The Rogers service outage that began July 8 has renewed discussion on the company’s proposed merger with Shaw and whether more competition is needed in the Canadian telecom industry. President and CEO Tony Staffieri issued a statement offering an apology for the outage, saying the company realizes the impact the incident had on people across the country….
Prominent Radio-Canada Personalities Urge Broadcaster to Fight CRTC N-Word Decision
Dozens of prominent Radio-Canada personalities are urging their employer to fight back against a recent CRTC decision ordering the public broadcaster to apologize over the on-air use of the N-word. The journalists, hosts and commentators say in an open letter published in La Presse that last week’s decision threatens journalistic freedom and independence and opens…
Peter Menzies: CRTC Sanctioning of Network Proves Skeptics Right to Fear Govt. Regulation of Internet
Commentary The authors of Canada’s plans to regulate the internet have insisted for almost two years that freedom of expression is not at risk. On June 29, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), proved them wrong. In a stunning decision that prompted a pair of brave dissentients, the CRTC sanctioned Société Radio-Canada (SRC) for using…
Online Streaming Bill Could Make YouTube Manipulate Its Algorithms: CRTC Chair
The chairman of Canada’s broadcast regulator says it might ask platforms such as YouTube to “manipulate” their algorithms to make Canadian music easier to find, under powers in the proposed online streaming bill. Ian Scott told a Senate committee examining the bill that although the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission would not want to manipulate…
CRTC Renews CBC Licensing for Another Five Years, Tweaks Its Mandate
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is renewing CBC’s licensing, with tweaks to its mandate that will require it to spend money on programming produced by people with disabilities, Indigenous and racialized people and the LGBTQ community. The CRTC is dropping the requirement for CBC to maintain minimum thresholds of local programming in urban markets…
Peter Menzies: Ottawa’s Fix for the News Business Will Actually Hurt It
Commentary Unless Canada intends to put most of its news media permanently under some form of government subsidy, Ottawa must get serious about a long-term plan for the sustainability of the industry. And that means not forcing people to give news away for free when other people are trying to build subscription-based business models. Everyone…
CRTC to Get New Chair as Role of Broadcast Regulator Expands
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission chair is to be replaced within months and Canadian Heritage is already accepting applications for the $328,000-a-year role. Ian Scott and his broadcasting vice-chair, Caroline Simard, were appointed to five-year terms at the broadcast regulator in 2017 and their tenures are set to wrap in early September. The CRTC…
Heritage Minister’s Actions Validate for Second Time Concerns Over Online Speech Regulation Are Legitimate
Commentary Canada’s Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has now twice confirmed that fears regarding the looming regulation of online speech in Canada were and continue to be legitimate. The first was when, in early February, he introduced Bill C-11—the Trudeau government’s second attempt, to put it simply, to define the global internet as mere broadcasting and…
CRTC Approves Broadcast Component of Rogers-Shaw Deal, With Conditions
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has approved Rogers Communications Inc.’s acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.’s broadcasting services, but will force the company to meet a series of conditions it laid out Thursday. The approval from the broadcasting regulator is one of several hurdles Rogers must clear as it tries to close the $26-billion deal…
CRTC Lacks Expertise to Regulate Online Streaming, YouTube: Experts
OTTAWA—Internet experts have cast doubt on whether the body the federal government wants to regulate streaming services and video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and Netflix has the expertise to do so. They have also questioned whether the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission should be given new regulatory powers, or even if it fully understands how…
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