Prime Time Crime

Canadian Media

   

Copyright & regulated markets

Regulators

   

CRTC jumps the shark

GATINEAU -  They might not want to pay more for TV services, but most Canadians could afford the modest price increase they'd be subject to if TV networks get approval to charge cable and satellite companies for their over-the-air signals, says the CRTC.  (CBC)  

Jumping the shark

Canadians can afford high cable fees: CRTC

Good news for lawyers and lobbyists

Costs of CRTC arrogance

CRTC looks to 'market forces

Canada fears increased consumer cost

CRTC to let firms negotiate

CRTC backs TV over cable

Magical thinking

Shaw to buy control of CanWest

 

It's your fault

In poll after poll - see the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting at friends.ca if you don't believe me - the public has said it wants distinctly Canadian broadcasters and programs.  But we'd rather that someone else do the watching. US imports dominate the ratings of private broadcasters. 

Rising phone, TV prices

Navigating convergence

A la carte TV pricing in Quebec

Bone headed system

Ruling will rattle industry

Former PMO worker lobbied for Globalive

Telecom 'shock & horror'

Competition is not really not un-Canadian

Clement overrules CRTC decision

Canadian wireless: limited competition, high prices, less choice

We need more money, honest

Cable & satellite television

Globalive not Canadian enough

CTV threatens to block popular programming

CTV threatens to close local stations

Lobbying central - no consumers

CRTC hearing on media landscape begins

Restrictions on foreign ownership finally a topic

Wireless players circle CRTC rejected Globalive

Consumers may win

   

Regulators change cable fees

OTTAWA - The federal government announced that it has changed the way it will charge Canada's cable companies and broadcasters for regulating that industry.  The deal will free up more than $450M that those companies collectively had held in escrow pending the outcome of court case that had reached the Supreme Court of Canada.   (CanWest)

Regulators show their value, again

Cell plan expert

Aborted cellphone calculator cost $1.4M

CRTC reviewing its oversight of telecom

Regulator increase funding tax

Thank you CRTC

Canadian TV stations change hands

Phone customers overpaid

2009 SCC 40  

Bell, Telus told they're on hook for rebates

How lobbyists killed the cellphone cost calculator

Cellphone industry adopts 'conduct code'

CRTC’s $100M tax grab day

Tax could mean $100M hike in cable TV rates

Don't make rules for managing traffic

CRTC set to examine Web control

Value of local TV stations

Viewers flock to pipelines

'Competition' in the CRTC regulated marketplace

 According to the restrictive covenant signed in 2000, the two companies divided Canada in half - Rogers in ON, QC and the Maritimes, and Shaw in MB, SK, AB and BC - and agreed not to acquire or start a new broadband wireline cable business outside their territory for a period of 10 years.  (Financial Post)

Business moves focus from customers to regulators

CRTC battle costs consumers

Ottawa moves to block networks fees

TV networks launch campaign

Cable bill increase

Feud roils troubled TV industry

'We are controlling transmission'

CRTC urges networks to change tack

Giant corporations fighting over giant profits

TSN  TSN2   Rogers Communications

Broken business model

MPs cut and run

TV tumult on the regulated dial

Role reversal on TV tax debate

CBC to slash jobs

Regulators set web 'throttling' rules

Why you should care about Net Neutrality

Broadcaster or pipeline  

CRTC wouldn't regulate TV internet, phones

CRTC releases financial results for specialty services

Licence fee police target watching TV on the Net

Reality TV, CRTC style

CRTC threatens 'end of broadcasting'

CRTA debates end of conventional TV

Parliament 'blackmailed' by TV industry

Taming the Watchdogs of Media Concentration

Cuts would shake CBC to its core

Lobbying fight over regulating your TV

Torstar makes changes after loss

Quebecor writes down value of newspaper assets

Bell, Rogers should catch up with the rest of the world

Web neutrality hearings

Big media's big showdown

CRTC establishes a new approach to media ownership

Lobbyist at work

Canadian wireless oligopoly

Old issues in modern TV 'crisis'

Memo from Asper to CanWest staff

Aspers losing grip on CanWest

The CRTC isn't a nuisance, it's a real threat

CRTC’s regulated market   Big Brother

GlobeMedia takes write down

CBC: More please

Dozens fired as CityTV pulls newscasts

CityTV

Bell Globemedia buys CHUM Ltd

CanWest gives notice it may quit Canadian Press

Senators let big media off hook

Senate Committee: Report on the Canadian news media

   

