MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable Inc. needs shareholder approval to officially change its name to Cogeco Communications Inc., a moniker that it says better expresses its footprint, and clearly and strongly evokes its profile and unique areas of expertise.
The company said Wednesday that this topic was added to the agenda in the proxy circular to be delivered to shareholders next week, and that voting on the new name will take place at its annual shareholders' meeting on January 13, 2016 in Montreal.
In addition, the company is also reviewing of the name of its Cogeco Cable Canada subsidiary, though this analysis…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Content producers and distributors must figure out how best to be constantly innovative if Canadian content is to thrive in the new on-demand world.
That was the message Thursday as the CRTC and National Film Board’s 'En Route to the Discoverability Summit' workshop series came to Montreal. Like Tuesday’s session in Vancouver, there was a lot of discussion about how the media world has changed, and some interesting, if vague, suggestions on what to do about it.
The event started much like the previous one did, with speeches from men in suits (in French this time…)…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) has named Marcia Douglas as director, business affairs and digital initiatives.
For the past five years, Douglas (pictured) has “lived at the crossroads of broadcast and digital media” as program manager for the Bell Fund, plus was also an analyst for both the Cogeco Fund and the Independent Production Fund. Prior to that, she was a producer, an assistant director, a production manager, and worked in original programming at Corus Entertainment.
Based in the organization’s Toronto office, Douglas will report to General Counsel and Legal & Business Affairs VP Marla Boltman, and Marguerite Pigott,…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – While Canadians complained less about their wireless services last year, the number of Internet-related grievances jumped by 52%, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) said Wednesday in its annual report.
The report, Making The Tough Calls, showed that the CCTS received 9,988 customer complaints in 2014-15, down 12% from 11,340 in 2013-14, and maintained an 87% resolution rate. Wireless services complaints once again topped the list with 52.9% of all complaints, followed by 26.1% for Internet, 18.2% for local telephone service and 2.8% for long distance.
“For the second year in a row, complaints declined somewhat”,…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Disney Junior and Disney XD will arrive in over eight million households this week through distribution partners across English Canada.
Corus Entertainment said Tuesday that the channels are available now through Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, Bell FibreOp TV, MTS, Rogers, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus and various CCSA members. Cogeco Cable Canada and Eastlink will offer the channels starting Wednesday, and SaskTel customers will have access to the new services in the coming weeks.
Disney Junior, which is aimed at kids aged 2-7, launches with the network premiere of The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (pictured) on…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Hollywood Suite tis gearing up for a national free preview of its four HDTV movie channels, from December 8 through to January 12.
The independent broadcaster said that the freeview is an opportunity for Canadian TV viewers to enjoy uncut and commercial-free movies on its newly rebranded channels devoted to the movies that shaped the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.
“We’re excited to share Hollywood Suite with all Canadians this holiday season,” said president David Kines, in the news release. “We know this is one gift everyone will love."
The freeview includes access to Hollywood Suite On Demand, where available. Participating…
Continue Reading
TORONTO — Canadians still love their TV, love their cable packages, but they’re hungry for change, for flexibility, for a lower price, delegates of CTAM Canada’s packed Broadcaster Forum held last week in Toronto were told.
The TV industry folks in attendance were no doubt relieved to hear TV subscription value packs will continue to be relevant in a pick-and-pay world, especially as everyone gears up for the mandated introduction of skinny basic and pick-and-pay in 2016.
In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Charlton Strategic Research for CTAM, the majority of Canadian TV subscribers (57%) still…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC will issue its first report on the performance of Internet services provided by the country's major Internet service providers (ISPs) next spring.
Data is currently being gathered from ‘Whiteboxes’ installed in the homes of the 4,500 participants who signed up to measure the performance of their broadband Internet services when the Commission unveiled the Measuring Broadband Canada program last May.
The Commission said Wednesday that the data will provide useful insight into network performance, including actual connection speeds, and provide a better understanding of whether certain Internet services from participating ISPs are delivering speeds as advertised….
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Cogceo Cable has overhauled and renamed some of its high speed Internet packages for residential and business customers in Ontario and Quebec, the company said this week.
The new speeds will automatically and progressively be rolled out to current subscribers, at no additional cost, while new customers may now subscribe to these enhanced packages, reads the company’s press release.
In Ontario and Quebec, the Turbo 30 package is now Turbo 40 after the download speed was increased to 40 Mbps. The Ultimate 55 and Ultimate 55 Unlimited packages saw their download speeds boosted to 60 Mbps, and are now…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – New Canadian business and financial news television channel Bloomberg TV Canada launched Tuesday in more than six million Canadian households.
An exclusive partnership between independent Canadian media company Channel Zero and Bloomberg Media, the new channel combines Canadian content and original programming with Bloomberg’s international news gathering to deliver high quality business, markets and economic coverage in Canada and around the world.
In addition to original shows such as The Daily Brief, hosted by Pamela Ritchie, and Bloomberg North, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2016 featuring Amanda Lang, Bloomberg TV Canada will also deliver content…
Continue Reading
