Search Results for: cogeco

Cable / Telecom News

UPDATE: Rogers wants to overbuild Cogeco, Aurora

TORONTO – If it can’t buy ’em, it looks like Rogers might overbuild ’em. Rogers Cable has applied to the CRTC to extend its cable territories in Ontario to include a chunk of Cogeco Cable’s Ontario wheelhouse: Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills, as well as into tiny Aurora Cable’s market in Aurora, just north of Toronto. A move like this may signal a stark departure from the historically collegial cable industry where each company kept to its own territory and expanded by purchasing other cable companies. (Aurora and Cogeco are both known not to be for sale, however.) In… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Radio-Canada dumping TQS

MONTREAL – Radio-Canada said today it has served Cogeco Inc.-controlled broadcaster TQS with a notice of disaffiliation. By virtue of a contractual agreement Radio-Canada’s Television programming is presently broadcasted thanks to an affiliation to TQS. The current contract will soon be up for renewal in August 2008. “Since Radio-Canada wants to have the means and tools required to fulfill its mandate and meet the needs of residents in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Saguenay, we concluded that disaffiliation was the best possible solution to achieve these objectives,” says a press release from Radio-Canada. “The broadcasting environment has changed radically since the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CCSA AGM starts Sunday – and Cartt.ca will be there

MONT TREMBLANT – There’s just a couple of days left to register for the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual general meeting. Canada’s independent cable operators, their programming and technical suppliers and a distinguished cast of guest speakers will highlight the three days at the base of the mountain. The event begins Sunday evening with the president’s reception from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and the real meat of the conference is Monday, with Tuesday set aside for the annual – and much anticipated – golf tournament. Monday’s speakers will be: * Dean Prevost, Chief Corporate Officer at MTS Allstream Inc.,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco looking behind old Iron Curtain

TORONTO – Cogeco Inc. CEO Louis Audet told a conference yesterday that the company is looking to Eastern Europe for its next acquisition. With everything in Canada, save for some independents here and there in its neighbouring territories, already claimed, Cogeco spent over $650 million to buy Cabovisao in Portugal in 2006. It was an acquisition that faced many doubters, but has turned out well for the company. And with much of Western Europe pretty well developed, modern and consolidating, too, Audet told attendees at the BMO Nesbitt Burns Media and Telecom Conference on Tuesday that Eastern… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

The TUESDAY INTERVIEW: Dr. Michael Geist talks net neutrality

OTTAWA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR Dr. Michael Geist is Canada’s leading proponent of network neutrality, which, as you’ll read, has many definitions. Despite the differences in definitions, it’s primarily about treating most bits of data equally so that the free flow of information prospers and opportunities can be available equally to all. In newspaper columns and on television and in his blog, Geist revisits this issue frequently and believes it’s only a matter of time before it is front and centre in Canadian politics. The Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa recently sat down with… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco hires from within; St-Pierre takes over Ontario

MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable announced three senior appointments today, including the promotion of Louise St-Pierre as vice-president, customer services and Ontario operations. St-Pierre is currently vice-president and chief information officer for the cable company. In her new position, she will oversee customer contact operations and residential sales for all of Canada and hold co-ordinating authority for the Ontario Operations. She replaces Ontario VP Gaston Germain, who left the company this month to go to Pelmorex, as Cartt.ca first reported. St-Pierre (pictured) joined Cogeco Cable in the summer of 1999 and over the last eight years, “has led the development of… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco adds more pay sports, too

MONTREAL – The Setanta premium sports service has been added to the channel lineups of Cogeco Cable digital customers. The Setanta International Sports Pak offers access to live and delayed top flight European soccer, international rugby, and other global sports. Setanta International Sports Pak will be available for free to the majority of Cogeco Digital Cable subscribers in Ontario until September 7. Customers will then be able to subscribe for $14.99 a month. www.cogeco.ca Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco to card customers for international calls

MONTREAL- Cogeco Cable’s local phone customers will soon be receiving prepaid calling cards to be used for overseas calls. The cable company has signed an agreement with Gold Line Telemanagement, Canada’s largest prepaid calling card service provider in Canada, to enable Cogeco’s voice over IP customers in Ontario to make calls abroad through Gold Line’s International Prepaid Calling service The prepaid service enables customers to call abroad from Ontario through their Cogeco Digital Phone Service and while travelling 65 countries to any world land or mobile destination. Cogeco’s local phone customers will soon receive at home a prepaid calling… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CTAM talks VOD at CCSA

TORONTO – With several smaller cable operators looking to launch (and in the middle of launching) video on demand, CTAM Canada has put together a panel presentation on the topic for the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual general meeting next month. "Building your VOD Business Plan" will feature a panel of experts expounding on about their VOD successes and challenges ranging from the ROI of VOD, securing content for the service and adver tising opportunities. Delegates will also get a first-hand look at recent CTAM Canada research on VOD in Canada. The panel members are: David Purdy, vice-president and… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Germain headed to Pelmorex

OAKVILLE – After steering Cogeco’s Ontario operations through a period of unprecedented growth over the past five years, Gaston Germain will move on to new challenges as president and COO at Pelmorex, beginning next month. Staff at the parent company of The Weather Network and Météomédia were informed of the changes at the top last week which will also see company founder Pierre Morrissette retain his CEO title but begin to concentrate more on overall direction and strategy than the day-to-day running of the company. Germain has a long history in the Canadian cable and television industry. Prior to… Continue Reading