IT’S STARTING TO LOOK like this year could be the final one for the Canadian Television Fund in its current form.
With two of its four largest contributors (#1 Shaw Communications and #4 Videotron) adamant that they will forward $0 to the CTF – and with a Heritage Minister in Bev Oda who may be sympathetic towards their complaints – at the very least, upheaval is a certainty.
Oda, who on Monday renewed her government’s $100 million annual commitment to the fund, met with representatives of the four primary private sector contributors: Rogers Communications’ vice-chair Phil Lind, Bell…
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OTTAWA – It’s no increase (as producers, actors and broadcasters were hoping for) but the $200 million committed to the Canadian Television Fund by the federal government over two years is far more than two of CTF’s primary industry contributors are currently paying.
That is to say, zero.
Hot on the heels of Shaw Communications and Quebecor Media’s decisions to suspend monthly payments to the CTF, Heritage Minister Bev Oda said Friday the federal government is renewing its $100 million a year contribution to the fund through 2008-09.
"This announcement signifies this Government’s commitment to producing quality Canadian programming…
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THE SMALL AND MEDIUM-sized business market has become a crowded place.
All of the big companies have said in the past months they see this market as a place to find big growth. Rogers, Bell, Shaw, Cogeco, Telus et al – all have talked about how well they hope to do in the SME space.
So is there room for small startups like Syntagma Network Services? CEO Theresa Carbonneau thinks so. The company’s small business plan offers a full suite of voice over IP-delivered services including broadband connectivity, voice services, e-mail and web hosting, exchange server hosting, virus scanning…
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DEREGULATING LOCAL PHONE in major urban centres in 2007 seems to me to be the right thing to do.
"The idea that somehow the cable guys are at a disadvantage to the telcos has not been proven so far in the entry of the cable industry in local voice," Lawson Hunter, Bell’s chief corporate officer said to me Wednesday. I agree with him. To a point.
Setting aside the unprecedented use of the provision in the Telecom Act that let’s the government issue policy directives to the CRTC (until 2006, it just hadn’t been done), it’s time to…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable Inc. announced today it will be issuing 4.5 million subordinate voting shares, raising $173.2 million on a bought deal basis at a price of $38.50 per share.
The company, with cable, Internet, and telephone services in Quebec, Ontario, and Portugal, says net proceeds from the offering will be used to repay debt and for general corporate purposes.
Under the offering, the shares will be offered for sale to the public in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. The underwriting syndicate includes Scotia Capital Inc. acting as bookrunner and is being co-led by GMP…
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BROCKVILLE – Cogeco Cable has announced the launch of its digital phone service in Brockville, Ont.
With this latest service extension, Cogeco hopes to boost subscriptions to other company services. To this end, Cogeco is offering promotional package deals covering digital phone service, cable TV, and high-speed internet.
As of Nov. 30th, according to company statements, digital telephone service was available to 72% of homes in Cogeco Cable territory in Quebec and Ontario.
www.cogeco.ca.
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TORONTO – A great opportunity to socialize with chapter members and learn more about CTAM Canada’s plans for 2007 will happen Wednesday January 24th in Toronto.
This is an event you don’t want to miss! Do you have a friend that’s not a member? Bring them along to see what membership in CTAM Canada is all about! Enjoy a fun filled evening with great hors d’ouvres, cocktails, prizes and friends.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 6 to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Flow Restaurant and Lounge www.flowrestaurant.com; 133 Yorkville Ave.; Toronto, ON
COST: Free
REGISTRATION: RSVP by e-mailing Andrea Gagliardi at…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Inc. posted substantial growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2007, driven largely by its cable operations in Ontario, Quebec and Portugal.
In the first quarter of fiscal year 2007 revenue increased by 45.9% and operating income before amortization increased by 45.8% compared to the same period last year.
Cogeco Cable achieved one of the best revenue generating units growth of its Canadian operations history and includes results fro, Cabovisao – Televisao por Cabo, Portugal.
The media sector (Cogeco is the majority owner of TQS and also owns several radio stations) contributed to these results with…
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PETERBOROUGH – Lindsay Broadband has hired Christopher Skarica as its new vice-president of engineering.
Skarica spent 11 years in cable (Maclean-Hunter, Rogers, Cogeco) before moving to Nortel Networks in 1999 and then Broadbus Technologies (now Motorola) in 2004.
Prior to Nortel, he was the director of engineering for Cogeco Cable’s Ontario Operations. "Christopher has played key roles in the design and implementation of new technologies in cable TV networks including dual band and multi-beam satellite reception, two way optical and RF HFC equipment, SA and GI digital video compression systems, digital DWDM optical transport networks, Packet Cable compliant voice…
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NOW THAT MY TWO-AND-a-half year old daughter has outgrown her predilection towards throwing things at our living room television (think keys and golf balls, not stuffed animals), I decided my Christmas gift to the family (okay, to me) would be a new television.
I want my HDTV.
Last month though, CTAM Canada published a piece of research which said, in essence, that Canadian consumers are not getting enough information on how to get the best high definition experience and too often are leaving the stores without a digital cable or satellite receiver, which is the best way (and…
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