QUISPAMSIS, B.C. – Having been unable to secure a wireless partnership for its membership with one of the three incumbents, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance is looking forward to having more players in that market.
The independent cable and telecom group which represents member companies in most of Canada said in a letter to Industry Minister Tony Clement on Wednesday that its members are “keenly interested in offering full communications service bundles, including wireless telephony.”
However, no CCSA member companies operate wireless services because they have not been able “to negotiate commercial partnering arrangements with existing wireless carriers to offer such services…
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NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – You come to a gathering of industry folks and, well, you hear things. Here are a couple of items of note…
**********We’ve been reporting on Rogers Communications planned broadband portal for the better part of a year now and apparently, it is about to come to fruition, with several industry programming sources reporting that November is the launch month.
**********Insight Sports’ World Fishing Network is nearing some big things, Stateside. It is just about to announce carriage on a major American MSO and it will soon open a Denver office, with their affiliate point man Sean…
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NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. – Each year the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance honours their member and supplier of the year during their annual conference and in 2009, the winners are Mascon Cable, and Fox Cable Networks.
Mascon has been serving British Columbia’s Shuswap and Thompson Okanagan regions for 25 years and company leaders like Darren Muloin and Craig Mackay have been very active within the Alliance. CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend called Mascon “a pragmatic and enthusiastic voice for small systems.”
The supplier of the year is represented in Canada by a man whom just about everyone in the industry calls a…
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NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ont. – While the future of high speed data for cable operators is DOCSIS 3.0 and whatever comes after that, it may not yet be necessary to dive into that cost and upgrade for most CCSA members.
Thanks to an ever-increasing array of new bandwidth-hungry applications (to say nothing of the oldest, biggest, app, analog television), all network operators are finding network management a challenge.
So this morning, Chris Lammers, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Cable Television Laboratories, the cable industry’s R&D consortium, told delegates at Connect 2009, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual conference, a bit about…
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QUISPAMSIS and MONTREAL – Karaoke Channel owner and Galaxie Music service distributor Stingray Digital has signed an affiliate agreement with the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance.
The deal allows for the continued distribution of the Galaxie audio service (which the company is negotiating to purchase from the CBC) and the distribution of the Karaoke Channel as a free on-demand service for VOD enabled MSOs. Stingray is also the Platinum sponsor of the Connect conference.
“We are very happy to be able to continue to serve CCSA member companies with the Galaxie music service. The 40 channel package available to CCSA members includes…
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QUISPAMSIS, NB – The CCSA has renewed its bulk purchase master agreement with SeaChange International for video-on-demand (VOD) solutions which include on-demand and linear advertising systems.
“SeaChange has become a valued supplier to our members and with the addition of both linear and on-demand advertising systems, as well as personalized applications (including navigation and time-shifted viewing), CCSA members will have the opportunity to further expand their VOD systems,” said president and CEO Alyson Townsend, in the press release.
SeaChange International provides software applications and services for VOD, digital advertising, and content acquisition monetization and management.
www.ccsa.cable.cawww.schange.com
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QUISPAMSIS, NB – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) and the Big Ten Network have reached an agreement for CCSA members to carry the sports channel, with many systems launching as early as this week.
The Big Ten Network covers one of the premier collegiate sports conferences in the United States, and airs approximately 350 live events.
“We are extremely pleased that our members throughout Canada will have the ability to offer the Big Ten Network to their customers,” said CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend, in the announcement. “There’s a great deal of interest in NCAA sports in Canada, and…
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NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON – With the Summit for Independent Communications (Connect 2009) just around the corner, the CCSA has confirmed its list of speakers and topics.
Christopher Lammers from CableLabs will provide an overview of DOCSIS 3.0, IP video, video-on-demand and network PVRs. He will be followed by Rahaf Harfoush, an expert on new media and a member of Obama’s social media team, and Max Valiquette, a youth culture and marketing expert.
The CTAM topic, called ‘The Digital Transition – It’s Happening’, will examine what Canada can learn from the recently completed US over-the-air transition to digital. Moderated by CCSA consultant…
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NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – Registration is open for the CCSA’s annual conference, to be held September 20 – 22, at the White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
Called the ‘Connect’ Conference and ‘Click’ Trade Show, the event will provide an opportunity for CCSA members, programmers, equipment suppliers and other delegates to discuss industry needs, learn about current topics, and, of course, have some fun in the process.
The members-only AGM kicks off the proceedings on Sunday, September 20 beginning at 1 p.m. Monday will feature the trade show portion of the event, plus presentations by CableLabs, CTAM and the Board of Directors’ dinner. Tuesday will be…
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ABOUT A WEEK before the next Commission’s September 29th inquiry into the state of the broadcast industry, whomever the regulator dares send to the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual gathering will be sure to get an earful.
The members of the CCSA are Canada’s smaller, but fiercely independent, cable operators and when they meet on September 20-22 for Connect 2009 at the White Oaks Resort in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont., you can bet any thought of paying a fee for carriage to conventional broadcasters won’t be warmly received, to say the least.
The group has worked hard to earn a small systems exemption…
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