Big concessions on NAFTA cultural exemption unlikely, experts say

As cultural protection emerges as a last-stretch NAFTA sticking point, Canadian media unions say they’re concerned but hopeful because Canada’s negotiators have indicated they won’t give up key trade exemptions that have protected Canadian media for decades.

David Sparrow, the national president of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), said it’s an “extremely important moment in our history” and it could be a “do or die moment” if protections in the North American Free Trade Agreement are at risk of being lost.

“This is the very heart and soul of Canada we’re talking about,” he told The Wire Report in an interview Thursday. “It’s the thing that defines us as Canadians – the ability to tell Canadian stories from a Canadian perspective and create our own narrative in the world.”

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Presidential banner caught emergency alert officials off-guard: emails

Public Safety officials working on Canada’s public alert systems were surprised when some devices in Canada received a presidential banner alert, something that they weren’t aware could be an issue to begin with, emails obtained via an access to information request show.

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CRTC outlines potential moves on Harnessing Change suggestions

The CRTC said Thursday it is considering taking action on potential changes it outlined in a May report looking at programming distribution models.

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Five Eyes sends warning on access to encrypted data

Canada and its Five Eyes counterparts have issued a warning to communications and technology companies that if governments continue to face difficult hurdles to lawful access to data created by encryption without private sector “solutions,” they “may pursue technological, enforcement, legislative or other measures” to get around that.

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Facebook sues BlackBerry for voice, security tech

Facebook Inc. filed a suit against BlackBerry Ltd. Tuesday accusing the device-maker of allegedly infringing on six of its patents, including voice messaging technology and security components, following BlackBerry’s suit against the social media company earlier this year.

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Tim Barber registers to lobby for Rogers

Long-time Liberal insider and Bluesky Strategy Group principal Tim Barber has registered formally to lobby for Rogers Communications Inc., according to a recently published registration filed to the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada.

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Don’t penalize industry over bad actors’ sales practices, CRTC hears

The CRTC should focus its efforts on taking action against telecoms that have been directly accused of unethical sales practices instead of applying blanket rules on the entire industry, smaller providers argued ahead of the commission’s October hearing on the matter.

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90% of Quebecers to have 100 Mbps internet by 2020, PLQ pledges

Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) leader Philippe Couillard is promising more than 90 per cent of the province’s population will have access to “ultra-high speed” broadband if his party is re-elected next month.

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Despite paper ballot, election hacking vulnerabilities exist

To bolster Canada’s democratic defences before the next election, governmental departments, political organizations, research groups and private industry tasked with that goal need to contend with a menagerie of cyber threats, experts from security field tell the The Wire Report.

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