MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable Inc’s net income fell to $44.9 million in the last quarter from $70.1 million a year earlier. Revenue increased by 7.7% to $356.7 million in the quarter up from $331 million, and for the year 11% to reach $1.41 billion. Cogeco blamed the lower profit on an increase in corporate taxes in Ontario and faster depreciation periods.
It attributed the revenue increases to the cable segment, the recent acquisition of Metromedia and the full year impact of its acquisition of the Quebec radio stations held by Corus.
Cogeco added that…
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MONTREAL – Astral Media reports profits rose sharply in the fourth quarter, with net earnings of $54.3-million, up 14% from $47-million the previous year. Revenue growth grew at a slower pace of 2% to $251.8-million from $247.6-million.
Astral noted that with the CRTC’s rejection of its takeover by BCE, and the outcome of BCE’s appeal officially unknown, “there can be no assurance that the transaction will occur, or that it will occur on the terms and conditions currently contemplated," read the release. Company co-founder and CEO Ian Greenberg wouldn't say much…
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TORONTO – Launching today with a three-month free preview, Videotron subscribers in Quebec will get unlimited access to FX Canada. Programming includes American Horror Story: Asylum, Sons of Anarchy, Louie and The League, as well as late-night shows Brand X with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. FX Canada is available to Videotron subscribers in SD on channel 210 and in HD on channel 810.
“There is a high demand for FX’s premium content across Canada, and Rogers is excited to bring this award-winning programming to the Quebec market, “ said Scott…
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TORONTO – To give kids a competitive edge, more Ontario parents are investing in learning resources outside the classroom. In fact, one in three Ontario families has hired a tutor. Today TVO launches Smart Kids Now. Smart Adults Later, a fundraising-based campaign to motivate Ontarians to help TVO continue to deliver exceptional multi-platform educational resources that enhance classroom learning and get kids ready for success in school.
TVO's Smart Kids Now. Smart Adults Later campaign is built on the idea that all kids have dreams of what they'll be when they grow up. TVO offers innovative…
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DENIED. We’re still surprised (and most anyone who tells you they feel otherwise is pretty much full of it).
I mean, many of us had suggested a full-on denial could happen – and the overall tone of the public hearing last month surely had some believing it was a possibility, but it was pretty difficult to find anyone who would actually say with any certainty before Thursday afternoon this deal would be nixed. The CRTC hasn’t really fully said “No” to a significant deal since Vidéotron tried to buy CFCF in the 1990s and Power Corporation wanted to buy Quebec…
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THE ASTONISHED FEEDBACK came fast and furious late Thursday as people tried to give voice to their feelings on the Commission decision to deny Bell Canada’s $3.4 billon purchase of Astral Media.
******************** “Like most observers, we had expected conditional approval,” said analyst Dvai Ghose of Canaccord Genuity in a note to clients. “This could also have implications for other potential media transactions such as Shaw-Corus, although in that case both entities are already controlled by the Shaw family. We also believe that the speculation of a Corus bid for Astral could rise and could be more palatable for regulators.
“While…
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VANCOUVER – The world’s first gay TV network, OUTtv promises its “most exciting fall programming lineup in its history” has something for everyone. The network is also launching in HD on Rogers and Cogeco (Rogers channel 600 and Cogeco channel 899). OUTtv began broadcasting in HD in July of this year, rolling out across the Eastlink systems.
“We are delighted that Rogers and Cogeco have been so quick to get our HD offering into their lineup. These additions come with packaging changes significantly increases our overall market penetration in Ontario and the GTA. This could…
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ORLANDO – The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) board of directors has re-elected Mike LaJoie, executive vice president and CTO of Time Warner Cable, as chairman of the board for the 2012-’13 term.
In addition to LaJoie, the board elected its other officers on the eve of SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2012. LaJoie is joined on the 2012-’13 SCTE Board’s Executive Committee by:
Vice Chairman: Terry Cordova, senior vice president and CTO, Suddenlink Communications
Secretary: Jim Hughes, senior vice president, global broadband sales, CommScope
Treasurer: Ed Marchetti, vice president, engineering/operations, Comcast Cable Communications
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MY FIRST MEETING WITH SHAW Communications president Peter Bissonnette in the winter of 1998 seems like a lifetime ago. It was in Richmond Hill, then the home base of Shaw’s substantial Ontario cable operations. I think it was February.
This was before Bissonnette was even president of the company. Before Shaw and Rogers traded their Ontario and British Columbia cable systems to each other. Before Izzy Asper and JR Shaw split up WIC (Western International Communications). Before the Shaw family spun its media assets into Corus Entertainment. Before a Jean Monty-led BCE bought CTV the first time, claiming – a…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable's digital customers in Quebec and in Ontario now have access to its Whole Home DVR service that was originally announced back in August. The Whole Home DVR allows subscribers to program and record shows from any connected TV in your home, to take advantage of and share recorded content between all connected TVs and to stop viewing a recorded show in one room, and pick it up where you left off in another.
With Whole Home DVR all recorded content is accessible via any compatible HD receiver in the home. Customers…
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