CRTC reports fewer throttling complaints

The CRTC said it received fewer complaints about Internet traffic management practices, otherwise known as throttling, in the first three months of 2014 than the three months before that.

The commission said on its website Wednesday it received 11 complaints about throttling between Jan. 1 and March 31, down from 13 in the October-December quarter and 17 in the July-September period.

Bell, CBC denied relief on local-programming quotas

The CRTC on Wednesday said it had denied requests by both BCE Inc.’s Bell Media division and CBC/Radio-Canada to calculate local-programing hours for their conventional TV stations differently.

Both are generally required to have 14 hours a week of local programing in metropolitan areas, and seven hours a week in smaller communities, in English-language markets, the CRTC notice said.

OMNI troubles could be ominous sign for other conventional TV: Pelley

GATINEAU, Que. — Other conventional television stations in Canada could soon be affected by the same factors that have led to a “financial crisis” for Rogers Communications Inc.’s OMNI multilingual ethnic television stations, Rogers Media president Keith Pelley said at a CRTC hearing Tuesday.

Pelley told commissioners that both Rogers’ City TV and OMNI stations are facing “very serious financial challenges” due to “rapidly” falling advertising on conventional television.

CRTC approves third-language niche channels

The CRTC announced Monday it has approved national broadcast licences for two third-language niche television channels from the same company.

Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. was granted a licence for a channel called South Asian Food TV, which it said would be aimed at Canada’s Hindu-speaking population, and for a channel called Travel XP Canada, also to be broadcast in Hindi.

Bell Aliant, Bell exempted from wireline services regulation

The CRTC will exempt BCE Inc. and Bell Aliant Inc. (in which BCE Inc. has 44 per cent stake) from regulation of its local residential wireline services in its territories in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

CRTC consulting on DHX-Bell deal

The CRTC said Thursday it is consulting on an application by DHX Media Ltd. to acquire four former Astral Media Inc. children’s TV channels from BCE Inc.

CRTC’s consumer focus not at odds with industry: Blais

GATINEAU, Que. — The reviews the CRTC will be holding over the coming year, which include proceedings covering wholesale access to wireless and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, the future of television and commercial radio, could set the direction for the CRTC over the next decade, said CRTC Chairman Jean Pierre Blais.

One Ottawa-area radio station approved, another denied

The CRTC on Wednesday denied one application while approving another from the same company for new radio stations in small communities just west of Ottawa. 

The denied station would have been located in Carleton Place, Ont. The applicant, My Broadcasting Corp., proposed a format of adult contemporary music aimed at people aged 25 to 54, the CRTC said in a notice on its website.

Videotron’s MYtv launch delayed by year

A complaint against Quebecor Inc. subsidiary Videotron Ltd.’s French-language community channel MAtv is holding up the launch of its English-language equivalent, MYtv.

Peggy Tabet, Videotron’s senior director of broadcasting and regulatory affairs, said in a phone interview Monday that the launch of the channel will be delayed about a year after the initial launch date, which had been planned for this June.

CRTC denies request to change robocall rules

The CRTC has denied a request by the Canadian Marketing Association to allow automated calling devices to be used to make calls without express consent in cases where there is an existing business relationship.

The commission said in a release Monday that it “considers that the existing rules are efficient in reducing undue inconvenience to Canadians and that telemarketers must have their express consent before making these types of calls.”

CRTC approves cricket specialty channel

The CRTC said Monday it has granted Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. a broadcasting licence for a specialty channel focusing on cricket.

Internet hasn’t killed the radio star: CRTC

OTTAWA — The CRTC’s head of broadcasting says radio revenue does not appear to be suffering as a result of competition from Internet-based streaming services.

Scott Hutton, the commission’s executive director of broadcasting, was speaking Thursday at a House of Commons heritage committee meeting, which is undertaking a review of the Canadian music industry.

CRTC approves ad-rule changes for Radio 2, Espace Musique

The CRTC on Tuesday said it had approved requested amendments to some of the conditions applied to CBC/Radio-Canada’s broadcasting licences as they pertain to advertising on Radio 2 and Espace Musique.

