus Entertainment Inc. to shut down 44 television rebroadcasting transmitters in small rural markets hasn’t found support among intervenors, though content-production industry groups were opposed to the requested exemption to the CRTC’s tangible benefits policy, not the shutdown. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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Corus lost $2.3M in unspent CMF money from failed French channels deal
Corus Entertainment Inc. had $2.3 million in Canada Media Fund (CMF) money to spend on two French channels, but it suspended spending to focus on selling them in a deal with Bell that didn’t materialize. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian …
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Former CRTC commissioners criticize Harnessing Change report
TORONTO — The idea of cross-subsidization of industries did not find many open arms on the final day of the ISP Summit on Wednesday, as former CRTC commissioners spoke in favour of maintaining the line between the role of broadcasting and telecommunications. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Comms acts review panel urges ‘practical’ submissions
OTTAWA — Members of the panel tasked with providing recommendations to bring Canada’s communications laws into the digital era are urging public submissions be “concrete” and “practical” to hasten the resulting report’s ability to pass government scrutiny. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Yale responds to criticism about review panel consumer reps
OTTAWA – Conservative senators doubled-down on a previously-raised concern with the makeup of the Liberal government’s expert panel reviewing Canada’s communications laws, telling panel members testifying before the Senate’s transport and communications committee Wednesday that it lacked pro-consumer voices. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Rogers’ network ‘our contribution’ to content ecosystem: VP
OTTAWA — The billions of dollars Rogers Communications Inc. says it’s plowing into developing networks of the future are its contribution to the country’s struggling Canadian content system, the company’s vice-president of regulatory affairs said Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Ensure ISPs don’t have to contribute money to CanCon: CCSA
The Canadian Communications Systems Alliance (CCSA) is asking the Senate transport and communications committee to consider precluding in law a requirement for internet service providers (ISPs) to contribute money to Canadian content, its CEO said Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Ontario class action filed over reality show production staff wages
A multi-million dollar class action claim has been filed in Ontario Superior Court against television content producer Cineflix Media Inc. and its affiliates, claiming workers were denied minimum wage, overtime, vacation and holiday pay. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
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Quebecor calls on provincial parties to support film tax credit
Quebecor Inc. is urging Quebec political parties to pledge that they’ll keep a provincial film and TV tax credit and support the province’s film industry, the company said in a press release Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …
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Canadian Heritage gets new deputy minister
Hélène Laurendeau will be the new deputy minister at Canadian Heritage, the Prime Minister’s Office announced Friday afternoon. 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 Wire Report now. …
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Bryan Adams asked Trudeau, Harper to change Copyright Act
OTTAWA — Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams is asking Canadian lawmakers to change the Copyright Act so it gives artists more control over their copyright. 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 …
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New party, fresh faces on Heritage could shake up Parliament
As politicians file back into Parliament Hill’s Centre Block for the start of the fall sitting Monday, some new faces will be working on files affecting Canadian media and telecom, as long-awaited legislative reviews that could have seismic effects on those sectors get into gear. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
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Andrew Scheer shuffles Heritage, Industry critics
Opposition Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has shuffled his caucus’s shadow cabinet in the lead up to Parliament returning for its fall sitting –- including two MPs with key critic roles tasked with watching communications and cultural policy. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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Big concessions on NAFTA cultural exemption unlikely, experts say
As cultural protection emerges as a last-stretch NAFTA sticking point, Canadian media unions say they’re concerned but hopeful because Canada’s negotiators have indicated they won’t give up key trade exemptions that have protected Canadian media for decades. David Sparrow, the national president of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), said it’s …
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CRTC outlines potential moves on Harnessing Change suggestions
The CRTC said Thursday it is considering taking action on potential changes it outlined in a May report looking at programming distribution models. 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 …
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MPs Fillmore and Anandasangaree named Heritage parl secs
After this summer’s cabinet shuffle, the Heritage minister will gain two new parliamentary secretaries, effective Aug. 31. 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 Wire Report …
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CRTC walks back on licence renewals, ups PNI spending
The CRTC published its reassessed baseline spending requirements for programs of national interest (PNI) following industry backlash and a government request to revisit the decision that set minimums at five per cent of a broadcaster’s previous year revenues. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Netflix Canada’s first employee plucked from the CMF
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has confirmed that its vice-president of industry and public affairs, Stéphane Cardin, will be leaving to join Netflix Inc. as its director of public policy for Canada, according to a release on Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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CMF-funded kids content tops export sales for first time
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) released its 2017-2018 annual report on Monday, revealing that kids’ content beat out drama in export sales revenue for the first time. 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. …
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ACTRA appoints Lisa Blanchette as public policy and comms director
