Press release

CRTC denies Bell’s bid to take over Astral; finds deal to be counter to public interest

October 18, 2012 – Today the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) listened to Canadians and denied Bell’s proposed takeover of Astral.

The Commission announced at a stakeholder lock-up today that Bell had not proven that this deal would benefit the broadcasting system or be in the public interest.

Canada's media system is already one of the most highly concentrated in the industrialized world. Canadians pay high prices for poor content and services because of a lack of competition and choice—OpenMedia.ca, the Stop the Takeover Coalition, and thousands of Canadians had argued that this deal will only serve to worsen this failing system. Read more »

Public interest group asks citizens to show the human side of a broken cell phone market

October 17, 2012 – In response to the CRTC’s recent call for citizen comments about national standards to protect cell phone users, grassroots group OpenMedia.ca is calling on Canadians for their cell phone horror stories. The group is also voicing concern that the Big Three cell phone companies (Bell, Rogers, and Telus) will use the CRTC process to weaken consumer protections.

On Thursday last week, the CRTC (Canada’s telecom authority) requested citizen input on the development of a code of conduct for wireless companies. Canadians have been speaking out about unfair treatment from big telecom companies for years.

OpenMedia.ca is launching CellPhoneHorrorStory.ca today to give citizens an easy way to make the CRTC aware of the real human consequences of our broken cell phone market. The Big Three cell phone companies (Bell, Rogers and Telus) control nearly 94% of the market and many Canadians feel trapped by long-term restrictive contracts, price-gouging and disrespectful customer service. Read more »

Grassroots group lauds announcement of public consultation for national rules for wireless

October 11, 2012 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced today they will hold a public hearing to develop measures to protect cell phone users.

Grassroots group OpenMedia.ca is welcomes this consultation, noting that with only three large companies controlling 94 percent of the cell phone market in Canada, there simply isn’t enough choice to ensure Canadians are getting a fair deal. Read more »

October 9, 2012 – Canada became an official signatory to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement today, as citizens express concerns about the deal’s negative implications for Internet openness and affordability.

Over 100,000 people and several organizations have spoken out against the agreement through the petition at http://StopTheTrap.net, with hundreds more signing every day.

The TPP—which has been negotiated behind closed doors since 2008—is a multi-nation trade agreement that contains provisions that criminalize everyday uses of the Internet, which threaten heavy fines for the average citizens online. OpenMedia.ca has learned about the proposed Internet restrictions from leaked documents. Read more »

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is examining Bell Canada's $3.4 billion takeover of Astral Media at hearings in Montreal the week.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre, an Ottawa-based consumer group is scheduled to appear before the Commission on Wednesday, September 12. PIAC is a member of the Stop the Takeover Coalition, which opposes the acquisition based on the principles at http://openmedia.ca/takeover/principles.

“This deal will give Bell more market power because they will control a remarkable share of television services,” says Public Interest Advocacy Centre counsel Janet Lo, “If the deal goes through, consumers will be offered even less flexibility in packaging and choices to pick and pay only for the television services they want to watch, and consumers will pay higher prices to access broadcasting services.”

“This deal will give Bell more market power because they will control a remarkable share of television services,” says Public Interest Advocacy Centre counsel Janet Lo, “If the deal goes through, consumers will be offered even less flexibility in packaging and choices to pick and pay only for the television services they want to watch, and consumers will pay higher prices to access broadcasting services.”

OpenMedia.ca, a grassroots organization that safeguards the possibilities of the open and affordable Internet, has further concerns about big telecom companies that own both content and the methods of distributing it. Read more »

Diverse Coalition forms in response to Bell’s proposed acquisition of Astral Media

August 28, 2012 – Bell’s proposed takeover of Astral Media is bad for Canada.

That’s the message being sent by the new, broad-based coalition of groups known as the Stop the Takeover Coalition.

The Coalition consists of a diverse mix of organizations—public interest groups, consumer groups, and cultural industry stakeholders—that have joined forces, based on a set of principles, to draw public attention to the risks of Bell’s expansion. The coalition is encouraging Canadians to join the campaign by sending a messaging to decision makers at http://StopTheTakeover.ca. Read more »