Media News Digest: Facebook’s fake news strategy, Rogers scraps IPTV project, and a Terry and Ted podcast

News about news

At the CRTC

  • The CRTC has approved the acquisition of Manitoba’s MTS by Bell. The CRTC decision concerns only the MTS television provider licence, and an associated licence for its video-on-demand programming, so this approval was expected. The bigger part of the acquisition is MTS’s wireless network and other telecom services. Those don’t require approval by the CRTC, but they do need to be approved by the government, which is now the last step in the approval process for this $3.9-billion deal.
  • Various forces are trying last-ditch political efforts to get the CRTC to reverse its decision on simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl, which is just over a month away. They include an anonymous website being promoted by unions (possibly connected to ACTRA?) urging Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly to take action.
  • As NBC prepares to switch its Boston programming from an affiliate to a new owned-and-operated station on Jan. 1, the CRTC has approved the latter for distribution in Canada, so Canadian providers using Boston as their source of U.S. over-the-air networks can make the switch as well. The soon-to-be-former NBC affiliate, WHDH, will fill its schedule with lots of local news, game shows (Family Feud in particular) and filler programming.
  • The commission’s final decisions of 2016 come out today at 4pm (the big one is its decision on basic telecommunications services).

TV

Radio

  • Terry DiMonte and Ted Bird did a Christmas podcast together, during which they talk about things like DiMonte’s decision to leave CHOM for a job in Calgary. Nostalgic radio listeners are already clamouring for them to be permanently reunited again. Don’t hold your breath. (UPDATE: It’s been taken down because Bell Media wasn’t happy with it, according to Bird.)
  • Still no news out of TTP Media, but the on-air message on CFNV 940 AM has changed. And Industry Canada’s database no longer lists the station as on-air testing.

Print

Online

News about people

Obituaries

Jobs

Happy holidays, folks. I’m assuming little news will break over the holidays, so I might take a break from this as well until January. If something crazy happens, though, I won’t be away from my Twitter for long.

9 thoughts on “Media News Digest: Facebook’s fake news strategy, Rogers scraps IPTV project, and a Terry and Ted podcast

  1. Dorothy Lipovenko

    Steve:
    Always look forward to this blog; thanks for keeping your audience well-informed.
    Media buyouts and job cuts were among the Top 10 most-read stories at Ryerson’s J-Source. That says it all.
    happy holidays,
    Dorothy Lipovenko

    Reply
  2. Media Man

    You mention some TTP Media news here..
    For 940, still anything on a launch date, people poaching, studio location, etc.. That’ll be the ultimate sign, instead of music from a back office somewhere.

    And any news of 600 extensions and when they will be testing..?

    Reply
    1. Fagstein Post author

      The Twitter account for 940 says the launch will be at the beginning of 2017, without being more specific.

      For 600, we’re still waiting for a CRTC decision on an extension request.

      Reply
  3. Steve

    So Alexandre Despatie was actually let go(or fired) from Breakfast Television Montreal? Not he decided to leave on his own(that’s what he said publicly).

    Reply
    1. Fagstein Post author

      So Alexandre Despatie was actually let go(or fired) from Breakfast Television Montreal? Not he decided to leave on his own(that’s what he said publicly).

      It’s often some mix of the two. Say, the company offers a contract extension at a reduced salary or a new job with unacceptable conditions.

      Reply
    1. dilbert

      The podcast is down because Bell apparently can’t handle it. Two friends (who happen to work for different media companies now) get together and make a personal video and chat about the old times, and apparently that somehow violated Terry’s contract with Bell.

      Bell is a mindless, heartless, black mark on the Canadian media scene. The faster someone moves to break up the near monopoly status on Canadian media, the better off Canadians will be.

      Reply
      1. Media Man

        You’ve never been so right.. I’m a fan of the CRTC, but to me their biggest mistake was allowing the Bell Astral merger.
        Maybe Steve can enlighten us on this..

        How can Bell deny the Terry and Ted podcast? Wasn’t it done on their time and out of their respective studio’s locations??

        Reply
        1. Fagstein Post author

          How can Bell deny the Terry and Ted podcast?

          Because it employs Terry. And radio personalities have rules about what they can do in public, even in their off hours. I think it’s silly to get mad over this, but I’m not Bell.

          Reply

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