CANADA’S CABLE AND SATELLITE companies want one thing when it comes to high definition television: More.
More HD channels. More HD content. More HD Canadian content. In the larger markets at least, HDTV set owners are increasingly tuning to their HD channels only, taking advantage of their big, bright, new toy. They, in turn, are beginning to apply some pressure on their cable company or satellite provider to make more channels available.
“Demand is high,” says the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance’s legal counsel Chris Edwards. “Everyone is looking to get as much high def as they can get.” The…
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OTTAWA – Research released Monday by the Yankee Group paints a pretty rosy picture for Canada’s two satellite radio companies, Sirius Canada and XM Canada.
Right now, says the report’s author Jeff Leiper, there are about 60,000 satellite radio grey market subscribers in Canada, which means they subscribe to the U.S. service(s) with a dummy U.S. address.
“We believe that the value proposition of satellite radio quickly will become clear to Canadian consumers. In fact, (survey) findings indicate that as many as 60,000 Canadian households are already subscribed; by definition, these are gray market subscriptions. The potential for a…
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OTTAWA – Draws held at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa have decided the order in which party leaders will speak and other details in the national televised debates being held next week and in early January.
There will be two sets of debates, in English and French. The first set will be held in Vancouver. The French-language debate will be held on Dec. 15, with the English following on Dec. 16. Both debates will be broadcast between 8 and 10 p.m. ET (5 – 7 p.m. PT). Both Vancouver debates will be hosted by a moderator. All questions…
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OTTAWA – The order in which federal party leaders will speak in the televised election debates will be determined in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 8.
Draws will be held to allot the order in which the leaders make opening and closing statements, as well as podium positions and other logistical details, in the National Press Theatre. Representatives of each of the four federal political parties participating in the debates will be in attendance, and media are also invited to watch.
There will be two sets of debates, in English and French. The first set will be held in Vancouver….
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TORONTO – Employees in the operations area of Alliance Atlantis have voted to form a local of the Canadian Media Guild, the company announced.
A majority of the approximately 100 eligible employees voted in a secret ballot held by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, electing the guild to represent them in collective bargaining with the company.
The guild applied for certification at Alliance Atlantis in July 2005.
Alliance Atlantis said it expects to meet with the guild “in the near future” to begin establishing a collective agreement.
The guild most recently was involved in a long lockout with the…
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By Laurel Hyatt
“Long live jocks,” Pete Townshend would sing if he knew how important announcers still were to radio.
The latest BBM ratings imply that stations with strong on-air personalities are still on top, while those that step back and let the music speak for itself are finding themselves with less of a voice.
The top two stations for share of hours tuned (adults 12 and over) for survey 4 of 2005 in Toronto (read: the media centre of Canada) were… drumroll please… CHUM FM, with 9.1 (double digits are unheard of these days in Tranna) and CHFI…
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MONCTON, NB – Rogers Cable is launching subscription video on demand in New Brunswick, after rolling out in larger cities. Digital customers in Moncton, Fredericton, Bathurst, Edmundston, Miramichi, and Saint John will now have access to more than 70 movies and television series.
The Movie Network On Demand will be available on channel 308 at no additional charge to customers who currently subscribe to The Movie Network. Viewers can choose to watch a movie or program at any time with the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward the show, just like with a VCR or DVD player.
"The Movie…
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THANKS TO THE LOCKOUT, CBC Radio took it on the chin in a few markets this fall (but then also saw its ratings rise in a couple of places).
But enough from us, click through (thanks to David Bray, sr. vice-president of Hennessy & Bray Communications) for a ratings overview from each of:
TORONTOMONTREAL CALGARY EDMONTON WINNIPEG VANCOUVER OTTAWA-GATINEAU
As well, for the first time in memory, BBM has made public top-line data from these and many other smaller markets. Click…
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HALIFAX – The Green Party of Canada wants to take the responsibility for the federal leaders’ debate out of the hands of broadcasters and turn it over to “a suitable public, non-partisan agency such as Elections Canada,” said party leader Jim Harris today in Halifax.
Harris made the comment while announcing a series of items that the Green Party is launching over the coming days after “a deluge of phone calls and e-mails to party offices made it clear that Canadians of all political stripes firmly oppose the idea that five corporate executives can predetermine who Canadians should hear…
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OTTAWA – The four major party leaders will take to the airwaves four times during the federal election campaign, Canada’s broadcasters announced Wednesday.
This will no doubt mean the Green Party will once again pursue action at the CRTC level (It complained as loudly as it could during the last election campaign when it was refused inclusion in the debates. As long as it remains seatless in the House of Commons, said the broadcasters during the last campaign, it stays on the outside looking in).
The new debate format will feature an increase in the number of Leaders debates…
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