TORONTO – Disney XD and French-language Disney Junior have cracked the programming lineup at Cogeco Cable.
Disney XD debuts to Ontario Cogeco Digital subscribers as part of a three-month preview on channel 99, while the preschool network, available to Quebec-based subscribers, is available on channel 89, also part of a free preview. The launches of the two networks form part of a long-term renewal agreement between Astral and Cogeco Cable for Astral's movie and kids services.
"It is fantastic to have Cogeco on board with Disney XD and Disney Junior en Francais," said Joe Tedesco, SVP and GM, Astral Kids, in the…
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MONTREAL – The Cogeco Fund has approved a three-year commitment to support the production of Canadian television drama series.
For the past 20 years, the Fund has financed the production of movies-of-the week, mini-series and pilots for drama series. This new commitment makes it the only private Fund in Canada to focus on drama production of all formats for all Canadian broadcasters.
“Evolving, adapting and responding to the needs of the industry, while also respecting the creative process and paying attention to the tastes of our audiences, represent a challenge that we proudly undertake year after year”, said the Fund’s chairman…
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BURLINGTON – After 37 years in community programming, Cogeco’s senior director of communications and programming, Maureen Tilson-Dyment, called it a career this week.
A tireless worker and community proponent, Tilson-Dyment (pictured) began as a cable channel volunteer and her career culminated in a standing-room only retirement party Monday evening at the company’s Burlington headquarters which drew just about every community leader and politician from the region.
She has held a number of roles over the years and in her most current one, she was responsible for provincial community relations and information, media and government relations, company outreach and event programs, sponsorships…
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GATINEAU – CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein told the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance and Telus on Monday that the two organizations need not fear Bell Media withholding its TV signals while the independent carriers continue to try to convince the broadcaster to alter its new wholesale carriage agreement.
As Cartt.ca first reported last week, a number of Canada’s independent TV distributors have balked at signing the new contract, which encompasses up to 30 Bell Media channels (including TSN, BNN, Comedy, MuchMusic, Discovery and so on) and have complained to the CRTC that the terms demanded by…
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MONTREAL – Both of Canada's two French-language private television networks made commitments to increase local news programming as CRTC hearings concluded Friday in Montreal.
Remstar, which bought the TQS network out of creditor protection in 2008 and eliminated its news-gathering operations, read the writing on the hearing walls and committed to increase local news programming on its five owned-and-operated stations after spending the week resisting calls to do so.
In '08, the CRTC gave what is now called V Interactions three years of reduced local news minimums when the station was purchased (from…
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OTTAWA – A number of Canada’s independent cable operators have balked at signing a new omnibus carriage agreement for the up-to 30 specialty channels owned by Bell Media and instead are demanding the CRTC step in and decide who’s right.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the agreement and the ongoing battle, both Cogeco Cable and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance have been through a few rounds of official CRTC staff mediation, which hasn’t yielded much in the way of results. It now looks like the disputes are headed towards binding, final offer arbitration in front of a CRTC…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco is buying Metromedia CMR Plus Inc., a Quebec company that operates an advertising rep house in the public transit sector.
Metromedia represents over 100 public transit markets, notably in Montreal, and other Quebec regions, as well as in “major cities and numerous markets” in the rest of Canada, Cogeco said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"The acquisition of Metromedia, added to our Quebec radio station portofolio, is an excellent opportunity to diversify our media activities and create a compelling new media offering for advertisers by combining radio and transit advertising”, said Cogeco president and CEO…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Diffusion shut down its Sherbrooke-based radio station CJTS-FM Tuesday at noon after failing to find a buyer. The move puts a dozen employees out of work, the company confirmed to Cartt.ca.
After approving its acquisition of Corus’ Quebec radio stations last April, the CRTC told Cogeco to divest of three of the stations in keeping with its common ownership policy which limits the number of stations in one market owned by the same company. Cogeco sold off two of its four Quebec City area stations last week to Leclerc Communication Inc., as Cartt.ca reported.
Cogeco said…
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TROIS-RIVIERES – Cogeco officially opened its new operations centre in Trois-Rivieres on Monday.
The multi-functional $18 million facility consolidates Cogeco Cable's Quebec telecommunications nerve centre in the Mauricie region. In addition to bringing together some 500 employees under one roof and creating nearly 100 direct and indirect jobs, the new 79,000 square foot building houses a modern work environment and cutting-edge hi-tech equipment.
"Inaugurating this new centre demonstrates Cogeco's commitment to the region and our recognition for the people who live here, who have supported us for over 50 years”, said president and CEO Louis Audet at the ceremony (seen below,…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Diffusion said Wednesday that it has sold two of its four Québec City region FM radio stations to Leclerc Communication Inc. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The sale of CJEC-FM and CFEL-FM comes at the behest of the CRTC which required Cogeco to sell off some of the stations that it acquired from Corus in order to comply with the common ownership policy in the Québec City and Sherbrooke markets.
The company said in a statement that proceedings for the sale of CJTS-FM in Sherbrooke are continuing.
In other company news, Cogeco Inc. has renewed its…
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