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) has appointed Lisa Blanchette as the union’s new director of public policy and communications, it said in a Monday 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 …
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CMF to fund Canada/South Africa co-productions
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced a new financing program to encourage television co-developments by Canadian and South African producers on 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 media news you need. Take a free trial or …
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CMF to consult on changing regulations this fall
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) will hold focus group meetings with Canadian production industry stakeholders in September and October, it said in a release on Monday. 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 …
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CPC Heritage critic Van Loan leaving politics
Heritage shadow minister Peter Van Loan will no longer be an MP as of Sept. 30, according to a statement posted on social media Sunday. 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 …
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CMPA to tour country ahead of broadcast, telecom acts review
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has launched a Canada-wide tour to hear what its members have to say about the legislative review of the Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications 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 digital media …
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Broadcast revenue bleeding got worse in 2017: CRTC
According to the latest data from the CRTC, the Canadian broadcasting and broadcast distribution industry’s loss of revenue continues to accelerate, mostly due to ongoing “significant” declines in TV provider revenue in the broadcast year ending Aug. 31, 2017. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Christa Dickenson to helm Telefilm Canada
Christa Dickenson will be the next executive director of Telefilm Canada, the office of Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly announced on 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 media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …
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Gov’t announces new $35M fund for cultural content exports
MONTREAL — Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly outlined Tuesday the allocation of $125 million the federal government had previously earmarked for a creative content export strategy, promising both money for existing initiatives and a new $7-million-a-year fund. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Nantel accuses Joly of holding cultural sector ‘hostage’
NDP Heritage critic Pierre Nantel took Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly to task for launching another consultation Tuesday instead of proposing legislative change, during Joly’s appearance at the House heritage committee Thursday morning. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
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Media sector, senator back change to ad tax exemption
OTTAWA — A proposal to eliminate a tax exemption for advertising on foreign digital media received support from the production sector and a senator on Tuesday, though any action on the proposal appears unlikely before the conclusion of the newly-launched review of the Telecom Act and Broadcasting Act. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
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Experts to ‘find solutions’ in broadcast, telecom review: Joly
OTTAWA — The expert panel appointed by the federal government to spearhead its review of the Telecommunications Act and Broadcasting Act will have to figure out how to ensure all companies “pay their fair share” without increasing any costs for Canadians, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly said Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Change Bell Fund rules, media companies ask
On Monday, the CRTC published a complaint from a group of media production companies including CBC/Radio-Canada outlining how, in their view, the BCE Inc.-supported Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, or Bell Fund, falls short in the evaluation, allocation and governance of its Canadian media funding. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Trade committee recommends sales tax for foreign ‘intangible products’
The House standing committee on international trade is calling on the government to implement sales taxes on “intangible products” sold by foreign companies, improve rural internet access and enhance competition in the wireless market, in a report released on Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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CRTC rejects CUPE ask to pull digital media exemption
The CRTC will not do anything about a Part 1 application filed by CUPE’s Provincial Council for Communications (CPSC) asking it to drop its regulatory exemptions for digital services because the arguments made in its Part 1 are similar to ones the union has made in the past. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
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CRTC says no hearing in license renewal consults
The CRTC has opted out of an in-person hearing as it reconsiders its May 2017 licence renewal decision, instead launching a second phase of written consultations. 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 …
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New CEO’s content background indicates shift at CBC: experts
OTTAWA — Catherine Tait’s appointment as head of CBC/Radio-Canada is signalling a shift at the public broadcaster, as she becomes the first woman to lead the CBC and the first to bring extensive content production experience to the role, according to experts. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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Bell adds Toronto production studio to its portfolio
BCE Inc. ‘s media division has purchased a majority stake in a Toronto production studio, according to a release on Thursday. 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 …
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Money for CanCon in budget stopgap measure: CMPA
The 2018 federal budget, released Tuesday, confirmed the Canadian Media Fund (CMF) will receive top ups to offset declining private industry contributions, and included new funding efforts to support local journalism. 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 …
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Bell asking employees to support FairPlay at CRTC: report
BCE Inc. is allegedly encouraging its employees to submit comments to the CRTC supporting the anti-online piracy proposal Bell is backing as part of a bigger coalition, University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist wrote on his blog on Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Bell’s Snackable TV officially on the menu