Telus, MTS add Sun News to channel lineup

Telus Corp. and Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. have fulfilled their regulatory obligations by adding the Sun News Network to their TV-service channel lineups.

French photography channel approved by CRTC

A French-language, photography-focused documentary channel has been approved by the CRTC, the regulator announced Thursday.

The channel, Le réseau de la photographie (RDP) will broadcast feature-length and short films about photography, as well as films that have won an honourable mention for photography at a festival, according to a CRTC release. It will also include other photography content such as coverage of photography festivals or exhibits, photography workshops and films that were shot on DSLR cameras.

CRTC approves Newcap acquisition of 5 Bell radio stations

The CRTC has approved Newcap Inc.’s acquisition of five radio stations from BCE Inc.’s media subsidiary for a purchase price of $112 million.

The commission said Tuesday that it had approved the change of ownership CHBM-FM Toronto (Boom 97.3), CFXJ-FM Toronto (Flow 93-5), CHHR-FM Vancouver (Shore 104.3), CKZZ-FM Vancouver (Virgin Radio 95.3) and CISL Vancouver (AM 650).

CRTC asks for input on oldies radio licence

The CRTC is asking for input on a licence renewal for an Owen Sound, Ont., radio broadcaster that the regulator says isn’t playing enough Canadian content.

In a notice of consultation released Tuesday, the CRTC said CFOS Owen Sound, an AM oldies radio broadcaster, is in “apparent non-compliance” with its regulations on Canadian music.

This is the second time the station, owned by Bayshore Broadcasting Corp., has been found to be in violation of the CRTC’s rules, the regulator said.

Availability of VOD content doubled last year, CRTC data shows

The availability of video-on-demand (VOD) titles doubled across Canada’s eight largest TV providers between 2012 and 2013, the CRTC said on Monday, from 44,535 titles available from all eight providers in 2012 to 87,567 in 2013.

The data, which the CRTC posted to its website, shows that BCE Inc. had the biggest increase in the number of total titles, increasing its library sixfold from 2,263 titles in 2012 to 12,293 a year later.

CRTC approves Oui TV

The CRTC said Monday that Oui TV has been approved as a foreign channel for distribution in Canada.

An online posting from the commission said it is a 24-hour French-language service featuring drama and comedy programming. The channel originates in the U.S. and its programming is sourced from African countries such as the Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Burkina Faso.

The Canadian sponsor for the channel is Soundview Entertainment Inc., the CRTC said.

Telus remote broadband changes tweaked by CRTC

The CRTC approved a move by Telus Corp. on Friday to replace five of the communities for which the carrier had promised to bring high-speed broadband, while denying its application to include a sixth community.

Telus, which is mandated by the CRTC to provide broadband access to rural and remote communities, can now remove four communities that the carrier claimed have no permanent residents and one it said was a duplicate from its list of broadband rollouts.

CRTC approves sale of two Rogers radio stations

The CRTC said Friday it has approved the sale of two radio stations in New Brunswick by Rogers Communications Inc.

The commission said in an online notice that the sale of CHNI-FM in Saint John to Newcap Inc. has been given the OK, as has the transfer of CKNI-FM in Moncton to Acadia Broadcasting Ltd.

Both new owners of the radio stations were given approval to change their formats from news and talk to music.

Thunder Bay station wants to disaffiliate from CBC

Thunder Bay Electronics Ltd. has put in a request to the CRTC to disaffiliate from CBC/Radio-Canada, the company said in a Feb. 28 letter filed with the CRTC.

It said it was seeking the disaffiliation “so that CKPR-DT can move forward and be an economically viable operation.”

It asked for the disaffiliation agreement to become effective Aug. 31, 2014.

Applications aim to bring Spanish, Hungarian channels to Canada

BCE Inc. has applied to the CRTC to add the Spanish channel Canal Antena 3 Internacional to the list of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution in Canada, while Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. has applied to add the Hungarian-language Duna World to the list.

