Regulatory, Telecom & Media News – OAB Awards posthumously honour Bill Evanov

The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) handed out their annual awards Wednesday afternoon in Mississauga, highlighted by the posthumous induction of Evanov Communications founder Bill Evanov into the OAB Hall of Fame. The award was accepted by his children, son Paul, who is now President & CEO of the company, and daughter Kristina, Special Projects Director. Other award winners included Toronto’s JAZZ.FM (CJRT-FM), which picked up the award for Station Promotion (Large Market) for its Lifting Up of Others campaign, and a Community Service Award for its annual Holiday Heroes Instrument Drive. 97.7 Moose FM (CHMS-FM) Bancroft, ON won the Community Service Award in the Small Market category for the We’re All Heart Radiothon, while Peterborough’s Fresh Radio 100.5 (CKRU-FM) and 101.5 The Wolf (CKWF-FM) won the Small Market Station Promotion Award for its Staycay Triple Play. Aili Beare of Zoomer Radio (CFZM-FM) was recognized with the Best in Class Sales Award for the Lemonwood Styles Sessions campaign. Creative Awards went to Z103.5 (CIDC-FM) Toronto’s Cinco de Mayo campaign (Large Market), while the Small Market winner was Vista Radio for Constable Towing and Auto Recycling “Locked Out of the Final Frontier.” Read more here. More OAB coverage to come.

The CRTC has issued parameters around mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), it says will enhance the ability of regional wireless providers to offer more competition and choice. The new measures govern the relationships between regional providers and Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications, Telus and SaskTel. Among other measures, the CRTC is opening the door for more companies, in particular smaller regional wireless providers in more rural areas, to access the wireless networks of Canada’s largest providers, ensuring that calls and data sessions of MVNO subscribers do not drop when they move between coverage zones. The commission is also denying several provisions that would restrict or make MVNO access difficult to use by regional wireless providers, and preventing provisions that would restrict regional providers from reselling their wholesale access to other MVNOs. The CRTC says large wireless providers must now begin accepting requests for access to their networks and enter negotiations with regional providers to agree on wholesale MVNO rates.

The CRTC has launched an internal review of the criteria for cost awards after funding awarded to the Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) and its senior consultant Laith Marouf was questioned. Back in August, the federal government cut the funding it awarded to the organization to develop an anti-racism strategy after it was brought to the attention of several cabinet ministers that Marouf had been posting racist sentiments on Twitter. After the funding was revoked, questions arose about the funding CMAC and Marouf have received for their participation in CRTC hearings. 

FRIENDS (formerly FRIENDS of Canadian Broadcasting) has opened submissions for the 2023 Dalton Camp Award. The $10,000 prize for the best essay on the link between media and democracy is presented annually in memory of Dalton Camp, a commentator on Canadian public affairs. There are no entry fees and any Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, regardless of age, student or professional status may enter. Students enrolled in a recognized post-secondary institution are also eligible for the $2,500 Student Prize. The deadline to submit is Jan. 6, 2023. Learn more here.