OTTAWA – Turns out that creating actual public policy is far more complicated than a few easy sound bites about choice and protecting jobs.
While the federal government last week demanded a report from the CRTC on letting Canadians break up their subscription TV bundles by April 30th, the written direction to the CRTC from the Privy Council shows an argument that is far more complex than the throw away sentences about “protecting consumers” which were a part of the Speech from the Throne on October 16. It seems to be demanding a report on providing pick and pay without…
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OTTAWA – Forcing broadcast distributors to offer specialty services on a pick and pay basis may not result in big savings for consumers, Kevin Crull, president of Bell Media, said during a luncheon keynote speech at the International Institute of Communications Canada’s annual conference in Ottawa on Monday.
Crull’s comments come as the CRTC has undertaken a broad conversation with Canadians about the future of TV and as the federal government has all but told the industry it will force pick-and-pay upon it. After talking directly to consumers for a while, the Commission will…
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OTTAWA – Use it or lose it. That was the gist of Industry Minister James Moore’s message to Canadian spectrum holders on Thursday.
Following up on a Throne Speech promise that Canadians living in rural areas have greater access to high-speed Internet services, Minister Moore said that Industry Canada will begin renewing 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz spectrum licences next March, but will deny extension requests from holders whose licence conditions – especially deployment – have not been met.
"Our government will only renew spectrum licences for those holders that have met all conditions of licence. Those that have not used the…
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OTTAWA – In the third quarter of 2013, Canada’s publicly traded television service providers combined to add subscription TV customers, thanks to the record growth of IPTV, reversing a trend of cumulative losses in each of the previous three quarters.
New research from Ottawa-based research and consulting firm Boon Dog Professional Services shows that the publicly traded TV service providers (cable satellite and telcoTV) added an estimated 14,145 TV subscribers combined in Q3 in what is traditionally a strong quarter for TV subscriber growth – and all of it was a result of record IPTV subscriber…
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HAMILTON, ON – Two weeks after launching select programming in high definition, Cable 14 reports that its viewers feel more engaged with their communities than ever before.
The 100% local channel, co-owned by Rogers Cable, Cogeco Cable and Source Cable, debuted its Clearly Community programs in HD last month and said in a news release that it has been “receiving very positive feedback from viewers ever since”.
“Cable 14’s new HD format offers viewers much better picture quality than before and brings other benefits, such as smoother motion, richer and more natural colors, and better sound”, reads…
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TORONTO – Al Jazeera English launched on SaskTel this week, making it available to over 97,000 SaskTel maxTV subscribers through channel 58.
The international news channel, which launched in Canada in 2010, is now available through Telus, Bell TV, Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw Cable, Videotron, MTS Allstream and CCSA member cable systems. Al Jazeera already reaches more than 250 million homes in over 130 countries around the world.
“Subscribers to SaskTel maxTV service now have access to Al Jazeera English’s comprehensive offering of news, documentaries and programmes from over seventy bureaus worldwide,” said Kimeran Daley, head…
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EXTON, PA – The SCTE has announced the selection of its seven appointed and eight elected members of the Board of Directors for the upcoming 2013-14 term.
The Board comprises seven appointed directors, each of whom serves a two-year term, and eight regional directors, who are elected for one-year terms. The eight regional directors are selected from and elected by SCTE’s 13 regional representatives, each of whom acts on behalf of an SCTE region.
For both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 terms, Tony Werner, executive vice president and CTO of Comcast, has been newly appointed as a director, and Terry Cordova, senior…
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HAMILTON, Ont. – Cable 14 will launch in high definition on October 15th.
At noon that day the 100% local channel co-owned by Rogers Cable, Cogeco Cable and Source Cable will debut programming in HD. Cable subscribers will view their `Clearly Community` programs (some local outdoor ads are already touting it) at no additional cost on: Cogeco – 814; Rogers – 214; Source – 714.
Cable 14’s general manager Brent Rickert believes it was imperative the community station offer programming in HD to ensure Cable 14 keeps up with evolving technology and new viewing habits and trends. "The roll-out of Cable…
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WHILE THE CANADIAN WIRELESS world and the politicians who oversee it spent the dog days of summer 2013 barking at each other over policies they said were either wrecking the business or boosting competition (depending on your point of view) one player, Halifax-based Eastlink, remained largely silent.
While Eastlink is a big deal in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island especially, and does daily battle down East with Bell Aliant, CEO, Lee Bragg told Cartt.ca in a recent interview that adding his own voice to that cacophony would have accomplished little. And besides, even though he can’t side with government…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Network Operators Consortium has filed an application with the CRTC asking that a number of new regulations be applied to cable company ISPs who are not fairly treating its members acting as third party internet access providers.
The independent TPIAs (such as Teksavvy, Primus and Telnet) who provide internet service to their customers by purchasing wholesale high speed access service from the likes of Cogeco, Rogers, Shaw and Videotron say that either through malice or indifference their businesses are being seriously harmed by the cable companies and the CRTC must step in.
“This is necessary because ISPs,…
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