Because of your support of the http://StopTheTakeover.ca/ campaign, Bell’s takeover of Astral Media has been stopped by the CRTC. Had the deal been approved, Bell would have been given an overwhelming market share of Canada’s communications – effectively allowing them to price-gouge Canadians and restrict access to the open Internet.
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OpenMedia.ca: We won.
Because of you, we’ve been heard loud and clear – and Bell’s takeover has been stopped. Read more about the CRTC’s decision in our Press Release.
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: National Post: How Bell’s takeover would result in less competition, higher prices
As broadcast regulators review Bell’s takeover of Astral Media, we’re keeping a close eye on Bell’s increasing vertical integration that would put Canadian pricing and choice at risk. Speak out against Bell’s tightening grip over Canadian communications by telling the CRTC to StopTheTakeover.ca. Article by Chris Peirce for Financial Post
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Bell’s Astral Media takeover threatens Quebec culture
As broadcast regulators review Bell’s $3.4B takeover of Astral Media, we’ve been reviewing how this acquisition would increase telecom prices, saturate Canada’s media channels and severely limit consumer choice. Beyond affecting Canadians on a national level, Bell’s takeover could take away from Francophone cultural identity, to which Astral Media has
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CRTC exec who spent evening in Bell box operated in ‘grey area’
An ethics expert is questioning the motives of Canada’s broadcast regulators, after it was revealed that the CRTC vice-chairman was a guest in Bell’s corporate suite at a hockey game late last year. With the CRTC currently reviewing their decision of Bell’s takeover of Astral Media, let’s remind them that
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: RMR: ‘Swab’ Bell’s takeover of Canadian media
Are you an independent entity or have you become a low-level subsidiary of Bell Media? Rick Mercer helps to show how you can swab the takeover to find out if Bell’s expanding reach has taken its effect. Join our StopTheTakeover.ca campaign and let your voice be heard. Together, let’s tell
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The McGill OpenMedia.ca campus club goes to the Bell/Astral hearing
As part of a larger campaign to spread awareness about communications issues in Canada, we at OpenMedia.ca have been encouraging students at universities and colleges across Canada to run OpenMedia.ca clubs on their campuses. These clubs work on a variety of outreach, organizing, and public education activities—including speaking events, film
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: CBC News: Yukon phone outage blamed on aging infrastructure
Bell has made it clear that should their takeover of Astral Media go through, they would use ‘tangible benefits’ (an owed tax on the $3.4B purchase) to fund the expansion of their subsidiary Northwestel. Having already received annual CRTC payments of $20M to invest in their aging infrastructure, Bell has
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: VMedia: What Bell’s takeover means for Canadians
The hearings on Bell’s $3.4-billion takeover of Astral Media has ended, but we need to make sure we keep speaking out as the CRTC makes its decision as to whether or not the deal will be approved. Join our StopTheTakeover.ca campaign and let your voice be heard in telling our
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Globe & Mail: Competition Bureau could step in to stop Bell’s takeover
Canada’s Competition Bureau is keeping a close eye on Bell’s $3.4-billion takeover of Astral Media, saying that it could strike down the deal even if it passes review by broadcast regulators. Of primary concern is Bell’s increasing vertical integration, meaning that it owns both producers of content (networks) and the
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Bell’s Astral Takeover: What’s at Stake?
Bell’s escalating vertical integration is raising concern among Canadian citizens and scholars. Should their takeover of Astral Media receive approval by the CRTC, it will tighten Bell’s grip on the communications market and limit Canadians with fewer media and telecom choices, higher prices and less opportunity for free speech. As
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The CRTC made a priority list – We’re checking it twice
The CRTC is making attempts to emphasize affordability, access and a focus on citizen issues with a revised priorities document that was released late last week. By shifting towards an outlook that keeps the best interests of Canadians first and foremost, rather than heeding to corporate industry-defined mandates, the CRTC
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Financial Post: Bell’s vertical integration hearings begin
CRTC hearings began this morning on Bell’s proposed $3.4-billion takeover of Astral Media. If the deal is approved, it would greatly increase Bell’s media ownership across Canada’s broadcast spectrum – all at the expense of restricting fair market choice and competition for Canadians. The time to unite and speak out
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Huffington Post: How Bell’s takeover will worsen Canada’s media concentration
We’ve seen how the Bell/Astral deal is bad for consumer choice before, but a new report is shedding further light on this vertical integration of Canada’s communications. Currently, 81.4% of the value of Canada’s TV distribution market is controlled by companies that also create content, meaning that Big Telecom companies
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The Globe & Mail: Rogers and Bell to purchase majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
Two of Canada’s biggest media conglomerates, Bell and Rogers, are partnering up. Their goal? To take control of the iconic Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment group. The CRTC approved the deal yesterday, which includes three TV channels, several sports teams, and even some real estate holdings. With the CRTC giving
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: TorrentFreak.com: New data exposes Canadian ISPs throttling download speeds
Canadian citizens are paying for Internet access, but Big Telecom isn’t being completely open about the restrictions that they’ve been imposing. With new data just published by the Measurement Lab, Canadian service providers such as Bell and Rogers have been exposed as interfering with over 75% of torrent transfers and
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