TORONTO – National radio sales fell 13.9% in the third quarter of 2009, according to data from Canadian Broadcast Sales (CBS).
Over 82% of the shortfall occurred in four major categories – the Government sector was down by 54%; alcoholic beverages dropped by 32.5%; the financial services category was down 25%; and telecommunications dipped 20%. The retail and restaurant categories captured almost 30% of the total revenue spent.
“On the bright side, the consumer economy appears to be showing positive signs in these trying economic times,” said CBS president Patrick Grierson, in the press release. “National Retail increased revenue share to…
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MARKHAM, ON – Telecom veterans John Piercy and Ian Collins are joining Atria Networks as CEO and president, respectively.
Piercy joins Atria from Mountain Cable in Hamilton, ON, where he has been president for the past five years. He brings 26 years of telecom industry experience to the position, through stints at BCE Capital, Onsite Access Canada, Leitch Technologies and AT&T Canada.
Collins was previously the acting president at Cogeco Data Services (formerly Toronto Hydro Telecom Inc.). He has also worked at Hamilton Hydro, its FiberWired telecom services division, and Ontario Hydro.
Piercy and Collins will start July 6, replacing…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable has announced a public debt offering of senior secured debentures series ‘1’ worth up to $300 million.
The Canadian and Portuguese cable company set the interest rate at 5.95% with a maturity date in June, 2014. The debentures will only be available in Canada, and proceeds will go towards reducing its debt.
The company announced last month that it would issue up to $500 million in new debt.
www.cogeco.ca
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MONTREAL – Acting president of Cogeco Data Services, Ian Collins, announced his resignation effective June 24, 2009 in order “to pursue new career goals”.
President and CEO Louis Audet will assume the role temporarily while the company searches for a successor.
"Cogeco Data Services is a solid and promising business and we will work with the team in place to continue to develop our service offering”, Audet said in the statement announcing Collins’ departure. “The Company continues to deliver results and consistently meet the critical needs of its customers. I want to thank Mr. Collins for his contribution to Cogeco…
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TORONTO – Rogers, Bell, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) have banded together to file a complaint with the CRTC alleging that CTV has violated the Broadcasting Act by airing a “one-sided and unbalanced coverage” of its own advocacy campaign.
As reported by Cartt.ca, CTV has been promoting its ‘Save Local TV’ campaign across its television properties in an apparent attempt to pressure the government and the CRTC for fee-for-carriage. But incorporating the campaign into their local newscasts violates the Broadcasting Act and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters own Code of Ethics, say the group of BDUs.
"While we…
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TORONTO – CTV has, predictably, refuted the allegations made by Rogers and other BDUs regarding its ‘Save Local TV’ public advocacy campaign.
In a statement sent late on Friday afternoon, the network said it has remained in “full compliance” with both the Broadcasting Act and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics, and called the complaint by the BDUs an “underhanded move by cable and satellite companies” and “an abuse of process designed to suppress freedom of speech and mislead the public”.
"The fact that the first we’re hearing about this is through a Rogers’ press release and still…
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MONTREAL – Canadian and Portuguese cable company Cogeco Cable says it will soon issue up to $500 million in new debt.
The company has filed with the securities regulators in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, a preliminary short form base shelf prospectus for the issuance of up to $500 million of debt securities, which may consist of debentures, notes or other types of debt securities.
These debt securities may be offered from time to time, during a twenty-five-month period for which the short form base shelf prospectus remains valid. The specific terms of any debt securities…
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WITH THE ENTIRE TV industry in turmoil, all of us supposedly pondering structural reform while audience fragmentation proliferates as the economy sputters and advertising budgets shrivel, everyone is wondering what Canadian television should look like in the 21st century.
(Ed Note: We first ran the following piece on March 16th and now that the OTA license renewal hearing is complete – and having been disappointed by the dearth of new ideas over those many, many days – we decided to take a page out of the OTA business model and rerun it. To us, this is the type of dramatic re-thinking of the…
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MONTREAL – While its Canadian operations are clipping along just fine, competitive pressures are hammering its Cabovisao unit in Portugal, Cogeco Inc. announced today.
While consolidated revenue increased by 14.7% to $311.8 million in the second quarter of 2009, ended February 28th, as compared to Q2 of fiscal 2008, and by 16.5% to $620.2 million, in the first half – and consolidated operating income from continuing operations before amortization grew by 15.6% to reach $126.7 million, and by 19.9% to reach $251.4 million, the quarter was particularly unkind across the Atlantic.
“In the second quarter of fiscal 2009, the…
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TORONTO – Channel Zero’s Silver Screen Classics is available on free preview for the month of April for Bell, Cogeco and Rogers customers.
Specializing in classic movies from the 1930s to the 1950s, the network has scheduled a western-themed weekend on April 25 and 26 called ‘Saddle Up’. Back to back western classics, uncut and commercial free, will be available to customers of Access Communications, Bell Aliant, Bell TV, Cogeco, Mountain Cablevision, MTS Allstream, Rogers, Sasktel, Seaside Communications, Source Cable, and Telus, the press release said.
The theme weekend will also feature a consumer contest for a ‘Wild West Extravaganza…
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