BCE Inc.’s Bell Media has officially launched a free, ad-supported mobile app featuring video content in “snack-sized” portions, calling it a “growing new area” in a release on Monday. 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 …
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Ad-supported VOD rising as OTT grips TV market
OTTAWA — More competition in the over-the-top (OTT) space is driving a trend of more ad-supported video-on-demand (VOD) services, panelists told a media conference on Friday. 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 …
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Joly cites confidentiality for redactions in Netflix ATIP request
Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly faced questions this week about why a 700-page access to information request containing emails between the federal government and Netflix Inc. was published with the majority of the text redacted. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …
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Canadian media industry still behind on data, conference hears
OTTAWA — The Canadian television industry is behind the curve when it comes to using data to tailor content to audiences and drive ad revenue, panelists at a media conference said Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
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1% increase for PNI not enough, creative groups say
Creative groups are standing their ground on spending for programs of national interest (PNI), suggesting that a marginal increase in funding for those programs proposed by the large English-language broadcasters last month is not enough to support Canadian content. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Jamie Schouela to helm Blue Ant’s Canadian media operations
In a press release on Monday, Blue Ant Media Inc. announced the promotion of Jamie Schouela to president of Canadian media at the content production company. 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 …
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CRTC digs into reasons behind Canadians’ content consumption choices
The CRTC launched a survey Thursday to find out why Canadians consume content the way they do, including why many still turn to traditional TV and radio while others go exclusively online. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …
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Music channel denied Canadian distribution
The CRTC has denied an application by Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. (ECGL) to bring a Polish music channel to Canada after Blue Ant Media Inc. and Stingray Digital Group Inc. said it would interfere with their own services. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Court denies Bell Super Bowl SimSub appeal
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a case brought forward by BCE Inc. challenging the CRTC’s rule forbidding simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl on Monday, putting an end to a nearly three-year court challenge — though the company indicated Tuesday it is still hoping the regulator will rescind the decision. This content is available …
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BPF registers to lobby amidst consumer group funding concerns
A few months after the emergence of a proposal asking the CRTC to shift funding away from the Broadcast Participation Fund (BPF), the organization that helps bring consumer interests in front of the commission has filed its first registrations to lobby the regulator and the government. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Media, telecom issues not controversial in NAFTA: experts
OTTAWA — Questions around telecom, intellectual property and media aren’t going to determine whether renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) succeed or fail, Sarah Goldfeder, principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group, said during a lunchtime discussion at the 15th annual International Institute of Communications conference Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
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Creative Canada ‘cultural policy, not tax policy’: Joly
OTTAWA — Opposition MPs continued their criticism of Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s cultural strategy during Joly’s appearance at the House standing committee on Canadian Heritage late Thursday afternoon, including questioning the minister about imposing sales tax on foreign digital platforms and CanCon contributions on internet service providers (ISPs). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers …
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CRTC extends deadline in Creative Canada consultation
Interested parties now have an extra week to submit comments in the CRTC’s consultation on content distribution models. 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 Wire …
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Broadcast lobbying jumped ahead of Creative Canada release
Creative organizations stepped up and added to a surge in lobbying activity in the broadcast sector leading up to the release of the results in the Heritage Minister’s review of Canadian content in the digital age last month. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Narrow the ‘value gap,’ Music Canada tells gov’t
Music Canada is asking the government to address the disparity between the value of creative content and the revenues that are generated from it. 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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Government repeats no ISP tax in Heritage report review
The federal government reiterated a previously held position that it will not implement taxes on internet service providers (ISP) in favour of Canadian content in a review of an earlier Heritage report that recommended just that. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Corus, Discovery launching new kids’ content venture
Corus Entertainment Inc.’s Nelvana and Discovery Communications Inc. have announced a new deal to produce kids’ content for linear and digital markets in Canada and around the world. 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 …
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New CEO in at TVA Group after management shuffle
TVA vice-president of programming, France Lauzière, has replaced Julie Tremblay as the president and CEO of Quebecor Inc.’s TVA Group, the company said in an Oct. 13 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 …
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CRTC launches consultations for Heritage-commissioned report
The CRTC is asking for comment as it puts together a report requested by Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly on future content distribution models. 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 …
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Netflix responds to post-Creative Canada criticism
Netflix Inc. has published a blog post in support of a deal it reached with the government to invest $500 million in making content in Canada, though it declined to offer any additional details about its plans. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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