MONT TREMBLANT – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance celebrated its 20th anniversary in grand style Monday with top notch seminars, a well-attended trade show, awards and a gala dinner which featured Canadian comic Sugar Sammy.
After an opening speech by CRTC vice-chairman telecom Peter Menzies, “unmarketing” pro Scott Stratten wowed the audience with an entertaining take on how in order to go viral, you have to give up control (and don’t sweat your logo too much). Then, with over 300 delegates at this year’s conference, the trade show floor was packed through mid-day then customer service expert Doug Lipp took his turn at the podium before the CBC’s Rex Murphy spoke on “connecting the community of Canada.”
The evening saw the changing of the guard, as it were as Westman Communications CEO Dave Baxter took over as chair of the CCSA board of directors in place of Access Communications CEO Jim Deane, who stepped down as chair, but remained on the board (pictured with CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend).
The organization also presented its 2013 Community Channel Awards, as judged by former Delta Cable CEO John Thomas, former CRTC vice-chair broadcasting Michel Arpin and Cartt.ca editor and publisher Greg O’Brien. Award winners took home $1,000 for the charity of their choice and the 48 entries evaluated by the judges were of excellent quality, some of which would be right at home on broadcast television. The winners are:
Best Billboard Service: Coopérative de câblodistribution de l'arrière pays (CCAP) – Babillard. It’s charity was Saint Vincent de Paul, Notre-Dame-de-Laurentides and Lac Beauport.
Innovation Award: TbayTel – NextBus, Flight Status (on screen VOD app). It’s $1,000 went to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Thunder Bay.
Best Public Affairs Program: Eastlink – Fallen Soldiers. Eastlink directed its award to The Last Post Fund.
Best Sports Program: Northwestel – Yukon Quest 30 Years. The company directed its award to the Yukon Quest 1,000 Mile International Dogsled Race.
Best General Interest was a tie to: CCAP/Icitélé: Panorama Hiver. It’s award went to Cité Joie, a rec centre for the disabled in the community; and to Source Cable/TV Hamilton – Haunted Hamilton’s Ghost Stories. It donated its $1,000 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
As for the annual member of the year and supplier of the year awards, this year the CCSA chose to recognize its entire membership, which serve Canadians in 1,400 communities from coast, providing them with video, broadband and telephony, very often in areas where there are no other local service providers. Check out the map of how CCSA members are spread out everywhere (the story continues below).
Shaw Media took home the 2013 honour for supplier of the year.
Also heard/seen at the Connect conference:
* The CCSA will roll out a brand new ad campaign this fall to be deployed by its members called “I *heart* local cable”. The campaign, which features the creative pictured will remind the subscribers of CCSA member companies – not to mention politicians and regulators whom CCSA members worry forget about them when forging policy – what local cable companies do for their communities, from providing affordable local broadband, phone and video to community media and local jobs.
A community cable awards program involving local viewers is also being developed in time for “I *heart* local cable” day on February 14th.
* Word on the floor is that Rogers Communications will be launching FXX in Canada in January. FXX is a spinoff of FX, with a focus on comedy and a younger demographic. Rogers was tight-lipped on the launch, but there were enough people talking about it Monday in Mont Tremblant.
* Pay TV service Super Channel is apparently about to launch on Videotron in Quebec. Nothing official came on Monday, but launch day is set to be Tuesday.
* New independent food and lifestyle channel Gusto will be launching on November 12, or 11-12-13…
Below are some more snaps from 2013 CCSA Connect.
The CRTC's former vice-chair broadcasting Michel Arpin, and its current VC broadcasting, Tom Pentefountas.
CCSA's CEO Alyson Townsent presented the supplier of the year award to Shaw Media's Drew Robinson.
CCAP/Icitele's Marieve Robichaud accepts one of her company's two community channel awards from CCSA CEO Alyson Townsend and judge Michel Arpin.
