Hello! Here’s Lindsey with your update: As big telecom company Bell gets set to take over Astral Media, we’re likely to be seeing even higher prices, tighter contracts, and more disrespectful customer service. Not to mention more incentive and power for Big Telecom to push for extreme and invasive agreements
Continue readingTag: Vertical Integration
OpenMedia.ca: For Whom Does Bell Toll?: Weekly Update from OpenMedia.ca
Hello! Here’s Reilly, replacing Lindsey, with your (slightly lower-tech!) update: read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Toronto Star: Competition bureau to allow Big Telecom’s sports and entertainment buy
Two of Canada’s biggest telecom giants, Bell and Rogers, may soon be acquiring Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment together. These companies are already very large and vertically-integrated—each own a great deal of content as well as the pipes it flows through—which gives them incentive to hoard content from independent providers
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Image: The Big Telecom price-gouging cycle
The cycle of telecom price-gouging. Take action: http://pricehike.ca/ Click to enlarge. read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: The CRTC won’t regulate online video anytime soon
According to a letter from its Secretary General, the CRTC has decided to hold off on a second “fact-finding mission” on over-the-top (online video) content. We at OpenMedia.ca had been worried that the fact-finding would be the first step toward the CRTC regulating Internet content directly, despite its “hands-off” Internet
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Financial Post: Big telcos warn of ‘market shake-out’ if pick-and-pay TV model adopted
Big Telecoms Rogers and Shaw are lobbying against the so-called ‘a la carte’ model that would allow customers to pick and pay for individual channels. The CRTC also expressed concern over the pick-and-pay system saying that a lack of choice and flexibility could lead to consumers leaving the broadcasting system.
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Taking it in stride: Weekly Update from OpenMedia.ca
Hello! Here’s Lindsey with your update: read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Letter to Supporters: You’ve done something amazing
Earlier this year things looked pretty bleak for supporters of online privacy, affordability, and openness. From costly and warrantless online spying, to scary new Internet lockdown restrictions, to a hike in cell phone fees, it looked like those in government and Big Telecom had finally had enough of the Internet.
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Globe: CRTC approves plan for Broadcast Participation Fund
High media concentration means that Canadians will be evermore impacted by the decisions that Big Telecom makes. When Bell bought CTV, the CRTC made them promise to put money aside for a Broadcast Participation Fund, to help pay for public interest research, representation, and advocacy in Broadcast hearings. Yesterday, the
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Bell Set to Get Even Bigger: Weekly Update from OpenMedia.ca
Hello! Here’s Lindsey with your update: read more
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: TED speaker looks at the Internet and reimagines government
This is a great video on how the Internet can be used to reimagine the role and process of government so that it’s more open, transparent, engaging and responsive to our needs, rather than the demands of industry lobbyists. Thank you to Andrew William Sampson for posting this on our
Continue readingOpenMedia.ca: Bell to gobble up Astral Media
Cross-posted from Mediamorphis Sometimes I just wish I could wake up in the morning and not be thrust into the hurly-burly of all the stuff roiling the telecom-media-Internet industries in Canada. But no! If it ain’t copyright maximalists trying to lock up content (Bill C-11) or spooks trying to stuff
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