Corus Entertainment announced Monday the early retirement of its president and CEO, Doug Murphy, effective immediately.
The media company’s board has appointed Corus executives Troy Reeb and John Gossling as co-chief executive officers.
“These appointments are effective immediately and reflect the strength of Corus’ leadership bench and a forward focus on managing through a challenging environment,” reads a Corus press release announcing the changes.
Murphy had been with Corus for 21 years, first joining the company in 2003 as executive vice president of business development and holding successively more senior positions until 2015 when he was promoted to president and CEO.
“During his…
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By Howard Law, author of Canada vs. California, and MediaPolicy.ca
Last week the CRTC released its anticipated “Phase One” ruling on the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11. The headline was the $200 million price tag put on Canadian content contributions assessed by the commission on large foreign online audio and audio-visual streamers operating in Canada.
Following the commission’s decision, many industry players and public policy commentators were quick to declare victory or disaster, something we can expect in a regulatory drama that never quits.
This drama is chronicled in my book, Canada vs California: How…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Supreme Court of Canada has approved late last month the applications of four organizations to submit interventions in its hearing on whether the CRTC has jurisdiction over wireless access to municipal infrastructure.
The Canadian Telecommunications Association, the attorney general of Quebec, the Business Council of Canada, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce will have the opportunity to submit arguments in the case that could hold significant consequences for the roll-out of 5G technology – or at least that’s what the large telecoms have argued.
Telus is the telecom that won the appeal to the country’s…
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Quebecor announced Wednesday it has filed a complaint with the Competition Bureau against a partnership agreement between Loblaw Companies Limited and wireless carriers Bell and Rogers, through their joint venture Glentel, that would give them exclusive selling rights at the grocery retailer’s The Mobile Shop locations.
The agreement would shut Quebecor’s Freedom Mobile out of 180 Loblaw-owned grocery stores, the Montreal-based telecom says in a press release.
“The agreement between Loblaw and Glentel cloaks yet another attempt by the dominant players in the telecommunications market to thwart competition,” Pierre Karl Péladeau, president and CEO of Quebecor, said in…
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Telus announced Monday it will invest nearly $33 million in Montreal in 2024 as it deploys and updates its 5G networks and connects businesses to thousands of kilometres of fibre.
As part of its multi-year sponsorship agreement with Major League Soccer’s CF Montréal, Telus will invest $1.2 million to improve wireless connectivity at Stade Saputo, the team’s home stadium, giving fans “dedicated access to the 5G network for fast and reliable communications during games,” a Telus press release said.
“As a CF Montréal partner, it was critical to put cutting-edge wireless network infrastructure in place at Stade Saputo…
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By Ahmad Hathout
If the CRTC raises the revenue threshold for contributions to the regulator’s administration of telecom matters, it will effectively concentrate the burden on fewer providers, which is the opposite of what it has been trying to do with changes to broadcasting fees that an application to raise the threshold is partially relying upon, Bell argues.
The Independent Telecommunications Providers Association filed a Part 1 application in late April calling for the increase in the revenue threshold from $10 million to $25 million to contribute to the CRTC’s administration of the telecom regime, with an annual…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC on Wednesday ordered Telus to include in its support structure tariff a provision allowing third parties to be compensated directly from the telco in the event the structure is forced to move by a government entity.
The interim ruling comes after Telus was ordered to file a tariff proposal that would outline how it would provide for such compensation to the third parties, an issue that was triggered by a Rogers and Shaw application before the former acquired the latter. The issue was that while Telus was being compensated for the move ordered by British…
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Montreal-based mobile satellite operator Terrestar Solutions announced Tuesday it has selected Etiya, a global software company with offices in Montreal, to “help bridge the connectivity gap for all Canadians”, it said in a press release.
Terrestar is currently working on bringing to Canadians “seamless, affordable direct-to-mobile satellite communication services”, which would connect “everyday devices, including smartphones and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, everywhere in Canada as a complement to cellular networks”, the company explained in its release.
“We are excited to support Terrestar’s bold vision. Together, we will build a future that enhances the lives of Canadians and…
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Foreign streamers say base contribution will make collaborations more difficult
By Ahmad Hathout
Foreign and standalone online streamers that make $25 million or more will be required to contribute five per cent of their previous year’s Canadian revenues into the system, an amount the CRTC said Tuesday would draw $200 million per year into supporting Canadian content.
The regulator said it is prioritizing certain categories of content to the receive funds, including the expensive-to-produce local news on radio and television, and content catering to French-language, indigenous and minority communities.
Of the five per cent, two per cent will go toward the Canada Media…
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Disconnections are expected June 4, TekSavvy said
By Ahmad Hathout
TekSavvy is again asking the CRTC to intervene in a case where its internet customers are at risk of losing service because the cable network from which it leases capacity is being migrated to pure fibre.
In a Part 1 application dated Wednesday that has yet to be posted at the time of this story’s publishing, Teksavvy said 29 customers at two buildings – 191 and 201 Sherbourne Street – in Toronto are at risk of disconnection because Rogers told the Chatham-based company that it is migrating those hybrid fibre-coax facilities to…
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