Report criticizes Cancon, ownership regs, funding in entertainment industry

Regulating entertainment content that’s increasingly coming from online sources, funding mechanisms to promote productions and foreign-ownership restrictions in the broadcasting industry are among the targets of a new report from the Fraser Institute.

Canadian policy-makers should “reconsider the major instruments that have long been used to promote the growth of the domestic entertainment industry,” the think-tank said in a report announced Wednesday.

Bell files second complaint for condo access

BCE Inc. has filed a complaint alleging that a Toronto condo building is not allowing it to offer TV services, a month following a CRTC decision that said Bell should be able to provide telecommunications services in the building.

One Caribbean Television approved for distribution

The CRTC said it has approved One Caribbean Television for distribution in Canada.

In notice Monday, it said the channel was a “24-hour 100% English-language general interest channel with programming focused on news, events, weather, entertainment and lifestyle of the Caribbean region and its people, whether they are living in the Caribbean or elsewhere.”

The CRTC said BCE Inc. had submitted the application to add the station to the list.

CRTC, Industry Canada at odds on universal broadband access timeline

Documents from three different branches of government give three different timelines for achieving near-universal access of broadband Internet services in Canada.

Mobile TV not undue preference, promotes Canadian content: Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc.’s mobile-TV service upholds the Broadcasting Act by making Canadian content available and is not an undue preference, the company told the CRTC Wednesday.

CRTC refuses request to ban prepaid expiry dates

The CRTC on Wednesday denied an appeal of a section of the wireless code that allows service providers to put expiration dates on prepaid services.

CRTC idea could violate net neutrality: experts

A question posed by the CRTC in its review of television services, focusing on exempting over-the-top (OTT) services from Internet data caps, could have implications on net neutrality, according to some industry experts.

CRTC amends requirements for ethnic, third-language TV

The CRTC has amended its regulations on linkage and distribution requirements for Canadian ethnic and third-language specialty channels.

CRTC consulting on mandatory emergency alerts

The CRTC is consulting on amending its rules to make it mandatory for the broadcasting industry to distribute emergency alert messages.

CRTC approves ownership transfer for CJHQ-FM Nakusp

The CRTC has approved an ownership transfer of the English-language community radio station CJHQ-FM Nakusp in Nakusp, B.C., from the Nakusp Roots Music Society to the Nakusp Community Radio Society.

The commission said Wednesday that the acquisition of assets had already occurred prior to the commission’s approval, as the two parties entered into an agreement to transfer the assets of CJHQ-FM in November 2011.

It added that it would issue a new broadcasting licence to the Nakusp Community Radio Society, to expire on Aug. 31, 2015.

PIAC asks court to set aside cancellation fees in wireless code appeal

The question of cancellation fees for wireless customers should be set aside in carriers’ appeal of the CRTC’s wireless code, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre said in a court filing on Friday.

Bell not licensing content to OTT service is undue preference: complaint

Leiacomm, a company that plans to launch an over-the-top TV service in Canada, has filed a complaint against BCE Inc.’s Bell Media subsidiary for refusing to license its content to the service.

In a Part 1 application submitted to the CRTC Feb. 9 and made available on its website Friday, Leiacomm owner Howard Rabb said that the company has been attempting to reach an affiliate agreement with Bell Media in order to distribute its networks, specialty channels and on-demand programming on Leiacomm’s OTT service.

CRTC rebuts claims it overstepped with wireless code

The CRTC not only has the right to implement its consumer-friendly wireless code, but its powers extend to the so-far-unused ability to determine prices within the wireless industry, the commission said in a response filed Thursday to a court challenge from some of Canada’s biggest telecoms companies.

Variety on television must be preserved, says Bell’s Crull

OTTAWA — Industry executives disagreed about the best way to give consumers more choice as they discussed the CRTC’s ongoing review of the television system during a panel discussion at the Prime Time conference on Thursday.

Louis Audet, president and CEO of Cogeco Cable Inc., said customers are demanding more TV-packaging flexibility, while Kevin Crull, CEO of BCE Inc.’s Bell Media subsidiary, quoted Henry Ford, stating that “if I had asked consumers what they wanted, they would have told me a faster horse.”

