The CRTC will step in and arbitrate agreements for Bell and Videotron’s carriage of TVA Sports and RDS, respectively, on the other’s cable service. In a simultaneous decision published last week, the commission says as the ongoing carriage dispute is exclusively monetary, its intervention is the most expedient and effective course of action. Quebecor will submit one offer for TVA Sports and one offer for RDS, while Bell will do the same. The commission will examine the final offers submitted by the parties and select one for each service, in its entirety, with its decision binding on both parties.
Rogers is asking the CRTC to allow it to more broadly serve some western Canadian communities to meet its Canadian content obligations. Its Part 1 application seeks to amend a condition of licence that would pave the way for so-called “Spotlight Channels” to broadcast to four zones, rather than offering standalone content, including Vancouver Island and the Southern Interior of BC, Central Saskatchewan, and Southern Manitoba. Rogers said six of the 24 systems inside these zones have had difficulty meeting the Community TV policy’s local and access requirements, which mandate 60% of a community channel’s weekly schedule be local programming, with 50% being access programming. Rogers says the Spotlight Channels in question have experienced challenges, including a declining subscriber base from changing viewer habits; reduced demand for the broadcaster’s linear channels when other platforms are available; and changes to the Community TV policy which forced broadcasters to shift funding to local news, leading to a reduction in money available for community TV operations. Read more at CARTT.ca (paywalled).
The Michener Awards Foundation (MAF) is awarding Chantal Hébert and Terry Mosher its prestigious Michener-Baxter Award for exceptional service to Canadian public service journalism. The Michener-Baxter Award was established in 1983 and is presented at the discretion of the foundation’s board of directors. Hébert is a freelance political columnist whose work is featured on radio, television and in print in both French and English, while Mosher got his start drawing caricatures on the streets of Quebec City and has been cartooning since 1967 under the pen name AISLIN. Though he has spent most of his career with the Montreal Gazette, his work has been published around the world. They’ll receive their awards at a ceremony to be held in Ottawa on June 14 at Rideau Hall.
The Jack Webster Foundation is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Webster Awards, recognizing the best in B.C. journalism. Among this year’s changes: Best News Reporting of the Year and Excellence in Feature Reporting both return to three distinct categories – one for print/online, one for radio/audio and one for TV/video. Find out more about this year’s categories and upload your submissions for stories published between June 1, 2023 and May 31st, 2024 here. The deadline is July 28.
A bet is a bet.
B.C. Global News Morning anchors @SoniaSunger and @JPiresGlobal suited up in the blue and orange to make good on their deal with their Edmonton counterparts following the Canucks’ loss to the Oilers in round two of the NHL playoffs. pic.twitter.com/b4fQ3ofXWi
Global BCGlobal News Morning anchors Jason Pires and Sonia Sunger made good on a bet with their Global Edmonton counterparts this week, suiting up in Edmonton Oilers’ jerseys following the Vancouver Canucksgame seven elimination, advancing the Oilers to the Western Final. The bet included reading a script written by Edmonton host Erin Chalmers, pledging their support for the remaining Canadian team in the running for the Stanley Cup.
