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As Parliament returns, Bains promises ‘plan’ for lower wireless prices
When the House of Commons comes back after winter break next week, it will be to a political environment in which telecom and media issues are set to take centre stage in an unprecedented way. 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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Rogers says further regulation could lead to capex cuts
Rogers Communications Inc. has warned that, depending on what regulatory decisions are made in 2020, the company may cut their capital expenditure investments below the low end of their guidance for the year. 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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Bell appeals CRTC decision in fight over undue preference
A months-long dispute between BCE Inc. and Quebecor Inc. entered yet another phase Friday, as Bell filed for judicial review of the CRTC’s Dec. 19 decision that found Bell gave undue preference to its own French-language sports channel over Quebecor’s own offering, TVA Sports. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign …
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Cogeco’s IPTV service in beta testing, but no start date
There’s no firm timeframe for when Cogeco Inc. will roll out its new IPTV service, despite the cableco previously telling investors it would become available in 2019. 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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Big Three pricing has been ‘erratic’: Shaw’s McAleese
After taking credit over the summer for the reduction in wireless pricing in the Canadian market, Shaw Communications Inc. is now blaming the incumbents for driving down the market with “erratic” pricing competition over the summer and through to the holiday period. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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‘Clock ticking’ on new content rules for web giants, Guilbeault says
The Liberal government’s minority mandate means it will have to move fast on its promised new rules for Canadian content on foreign digital platforms, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault says. “We’re in a minority government and we have to do in months what we probably would have done in years in another context,” he said in …
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Videotron buys cable company in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Que.
Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has purchased a local cable company operating in the same area where the CRTC recently ordered Quebecor rival BCE Inc. to provide Quebecor with wholesale internet service. 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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Bell did unduly disadvantage TVA Sports: CRTC
The CRTC has ruled on two applications in which rivals BCE Inc. and Quebecor Inc. accused each other of an undue preference when it came to the packaging of the other company’s TV content, concluding that Bell unduly disadvantaged Quebecor’s TVA Sports. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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SCC simsub ban rejection a boon for Canadian performers: ACTRA
The nation’s highest court has quashed a 2016 decision by the CRTC to ban the substitution of Canadian advertising on American networks for the Super Bowl, which will mean more work opportunities for Canadian performers, a labour union says. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Broadcasters opposed to STB measurement system proposal
Several independent broadcasters have written to the CRTC to say the regulator shouldn’t grant a request by TV providers to change a rule forcing cable and IPTV services to hand over viewership data. 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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Netflix disclosure ‘nothing to do with regulation,’ company says
Following the federal parties’ shared pursuit to further regulate foreign internet companies, Netflix Inc. has this week disclosed for the first time its Canadian figures over the past three years, but the company said the decision is unrelated to looming regulation. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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Amos, Dabrusin, van Koesverden in as new parlsecs
As the new Parliament gets up and running following the election of Justin Trudeau’s Liberals to a minority government, there are also some changes to the ranks of parliamentary secretaries as well. 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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Rovi’s STB suit an attempt to extract royalties, Videotron says
Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron will argue in Federal Court later this month that a years-long legal battle over patent infringement levelled against its set-top box products is not directed at the proper parties, including itself, according to court documents. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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V buy would give Bell too much market share: PIAC, Quebecor
BCE Inc.’s proposed acquisition of French-language Groupe V Media Inc.’s conventional TV network V would exacerbate a “crisis” in local television and especially local news programming, would negatively impact competition, and “raise serious concerns about Bell’s exercise of market power,” according to an intervention by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. This content is available to …
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Keep dispute resolution rule in place for FibeTV, CRTC hears
A group representing independent broadcasters is telling the CRTC it should maintain the rules forcing BCE Inc. into a dispute resolution process over affiliation agreements for its FibeTV. 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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Court orders Canadian ISPs to block pirate website for the first time
In a precedent-setting decision, a Federal Court judge has ordered internet service providers to block specific websites hosting copyright-infringing TV 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 you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …
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If Corus gets to defer CanCon obligations, we should too: Rogers, Bell, Quebecor
Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Quebecor Inc. have all told the CRTC that if the regulator allows Corus Entertainment Inc. to shift some of its CanCon requirements from one broadcast year into the next, then the regulator should let them do it to, according to interventions filed with the regulator this week. This content …
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Allarco’s Super Channel asked to justify its license renewal before the CRTC
GATINEAU — Either Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc. is an essential part of the independent Canadian broadcasting landscape, critical to Canadian content producers, or it chronically falters on its Canadian programming expenditures, while short changing Canadian content producers through its financial difficulties, amounting to a consistent violation of the conditions of its broadcasting license. This content …
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Bell to focus on declining mobile service prices in MVNO review
Ahead of the CRTC’s wireless review early next year, and on the heels of a report showing Canada is among the highest-priced jurisdictions in the world for data, BCE Inc. executives on Thursday focused on the declining cost of data to push the point that regulatory intervention is unnecessary for competition. This content is available …
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Corus putting more focus on AVOD strategy