CRTC looks into competition in wholesale wireless services

The CRTC said Thursday it has launched a public consultation into the competitiveness of the wholesale wireless market in Canada.

The commission said in a press release it is seeking comments on the state of roaming agreements and tower sharing between Canadian wireless carriers, the impact this has on the retail market and whether more regulation should be implemented if the CRTC finds the market is not sufficiently competitive.

Phase 2 of CRTC TV review asks about OTT regulation

The CRTC is asking Canadians for feedback about Canadian content in online television services and their adherence to programming standards in an online questionnaire released Tuesday as part of Phase 2 of its review of television services in Canada.

In a section about online programming, the CRTC asks respondents whether they would be willing to pay extra to have more Canadian programming available within online services, and in order to have online services provide closed-captioning and adhere to programming standards.

CRTC asks wireless industry for more roaming data

The CRTC sent a request to wireless firms across the country this week asking for more information on their roaming agreements with other carriers.

CRTC to get power to fine telecoms: Budget 2014

OTTAWA — The federal government will propose amendments to Canada's telecommunications laws to “clarify” prohibitions against breaking Industry Canada's spectrum auction rules and to give the CRTC new powers to fine and regulate telecom providers, the government's budget said.

Industry Canada website takes credit for wireless code in ‘error’

Industry Canada’s website was indicating Monday morning that the department was responsible for measures contained in the wireless code, which was introduced last year by the CRTC.

However, the website was changed later that morning to take out any reference to Industry Canada being a source of wireless code provisions.

“It was just a publishing error,” spokesman Derek Mellon said in a phone interview.

CRTC reaches decision on customer transfer process

The CRTC has approved a working group’s recommendations aimed at simplifying the customer-transfer process.

CRTC launches satellite inquiry, NWTel appeals December decision

The simmering debate over Northern Canada’s telecommunications services heated up again this week as Northwestel Inc. asked the CRTC to re-examine parts of its most recent decision on the company’s services, and as the commission launched a planned inquiry into satellite “transport” services.

Broadcaster files undue-preference complaint against CBC

Leclerc Communication Inc., owner of two radio stations in the Quebec City market, has filed a complaint with the CRTC regarding CBC/Radio-Canada’s refusal to air television ads promoting Leclerc’s radio stations.

In a letter written to the CRTC in December and posted on the commission’s website Tuesday, Leclerc said that it tried to buy advertising on Radio-Canada’s television service but was refused.

CRTC decision on condo access could be ‘warning’: analyst

Unless BCE Inc. is allowed to install its infrastructure in a Toronto condo building, as of March 31, Rogers Communications Inc. will not be allowed to provide services to its residents either, the CRTC said Wednesday.

Newfoundland’s NTV approved for small-market funding

The CRTC said Tuesday that CJON-DT, a television station in St. John’s, N.L., operating under the brand NTV, has been approved to receive support from the Small Market Local Production Fund (SMLPF).

The CRTC noted that, in its application, the station’s owners, Newfoundland Broadcasting Co. Ltd., said it previously could not receive SMLPF funding because it served a market with a population of more than 300,000 people. It said that since shutting down a rebroadcasting transmitter in July, its market is now below that threshold.

Christian music radio station in New Brunswick approved

The CRTC on Monday said it has approved the sale of a Saint John, N.B., radio station that will result in its format changing to Christian music.

CRTC writes to distributors about simultaneous substitution

The CRTC has written letters in recent weeks to four television distribution companies, urging them not to blame the commission for simultaneous substitution and telling them it’s the responsibility of distributors and broadcasters to ensure substitutions are “done correctly.”

The CRTC’s website shows letters dated Friday were sent to BCE Inc., Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron and SaskTel.

CRTC combines mobile-TV complaints

The CRTC is combining three complaints about wireless providers’ mobile-TV services and will consider all three complaints under a single proceeding, the commission said.

Greek-language TV channel approved for distribution

The CRTC said Friday it has approved a Greek-language television channel for distribution in Canada.

