http://www.piac.ca The Public Interest Advocacy Centre en-us Copyright 2005 2013-05-19T10:46:24-04:00 hourly Thu, 16 May 2013 13:35:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/telus_buying_mobilicity_bad_for_consumers/ OTTAWA – Consumers will lose more ground in the cellphone market unless the Industry Minister or the Competition Bureau stops the proposed acquisition of Mobilicity by TELUS, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) said today. Mobilicity, Canada’s second-largest “new entrant” wireless company will be absorbed by TELUS, Canada’s ... Wed, 15 May 2013 08:34:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/information/piac_articling_position_2014_15_call_for_applications/ Description for Social Justice Articling Positions Funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario Name and Location of Organization: Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) 1204-ONE Nicholas Street, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B7 For Articling Year: 2014-2015 Deadline for Application: May 22, 2013 Interviews the weeks of: May 27- 31 and June 3 –7, 2013 Offers will be made: June 19, 2013 Description of ... Fri, 10 May 2013 15:29:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/bell_astral_2_hearing_day_5/ The CRTC hearing on the Bell-Astral merger closed today with a final reply presentation from BCE and Astral. Bell rejected other BDU allegations of anti-competitive behaviour, underlining that there was no evidence to support them. In fact, Bell argued that the compound annual growth rates for its non-sports services were extremely low for cable companies such as Cogeco, Eastlink and Telus. ... Thu, 09 May 2013 17:24:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/bell_astral_2_hearing_day/ The Bell-Astral Hearing Day 4 (May 9) Media Access Canada, representing the Access 2020 Group of Stakeholders, kicked off the last day of intervener presentations before the CRTC on the proposed Bell-Astral merger. The group criticized Bell and Astral’s limited commitments to Canadians with disabilities, and requested that $6.3 million of the tangible benefits be moved to the Broadcasting ... Wed, 08 May 2013 18:46:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/bell_astral_2_hearing_day_3/ Day 3 of the Bell-Astral hearing saw a series of cable companies, creator representatives and other individual groups present their view of the proposed merger to the CRTC. Of the cable companies, both Eastlink and Cogeco underlined their opposition to the proposed transaction. Eastlink emphasized their challenges in negotiating commercially reasonable terms for Bell Media’s multi-platform ... Tue, 07 May 2013 15:58:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/bell_astral_2_hearing_day_2/ Day 2 of the CRTC Bell-Astral hearing began with a presentation from PIAC’s Janet Lo and John Lawford, who also appeared on behalf of the Consumers’ Association of Canada, the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia, the National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation, and Option consommateurs. They were joined by Dr. Dwayne Winseck, Professor at Carleton ... Tue, 07 May 2013 06:47:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/consumers/consumers_ask_the_crtc_to_deny_bell_astral_s_second_proposed_transaction/ (Montreal) – Five Canadian consumer and public interest groups appear before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today to oppose the second proposed acquisition of Astral Media Inc. by BCE Inc. The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), which also acts as counsel for the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC), the Council of Senior Citizens’ ... Mon, 06 May 2013 22:36:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/bell_astral_2_hearing_day_1/ BCE Inc. (Bell) and Astral Media sat down today to try again and convince the CRTC that the Bell’s proposed acquisition of the independent media company would benefit Canadian creators, consumers and all citizens. Ian Greenberg, CEO of Astral, called attention to the threat of Over-the-Top providers (OTTs) such as Netflix and insisted that Bell is the company that would have the capacity to ... Fri, 03 May 2013 09:18:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/piac_to_represent_consumers_during_crtc_hearing_on_the_proposed_acquisition_of_astral_media_inc_by_bell_canada/ On May 7, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC), Council of Senior Citizens’ Organization of British Columbia (COSCO), National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation (NPSCF) and Option consommateurs (OC) will appear before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to oppose the proposed acquisition of Astral Media ... Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:24:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/consumers/reconsumers_ask_crtc_to_keep_basic_television_affordable_few_services_deserving_of_mandatory_distribution_on_basic_television_servicequired/ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OTTAWA – Consumer rights group the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said today that basic television service in Canada is not affordable and that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) should not further burden consumers with unnecessary “mandatory carriage” services. PIAC represented the Consumers’ Association of Canada ... Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:41:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/consumers/piac_to_represent_consumers_during_crtc_hearing_on_mandatory_distribution_of_television_services/ OTTAWA – In its continuing efforts to address consumers’ concerns with television services, the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC), the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia (COSCO), and the National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation (NPSCF) will be appearing before the Canadian Radio-television ... Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:33:00 -0400 http://www.piac.ca/telecom/wireless_competition_vanishing_after_latest_spectrum_deal/ OTTAWA – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC) today warned that consumers’ hope for a fourth wireless competitor to the three major carriers, Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and TELUS Mobility is vanishing in Canada. PIAC and CAC reacted to media reports today that TELUS Corporation has entered into exclusive negotiations to ...