High demand among advertisers for premium content to be siloed in ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) platforms has driven Corus Entertainment Inc. to place more attention on that strategy. 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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CPC plans for Netflix, rural broadband still unclear days ahead of vote
Despite Conservative leader Andrew Scheer indicating throughout this fall’s election campaign that he would make sure Netflix Inc. pays its “fair share,” his party is refusing to clarify whether he actually plans to introduce any new obligations on the streaming giant. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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Federal Court rejects Quebecor’s leave to appeal on STB data
The Federal Court of Appeal has decided it will not hear a case brought by Quebecor Inc. on handing over set-top-box (STB) data to the CRTC. 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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Corus asks CRTC to defer CanCon obligations, citing volatility
Corus Entertainment Inc. is asking the CRTC if the broadcaster can spend less on the development and acquisition of Canadian content in the upcoming fiscal year, and make up the shortfall later on in its licence term. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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MediaTube asking Supreme Court to review Bell Fibe case
Six years after first filing suit alleging BCE Inc. infringed on its patent in the making of the telecom’s Fibe TV — and along the way suffering a number of decisions against it — MediaTube Corp. is asking the Supreme Court of Canada to review its case. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …
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Bell and Stingray partner on targeted ads for radio, audio streaming
BCE Inc. and Stingray Group Inc. have launched a targeted advertising platform that allows ads to be placed on their radio stations, audio streaming apps and podcasts. 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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CRTC tells Federal Court TVA info request akin to ‘fishing’
The CRTC is objecting to a document-collection request Quebecor Inc. is making in Federal Court as part of its appeal of a decision by the regulator to force the company to continue to allow BCE Inc. to broadcast its sports channel. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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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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Telecoms discussing CRTC wholesale rate appeal: Videotron chief
Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is in talks with other telecom companies about potentially appealing the CRTC’s new rates for wholesale internet service, CEO Jean-François Pruneau told The Wire Report. 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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Corus separately lobbied gov’t on journalism tax credits
Corus Entertainment Inc. registered to lobby the government to promote the eligibility of broadcasters for a new journalism tax initiative announced by the federal government late last 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 …
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Helix will keep cord-cutters in Videotron ‘ecosystem,’ CEO says
MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron unveiled its new Helix platform Tuesday, and the company is counting on the combined IPTV, WiFi management and smart home platform to position it for a post cord-cutting world, according to CEO Jean-François Pruneau. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Disney’s streaming service coming in November
Walt Disney Co. announced Monday that it would be launching its Disney+ streaming service in Canada on November 12, entering what is an increasingly crowded marketplace for consumers. 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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Feds putting $14.6 million toward French-language network
The federal government last week announced that it would pour $14.6 million over five years into TV5Monde, a French-language network internationally funded and managed by a consortium of French-language content producers across the world. 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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CRTC commissioning report about market impact of online BDUs
The CRTC wants to know more about the potential for the Canadian broadcasting market to absorb virtual broadcasting distribution undertakings (vBDUs). 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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Bell allowed to shut down 28 broadcasting towers
Just as it allowed Corus Entertainment Inc. to do last month, the CRTC has given approval to BCE Inc. to shut down some 28 broadcasting towers in rural parts of the country. 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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Internet code will indirectly tackle poor sales practices, CRTC chairman says
CRTC chairman Ian Scott said the new internet code will address many of the underlying issues that have resulted in complaints about the industry’s poor sales practices, which is outside the mandate of the code and its administrator, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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CRTC commissioning research on global public broadcasters
Ahead of its renewal of CBC/Radio-Canada’s broadcasting licences, the CRTC wants to learn more about what other public broadcasters around the world are doing. 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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Péladeau asks Quebec to block Bell’s V network buy
Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau is vowing to oppose BCE Inc.’s acquisition of a French-language conventional TV network, announced earlier this week. 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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Bell to buy French-language conventional TV network
BCE Inc. will purchase Groupe V Media Inc.’s conventional TV network V, Bell 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 and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …
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‘Unlimited’ plans leading to 50% more data use, Rogers says
Rogers Communications Inc.’s CEO Joe Natale said there has been a 50 per cent increase in data use among the 365,000 customers who’ve adopted its “unlimited” data plans in the six weeks they have been in the market. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …
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Broadcasters suing pirate ‘IPTV’ provider
Three of the nation’s largest broadcasters are suing the owners of a service that is allegedly selling live TV service packages and on-demand content without a licence or authorization. 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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StatCan data shows higher telecom spending than CRTC pricing numbers
The average Canadian household spent $233 a month on communication services in 2017, a $10.17 or 4.6 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to data from Statistics Canada released late last year. 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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Broadcast news tax credit exclusion means cuts ‘inevitable’: CAB
The independence of the panel that will determine which print news organizations will get tax credits has been “compromised” because the government had already decided to exclude broadcasters from the handouts, according to a March letter sent to the government by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Novus files another Part 1 for condo access in B.C.