It said in a notice posted online that Star International, which will source its programming from Greece, has been approved to be added to the CRTC’s list of authorized non-Canadian programming services.

The CRTC said the application to add the station was received from the station's Canadian sponsor, Soundview Entertainment Inc. in November.

Roaming arrangements like Survivor alliances, consultant tells CRTC

Comments made to the CRTC as part of its review of domestic roaming rates paint a picture of different alliances made among Canadian wireless carriers — reminiscent of the TV show Survivor — with difficult circumstances facing those who find themselves on the outside of these relationships.

CRTC consulting on Al Jazeera Arabic licence conditions

The CRTC is consulting on a request to delete the conditions of distribution it imposed on Al Jazeera Arabic in 2004.

CRTC approves frequency change for CJVF-FM Scarborough

The CRTC has approved an application to change the frequency of ethnic radio station CJVF-FM Scarborough from 105.9 MHz, with an average effective radiated power of 45 watts, to 102.7 MHz, at 6.5 watts.

The commission said in a decision Thursday that 105.9 FM Ltd. requested the change after another Toronto-area radio station, CFMS-FM Markham, was launched at the 105.9 MHz frequency.

Under Department of Industry rules, low-power stations, which are not protected, have to cease operating when a station that does have protected status starts operating on the same frequency.

Canadians divided on TV system issues: CRTC report

Canadians who took part in a CRTC consultation “want more” from their television services, including more diverse and higher-quality programming, as well as more choice to subscribe to the individual channels they want, the CRTC said.

In a report released Wednesday that summarizes comments the commission received from a public consultation on the Canadian broadcasting system, the CRTC said respondents voiced complaints about the quality of available programming, and about inflexible and increasingly expensive TV channel packages.

CRTC consulting on 23 broadcast licence applications

The CRTC will hold a hearing on April 8 in Gatineau, Que., to consider the licence renewals of 10 TV conventional stations and seven specialty channels owned by Rogers Communications Inc., the commission said Wednesday.

Eliminate charges for cellphone calls to helplines: PIAC

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is asking the CRTC to eliminate cellphone charges for calls to helplines and crisis lines.

PIAC, together with the non-profit organization Chimo Community Services, made the request in an application filed with the CRTC Wednesday, the groups said in a press release.

The release said that calls to local or 1-800 or 1-888 helpline numbers are currently free for those calling from landlines.

Telecoms shouldn’t track customer habits for marketing: PIAC

To permit BCE Inc. to collect customers’ personal information and track their activities for marketing and advertising purposes “allows Bell to change the nature of what a telecom-service provider is paid to do,” said a lawyer who’s filed an application with the CRTC challenging this practice.

“They’re moving away from neutrally passing [on] a message to also being in the business of advertising and marketing,” Geoffrey White, lawyer with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), said in a phone interview.

CRTC approves Corus acquisition of two Bell radio stations

The CRTC has approved an ownership transfer of two Ottawa radio stations from BCE Inc. to Corus Entertainment Inc., the commission said in a decision Friday.

The stations involved are CKQB-FM, known as The Bear, along with its transmitter CKQB-FM-1 in Pembroke, Ont., and CJOT-FM, branded as Boom 99.7.

CRTC approves three non-Canadian channels for distribution

The CRTC has approved the addition of Lifestyle Network, Cinema One Global and TV Record to the list of non-Canadian programming channels authorized for distribution, it said in a notice Friday.

Lifestyle Network is an English-language home and lifestyle channel targeted at Filipinos living in Canada, TV Record is a Portuguese-language general interest channel and Cinema One Global is a Tagalog-language channel, the commission said.

BCE Inc. applied to add the three channels to the list authorized for distribution, the CRTC said.

Federal bodies coordinate anti-spam enforcement

The federal competition commissioner, the privacy commissioner and the CRTC have signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the implementation of the federal government’s anti-spam law.

The Competition Bureau said in a release Thursday that the agreement sets out a framework for cooperation and coordination, as well as the sharing of information, in relation to the enforcement of the law.

