NEW ORLEANS – With the Gigabit Era clearly upon us, cable operators are now fervently searching for the best way to enter that era and the best next-gen technologies to make that entry successful.
This search was very much in evidence at last week's SCTE Cable-Tec Expo show in New Orleans. Over the course of three days, teams of MSO technologists marched from booth to booth on the exhibit floor, hoping to uncover the right mix of equipment and software that would enable them to introduce gigabit speeds sooner rather than later (here in Canada, Rogers and Eastlink – not…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – On Monday, Rogers Communications made a commitment to 4K, ultra-high definition TV that no one else on the globe has yet made.
Beginning in 2016, the company will broadcast over 100 live sporting events (300 hours at least) in 4K, including all Toronto Blue Jays home games and at least 20 NHL games. It is also bringing to market a brand new Cisco 4K set top box for its cable customers, upon which Netflix will ride as an app, the company announced Monday.
Speaking of the global OTT video leader, Rogers has also signed a…
Continue Reading
HAMILTON – Community television will never be the same in Canada.
Cable 14 Now launched Tuesday in the Steel City allowing Hamiltonians the opportunity to watch live and on-demand HD video of local content on web-connected devices at their convenience. The online service is the product of three local companies working together as Cable 14 partnered with Clearcable networks in Hamilton and Ancaster’s Hifyre, a digital media company.
“This will allow the cross-pollination of community channels across the country,” Rob McCann, president of Clearcable told Cartt.ca at the launch event. “We will be launching another (online service) in Quebec…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Videotron has announced plans to build a new data centre in Montreal designed to provide the colocation solutions that businesses need for the hosting and processing of mounting masses of mission-critical data.
The $40 million investment, unveiled Wednesday, is the second phase of a process launched in March when the company bought the 4Degrees data centre in Quebec City, and the recently announced expansion of that facility.
Located in Technoparc Montréal in Saint-Laurent borough, the new data centre will have an area of 4,000 square metres and an available load of 16 megawatts. By linking the new facility to…
Continue Reading
HAMILTON – Cable 14 is gearing up to launch an online service that will allow viewers in the Hamilton area to watch live and on demand video from any web-connected device.
Dubbed Cable 14 Now, the service will debut September 22 to Rogers and Cogeco subscribers in the region at no charge. With programming ranging from election coverage to OHL hockey, in addition to Cable 14’s live web streaming capabilities, regular programming content will also be available on an on demand basis within 48 hours of its linear broadcast.
"Research shows that today's consumers are viewing content and programming in a…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Today Hollywood Suite announced that its four HD movie channels will be relaunched on November 2nd as Hollywood Suite 70s Movies, Hollywood Suite 80s Movies, Hollywood Suite 90s Movies and Hollywood Suite 2000s Movies.
Right now, the channel branding is Warner Films, MGM Channel Sony Movie Channel and AXN Movies.
“With a focus on consumer choice in an era of vigorous competition and regulatory change, the new unified and simplified Hollywood Suite brands will create an emotional connection with consumers by leveraging the nostalgic value of the greatest films of the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s,” said Hollywood Suite…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – It’s rare when the incumbent wireless carriers and the new entrants find themselves on the same side of an issue, but the response to a Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) appeal of the CRTC’s wholesale wireless decision last month is one of those occasions where the normally combative firms see eye to eye.
CNOC has appealed portions Telecom Regulatory Policy 2015-177, saying the Commission erred in fact and made errors of law in not granting mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access to the radio access networks (RANs) of the wireless carriers. The second…
Continue Reading
TORONTO and MONTREAL – Disney Channel and La chaîne Disney officially arrived in Canada this week.
Corus Entertainment said that the channels are available in most markets now, and will be available in 10 million households by Thursday via distribution partners Bell Aliant, Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, CCSA members including Eastlink and Access, Cogeco Cable Canada, MTS, Rogers, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus and Videotron. SaskTel customers will have access to the new service in the coming weeks.
Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family-inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and…
Continue Reading
A BRIDGE IS A musical term meaning a bit of a song which gets you from the verse back to the chorus. We thought the term was a good one to characterize Peter Bissonnette, an accomplished musician, as well as the outgoing president of Shaw Communications (his official last day was yesterday).
Bissonnette has worked in cable for more than 30 years, the last 25 of which for Shaw Communications. He’s been president of the company since 2000, working under company founder JR, and then both his sons, Jim and Brad Shaw – and has much prior experience working for…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Stingray Digital Group has received a five year renewal of its broadcasting licence from the CRTC for its national pay audio service Stingray Music.
Under the terms of the renewal, Stingray will contribute each year a minimum of 4% of the annual gross revenues earned by its pay audio programming undertaking to eligible third parties associated with Canadian content development allocated as follows:
– 25% to FACTOR;
– 25% to MUSICACTION,
– 5% to Community Radio Fund of Canada and;
– 45% to Stingray Music Rising Star to discover, encourage and promote new Canadian artists.
"We are pleased by with the CRTC's…
Continue Reading
