VANCOUVER and TORONTO – The CRTC has approved Wow Unlimited Networks’ proposed acquisition of specialty channel Comedy Gold from Bell Media for $6.67 million.
The Commission said that it has determined that the transaction is in the public interest, and noted its potential benefits to Canadian viewers and the broadcasting system by providing a wider variety of children's and youth content, along with an increase in production within the kids genre.
The Regulator also accepted the proposed the tangible benefits package of $687,000, representing 10% of the value of the transaction, though directed Wow Networks to file a revised…
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OTTAWA – Manitoba independent TV producer, former broadcaster and former Liberal candidate Joanne Levy has been hired as the CRTC’s new Saskatchewan/Manitoba regional commissioner for a five-year term, the Governor-in-Council announced last week.
She fills the slot left open since former commissioner Candice Molnar’s term expired in January of 2017.
Levy, of Balmoral, Manitoba, is the owner of Scorpio Productions, according to her LinkedIn profile – and she has held several positions in the industry as well, such as head of convergent content for Buffalo Gal pictures, director of programming for APTN and executive director of the former Craig Media’s A-Channel…
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OTTAWA – Total broadcasting revenues dropped 3.3% from 2016 to 2017 as television service providers (BDUs) posted negative growth for the third consecutive year, according to the CRTC’s statistical and financial results for the industry released Monday.
The Commission's 2017 Broadcasting Financial Summaries Highlights reported that overall BDU revenues dropped by 2.3% (or $202 million), falling from $8.74 billion in 2016 to $8.54 billion for the broadcast year ended August 31, 2017. IPTV revenues grew by over 10% to $2 billion in 2017, outperforming satellite for the first time since its introduction into the Canadian marketplace. Satellite (DTH) service providers…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has applied the group-based licensing approach while renewing the broadcasting licences for DHX Television’s services.
DHX Television had requested that the Commission renew its licences for Family Channel and its multiplex Family Jr., Family CHRGD, and French‑language service Télémagino under the group-based approach, noting that the services form a bilingual group with common requirements.
The company added that group-based licensing would allow the services to better capture the synergies that arise from a group that exclusively operates in the children’s programming genre.
Despite various interventions, the Commission agreed. The new licences will take effect September 1, 2018 and…
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OTTAWA – Led by mobile and Internet services, retail telecommunications revenues grew 3.3% in fourth quarter of 2017 over 2016 revenue levels, according to new data released by the CRTC.
Results for broadcasting distribution and the retail telecommunications sectors for Q4 2017 found that mobile and Internet revenue growth continue to outpace subscriber growth, pointing to greater revenue per subscriber. Mobile and Internet revenues grew by 7.0% and 7.1% respectively, in Q4 2017 over the same period in the previous year, while subscriptions grew by 3.3% and 2.7% respectively.
The industry overview represents approximately 20 reporting entities whose combined revenues…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has given the all clear to Rogers Media to proceed with its proposed acquisition of Medicine Hat station 102.1 CJCY from Clear Sky Radio for $4 million.
Currently, CJCY-FM (102.1 CJCY Classic Hits) serves communities in the southeastern area of Alberta, including Medicine Hat, Redcliff, Dunmore, Seven Persons and Bow Island. Rogers Media also owns CKMH-FM (105.3 ROCK) in Medicine Hat.
The Commission said Thursday that it has determined that the transaction is in the public interest, though increased the tangible benefits package to $247,183 (Rogers had proposed of $240,000), which it said equates to 6% of…
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GATINEAU – Although the CRTC proceeding on lower-cost data-only plans or skinny wireless was not supposed to be targeted towards a means-tested subset of low-income households, the deaf, deaf-blind or hard of hearing Canadians (DDBHH), seem to have scored a victory.
In its final reply, Bell Mobility (BCE) indicated that they would extend an existing promotion for people with disability. “In order to ensure that new lower-cost data-only plans accommodate the needs of persons with disabilities, we would extend our 2 GB data add-on to our customers with disabilities in conjunction with our proposed plans. This means that persons with…
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Even faster speeds to follow thanks to Telesat and Kepler’s LEO plans
OTTAWA – Residents of Nunavut will soon be able to watch movies over the web just like other Canadians down south through a high-speed broadband satellite connection provided by Ottawa-based Telesat later this summer.
Telesat’s Telstar 19 Vantage satellite is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at Cape Canaveral, Florida on July 22, and should be operational by late August or early September, according to Michele Beck, vice-president of North American sales for Telesat’s enterprise and broadcast group.
The geostationary satellite, situated 36,000 kilometres above the…
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TORONTO – As widely expected, Corus Entertainment today slashed its dividend as part of a plan to reduce debt and re-invest in its core business as it struggles to compete with Facebook, Google, OTT providers, internet radio and global change in content consumption.
Corus is cutting its annual dividend by 79% to $0.24 per share for Class B shares (to take effect Sept. 1, 2018). It also announced a quarterly loss of $935.9 million tied to its devaluation of its broadcast licenses. The loss includes a $1.01-billion non-cash impairment charge related to broadcast licences and goodwill.
Television business revenue fell 5%…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has laid out its plan to phase out the local service subsidy over three years as it continues to shift the focus of its regulatory frameworks from wireline voice services to broadband Internet access services.
The local voice service subsidy was designed to keep wireline voice service affordable in high cost serving areas (HCSAs). Telecommunications service providers with $10 million or more in annual Canadian telecommunications revenues are required to contribute to a national fund that is distributed to incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) serving regulated HCSAs, usually rural and remote locations.
The Commission said Tuesday…
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