CRTC watching HD Radio trial for market, regulatory insight

The CRTC will be watching a Toronto radio station’s experiment with HD Radio to help gauge whether the technology has a future in Canada, and what that future might look like, the head of the commission’s radio policy division said.

In a release last week, Toronto-area broadcaster Canadian Multicultural Radio (CMR) said it was using HD Radio technology to broadcast a digital copy of its CJSA-FM station signal, and to carry a second, digital radio signal over its airwaves.

CRTC approves radio station in Meaford, Ont.

The CRTC said in notice Wednesday that it has approved a new commercial radio station for Meaford, Ont., located about 180 kilometres north of Toronto on the south shore of Georgian Bay.

The FM station will broadcast at a frequency 99.3 MHz, the CRTC said, and feature an adult-contemporary/easy-listening music format.

It will be operated by Dufferin Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Evanov Communications Inc., which is controlled by William Evanov.

New eastern Ontario FM station approved

The CRTC said Tuesday it approved a new community FM radio station in Prince Edward County, Ont., located about about 200 kilometres east of Toronto.

The commission said in a notice that the station will be operated by Prince Edward County Radio Corp. and broadcast a mix of of talk and music at a frequency of 99.3 MHz.

Its website describes the station as a “community-owned, not for profit” station.

CRTC chair says he shares ‘philosophy’ with James Moore

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in a magazine article that hits newsstands Monday that he and Industry Minister James Moore share a similar “philosophy” about consumer affordability and service issues in the telecommunications sector.

Cheaper data for mobile TV not an undue preference, BCE says

BCE Inc.’s mobile TV product is a distinct broadcast distribution business and its pricing structure does not disadvantage competitors' over-the-top video services any more than the pricing of home TV services offered by other Internet service providers (ISPs), the company said in regulatory filings.

CRTC lets CHEK-DT Victoria draw from TV fund

The CRTC has approved an application by 0859291 B.C. Ltd. to have its CHEK-DT television station in Victoria added to the list of stations eligible to receive funding from the Small Market Local Production Fund.

Must-offer status prompts Sun News to renegotiate carriage agreements

The CRTC is granting must-offer status to Canada’s national all-news specialty services and will require broadcast distributors to offer those channels on a standalone basis, though not necessarily in “news neighbourhoods,” the commission said.

CRTC consulting on Newcap deal for BCE radio stations

The CRTC is consulting on the acquisition of five BCE Inc. radio stations by Newfoundland Capital Corp. subsidiary Newcap Inc., the commission said Wednesday.

Bell launches free previews for 10 channels

BCE Inc. is making 10 of its French-language specialty channels available on a free preview from Dec. 12 to Jan. 12.

The company said in a release Thursday that the channels offered will be Canal Vie, Canal D, Ztélé, Historia, Séries+, VRAK TV, Disney Junior (French), MusiquePlus, MusiMax and RDS Info.

CRTC revokes international telecom licences of 31 firms

CRTC approves FM station in Barriere, B.C.

The CRTC has approved an application for a licence to operate a low-power, English-language commercial FM radio station in Barriere, B.C., the commission said Tuesday.

The programming for the station, which would operate at 93.1 MHz, would consist “primarily of pop, light rock, country and standard hits, targeting an all-inclusive audience,” the CRTC said.

It would broadcast 126 hours of local programming in a broadcast week, the commission added.

The station would be the first local radio station in the community, the CRTC said.

CRTC consulting on eight license applications

The CRTC is consulting on one application for a television station licence and seven applications for radio station licences, the commission said.

CRTC won’t expand BCE undue preference complaint

The CRTC will not expand a complaint against BCE Inc.’s Mobile TV service to encompass other wireless providers.

Ben Klass, a master's student at the University of Manitoba, filed an application with the CRTC earlier this month regarding Bell allowing its mobile subscribers to access Bell Mobile TV content on smartphones and tablets without it counting against their monthly data caps.

CRTC extends Shaw deadline to promote free satellite TV program

Shaw Communications Inc. can continue to enroll new subscribers in its Local Television Satellite Solution (LTSS), a free satellite TV program, for a “final” 12 months, the CRTC said.

