Canadian Heritage minister Sheila Copps spoke about the importance of preserving cultural diversity last month at the annual meeting of the Réseau français de coopération et d’action culturelle dans le monde. Her plans for cultural diversity includes the adoption of a legal instrument on cultural diversity. Below is an excerpt from her July 18 speech given in Paris. The full text is located here.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Sheila de La Varende heads international development and promotion at Telefilm Canada, which replaces the International Relations divison. Stéphane Odesse has been appointed general counsel and access to information coordinator. Louise Deslauriers has been promoted to director of feature films business unit, Quebec.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Manitoba telco gets limited broadcast distribution licence
The CRTC has approved in part an application by MTS Communications Inc., a subsidiary of telephone company Manitoba Telecom Services Inc., for a broadcast distribution licence (CCR, May 23/02). The telco has been licensed to serve only the communities that it proposed to serve initially, namely Winnipeg and surrounding areas, which is in line with past commission decisions – Broadcasting Decision 2002-235. It had applied for a regional licence covering Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. In response to concerns expressed by cable operators regarding the potential for cross-subsidization between MTS’ telecom services and new broadcast distribution service, the CRTC said it was satisfied that sufficient safeguards and procedures already exist to address the concerns (CCR, Jan. 31/02).

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

The CRTC has rapped Rogers Cable Inc. on the knuckles for breaching conditions of licence and broadcast distribution rules by advertising its Internet service in local availabilities and on its community channels. As a result, the commission is requiring Rogers to file quarterly compliance reports for the next three years, beginning September 1 – Broadcasting Public Notice 2002-44.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

The co-CEO of Canada’s only cableco offering telephony, Internet access and television programming to residential subscribers says service bundling is helping retain cable TV customers in the face of intense competition from direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV distributors.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Star Choice Inc. has applied to the CRTC for a licence amendment that would allow it to bulk bill customers in multiple-unit dwellings (MUDs). The application is likely to be successful as the commission has already indicated that the inability of direct-to-home (DTH) satellite distributors to bulk bill without restrictions puts them at a disadvantage to cable companies (CCR, Feb. 15/02).

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

The CRTC has extended the deadline for the rollout of Craig Wireless International Inc.’s wireless cable service in British Columbia until December 31 – Broadcasting Decision 2002-218. The commission states in its decision that the service must be operational by that date, unless another request for extension is requested at least 60 days before then.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.