Search Results for: Canadian Heritage

Cable / Telecom News

Q&A with Minister Moore: Auction rules are set; digital policy still a muddle; what if no one comes?

INDUSTRY MINISTER JAMES MOORE has fair sized reservoir of stamina. After two full days of going west to east talking wireless with just about everyone who’ll ask for his time – and with three days of that still lying ahead – he sounded fresh and combative when it was our turn Tuesday afternoon to talk with him. For readers not vacationing incommunicado for the past two months, Minister Moore has taken this week to tour the country to talk up the federal government’s wireless policies in the face of an all-out onslaught of sustained criticism from… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Network Expansion: launches from Bell Aliant, Telus, SaskTel, MTS

NETWORK EXPANSION NEWS Recent launches: Bell Aliant continues FibreOp expansion with $20 million investment in North Bay, Timmins NORTH BAY and TIMMINS, ON – Bell Aliant’s new $7 million fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) expansion in Timmins announced Wednesday brings the total of the regional telco’s recent investments in Northern Ontario to $20 million. The FTTH network will reach approximately 15,000 premises in Timmins.  Last week Bell Aliant also announced it is investing $13 million to launch its FibreOP network to about 20,000 households and business in North Bay.  While both communities are part of Bell Aliant's operating… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CBC announces HNIC’s 2013-14 broadcast schedule

TORONTO – Here’s some news that might help cool you down if you’re in the midst of southern Ontario’s heat wave this week: CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada announced late Friday that its 2013-14 NHL season will kick off on October 1. HNIC returns for the 2013-14 NHL season with a full slate of games, kicking off with NHL Face-Off from Montreal on October 1 as the Canadiens host their longtime rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. In all, CBC’s schedule includes 94 games featuring 33 all-Canadian match-ups, 16 Original Six games and four installments of the “Battle of Alberta” between the Calgary… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Summer trend report: regulatory concerns overshadow telecom sector investments

TORONTO – While recent events, including the possible entry of US behemoth Verizon into Canada and Monday’s cabinet shuffle, have left many in the investment community wondering how these will affect the regulatory landscape, the telecom sector won’t see an impact on the bottom line just yet. Financial results for the second quarter of 2013 will not reflect any of these regulatory concerns, says BMO Capital Markets Second analyst Tim Casey.   “We expect Verizon will continue to quietly negotiate with the owners of the existing new entrants – Wind and Mobilicity – with… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Former Bell exec Chris Frank, Alain Cousineau appointed to CMF board

TORONTO – The Canada Media Fund (CMF) announced Tuesday that Alain Cousineau and Chris Frank, former Bell TV vice-president of programming, have been nominated to the CMF’s board of directors. Cousineau, who is currently chair of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, was also elected chair of the board following the CMF's annual general meeting held in Montreal. He takes over from outgoing CMF board chair Louis L. Roquet. Frank was a founding officer at ExpressVu Inc. (later Bell ExpressVu and Bell TV). During his 16 years at ExpressVu he held executive management positions… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CRFC’s Radiometres program awards $1 million to 55 campus, community radio stations

OTTAWA – Fifty-five campus and community radio stations will receive $996,371 to implement projects to improve local programming thanks to the second round of funding of the Community Radio Fund of Canada’s Radiometres program. The goal of Radiometres is to increase the development, volunteer participation, and sustainability of campus and community radio stations. And there are as many ways to meet these outcomes as there are stations. For example, this year the CRFC will fund such initiatives as an educational program on Aboriginal languages, capsules on families that have shaped Acadian history, a new program… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Northern Ontario provides backdrop for TVO’s first drama series

TORONTO – TVO is set to debut its first commissioned drama series that tells the story of eight medical students and the challenges they face practicing rural medicine in Northern Ontario. Featuring a Canadian ensemble cast headed by actor Patrick McKenna, Hard Rock Medical premieres with two 30-minute episodes on June 9 at 8 p.m. ET. Loosely inspired by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, TVO says the series provides a fresh and entertaining look at the unique challenges of delivering healthcare in Ontario’s north. Hard Rock U's… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Cliff to lead CRTC communications team

GATINEAU – Amanda Cliff will be joining the CRTC as executive director, communications and external relations, the Commission announced Friday In a memo to staff, CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais told staff that Cliff will be responsible for CRTC communications (including the web and client relations) and relations with external stakeholders such as Parliament, other government departments and agencies, other levels of government, non-governmental organizations and academia. She will also provide support to the Regional Commissioners, acting as the liaison between them and the head office in Gatineau. Since 2006, Cliff has been director general of broadcasting and digital communications within the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

National conference gets the party started for Canada’s 150th birthday

VANCOUVER, BC – A new series of regional conferences are scheduled to start this week to help kickstart conversations across the country about how Canadians should celebrate our upcoming 150th anniversary in 2017. CBC/Radio-Canada, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada and Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), are presenting the Canada 150/2017 Starts Now conference series, in collaboration with other local and national organizations. Developed to inform and inspire, Canada 150/2017 Starts Now begins in Vancouver on April 5. The conferences will be held in both official languages and will bring together citizens and leaders from communities… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

All aboard! VIA Rail expands Wi-Fi to stream Cancon programs

TORONTO – VIA Rail Canada has launched a new interactive digital platform to provide passengers on VIA Rail trains free access to Canadian programming. Starting in Spring 2013, the On-Board Entertainment initiative will be available to passengers with laptops, tablets and mobile phones travelling on VIA Rail trains within the Québec City to Windsor corridor. Through a partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and The Historica-Dominion Institute, it will provide free access to Canadian programming, including CBC/Radio-Canada TV shows programs, documentaries and animation from the NFB, and “Heritage Minutes” vignettes and… Continue Reading