I’ve always been sceptical of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the government agency in charge of regulating broadcasting and telecommunications.

After all, it seems to be staffed by a group of public servants who are guided by the “let the market decide” mantra, as opposed to their legislated responsibility to create and sustain a viable broadcast and telecom sector that actually works for Canadians and delivers innovative, high- quality content and services.

Despite my misgivings, I have to admit that it seems as though the CRTC is actually on the right track … for now at least! Of course, this is only a recent development, so maybe I should hold back on my excitement.
(more…)

Internet neutrality is an issue of vital importance to all Canadians. As the last bastion of free speech on this planet, it is of crucial importance that we fight vigorously to retain the open nature of the Internet. If the CRTC allows providers to throttle the internet, large networks will prioritize US programing at the expense of documentaries, public forums and independent media sources such as Youtube.

I implore each and every one of you to take action by visiting saveournet and sign the CRTC petition voicing your opinion on this issue.
(more…)

Recently, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that it is considering a change to the scope of the upcoming television broadcast license hearings scheduled for April 2009.

Under the current Broadcasting Act, 1991, the CRTC can grant broadcast licenses for up to 7 years. There is also an option to grant licenses for shorter periods of time, but this is usually done in cases where there are compliancy issues.

However, there is now concern that the CRTC might reverse course and grant only temporary, one to two-year licenses – and no, this has nothing to do with compliance issues.
(more…)

When I first heard about the Canadian do-not-call list a few months ago, I was ecstatic. Finally, I thought, I would be able to get rid of the endless, annoying and constant telemarketing calls that put me past the point of frustration. At the time, I was getting around 2-3 calls per day. It was unbearable. So without thinking twice, I signed up.

For those of you who don’t know, the Canadian do-not-call list allows Canadians to decide whether or not to receive telemarketing calls. Signing up takes about 5 minutes, and upon doing so, a large portion of telemarketers will be forbidden from calling you. If they do, they can face up to a $15,000 fine.

But it’s not all that rosy.
(more…)