Vancouver-based Novus Entertainment Inc. has once again sought help from the CRTC to install transmission facilities and ancillary telecommunications equipment in a multi-dwelling unit development in the Greater Vancouver area. 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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Media groups vow to fight CRTC’s OMNI decision
Two media groups have filed formal petitions to the Governor in Council, asking the government to reverse a CRTC decision that gave Rogers Communications Inc. a second term to have its OMNI channel as required broadcasting on basic TV. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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Junk food bill S-228 left to die on order paper
A bill aimed at improving children’s health by limiting the advertising of unhealthy foods to them, which was opposed by major Canadian broadcasters, has been left for dead on the order paper as the Senate adjourned for the summer last week. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …
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CRTC launches review of Indigenous broadcasting policy
The CRTC has begun the process of replacing its three-decade-old Indigenous broadcasting policy. 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. FREE TRIAL Two …
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Court will hear Quebecor appeal in TVA Sports signal case
The Federal Court of Appeal has granted Quebecor Inc.’s application to challenge the CRTC’s ruling that it must continue to provide its TVA Sports signal to BCE Inc. customers following a tiff earlier this year. 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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CRTC allows Corus to close down 44 TV rebroadcasting towers
The CRTC has approved a request from Corus Entertainment Inc. to shutter 44 of its television transmitting towers that serve rural customers. 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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No broadcaster compensation for 600 MHz move, ISED confirms
Broadcasters have lobbied the government for years to reimburse them for having to switch channels when the 600 MHz spectrum is repurposed for mobile wireless use, but all such requests have so-far been rebuffed, The Wire Report has learned. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …
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CRTC sticks with OMNI for multi-ethnic must-carry spot
Rogers Communications Inc.‘s OMNI will continue to benefit from the sole licence to operate its multi-ethnic channel on basic TV packages as a result of a CRTC decision 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 …
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Canadians want more money for CBC, don’t trust OTTs to support CanCon: Poll
Almost 60 per cent of Canadians have “low trust and confidence” in Netflix Inc. to “protect Canadian culture and identity on television”; half of Canadians don’t trust cable companies to do the same; and 56 per cent of Canadians trust the CRTC to step up to fill that void. This content is available to wirereport.ca …
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NDP calls for OTT sales tax, end of ad tax exemption
MONTREAL — The NDP’s platform for this year’s federal election will include requiring foreign over-the-top (OTT) services to collect and remit sales tax on revenues earned in Canada and ending the tax exemption for advertising on foreign online platforms. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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GoT glitches show challenge in streaming high-viewership events
When the Game of Thrones series premiere aired in 2011, streaming services were still in their infancy. Now, as the HBO ratings juggernaut wraps up its final few episodes, it draws the kind of massive live audiences that are becoming increasingly rare in an over-the-top world. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Fizz still ‘minimal’ part of wireless for Videotron: CEO
The new Fizz flanker brand launched by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is still too small a part of the company’s business to significantly affect its average billing per user (ABPU), Videotron’s CEO 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 …
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Bell-branded wireless hits sub-1% churn, continuing industry trend
The expected focus by the country’s largest wireless service providers this year to keep the spoils of last year’s record postpaid wireless subscribers has so-far propelled two of those companies to a milestone achievement: a postpaid wireless churn of under one-per cent. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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OTT subs set to overtake traditional TV by 2020: report
The number of Canadians who opt for over-the-top services is set to surpass the number of Canadians who subscribe to traditional television providers next year, according to a report released yesterday by Convergence Research Group. 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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Bell calls for revocation of TVA Sports licence at tense CRTC hearing
Gatineau, Que. — Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau was unrepentant as he justified his decision to pull the TVA Sports signal from BCE Inc. TV subscribers Wednesday, indicating to CRTC commissioners he wouldn’t rule out doing so again once a court injunction expires next week. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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CRTC orders Quebecor to hearing next week over TVA Sports signal
The CRTC has told Quebecor Inc. executives to appear at a hearing in Gatineau Wednesday to explain why it defied the regulator and pulled the signal to its TVA Sports channel from BCE Inc. TV subscribers. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …
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Quebecor walks the talk, pulls TVA Sports signal from Bell
