GATINEAU – The place, and prominence, of American specialty networks in Canadian television programming packages may soon be changing as the CRTC grapples with the part that U.S. discretionary services play in our rapidly changing broadcast environment.
When the Commission launched the third phase of Let’s Talk TV: A Conversation with Canadians last April, it also proposed a potential new approach to licensing foreign services for carriage in Canada. That proposal suggested a simple test: a non-Canadian service would be authorized for carriage and distribution unless it would have “an undue negative impact” on the Canadian TV system. Services that…
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GATINEAU – The press release headlines sound pretty good, but it’s in the conditions, the details, where all this talk of consumer choice and flexibility gets bogged down.
The three largest Canadian vertically integrated media and carriage companies (Bell, Shaw and Rogers) each issued press releases Friday – the day their submissions to the CRTC on its TV Policy Review were due – saying, and we’re paraphrasing here: “boy oh boy, are we consumer friendly and choice leaders!” The big three each said they support more pick and pay, or a-la-carte channel selection, so that Canadians…
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SAINT JOHN – After receiving more than 350,00 votes from across the country, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) released the winners of the 2014 I *Heart* Local Cable initiative late Wednesday.
The contest, designed to celebrate local cable companies, their content and the personalities that make them shine, received more than 100 nominations and the shortlist of 24 nominees, released February 14 on I *Heart* Local Cable Day, represented 11 CCSA members from coast to coast. Voting closed June 30 and the winners were selected by most number of votes received.
The winners are:
Best local programming – news/issue coverage: Vu…
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BANFF, AB – Registration is now open for the CCSA’s Connect 2014 conference which this year will take place at the Fairmont Banff Springs Resort in Banff, Alberta from September 21 – 23.
The event will include three days of educational sessions, networking, and social activities with CCSA members, suppliers and industry delegates from both sides of the border and abroad. And check out the brand-new spousal program.
Additional conference information and online registration is available at www.ccsa.cable.ca/AGM
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QUISPAMSIS, NB – There’s only one more week to vote in I *Heart* Local Cable
As Cartt.ca recently reported, the CCSA initiative celebrates excellence amongst Canada’s smaller television and communications providers.
Voting closes June 30, 2014 for the 24 nominees in the categories of best customer service story; best public service/community building effort (donations, volunteering, etc.); best local cable personality; and best local programming in the areas of news/issue coverage, sports coverage, and entertainment programming.
The winners in each category will receive a cheque for $1,000, made out to their favourite local charity.
www.iheartlocalcable.ca
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QUISPAMSIS, NB – From a technician who skipped his own dinner party on the Friday night of a long weekend to help a new digital customer, to a cable company that sourced a used TV for an elderly customer who couldn’t afford to repair her old one, Canada’s smaller television and communications providers often have a unique way of serving – and giving back, to their customers and communities.
The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA), which represents more than 100 local providers across Canada, is promoting customer service stories like those to help demonstrate the unique connection that these…
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GATINEAU – New entrants and would-be wireless providers find themselves trying to again convince the federal telecom regulator that it needs to intervene in the wireless market. At the same time however, the incumbent operators tell the CRTC everything is working just fine as it is.
The comments come as the CRTC is studying the wholesale wireless services market with the goal of determining if the market is competitive enough or whether it needs to impose more regulations on roaming, tower and site sharing and others. All interventions can be found here. The public hearing is scheduled for September…
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TORONTO – The Movie Network announced Wednesday The Movie Network GO (TMN GO) is now available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and to customers of television provider Bell Aliant, which serves subscribers in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and parts of Northern Ontario.
Released to coincide with the recent premiere of Season 4 of HBO Canada’s Game Of Thrones, TMN GO is available to subscribers at no additional cost for Xbox Live Gold members and Bell Aliant subscribers to The Movie Network. TMN GO offers instant and unlimited access to more than 1,000 hours of Hollywood…
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HAMILTON Source Cable has added 59 new Galaxie music channels to its cable lineup, bringing its total to 100. Source is one of the first providers in Canada to offer 100 music channels to its digital cable customers.
In addition to the new channels, the service will also have an enhanced on-screen look (pictured) which will include the album cover art, the name of the artist and song; the channel name and number; and the next song coming up.
Many of the new channels offer a diverse, multicultural musical flavour from a variety of countries including: India, Spain, China, Brazil, Poland,…
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OTTAWA – Various parties continued to question the level to which Rogers Media will use its recently acquired NHL hockey content as a component of its Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) commitments at the company’s licence renewal hearing before the CRTC while Rogers said they need not worry.
The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), in its opening remarks on Wednesday fretted that Canadian content will suffer because Rogers will use the NHL to account for its CPE commitments, particularly if the Commission approves Rogers request to be treated under the group licensing framework (GLF).
“We have to wonder if hockey fans will…
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