TORONTO – Verizon Wireless' strong wireless growth in fiscal year 2013 may bode well for Canadian incumbent wireless carriers, says an industry analyst.
In a note to clients on Tuesday, Dvai Ghose, Managing Director/Head of Research for Canaccord Genuity, said that incumbent wireless subscriber growth in North America still looks to be “robust despite maturation”, and predicted postpaid subscriber base increases at all three Canadian incumbents when they post their financial results for 2013 within the next few weeks. He estimates a 5.7% year-over-year increase at Bell Mobility, a 4.7% uptick at Telus Mobility and a 3.2% rise at Rogers Wireless.
Despite maturation, slowing…
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TORONTO – Canadian Multicultural Radio (CMR) has launched the country’s first programming using hybrid digital (HD) radio technology.
CMR, which operates as CJSA 101.3 FM in Toronto, broadcasts in 25 languages to over 20 ethnic communities. It debuted HD additional programming in Tamil on January 14 and the experimental service continues live on 101.3 FM HD2.
CRTC Commissioner Raj Shoan, pictured officially launching the programming on-air, said that HD Radio offers “interesting possibilities” for the entire Canadian radio industry and that the CRTC will consider whether the technology requires regulation as it is adopted by other broadcasters.
"On the one hand, it…
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GATINEAU – In contrast to high-profile hearings to discuss the proposed acquisition of Astral Media by BCE, or the shorter hearing for Corus's acquisition of assets BCE was required to divest in the deal, the CRTC has approved the acquisition of three radio stations in Calgary and Winnipeg by Jim Pattison Ltd. without a full public hearing.
As a condition of its approval of the BCE/Astral deal, the CRTC required Bell to divest 10 radio stations in markets where the merger of the two companies put it over the limits set by the Commission's common radio station ownership policy (in…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Turf Operations Group has paid $200,000 in penalties as part of a settlement over violations to the country’s telemarketing rules.
Turf Operations Group operates a number of lawn care franchises across Canada. The fine was made on behalf of itself and certain subsidiaries operating as Weed Man Ottawa, Weed Man Montreal, Weed Man Hamilton, Weed Man Scarborough and Weed Man Surrey, the CRTC said Friday.
After conducting an investigation between October 3, 2011 and June 25, 2013, the Commission determined that the company violated the unsolicited telecommunications rules by making telemarketing calls to Canadians who were registered on the National Do Not…
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SEVERAL SOURCES have told Cartt.ca over the past number of weeks that Rogers Communications has grabbed the over-the-top bull by the horns and has been signing a massive number of content deals and at least one significant partnership agreement (if not more) in an effort to battle back against Netflix in Canada by launching a new, national, OTT video portal.
Our multiple sources (all of whom requested anonymity for business reasons) have told Cartt.ca that Rogers is spending over $100 million buying all the video content windows available from as many rights holders (such as Disney/ABC, Warner Bros., 20th Century…
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TORONTO – Corus Entertainment said Monday that it officially closed its acquisition of Historia, Séries+ and the remaining 50% of Teletoon Canada Inc. on January 1, 2014.
After receiving the CRTC’s blessing on the deal late last month, Corus now owns 100% of Historia, Séries+ and Teletoon Canada (which includes Teletoon, Télétoon, Teletoon Retro, Télétoon Rétro and Cartoon Network). Last April, Corus also consolidated its ownership of ABC Spark and divested its 20% interest in Food Network Canada to corporate cousin Shaw Communications.
Corus said that the net cash consideration for these assets is $481 million Cdn. and was paid…
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OTTAWA – Corus Entertainment has received CRTC approval to proceed with its purchase of a number of television stations being sold by Bell Media.
The Commission said Friday that the $400 million sale of Teletoon, Historia and Séries+ “will result in a consolidation that will facilitate the creation, promotion and distribution of diverse, high-quality Canadian programming for Canadian and international audiences, particularly in the children’s and animation programming sectors. It will also enhance diversity and foster greater competition in the French-language market.”
It did, however, impose conditions of licence designed to “limit the potential for anti-competitive behaviour by Corus”, and ordered the broadcaster to file licence…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canadians will soon be able to subscribe to any homegrown news service they want, either in theme packs or a la carte, the CRTC announced Thursday.
“Canadian news services are an important part of our democracy,” said CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, in a statement. “With the rules we are announcing today, Canadians, as citizens, will have access to the news services that are of interest to them and will therefore have an opportunity to be exposed to a variety of opinions on matters of public concern.”
The move is like Christmas coming early for struggling Sun News Network which…
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By Greg O’Brien
AS A YOUNG CANADIAN growing up in Timmins (hometown of NHL legends Frank and Peter Mahovlich, among several others) Saturday night hockey on TV was as regular, or normal, or expected, as church on Sunday. As reliable and loved as our family’s dog.
Hockey Night in Canada wasn’t just a staple. It was as much a part of life as eggs and cereal for breakfast or snow on the ground in the winter. We had a single-dial television in the mid-1970s that caught the few stations we had off-air. I was my dad’s remote control, standing by the…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC has laid out a $233 million, four-year modernization plan for Northwestel that includes improved broadband Internet services and 4G wireless services for northern Canadians.
The Commission said Wednesday that these improvements must include:
– upgrading and expanding its broadband Internet service offering;
– extending wireless services to many additional communities; and
– upgrading equipment in order to support enhanced calling services, such as call display and call waiting, as well as local number portability and local network interconnection.
“We recognize that modern telecommunications services play an essential role in the North’s economic development and in meeting the growing demand for…
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