Quebecor Inc. has stopped broadcasting its TVA Sports signal following the 7 p.m. deadline the company set in a tense stand-off with BCE Inc. 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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Cogeco offering no details on MVNO strategy
Cogeco Inc. has long been a vocal proponent of mandated mobile virtual operators in Canada, so it’s no surprise CEO Philippe Jetté indicated the company plans to take advantage of the CRTC’s new position regarding MVNOs on a call with analysts Wednesday, though he declined to elaborate on how the company might take advantage of …
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Freedom says ads intended to ‘stir the market,’ induce churn
An ad launched over the weekend depicting a fictitious version of the big three incumbent wireless providers gloating about high prices charged to consumers is another effort by Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom to rile up the industry, its president said on Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …
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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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Péladeau willing to pull TVA Sports signal in fight with Bell
OTTAWA — Quebecor Inc. president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau said Monday that he would yank TVA Sports from BCE Inc.’s TV service over carriage fees — and denied that doing so would violate CRTC rules. 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’ turnaround partly propelled by ads returning to linear
Corus Entertainment Inc. said it will see TV ad growth in the third quarter thanks in part to a cohort of 50 traditionally digital advertisers adding linear TV to their investments. 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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Complaints to CCTS increase again, TV issues up 500%
Complaints about TV service to the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) skyrocketed to 18 per cent of all complaints in CCTS’ latest report. 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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Defendant in pre-loaded set-top box case settles for $5M
One of the defendants in a long-running lawsuit against companies selling pre-loaded set-top boxes will pay three Canadian telecoms $5 million to settle the case, according to a March 20 consent judgment. 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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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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Bell asks to shut down 28 rebroadcasting transmitters
BCE Inc.’s media division is asking the CRTC to allow it to shutter 28 of its rebroadcasting transmitters that it says “generate no incremental revenue and attract little to no viewership.” 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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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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Quebecor asks CRTC to make Bell include TVA Sports in its Bon TV package
Quebecor Inc. has filed a complaint with the CRTC against BCE Inc., alleging undue preference against its sports channel because it’s been excluded from a popular Bell TV package in Quebec. 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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Few internet giants weighed in to BTLR, submission list shows
The panel in charge of reviewing the broadcasting and telecom acts received comments from a number of non-industry parties, such as provincial governments and police services, while some of the biggest online companies in the world, including Amazon.com Inc., did not submit comments, according to newly-disclosed government documents. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …
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Telecom act should equalize prices across Canada: NWT gov’t
The government of Northwest Territories says the Telecommunications Act should aim to ensure telecom services of the same quality and at the same prices are available across the country. 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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Shaw Rocket Fund wants CBC to broaden children’s programming
The Shaw Rocket Fund wants CBC/Radio-Canada to expand its focus on children’s content to reflect a broader age range and is asking for new communications legislation to ensure it has the funding required to make that happen. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …
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OTT video revenues comparable to conventional TV in 2017: CMR
Internet-based video services generated enough revenue in Canada in 2017 to rival the total revenues of private and CBC conventional television stations combined, according to the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report. 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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CACTUS asks BTLR for $150M community TV framework
A group representing the Canadian community TV sector is asking the panel reviewing the broadcasting and telecom acts to beef up focus on community TV at the CRTC and Canadian Heritage and create a new secretariat and ombudsperson’s office, along with a new funding framework for the sector. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …
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Press council warns BTLR of ‘gap’ in complaints process for broadcasters
The National NewsMedia Council wrote to the expert panel reviewing Canada’s broadcasting laws to express concern about a “gap in the current public complaints framework vis-à-vis traditional broadcasting news organizations” when it comes to complaints about online broadcast content. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? …
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