A speech by powerful U.S. film executive Jack Valenti in Ottawa on February 7 hints at potentially fractious trade talks this summer, warns an executive with the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB).
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Bill C-15A controversy growing Federal legislation outlawing the possession of child pornography is beginning to spark debate – four months after its passage by the House of Commons. Bill C-15A was the subject yesterday of both a feature story in Wired magazine and a radio story on CBC Radio One’s As It Happens. Both stories said the proposed legislation, if it becomes law, will make whistle-blowing a criminal action. The proposed legislation would make it a crime to be in possession of child porn – something implicit to hunting and finding the illegal material since anyone viewing it would automatically have an electronic copy. Rebecca Warren, director of BytesCanada, a group fighting kiddie porn, told As It Happen’s Mary Lou Finlay that the organization has had to create an alliance with a similar American group to which they can forward tips. Forwarding that same information to Canadian authorities, she said, would result in prosecution. While pre-taping preparation had elicited some stronger opinions from Warren as to police attitudes toward volunteer whistle-blowers, Warren was circumspect in her actual interview, careful not to say that police were actively discouraging her group’s activities. C-15A is currently awaiting third reading in the Senate. The bill underwent clause-by-clause reading February 7 by the chamber’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs committee, which approved an important amendment put forward by Tory Senator Pierre-Claude Nolin to absolve entities such as ISPs of responsibility when they act as conduits for illegal images and other data. The bill, which will be reported back to the Senate on February 19, has been amended to read that: "A custodian of a computer system who merely provides the means or facilities of telecommunication used by another person to commit an offence under subsection 163.1(3) does not commit an offence." The amendment satisfies a major concern by both the Canadian Association of Internet Providers and the Canadian Cable Television Association that ISPs would be held liable when illegal material passes through their pipes (CNM, Oct. 18/02).
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Look Communications won’t trade today Shares of Look Communications Inc., the embattled wireless cable and Internet service provider, won’t trade on the Canadian Venture Exchange (CDNX) today, when the company’s restructuring plan is to take effect. Trading in the Milton ON-based company’s common stock is expected to resume tomorrow, Feb. 12. At that time, the company’s shares will trade under the symbol LOK. More details.
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Stephen Wetmore, currently president/CEO of Aliant Inc., is moving to become vice-chair corporate at Bell Canada. The new appointment takes effect March 1. His former job will be taken over on an interim basis by Jay Forbes, Aliant’s EVP/CFO. Donald MacDonald is retiring as senior policy advisor for the eastern ILEC, but will continue consulting in the telecom field.
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AT&T Canada losses increase by $200 million for FY 2001 AT&T Canada Corp. released its final figures for Q4 2001. The CLEC posted a loss of $733 million, up from the $523 million reported a year earlier. The company now has nearly 550,000 local access lines installed.
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The incumbent telco in Manitoba denies that it will use profits from its core business to subsidize its proposed entry into broadcast distribution. MTS Communications Inc. likewise assures its critics that it will not deploy copper wire for its own use at the expense of outside wholesale customers.
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The push to bring high-speed Internet to remote and rural areas is getting a boost, with the entry of LinCsat Communications Inc. into the field. The company, based in Toronto, will tailor an American satellite to serve Canadian needs.
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It makes perfect sense for utilities to enter the telecom market, an executive of one utel reported to a conference last month. While traditional telcos may complain about newcomers encroaching on their territory, Victor Viola, VP sales & marketing for Hydro One Telecom Inc., maintains his firm is just following its core business to its logical conclusion.
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