MONTREAL – Cogeco is making more than a few doubters eat crow these days, given its recent operating results.
When it acquired Portugal’s Cabovisao on 2006, there was a lengthy line of complainers decrying the company’s decision to branch out beyond Canada. But, results across the Atlantic have been stellar and the company’s Canadian growth has continued unabated.
For the fourth quarter and the full year of fiscal 2007, ended August 31st, consolidated revenue grew 39.7% to $244.3 million and 51.4% to $938.9 million, respectively. Consolidated operating income before amortization increased 40.6% to $102.4 million and 46.6% to…
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SOME FILED REAMS of digital paper with the Commission (Rogers Communications’ submission was 132 pdf pages and a few appendices), while others were more concise (Shaw’s was just nine pages, plus a couple of research reports)
Anyway, we’ve read more than a few thousand words and identified what appear to be the primary issues facing the CRTC with its review of the policies governing broadcast distribution undertakings (all licensed video providers) and specialty services. The hearing is set for February 4 in Gatineau.
Below is a bit of a synopsis of what the BDUs are asking for and what…
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TORONTO – Just as new rival Super Channel is launching EastLink, Bell ExpressVu, Cogeco, and Rogers digital customers will be able to see a free preview of The Movie Network November 9 to 11, the broadcaster announced today.
And out west, Bell, MTS, SaskTel and Telus will be offering Movie Central for free.
The free preview weekend will include Hollywood movies such as The Last King of Scotland, Invincible, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Clerks II and School for Scoundrels; acclaimed HBO series including Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Love and Flight of the Conchords; and hit Showtime programming including Dexter,…
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MONTREAL – The majority of Cogeco Digital Cable customers in Ontario can now see LeafsTV in high definition.
Leafs TV HD will be available for free to the majority of Cogeco Digital Cable subscribers who are paying the HD Access Fee of $5.99 per month and who also subscribe to Leafs TV in standard definition. Leafs TV HD includes exclusive live broadcasts of Toronto Maple Leafs games.
"With more than 43,000 new digital subscribers in the three first quarters of fiscal 2007, Cogeco Cable’s Digital Television service offers variety, quality and control that our customers are looking for," said…
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MONTREAL – Videotron, Bell ExpressVu and Cogeco cable have all signed on to distribute a high definition version of the sports specialty TV channel, Le Réseau des sports (RDS), when it launches Wednesday.
The channel, broadcasting in high definition 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will air all the Montreal Canadiens games during the 1007-08 season, along with all major sports events, including major golf tournaments, the Super Bowl, the Grey Cup, tennis, major league baseball playoffs and Formula 1 races. About 1,000 hours of original HD programming will be produced by the channel over the next…
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TORONTO – National radio ad sales grew 6% in the fiscal 2007 broadcast year, and the first quarter of 2008 was also strong, according to data released Monday by the Canadian Broadcast Sales.
“This year’s growth of 6% built on last year’s growth of 6.4% clearly illustrates the continuing strength of radio,” said CBS president Patrick Grierson. “Results were largely driven by Ontario’s 15.3% growth, while British Columbia was up 7.4% and Alberta rose 6%.
The first quarter of fiscal 2008 registered a further 6.5% in bookings, according to CBS.
In 2007, the top six categories accounted for 62.5%…
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MONT TREMBLANT – Cogeco CEO Louis Audet said Thursday he thought it pretty improbably that Rogers Cable would want to overbuild his company’s regions of Halton, Oakville and Burlington.
He was responding to a question at the CIBC Institutional Investor Conference at the Fairmont Mont Tremblant, Quebec.
Cartt.ca broke the story last week that Rogers had applied to the CRTC to expand its cable licensed territories to include the large piece of Cogeco’s Ontario territory as well as that of Aurora Cable.
Audet doesn’t figure Rogers has any plans to completely overbuild, as it would be far too costly….
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MONTREAL – Canadian Broadcast Sales has hired Veronica Low to spearhead its new venture into Quebec.
Coming over from Astral Media Radio, Low will be Director, Business Development, of CBS Radio Quebec and will be uniting three large forces in the Quebec radio industry Corus, Cogeco and Radio Nord. CBS Radio Quebec, under Low’s leadership, will bring three broadcasters under one purchasing umbrella and will offer a dedicated resource in the province for uniting advertisers with radio stations and listeners, says CBS.
“The combination of Corus, Cogeco and Radio Nord under this new initiative strengthens the opportunities to deliver…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable has announced the addition of Canada’s MTV to its digital line-up in Quebec.
“By adding MTV, we are giving our customers the choice to watch even more of what they want,” said Ron Perrotta, Cogeco Cable’s Vice- President, Marketing, in the press release. “As we continue to invest in our state-of-the-art cable network, we will continue to launch new digital channels as they become available.”
MTV will be available in Quebec on channel 155 to Cogeco Digital Cable customers, as part of the “Variety” theme package at no extra cost to current subscribers of the…
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By Greg O’Brien
THE CANADIAN CABLE Systems Alliance annual general meeting is always a great time. Compared to some of the other events I attend through the year, it’s tiny. But it’s very useful and always well organized. I always come away from it having learned a lot – and finally having had some face-to-face time with people I normally only chat with via e-mail.
The “learnings” (not really a word, but it’s one everyone uses) this year were plentiful. From new technologies and services to future-gazing and concrete advice on how to approach video on demand.
But there was a bit…
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