A coalition of radio broadcasters have targeted CBC and its free music streaming site with a complaint to the federal government and the prospect of a further complaint to the CRTC.
Latest Posts
Telcos on Lawful Access: Primary Concern is Who Pays
“Our primary concern in this area has always been the capacity of industry to implement any new requirements and who bears the cost.”
The message from Bell that it prioritizes cost on the lawful access issue should not come as a surprise. For years, the telecom and Internet provider community have focused most of their attention on the costs associated with divulging subscriber information or responding to other law enforcement requests. While recouping the costs associated with installing new surveillance-capable equipment is an obvious issue, the potential to turn subscriber information disclosures into a new revenue source is particularly troubling.
Crack the Coursepack
A group of McGill students have created a new project – complete with informative comics and an FAQ – that explores alternatives to the traditional coursepack with an emphasis on open access and fair dealing.
Should Canadians Have to Pay For TV Channels They Don’t Want?
Yet Canadian cable and satellite providers remain a stubborn holdout. The broadcast community has long resisted a market-oriented approach that would allow consumers to exercise real choice in their cable and satellite packages, instead demanding a corporate welfare regulatory framework that guarantees big profits and mediocre programming. My weekly technology law column (Toronto Star version, homepage version) notes that could have changed had the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission pushed back against Bell Media in a major case involving the terms of broadcast distribution, but a ruling late last week indicated that it remains reluctant to do so.
Government Cuts Funding For Community Access Program
The government has quietly notified Community Access Programs across the country that it is cutting funding for the longstanding program that provides Internet access to the public. Statistics Canada’s 2010 Canadian Internet Use Study found that 54% of low income Canadians still do not have Internet access at home. Industry […]
Recent Posts
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 232: What Will Canadian Digital Policy Look Like Under the New Liberal Carney Government? 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 231: Sara Bannerman on How Canadian Political Parties Maximize Voter Data Collection and Minimize Privacy Safeguards 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 230: Aengus Bridgman on the 2025 Federal Election, Social Media Platforms, and Misinformation 
The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 229: My Digital Access Day Keynote – Assessing the Canadian Digital Policy Record 
Queen’s University Trustees Reject Divestment Efforts Emphasizing the Importance of Institutional Neutrality
