MONTREAL – Stingray Digital has signed a multi-year renewal with the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) for the distribution of its Galaxie music channels, Galaxie’s upcoming Ambiance Channel as well as for the Galaxie music application for advanced set-tops.
As part of this expanded agreement, many CCSA member companies will be able to apply for a Galaxie server to be installed at their headends, allowing them to customize the Galaxie channel line-up to best suit the tastes of their customers. Additional benefits of the local server-based delivery for the Galaxie channels include the on-screen imagery that displays the album cover…
Continue Reading
ROGERS MEDIA SPENT MUCH of Tuesday playing defence during its licence renewal hearings before the CRTC, deflecting criticism over the company’s desire to have its hockey broadcasts considered programming of national interest (PNI), or be part of the company’s Canadian programming expenditures (CPE).
CRTC vice-chair of broadcasting Tom Pentefountas took the first shot by questioning whether hockey programming should be included in Canadian content or PNI commitments. After a series of questions on whether this type of sports programming needs regulatory help from the commission, he wondered why hockey should account for CPE or fall under PNI programming.
Keith Pelley, president…
Continue Reading
NORWICH, ON – Glenn Baxter, a founding member of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) and the founder of Nor-Del Cablevision, was laid to rest Wednesday in Norwich, ON. He died in hospital on February 28 in his 80th year.
Baxter graduated from the Ryerson Institute of Technology as an engineering technologist in 1956 and carried his love of electronics and system design with him his entire life. His early career included positions at Group Northern Electric, (eventually part of Nortel), where he designed and installed television studios and master control video/audio switching systems for television stations.
At Delta Electronics, he…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Shaw Media launched the new History Go app Thursday, just in time for season two of the hit series Vikings which airs Thursdays at 10:00 PM ET/PT, beginning February 27.
Available on iOS, Android, and history.ca, History Go offers History subscribers almost 300 hours of programming, including season one of Vikings, and popular series Yukon Gold, Ice Pilots NWT and Pawn Stars. The app is available now with Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers and several CCSA distributors, and will be available to Telus Optik TV and Cogeco Cable Canada subscribers next month.
“History Go is a strong addition to Shaw’s…
Continue Reading
BANFF, AB – Save the date 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 and industry partners.
Additional conference information will be available in the coming months and online registration will open in June.
www.ccsa.cable.ca
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – We're about a month away from all Canadian television distributors being required to make all Canadian national news channels available to all of their subscribers, but one seemingly basic question remains unanswered: Will Sun News Network be made available on analog cable?
Two months after the CRTC issued an order requiring that Sun News and the four other Category C national news channels be made available to subscribers of "all licensed distribution undertakings", there doesn't seem to be a consensus on this question.
The order and accompanying decision don't include the word "analog" at…
Continue Reading
SAINT JOHN, NB – Two dozen local cable companies from across Canada are among the shortlisted nominees for the CCSA’s first-ever I Heart Local Cable awards.
The CCSA announced the list of nominees on Valentine's Day, which has also been dubbed "I Heart Local Cable Day" as part of a new ad campaign developed by the CCSA to promote its member companies and what they do for their local communities.
The I Heart Local Cable awards are meant to be a national celebration of excellence in cable service delivery, community-mindedness, and content development.
“We were absolutely thrilled to receive more than 100 nominations…
Continue Reading
QUISPAMSIS, NB – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Inc. (CCSA) announced the completion of a master affiliate agreement on Monday for the distribution of the new independent food and lifestyle special channel Gusto TV.
The multiplatform HD service, which will now be available to CCSA members across Canada, offers viewers hit prime-time cooking shows every evening, with lifestyle, home, fashion, health and wellness shows during the day.
“Gusto TV is an independent, regionally based broadcaster, so joining forces with CCSA and independent distributors to deliver our hit shows to Canadians is the perfect fit,” said Gusto TV CEO and president Chris…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – CBC has upped the ante on its Olympics coverage, announcing today that its “every hour” coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics will now also be accessible virtually “everywhere,” thanks to new licensing agreements with Bell, Rogers, Telus, Videotron, and YouTube.
The public broadcaster said that live and on-demand English- and French-language Olympic Winter Games content from CBC/Radio-Canada will be “top of menu” for the telcos, and will also be prominently featured on popular digital portals including MSN.ca and YouTube.
CBC says the agreement with YouTube represents one component of an expanded alliance that will see a renewal of CBC/Radio-Canada’s presence on the…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – CTAM Canada’s newly elected board of directors for 2014 includes a number of familiar names and faces.
The executive committee is:
– Gary Pelletier from Stingray Digital as President;
– Drew Robinson from Shaw Media as Vice-President;
– Jennifer Salmon from CCSA as Secretary; and
– Jeff Taylor from Rogers Communications as Treasurer.
The newly elected 2014 board selected the new chapter executive along with committee chairperson assignments, following the last meeting of the 2013 board on December 10th.
Joining the organization are Valerie Heroux from Videotron, Anne Lavigueur from Cogeco, Lisa Purdy from BBC Kids, Andy Garrett from Eastlink, Leanne Shearer from Bell…
Continue Reading