Canada Internet lags behind

OTTAWA - Canada is lagging behind other industrialized countries because it forces consumers to pay high prices for slow broadband Internet service, says a recent report by Harvard University.  (CanWest) 

Berkman Center broadband study  .pdf  

Pricey text scheme ok to lobbying group

OTTAWA - A number of Canadians complain they've have been duped into signing up for pricey text messages schemes after entering their cellphone number while playing games and quizzes.  Unbeknownst to them, they're actually signing up for something called Premium Text Messages. These are messages you pay for in addition to standard text message fees.  The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) regulates the premium text companies and said everything is above board, but adds that consumers have to read the fine print before signing up.  However, a Quebec consumer watchdog said sometimes the fine print is a little too fine.  (CBC)

   

Canadian Media Board of Directors  Dec 2005

Bell Globemedia

Bell Globemedia properties

Dec. 2, 2005  Bell Globemedia sold 48.5% of its shares for $1.3 billion in cash.

Breakdown is now:

Bell Globemedia 20%

Torstar Corporation 20%

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) 20%

Ken Thomson's holding company Woodbridge Co. 40%

CBC

CBC Properties

Board of Directors

Bell, John Kim

VP Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF)

Christmas, Bernd

CEO of the Membertou Band of Nova Scotia

Fortin, Helene

Partner Groupe HLA, Chartered Accountants 

Fournier, Guy

Khosrowhahi, Nezhat

Wife of  Hassan Khosrowshahi: Inwest Investments

Giguere, Marie

Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary Molson Inc.

Herrndorf, Peter

McNutt, Howard

Partner Goluch Company Halifax

McQueen, Trina

Rabinovitch, Rober President & CEO CBC

Former Executive VP and COO of Claridge Inc

   

CanWest Global Communications

Gesca Ltd. 

A wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada

Dassault, Laurent

Dassault Investissements   Managing Director

Desmarais, André

President and Co-Chief Executive the Corporation and Deputy Chairman, Power Financial Corporation

Boards of Bertelsmann,   Canada China Business Council (CCBC),  CECIA, CITIC Pacific part of the CITIC Group,   Great-West Lifeco Inc.,   Investors Group Inc.

Desmarais, Paul G.

Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Corporation and of the International Advisory Council 2003

Boards of Canada China Business Council (CCBC), Great-West Lifeco Inc.  Group Bruxelles Lambert (GBL),  Investors Group Inc.,    Power Financial Corporation,   Queen's Privy Council for Canada

Desmarais, Paul Jr.

Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation and Chairman, Power Financial Corporation

Boards of Great-West Lifeco Inc.  Group Bruxelles Lambert (GBL)Imerys,   Investors Group Inc.Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Suez, Total

Graham, Anthony R. 

President, Wittington Investments Ltd,   President & ECO Sumarria Inc.,  Former Vice Chairman  National Bank Financial

Boards of Brown Thomas Group Ltd,   Loblaw Companies Ltd,   George Weston Ltd,   Graymont Ltd,   Holt, Renfrew & Co., Ltd,   Power Financial Corporation,   Provigo Inc.,   President’s Choice Financial,   Selfridges & Co. Ltd.

Gratton, Robert

President & CEO Power Financial Corporation

Boards on Great-West Lifeco Inc.  Investors Group Inc.,    Power Financial Corporation,

Mazankowski, Donald F.

Boards on Great-West Lifeco Inc.  Investors Group Inc.,    Power Financial Corporation,   Queen's Privy Council for Canada

Nickerson, Jerry E. A.

Chairman of the Board  H.B. Nickerson & Sons Limited

Boards on Great-West Lifeco Inc.  Power Financial Corporation

Nininger, James R.

Parizeaum, Robert

Chairman Aon Parizeau Inc..

Plessis-Bélair, Michel

Vice-Chairman and CFO of the Corporation and Executive VP & CFO Power Financial Corporation

Boards of   Great-West Lifeco Inc.  Group Bruxelles Lambert (GBL),  Investors Group Inc.,    Power Financial Corporation

Rae, John A.

Executive VP, Office of the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Corporation

Director of Kasten Chase, brother of Robert (Bob) Rae

de Seze, Amaury-Daniel

Chairman & PAI Partners

Boards of  BNP Paribas and Group Bruxelles Lambert (GBL),

Szathmáry, Emöke J.E.

