Twitter bans pre-election political advertising

Ending several months of uncertainty and speculations, Twitter Inc. has declared that it will join Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Microsoft Corp.’s Bing search engine in not selling any political advertisements in Canada in the run-up to the federal election, though it will resume selling such ads once the election begins. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Rodriguez promises CanCon rules for ‘web giants’

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez said in a social media post Wednesday that the Liberal government plans to force large online services to make and promote Canadian content on their platforms.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Quebecor says Bell devalues its own offering

Quebecor Inc. has responded to BCE Inc.’s claim that Quebecor’s Videotron unfairly disadvantaged Bell’s Super Écran by placing the channel in its “Other Specialties” package with a claim of its own: by putting Super Écran into its basic service Alt TV IPTV package on its own service, Bell has disadvantaged Videotron.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Few surprises in BTLR ‘what we heard’ report

The blue ribbon panel in charge of reviewing Canada’s communications legislation has released its interim report, which as expected offers no indication of what policy positions the seven members might take in their final recommendations.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

CRTC grants ISPs access to Bell building fibre for a fee

The CRTC is granting CloudWifi Inc. competitor access to BCE Inc.’s service wires in multi-dwelling units (MDUs), allowing internet service providers (ISPs) access the telecom’s wires — copper or fibre — for a “reasonable fee.”

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Media groups vow to fight CRTC’s OMNI decision

Two  media groups have filed formal petitions to the Governor in Council, asking the government to reverse a CRTC decision that gave Rogers Communications Inc. a second term to have its OMNI channel as required broadcasting on basic TV. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Cogeco creates new VP wireless position, hires Stingray exec

Cogeco Inc. said it has hired Marie Ginette Lepage as its new vice-president of wireless solutions and innovation, a newly-created position in which she will take on the responsibility for Cogeco’s wireless service strategy.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Serge Sasseville retiring from Quebecor

Long-standing Quebecor Inc. executive Serge Sasseville has announced he will retire from his position as the senior vice-president of corporate and institutional affairs at the end of the year.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

ISED missed internal CTI deadline despite ‘considerable pressure’: docs

The federal government failed to meet an internal goal by which it aimed to have nearly all of the contribution agreements signed for its Connect to Innovate (CTI) rural broadband funding program.

“There is considerable pressure by Ministers, provinces, media and Canadians to show progress — both in negotiations, and in getting ‘shovels in the ground’,” reads a February briefing note for Innovation deputy minister John Knubley, obtained by The Wire Report though Access to Information.

The Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) document said final contribution agreements — outlining how much funding a project will receive, subject to conditions — were “signed for just over half of all CTI projects,” and there was a goal to have “nearly all signed by mid-May.” 

That has not happened. Currently, there are 175 projects under the program that have been publicly announced, according to Emilie Simard, spokeswoman for rural economic development minister Bernadette Jordan, who has recently taken over the rural broadband file from ISED. 

Documents filed in Parliament in mid-June in response to an order paper question from Conservative Innovation critic Dan Albas, and dated May 1, outline 108 projects with signed contribution agreements.

That number has since risen to 123, Simard said.

When asked why the goal to have “nearly all” signed by mid-May wasn’t met, Simard said in an email that these “are complex projects, involving multiple partners, including provincial and municipal governments, Indigenous communities and the private sector.”

She added that the projects “cover some of the most challenging terrain in some of the most remote parts of Canada,” and the design and engineering for the projects, as well as environment approvals “are important steps that take time for applicants to complete.

“In some cases, communities need to issue requests for proposals to undertake engineering design and advance the project, and have experienced delays,” she said.

Simard also noted that the negotiations also involve “financial due diligence, which can involve re-confirming provincial contributions after an election.”

The number of projects that had been publicly announced in February was 174, according to the briefing note.

“Communications branch continues to work with [Innovation Minister Navdeep] Bains on plans to announce the balance of projects (primarily in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island), and the list has been provided to MINO Jordan,” it said.

But since then, the number of announced projects has only increased by one, to 175, according to Simard. That’s actually six fewer than had been announced by January.

“Some projects that were conditionally approved and announced were withdrawn during due diligence review by the applicants or because overbuild of existing service was identified,” she said.

The Wire Report reported in May that 60 per cent of applicants to the program were still waiting to be notified about whether their projects were successful, more than two years after the deadline to apply. 

Those applications are currently being considered for funding under the additional $85 million in funding CTI received in this year’s federal budget.

“More details regarding the CTI top-up funding will follow in the summer of 2019.  Once those announcements have been made, remaining unsuccessful applicants will be notified,” Simard said.

That $85-million top up was only a small piece of the $1.7 billion in rural broadband funding announced in the 2019 budget. Jordan is scheduled to announce details on how that money will be spent — as well as a federal broadband strategy — on Thursday morning.

“There is considerable pressure to ensure negotiations are concluding very quickly, and that proponents show progress that is visible to Canadians,” the ISED deputy minister’s briefing note reiterated.

“Canadians are eager to see projects launched; however, often the front end of these projects involve work not seen by the public,” such as engineering work, launching tenders and finalizing financing.

“Provincial governments and some companies have reached out to ensure their project negotiations are made a priority.”

Developments at the provincial level contributed to how long it was taking to sign the agreements, the briefing note said, outlining issues like a new connectivity fund in Nova Scotia, provincial elections in Ontario and Quebec, as well as municipal and band elections, and in Quebec, a number of projects that were relying on the same contractor.

Connecting Canadians, a federal program designed to bring basic broadband speeds to hard-to-reach areas, was extended by a year to March 31, 2020 to complete projects with “unforeseen delays encountered by recipients,” Simard previously told The Wire Report.

The briefing note also said that the status of contribution agreements was a “weak indicator of progress,” since projects can incur up 20 per cent of their costs before the final agreements are signed.

Completion of contribution agreements often involve assessments of a project’s environmental risk, financial position, business model and engagement with Indigenous communities.

Simard said the Connect to Innovate website would be updated “once all announcements are made.”

She noted that the update can be expected in “the coming weeks, as the last announcements roll out.”

— With reporting by Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Ahmad Hathout at ahathout@thewirereport.ca

Junk food bill S-228 left to die on order paper

A bill aimed at improving children’s health by limiting the advertising of unhealthy foods to them, which was opposed by major Canadian broadcasters, has been left for dead on the order paper as the Senate adjourned for the summer last week. 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

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

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

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required