Search Results for: cogeco

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco to take on GTA with $200 million Toronto Hydro Telecom purchase

MONTREAL and TORONTO – After the close of trading on Friday, Cogeco Cable announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire all of the shares of Toronto Hydro Telecom, the telecommunications subsidiary of Toronto Hydro Corporation for $200 million. The deal is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory approval by the commissioner of Competition. The purchase price represents a 9.6 multiple of the projected fiscal 2008 EBITDA of THTI. In addition, Cogeco Cable will assume a working capital deficiency and liabilities of approximately $4 million. THT offers data communications and other telecommunications services such as Ethernet, private line,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Christian Isla wins Cartt.ca Cable-Tec trip

HAMILTON – The winner of the 2008 Cartt.ca Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Cable-Tec Expo editorial internship is Christian Isla of Clearcable Networks. Cartt.ca, the Canadian cable, radio, television and telecom industry’s leading news source, each year offers one member of the Ontario Chapter of the SCTE the chance to attend the annual Cable-Tec Expo, the premier cable telecommunications technical trade show. This year it is being held June 24-27 in Philadelphia. This is an annual opportunity aimed at those technicians or young engineers whose company might not normally send them to this conference. We began in 2007 when… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco announces a number of promotions

MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable promoted 10 people internally during the months of May and June 2008. They are as follows: Ron Perrotta, who has been Vice President, Marketing of Cogeco Cable since 2002, is appointed Vice President, Marketing and Strategic Planning. In this expanded role, he will also be responsible for Cogeco Cable’s strategic planning. Gary Pelletier is appointed Director, International Markets. In this role, he will be Cogeco Cable’s prime liaison with its current and potential assets abroad. Pelletier joined Cogeco Cable in 2003 and was previously Director, Product Marketing – Cable Television and High Speed Internet. Louise Desilets… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CBS says Q3 radio sales climbed 8.7%

TORONTO – “National radio has now posted eight consecutive quarters of positive growth. That’s the longest stretch since Q1 of 2002,” said Patrick Grierson, president of Canadian Broadcast Sales. “What’s noteworthy is that this growth has been steady, stable and sustainable with no volatility. We’re projecting Q4 to remain on this positive pace and result in a 9% annual growth.” National radio sales in the third quarter of fiscal 2008, ended February 29th, grew 8.7% as compared to Q3 2007. ‘Radio’s resilience is a major factor in this stable growth. Normal quarterly churn is approximately 40%. In Q3, only… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Switzer, Slaight among investors in GlassBOX Television

BANFF – Former CHUM president and CEO Jay Switzer and former Standard Broadcasting president and CEO Gary Slaight are among a group of Canadian broadcast executives who have invested $5 million in GlassBOX Television, which runs digital specialty service Bite TV. Other executives contributing the new venture and strategic capital to GlassBOX are former Alliance Atlantis Communications executive managing director of international television Ted Riley, former XM Radio Canada president and COO Stephen Tapp, and former QuickPlay executive Raja Khanna. Khanna was named co-CEO of GlassBOX. Tapp, who also headed Chum Television, will be an advisor to the company… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

TQS plan does not impress commissioners

QUEBEC CITY – Since Friday night, when Quebec’s floundering broadcast station TQS began stripping its news operations, the TV network has been ignoring its obligation to produce a certain number of hours of news programming, as set out in its CRTC licence. That doesn’t sit well with CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein. “We have a lot of problems with your application,” von Finckenstein said Monday at the opening of hearings in Montreal into TQS’s pitch for a new licence containing no news programming obligation at all. “You’re asking us to make an exception, one that would be in violation… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Fairchild and Talentvision raise almost $2.3 million

TORONTO – The charity event "Together for China – Earthquake Relief Telethon" brought to Chinese Canadians nationally on Friday by TV channels Fairchild and Talentvision, raised a phenomenal $2,286,300 across Canada. The event was a national earthquake relief effort by Fairchild Television in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross featuring renowned performing artistes from Asia, Eric Tsang, Jackie Cheung, Alan Tam, Aaron Kwok, Hacken Lee and more popular singers from Hong Kong and representatives from Canadian organizations appealing and presenting pledges to help the earthquake victims. The program was simulcast on Shaw TV Cable 4 and Shaw Multicultural Channel,… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Fairchild Television and Talentvision organize earthquake relief telethon

TORONTO – Fairchild Television, Talentvision and the Canadian Red Cross are joining forces with local Chinese communities in a cross-Canada earthquake relief effort “Together for China” telethon that will feature Asian artists such as EricTsang, Jackie Cheung, Alan Tam, Aaron Kwok and Hacken Lee. The initiative will take place on May 23 at 8 p.m. A special fund-raising program will be aired 8:30 p.m. PST the same day on Talentvision that will highlight the rescue efforts. Cable carriers such as Rogers, Shaw, Bell ExpressVu, Cogeco and Telus are assisting by unscrambling the signal and making Fairchild TV and Talentvision… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

COMMTECH 2008: Products and Services

KELOWNA – “This show has grown by leaps and bounds,” Capella’s Wayne Rabey raved this morning on a crowded floor at the 2008 Canadian CommTech Show and Seminars. Between 250 and 300 people went through the Coast Capri Hotel on Wednesday, a day after the event’s successful golf tournament on Tuesday. While the seminars went on (we’ll have a story or two from those, too) we perused the show floor for products and this is what some of the 60-plus companies were highlighting. ************ TVC CANADA was featuring a couple of fibre-to-the-home solutions, including air-blown fibre solutions and Corning’s… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Bell violating privacy rights in using deep-packet inspection technology: CIPPIC

OTTAWA – The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) is charging that Bell Canada has contravened the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) by using  deep-packet inspection technology (DPI) to control traffic over its Internet lines.  DPI reveals what subscribers are using their connections for, to find and limit peer-to-peer applications such as BitTorrent. Bell has said it needs to ensure traffic over its infrastructure doesn’t slow down, and DPI is aimed at optimizing its network. CIPPIC, a University of Ottawa-based legal clinic specializing in Internet law, though noted in a May 9 letter to the Privacy… Continue Reading