President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Manitoba

Pitfield, P. Michael 

Director Emeritus

Boards of Power Financial Corporation,   Queen's Privy Council for Canada

Burns, James W.

Director Emeritus

Boards of Great-West Lifeco Inc.Investors Group Inc., Power Financial Corporation

International Advisory Council 2003 

Quebecor Inc.

Quebecor Inc. media properties

Board of Directors

Gouin, Serge

Chairman of the Board of Directors   President & CEO Quebecor Media Inc.  Chairman of the Board Videotron Itee

Mulroney, Brian

Senior partner Ogilvy Renault

Chairman of the Board Quebecor World Inc.

Boards of   AOL Latin America,   Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM)    Barrick Gold Corporation,   Chairman of the European Strategy Board of Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst,  Cendant Corporation,   Chairman of Forbes Global,  International Advisory Councils of CITIC,   Trizec Properties Inc.   Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada  International Advisory Council 2003 Power Corporation of Canada

La Couture, Jean

President Services Top Management Inc.

Minzberg, Samuel

Senior Partner Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg L.L.P

Mongrain, Jean Louis

Chairman Groupe Deschenes Inc.

Neveu, Jean

Chairman of the Board Quebecor Inc. & TVA Group Inc

Peladeau, Erik

Chairman of the Board Quebecor Media Inc., Quebecor Inc., Quebecor World Inc.

Peladeau, Pierre Karl

CEO Quebecor Inc., Quebecor World Inc

Provost, Norman

Executive VP Private Equity Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec

Torstar Corporation

Torstar Properties

Board of Directors

Evans, John R.

Chairman of the Board

Vice Chair NPS Pharmaceuticals/NPS Allelix Corp

Boards of Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and MMC: Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.

Babick, Don

Former National Post publisher

Clark, B. Neil

Connell, Martin P.

Private Investor

Fuller, Jack

Retired President, Tribune Publishing Company

Gold, Christina A.

President, Western Union Financial Services, Inc. & Senior Executive VP First Data Corporation

Harvey, Campbell R.

Professor Fuqua School of Business, Duke University

Honderich, John

Iacobucci, Frank

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada

Lanthier, J. Spencer

Marwah, Sarabjit S.

Senior Executive VP & CFO Bank of Nova Scotia

Mills, Peter W.

Osborne, Ronald W.

Prichard, J. Robert S.

President and CEO

Primis, Lance R.

Lance R. Primis & Partners LLC

Board of AvalonBay Communities, Inc., and former CEO of The New York Times

Thall, Martin E.

President & CEO of the Thall Group of Companies

In 1998, Torstar formed a strategic alliance with Sing Tao Holdings Limited.  Torstar owns an approximate 50% interest in the Canadian operations of Sing Tao's media group.

Sing Tao News Corporation Ltd.

"The name of Global China Group Holdings Limited has been changed to Sing Tao News Corporation Limited with immediate effect.   The new URL of our corporate website is www.singtaonewscorp.com." 

Board of Directors

Dattels, Timothy David

HO Chiu King, Pansy Catilina

Eldest daughter of Stanley Ho

HO Tsu Kwok, Charles

Chairman and Director

Board of Sinopec Corp.  (China petroleum & chemical corporation)

JIA Hong Ping

JIM Sui Hing

KING Yun Zing, Richard

LAI Ting Yiu

LEUNG Chun Ying

LO Wing Hung

SY Wong Chor Fong

TONG Yuk Lun, Paul

TUNG Chee Chen

WONG Wai Ming

YANG Yiu Chong, Ronald Jeffrey

In 1998, Torstar formed a strategic alliance with Sing Tao Holdings Ltd.   In 2001 Sing Tao Holdings Ltd became part of the Global China Group Holdings Ltd.   Torstar owns an approximate 50% interest in the Canadian operations of Sing Tao's media group.  Mr. Ho Tsu Kwok Charles is the founder and chairman of Global China Group.  He is also the Chairman and the Director of Global China Investments Group Limited, a joint-venture the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The various media owners do work together 

"CBC and Montreal-based Power Corp., the original partners in Newsworld International, received US$155-million for Newsworld and specialty channel Trio when they were sold to Barry Diller's USA Networks in May, 2000. Mr. Diller sold out to Vivendi Universal in late 2001."  CBC Watch

"Workopolis is a unique and complementary partnership of three Canadian media companies, The Globe and Mail division of Bell Globemedia, Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd. and Gesca Ltd."

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