CRTC dismisses OMNI cuts complaint

The CRTC said Thursday that it dismissed a complaint related to staff and ethnic programming reductions at Rogers Communications Inc.’s OMNI television stations, though it requested the company submit licence-renewal applications for its OMNI stations early.

CRTC wireless code comes into effect

The CRTC’s new wireless code came into effect Monday.

The new rules governing mobile services in Canada require, among other things, that customers be able to cancel contracts with no penalties after two years, and that charges for data used beyond what’s allotted in contracts not exceed $50 a month when accessed directly through their carrier or $100 while roaming domestically or internationally.

CRTC approves FM station in Hunstville, Ont.

The CRTC approved an application by Hunters Bay Radio Inc. to operate an English-language, community FM radio station in Huntsville, Ont., and its surrounding areas.

CRTC provides model agreement for telcos, municipalities

The CRTC on Thursday said it created a model agreement to be followed by telecommunications firms and municipalities for cases in which a telco needs access to municipal property for the purpose of installing, upgrading or maintaining infrastructure.

The commission said the intent is to minimize disagreements between local governments and companies over issues such as traffic disruptions, placement of equipment and damage resulting from the work performed.

U.S. broadcasters praise CRTC television review, government talks

A group called the U.S. Television Coalition said Tuesday it is encouraged by the CRTC’s current review of the way television is regulated in Canada as well as by bilateral talks happening between the Canadian and U.S. federal governments.

“Together, these developments offer an opportunity to end the unfair treatment of our American TV stations in Canada,” Susan Wenz, program director at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis, said in a statement issued by the group.

Analysts, academics take sides on whether wireless regulations help or harm consumers

Industry Canada and CRTC efforts this year to create a more consumer-friendly wireless market have caused Canadians’ mobile phone bills to go up while reducing the amount of choice consumers have in the market, Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan said.

“The fact is that regulatory actions over the last six months have led to higher prices and less choice for Canadians,” Fan said Monday during a panel discussion at the International Institute of Communications’ annual conference in Ottawa.

Telus says it will be code-compliant by end of November

Telus Corp. said Monday that by the end of November it will be fully compliant with the CRTC’s new wireless code of conduct.

Government to wait for CRTC report before making decisions on pick-and-pay, Glover says

The federal government will wait to see the results of a CRTC report on how best to implement a pick-and-pay television model before deciding whether to get involved in the process, Heritage Minister Shelly Glover said.

“We can’t make any decisions until we see the [CRTC’s] report because I want to make sure we have a complete picture,” Glover said in an interview Thursday. “They’re going to do their report and we’re going to wait for it … absolutely I’ll be depending on their expertise.”

CRTC will not license new radio stations in Saskatoon

The CRTC will not issue a call for applications for new radio stations to serve the Saskatoon market due to concerns about the effect licensing additional commercial stations would have.

Consumers trump lobbyists in development of telecom regulation: consultant

TORONTO—Political intervention in the development of regulatory policy is here to stay, as grassroots consumer movements reduce lobbyists' ability to sway politicians and regulators, Playbook Communications consultant Erik Waddell said.

“The Harper government, and really the Conservative party, is at heart a populist movement,” Waddell said Wednesday during a panel discussion at the Canadian ISP Summit in Toronto.

CRTC to launch voluntary broadband measurement program: Menzies

TORONTO—The CRTC will launch next spring a “national broadband measurement project” that will analyze the performance of Canadian Internet connections from the subscriber’s end, said Peter Menzies, the CRTC's vice-chair of telecom.

In a speech Tuesday at the Canadian ISP Summit, Menzies said the project—participation in which will be voluntary for both providers and customers—will use “hardware-based testing” to measure Internet subscribers' connection speeds, availability, and other performance factors.

CRTC consulting on Rogers, Cogeco corporate reorganization

PIAC urges CRTC to block Corus deal

The CRTC should block Corus Entertainment Inc.’s acquisition of the Teletoon Canada, Historia and Séries+ specialty channels from BCE Inc. because the deal is not in the “public interest,” the Public Internet Advocacy Centre said.