OTTAWA – Soon-to-be spun-off satellite operator Telesat posted record highs in revenue and earnings in 2005, the company reported Friday.
Bell Canada Enterprises, which owns Telesat, announced last month it plans to do an initial public offering on the satellite subsidiary some time in 2006, as previously reported.
Telesat’s 2005 consolidated operating revenue of $474.7 million represented a 31.1% increase over 2004. The company posted net earnings applicable to common shares of $88.9 million, 6.6% higher than the previous record of $83.4 million set in 2004.
Cash flow from operating activities came in at $203.9 million for the year compared…
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TORONTO – CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch said Thursday that if we, as Canadians, want to have a good public broadcaster, it needs better a better, stable funding model.
In a speech to the Empire Club in Toronto, Rabinovitch said he welcomed any governmental review of the CBC’s mandate (as has been alluded to by the new Conservative government) and said one is coming anyway by the end of 2006 when the Corp. faces the CRTC during its license renewal hearing.
The CEO says the broadcaster’s vision is to be "(t)he undisputed champion of compelling Canadian programming," and…
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AS AN UNABASHED OLYMPICS FAN and a Winter Olympic nut (two-man luge, anyone?) I knew what I wanted during Torino 2006: The Samsung a920.
That was the little navy blue handset that Bell Canada’s beavers, Frank and Gordon talked soooo much about during their many, many, many appearances during the Olympics last month. So, I begg, er, asked the nice folks at Bell if I could test one during the Olympics. Happily, they obliged.
In a deal with the CBC, Bell was offering the Corp.’s live feed of the Olympics on the handset, as well as numerous pre-packaged features…
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OTTAWA – The New Democratic Party today released a four-point plan for "broadcast sovereignty".
The four points are:
* Change the governance structure of CBC board of directors — ending the patronage appointment process and giving the board the power to hire or fire the CEO, who is currently appointed by the Prime Minister. * Ensure stable long term funding to expand regional programming. * Maintain clear limits on foreign ownership of Canadian airwaves. * Restore the obligation of Canadian broadcasters to promote home-grown drama.
NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) said in the release that Prime Minister…
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TORONTO – The gala evening celebrating women in communications is Wednesday in Ottawa, but Canadian Women in Communications has announced who the award winners will be.
Woman of the Year: Sarah Crawford, vice-president, Public Affairs, CHUM Television, Toronto
Employer of the Year: Alliance Atlantis Communications
Chapter Leader of the Year: Diane Johnson, president, Descriptive Video Works, Vancouver
Trailblazer of the Year: Sandy Larson, manager of customer service and operations, SaskTel and Mayor of Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Mentor of the Year: Cindy Chatwell, acting marketing manager, Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network (APTN), Winnipeg
The CWC Jeanne Sauvé Program winners are: *…
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NEW YORK – After having spent close to five years building Leafs TV and Raptors TV into viable digital channels, executive producer and vice-president programming John Shannon is leaving for a much bigger build.
It was announced Friday he has been appointed to the new position of senior vice president, broadcasting for the National Hockey League.
Shannon (right) will work with NHL national and local rightsholders on all aspects of the production of game telecasts including opportunities to capitalize on new and emerging broadcast enhancements and the launch of the NHL Network in the United States.
Shannon has been involved…
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TORONTO – Look for Alliance Atlantis to begin making some serious moves into alternative distribution of its shows with its newest hire. Claude Galipeau (left) was announced today as senior vice-president digital media, content group at the broadcaster today. Galipeau’s appointment will be effective at the end of March.
He will oversee the development and implementation of the digital media strategy for Alliance Atlantis. He brings a wealth of experience to the company, most recently as the executive director, digital programming and business development for the CBC. He was the one behind getting the 2006 Winter Olympics…
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OTTAWA – CBC TV is making a bold, and some say scary, bid for bigger audiences by redefining the very foundations of its programming strategy, according to preliminary information presented last week by Richard Stursberg, EVP of English TV.
Stursberg was speaking to delegates at a national conference of film and TV producers held here Feb. 15-17.
In the past, he indicated via a slide presentation, programs, even entertainment programs, have tended to do well among viewers who like news and current affairs. This neglects the largest groups and heaviest TV viewers. While some of his predecessors worried more…
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OTTAWA – While CRTC chairman Charles Dalfen said little to surprise independent producers in his annual address at the CFTPA’s national conference, he did hint at something that could delight them.
With CBC up for licence renewal this year, followed by the major private ‘casters, and with handheld digital media starting to shift industry revenue streams, Dalfen told producers “a bigger TV policy review might be timely” and he’s welcoming suggestions.
Any re-think of the TV policy, cursed by almost all stakeholders except broadcasters since it took effect in the fall of 2000, would begin after the review of…
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OTTAWA – Once upon a time, the boys and girls in the content production and delivery business gathered for many huddles. They were figuring out how to pass film and video content to the receiver, the Internet, and score a business model for web content. The play action took the form of rights management issues, and the strategy was nearly intercepted by haggling over the ownership and dollar value of rights.
Today, as the Internet joins video MP3 players, cellphones, games and podcasting among the receivers of digital content, the players are huddling once again and again, the quarterbacks…
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