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By Ahmad Hathout A paper petition calling on the federal government to prop up local radio and television news after a string of layoffs in the industry has been presented to the House of Commons on Wednesday. The petition, which was carried by Kingston Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen, is asking that government to extend the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit to include radio and television; dedicate 70 per cent of federal government advertising dollars on local radio, TV, print and digital media; and eliminate tax-deductions for advertising purchased on foreign-owned, internet-delivered media sites and services. “The abrupt departures of radio...

By Ahmad Hathout The CRTC on Thursday launched a consultation into whether it should ban Rogers, Bell and Telus from using the bundled fibre networks of the large telcos in Ontario and Quebec. The commission is asking whether it's in the public interest to change its November 2023 decision that temporarily allowed competitors to force negotiations to access both the traffic transport and last-mile fibre facilities of Bell and Telus in those provinces. The deadline for comment is December 12. The consultation comes at the recommendation of federal cabinet, which expressed concern that this policy could be detrimental to smaller...

Incumbents say market is evolving and no regulatory action is needed By Ahmad Hathout Quebecor's Freedom Mobile on Thursday launched a national campaign urging Canadians to sign a petition voicing displeasure at what the telecom is calling “expensive daily roaming fees that cost Canadian travellers millions of dollars annually.” Freedom is targeting the international roaming fees in Canadian plans, which it says are among the highest in the world. “We demand an end to these unfair and inflexible roaming fees, and we call on the incumbent carriers to take it upon themselves to implement fair and affordable roaming options for...

By Ahmad Hathout The CRTC on Friday launched a trio of consultations to “improve” the wireless and internet codes by making it easier for Canadians to switch plans or providers. The consultations can be broken down into three major categories: more transparent communications from service providers, the elimination of certain fees associated with switching, and self-service options for customers to easily cancel or modify their contracts. For the first bucket, the CRTC is looking into providing Canadians with a 90-day notice before their contracts – which cannot exceed 24 months – come to an end; requiring a notice before the...

By Ahmad Hathout A group of creatives sent a letter last week to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the relevant cabinet ministers requesting that the government include in its fall economic statement a doubling of Canada Media Fund's stabilization subsidy to $85 million and make permanent a $30 million annual commitment to its equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) initiatives. The letter, addressed to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge and seen by Cartt, states that the CMF's EDIA initiatives – backed by a $20 million per year injection over three years from the 2020 federal...

Sports-first live TV streaming platform FuboTV announced Monday it is expanding its sports, entertainment, news and Latino programming with the launch of six NBCUniversal (NBCU) free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels in Canada. Three of the channels — NBC News Now, Noticias Telemundo Ahora and Telemundo al Dia — are available today on Fubo Canada’s Sports, Entertainment... Read more »

With Black Friday fast approaching, Telus announced Tuesday a new campaign aimed at transforming the annual shopping event into “a force for social good this holiday season” by replacing traditional Buy One, Get One deals with a Buy One, Give One promotion supporting youth in need. “In a uniquely Canadian promotion, TELUS is flipping the script on Black Friday deals with a powerful initiative: For every new customer who purchases a phone between November 29 and December 1, TELUS will provide a free phone and plan to a youth aging out of foster care through our Mobility for Good program,” reads...

By Ahmad Hathout Apple and Samsung, the two largest smartphone manufacturers in the world, are expressing befuddlement that the Quebec Court of Appeal would uphold the authorization of a class of plaintiffs to take the companies to court for punitive damages for what they describe as unfounded claims of health-related harm associated with the emissions of radio frequencies (RF) from cellphones. The class authorization, which the companies are calling a first in Canada, creates a disastrous precedent involving the approval of classes seeking damages for mere allegations of an intentional violation of Quebec's Consumer Protection Act (CPA) with no harm...

The CRTC has asked Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for clarification on whether Canadian news is still being made available on its platforms in Canada — despite the social media giant not paying to host Canadian news links, which is a violation of the Online News Act. The commission previously asked Meta in October what measures it is taking to comply with the Act, and has now sent additional questions to the company in a follow-up letter dated Nov. 25 and addressed to Meta's public policy director, Dan Ball. “You have described measures Meta takes to remove access to news on its...

Burlington-based film financier Productivity Media is now under receivership after defaulting on approximately USD $2.5 million in loans after allegations emerged this summer that its CEO siphoned over $100 million of the company's money to fraudulent media projects, according to court documents.