TORONTO – Following its successful November 30 launch, Family Channel’s newest multiplex offering, Playhouse Disney, is now available to subscribers of Cogeco Cable, Mountain Cablevision, and Access Communications.
SaskTel launches the service on February 21st.
These four television providers, servicing communities in Ontario and Saskatchewan, join Bell ExpressVu in delivering educational and entertaining programming for young children. ExpressVu has carried Playhouse Disney since launch.
“We’re thrilled that Cogeco Cable, Mountain Cablevision, SaskTel and Access Communications recognize the unique entertainment and value proposition that Playhouse Disney offers subscribers,” said Joe Tedesco, vice-president and general manager, Family Channel and Playhouse Disney….
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – This morning the CRTC will release its policy decision on the levels of media concentration in Canada, Cartt.ca has learned, just four months after holding a hearing, dubbed the “Diversity of Voices” proceeding in September.
While existing rules were used to make decisions in 2007 on Canwest’s purchase of Alliance Atlantis, CTVglobemedia’s acquisition of CHUM Ltd., Astral’s Standard Broadcasting buy and Rogers Media taking over the Citytv network, new rules will apply to any other mergers.
The old rules, for example, prevented CTVgm from taking the Citytv stations in its deal for CHUM…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Consolidated net earnings for the first three months of Fiscal 2008 at Astral Media increased by 15% over last year, rising to $37.5 million and consolidated revenues totaled $198.7 million for the first quarter, an increase of 20% over the same period of fiscal 2007.
EBITDA for the first three months increased 24% to $65.6 million and cash flow from operations rose 31% totaling $46.3 million for the first quarter compared to Q1 ’07.
Astral Media owns and operates such media assets as The Movie Network, Family Channel, Super Ecran and other pay television services, a large…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Quebec’s Culture and Communications Minister Christine St-Pierre dropped a firecracker into the middle of the debate over the future of financially troubled broadcaster TQS last week, saying that if the private broadcaster disappears, Radio-Canada will be partly to blame.
“I think that if TQS dies, they’ll find a bullet from Radio-Canada close to the heart,” said St-Pierre who, until her election last year, was a Radio-Canada journalist in Ottawa and Washington.
Radio-Canada vice-president Sylvain Lafrance immediately dismissed the comment, saying the publicly-owned network has nothing to do with TQS’s liquidity problems.
Last year, Radio-Canada announced it would…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications bucked the trend among its cable brethren somewhat by growing its number of digital subscribers.
Shaw added almost 40,000 digital cable customers in the first quarter of fiscal 2008, ended November 30, 2007, a 56% increase over last year’s Q1. As reported this week by Cartt.ca, both Rogers Cable and Cogeco Cable saw their digital growth slow over the same or similar time frame.
However, at just 36% digital penetration as compared to basic subs, Shaw has a longer way to go in terms of digital growth when compared to Rogers (59% penetration) and Cogeco…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – While bankrupt convention television broadcaster TQS has been a drag on the company, Cogeco Inc. continues to grow thanks largely to its cable division.
"Cogeco’s first quarter financial result is very positive,” said company CEO Louis Audet in a release late Wednesday afternoon touting the company’s first quarter results.
“In the cable sector, Cogeco Cable has continued on its growth trajectory and is in an excellent position to achieve superior growth in 2008… With regards to the court order involving TQS, after careful thought, the time has come to end our participation in the general interest…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable customers are now able to see content from Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Animation, Pixar, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax on their video on demand service thanks to a new deal signed with Disney-ABC International Television.
Customers will be able to watch hits such as Meet The Robinsons, Pirates of The Caribbean: At World’s End, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Ratatouille, and many other new releases and library titles.
"VOD is a great interactive service that is exclusive to cable and our service is growing in popularity. We are thrilled to be associated with Disney,…
Continue Reading
HAMILTON – The next SCTE Ontario Chapter general meeting will be held Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 in Hamilton, with the theme of Fiber to the Premise/Home/etc. – otherwise known as FTTX.
The group is asking for technical papers for the session. The possible topics of interest relating to FTTX are suggested as follows:
* FTTX topologies * FTTX technologies * FTTX advanced services/content to be delivered * FTTX cost models * FTTX challenges in deployment * FTTX state of the industry, current and future deployments
The presentation of the papers at the meeting are generally 45 minutes in duration…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – After securing carriage on Shaw Cable, Star Choice and Cogeco Cable, Teletoon Retro, a digital channel launched less than two months ago, already has over 4 million subscribers.
That’s within anvil-tossing distance of some analog stations, like BNN, which has just over five million, for example.
The rapid build-up can likely be traced to the channel’s decision, as we reported here, to request digital basic carriage in exchange for very low wholesale rates (free for a year, six cents the following year and five cents for the next three years). So for the BDUs that carry…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable has added Teletoon Retro to its digital channel lineup.
Launched October 1st, the channel offers familiar friends like Fat Albert, Tom & Jerry, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Superfriends.
www.cogeco.ca
Continue Reading
