Solving Spectrum Gridlock: Reforms to Liberalize Radio Spectrum Management in Canada in the Face of Growing Scarcity

Canada lags other countries in solving the problem of spectrum scarcity amid rising demand driven by cellphones and other wireless products. In this study, the authors call for reforms to liberalize the allocation of spectrum in Canada with a market-based approach, to increase competition, for the benefit of consumers and other end users.Economic Growth and Innovation, radio spectrum, wireless technology, Industry Canada

Blazar nuclei in radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1?

It has been suggested that some radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 contain relativistic jets, on the basis of their flat-spectrum radio nuclei and studies on variability. We present preliminary results of an ongoing investigation of the X-ray and multiwavelength properties of 5 radio-loud NLS1 based on archival data from Swift and XMM-Newton. Some sources present interesting characteristics, very uncharacteristic for a radio-quiet narrow-line Seyfert 1, such as very hard X-ray spectra, and correlated optical and ultraviolet variability. However, none of the studied sources show conclusive evidence for relativistic jets. gamma-ray observations with Fermi are strongly recommended to definitely decide on the presence or not of relativistic jets.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Talk presented at the 37th COSPAR Assembly (Montreal, Canada, July 13-20, 2008), Session E17. Accepted for publication on Advances in Space Researc

The Type Ia Supernova Rate in Radio and Infrared Galaxies from the CFHT Supernova Legacy Survey

We have combined the large SN Ia database of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Supernova Legacy Survey and catalogs of galaxies with photometric redshifts, VLA 1.4 GHz radio sources, and Spitzer infrared sources. We present eight SNe Ia in early-type host galaxies which have counterparts in the radio and infrared source catalogs. We find the SN Ia rate in subsets of radio and infrared early-type galaxies is ~1-5 times the rate in all early-type galaxies, and that any enhancement is always <~ 2 sigma. Rates in these subsets are consistent with predictions of the two component "A+B" SN Ia rate model. Since infrared properties of radio SN Ia hosts indicate dust obscured star formation, we incorporate infrared star formation rates into the "A+B" model. We also show the properties of SNe Ia in radio and infrared galaxies suggest the hosts contain dust and support a continuum of delay time distributions for SNe Ia, although other delay time distributions cannot be ruled out based on our data.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in A

Locking Out the Mother Corp: Nationalism and Popular Imaginings of Public Service Broadcasting in the Print News Media

Early promoters of public-service broadcasting (PSB) in Canada emphasized its democratic and nationalist merit. Of these twin pillars, only nationalism appears to still be standing. In this article, the author surveys the vision of PSB that emerged in the national English-language print media during the 2005 CBC/Radio-Canada lockout and suggests that our peculiar brand of multicultural nationalism (which underestimates the divisions within civil society) has subsumed democratic values. Yet, she argues democratic principles—particularly those of access, participation, and publicness—are critically important to defending the relevance of PSB in the current environment of seemingly endless media choices and borderless technology

The “Competitive” Value of Music to Commercial Radio Stations

Our objective in this paper is to develop a methodology to infer from the behaviour and choices of broadcasters the “competitive” value they attach to the use of music, more precisely sound recordings, and to derive from such an inferred value the proper “competitive” copyright payments to be made to authors, composers, performers, and makers of sound recordings. We illustrate the methodology by applying it to Canadian data. The background is provided by the statement of case and supporting proof presented in the 2004 proceedings before the Copyright Board of Canada on the commercial radio tariff. The results called for a significant increase in copyright payments by Canada’s commercial radio industry: the proper competitive copyright payments should be substantially more than double what the industry was paying at the time of the hearings. Nous proposons dans cet article une méthode permettant d’inférer, du comportement et des choix des diffuseurs, la valeur « concurrentielle » qu’ils accordent à la musique enregistrée et d’obtenir de cette valeur inférée les montants qu’ils devraient verser aux auteurs, compositeurs, interprètes et producteurs au chapitre des droits d’auteur. Nous appliquons la méthode sur des données canadiennes. Le cadre institutionnel de référence nous est fourni par la cause de 2004 devant la Commission du droit d’auteur du Canada relative au tarif applicable à la radio commerciale. Nos résultats montrent qu’une hausse substantielle des paiements pour droits d’auteur s’impose : ces paiements « concurrentiels » devraient être plus du double de ceux que l’industrie versait effectivement au moment des audiences de la cause.copyright valuation, Commercial radio, évaluation des droits d’auteur, radio commerciale

SAX J1808.4-3657 in Quiescence: A Keystone for Neutron Star Science

The accreting millisecond pulsar SAX J1808.4-3658 may be a transition object between accreting X-ray binaries and millisecond radio pulsars. We have constrained the thermal radiation from its surface through XMM-Newton X-ray observations, providing strong evidence for neutrino cooling processes from the neutron star core. We have also undertaken simultaneous X-ray and optical (Gemini) observations, shedding light on whether the strong heating of the companion star in quiescence may be due to X-ray irradiation, or to a radio pulsar turning on when accretion stops.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of "Forty Years of Pulsars: Millisecond Pulsars, Magnetars and More" held in Montreal, Canada, August 12-17, 2007. 4 page

Reader Reaction and Workplace Habits in the English Translation of French Proper Names in Canada

This article looks at factors that might be involved in the translation of French place names and institution names into English in Canada: the anticipated reactions of readers; rules enunciated by clients, employers and style guides; the effects of workplace procedures (reduced quality control time; use of cut-and-paste translation). The possible translations of five proper names are discussed: Québec, Radio-Canada, Acadie, Commis-sion québécoise des libérations conditionnelles, Canada/canadien.Cet article étudie les facteurs qui peuvent entrer en jeu dans la traduction anglaise des noms de lieux et des noms institutionnels français au Canada : réactions anticipées des lecteurs ; règles énoncées par les clients, employeurs et guides de rédaction ; méthodes de travail des traducteurs (traductions coupées-collées ; temps consacré au contrôle de la qualité). Les traductions possibles de cinq noms propres sont commentées : Québec, Radio-Canada, Acadie, Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles, Canada/canadien

Digital technologies and the future of radio: lessons from the Canadian experience

This paper reports on an ongoing comparative study of the development of digital radio in Europe and Canada. Focussing on the Eureka 147 Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) platform in Canada, of which it was an early adopter, the paper examines the complex interaction of industry, government regulation and the difficulty of policy formation matching the pace of technology development. Based on interviews with leading radio professionals, the paper presents a critical review of the ‘transitional policy’ towards the digitalisation of radio and examines the international market pressures that led Canada to largely abandon this approach in favour of the current multi-platform system. Despite extensive regulatory intervention to protect Canadian interests, the dominant influence of the US market on Canadian broadcasting matters is evident. Most recently, the entry of satellite-delivered subscription radio services by XM Radio and Sirius have illustrated the difficulty of regulating against powerful, global interests. Often seen as combining the best aspects of the European public service system with the commercial success of the US industry, the current stage of policy development in Canadian digital radio offers, it is argued, some important lessons for similar developments in Europe