Search Results for: cogeco

Cable / Telecom News

Acquisitions drive solid growth for Cogeco

MONTREAL – Cogeco Inc. fourth-quarter revenue increased by 3.9%, to reach $524.5 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 (ended August 31st) mainly driven by growth in the cable and enterprise data services segment through the organic growth from all of our operating segments, the company announced Friday. Fiscal 2014 revenue reached $2.1 billion, an increase of 14.3%, “mainly attributable to the full year impact of the acquisitions, in the cable and enterprise data services segment, of Atlantic Broadband and Peer 1 Hosting which both occurred during fiscal 2013 combined with the organic growth from… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Netflix on the cable box, thanks to Cogeco and TiVo

  BURLINGTON – After sinking considerable resources into building something of its own to connect TV to the web, Cogeco says in the end, it listened to its customers when deciding on the next generation of set top boxes. “We surveyed our customers in Ontario and Quebec, and they told us they wanted this,’ said Louise St-Pierre, president and CEO, Cogeco Cable, at the company’s press launch of TiVo. “They wanted something that was easy, that connected them to their content, their show, their sport. They don’t care what channel it is on. They wanted that choice.” Cogeco tried to give viewers… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Cogeco rolls out TiVo service in Ontario Monday

BURLINGTON, ON – Cogeco Cable is launching a Canadianized version of TiVo to its Ontario-based cable customers on Monday, with a French-language version slated to arrive in Quebec by spring. The Cogeco TiVo service’s fully integrated search function will mine through live TV, recorded, on-demand and over-the-top content, including Netflix, to show users what programs are available to watch, reads Thursday’s announcement.  TiVo will also help users discover new content by providing personalized recommendations, and automatically recording content that it predicts might be of interest to the user. "Cogeco TiVo Service will be a game-changer in the cable market in Canada," said… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

SPECTRUM: Industry Minister Moore refutes “completely false” suggestions that rural Canadians will lose broadband

OTTAWA and WOODSTOCK, NB – After receiving "thoughtful feedback" on Industry Canada's consultation on policy changes in the 3500 MHz band, Industry Minister James Moore was quick to reassure stakeholders that rural Canadians will not lose their broadband services as a result. “Under no circumstances will our government take spectrum licences away from any local Internet service provider that is providing Internet service to rural Canadians”, Minister Moore said in a statement.  "The decisions resulting from this consultation will ensure that the 3500 MHz spectrum band is deployed in the best interests of Canadian consumers, especially those living in rural… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Cogeco announces Nyisztor as VP, corporate human resources

MONTREAL – Cogeco Inc. has named Diane Nyisztor as vice president, corporate human resources, effective immediately. With extensive experience in global human resources and expatriate tax for major multinational corporations, Nyisztor served as partner, international executive services at KPMG Canada prior to joining Cogeco.  She has also held several executive positions with SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. "Following our recent acquisitions and continued growth, we now need to adapt our corporate structure to the evolving needs of our organization and of our employees. This new vice presidency is key in supporting and enabling the expansion of Cogeco moving forward as well as providing… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Cogeco could launch wireless if CRTC tweaks regs for virtual carriers

MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable could add wireless service to its mix as the country’s newest Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), a move that it said will help foster wireless competition in a market dominated by incumbent providers. In advance of its appearance Monday at the CRTC’s review of wholesale mobile wireless services, Cogeco said in a statement that it will seek “the implementation of appropriate regulatory measures to allow it to enter the wireless market as an MVNO to offer customers more choice, better value and differentiated wireless services”.  MVNOs are mobile wireless service providers that lease capacity from facilities-based wireless… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

LET’S TALK TV: Unreasonable affiliation agreements a serious problem for non VI carriers

GATINEAU – The non-vertically integrated cablecos, Cogeco and members of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) entered the Let’s Talk TV policy hearing discussion fray on Thursday with both arguing the Commission must ensure they can acquire programming rights at reasonable costs without onerous terms. Keith Stevens, chair of the board at CCSA member Execulink Telecom, noted during the CCSA’s opening remarks that the recent affiliation agreement with Bell Media is a prime example of the harm small cable TV providers face when dealing with VI providers. Under this deal, Execulink was required to maintain packaging requirements as they were… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

LET’S TALK TV: Cablecos say removing U.S. channels just “wrong” plus, terms of trade needs fixing, says Rogers

GATINEAU – The funding of big budget Canadian programming as well as the role of the U.S. TV channels in the broadcasting system were put under the microscope during the fourth day of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV policy hearing. Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Cogeco Cable warned of significant negative consequences to the Canadian system if the commission removed US 4+1s (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX + PBS) from basic cable packages. The CRTC’s proposal was certainly a bone of contention for Rogers with the company saying it would face the wrath of subscribers if these channels were removed from… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

LET’S TALK TV (most of day three): Commission grills Bell on counting online revenues for CPE, and wholesale rate regime

GATINEAU – The biggest stir on the third day of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV policy hearing centered on the possible inclusion of revenue earned from broadcasters’ online activities when calculating Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) Bell Canada arguing that it’s illogical, odd and added insult to injury. “Working document item 10 concerns us greatly,” said Mirko Bibic, Bell’s executive VP and chief legal and regulatory officer, adding that the proposal on the table “would treat Canadian licensees in that space differently than the Netflixes of the world.” That bit of the CRTC’s discussion document says: “The definition… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Bell and Rogers want to launch their new online SVOD portals through BDU partners

TORONTO – The CEOs of BCE and Rogers say they are more than happy to offer access to their upcoming online subscription video-on-demand services to other TV providers, and at least one of those other providers is eager to sign up. At the annual BMO Media and Telecom investors’ conference in Toronto on Tuesday, Rogers CEO Guy Laurence said Shomi, a joint project with Shaw that is set to launch in November, was to have other partners (as Cartt.ca first reported earlier this year). But they decided to launch without them because they “couldn’t get their… Continue Reading