Search Results for: crtc

Radio / Television News

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: CEO’s premise has a flaw

HUBERT LACROIX’S EXCELLENT article on CBC’s web and digital activities has one flaw, it aggrandizes the audience numbers of cbc.ca, which by any measure are small compared to conventional CBC TV and radio. M. Lacroix would do well to read my CRTC report on measuring audience success, which defines terms like audience reach (Click here for that) Audience reach is the measure used for the web primarily because it conceals the fact that very few people actually visit most individual web sites with any frequency. Here is how I defined reach: "Reach is sometimes called cume audience… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Luxe TV comes to Canada

GATINEAU – Luxe TV has been added to the eligible satellite services list for distribution on a digital basis in Canada, the Commission announced today. Videotron applied to the CRTC in June to add the French-language satellite service which originates from Luxembourg. The channel offers programming "dedicated to shows, magazines and documentaries all related to the world of luxury," said Videotron’s application. www.crtc.gc.ca Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

With Bell deal probably over, Telus hookup a possibility

TORONTO – With the privatization of Bell Canada looking like it’s dead, what with the release last week that KPMG can’t deliver a positive opinion on the solvency of the big telco post-deal, speculation has run rampant that Telus might still be interested in merging with Bell. Scotia Capital analyst John Henderson issued an investor’s report saying that he believes there’s a 15% chance Of “Belus” happening. Telus did seriously want to kick Bell’s tires back in mid-2007 when the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and its partners put together its deal to buy Bell, but the western telco Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Industry Canada delay means CTV wants to direct-feed its HD in nine markets

TORONTO and GATINEAU – CTVglobemedia wants to be able to deliver the high definition signals of nine conventional TV stations to cable, satellite and telco TV distributors via a direct fibre feed, rather than over the air, the CRTC announced today. The nine stations are: CJCH-TV Halifax; CFCF-TV Montreal; CJOH-TV Ottawa; CHRO-TV Pembroke; CHRO-TV-43 Ottawa; CKVR-TV Barrie; CKY-TV Winnipeg; CKCK-TV Regina; CFRN-TV Edmonton; CIVI-TV Victoria. “The licensee also notes that Commission policy, to this point, has not required BDUs to provide simultaneous substitution with respect to HD television signals offered by direct feed only. CTVgm submits that the simultaneous… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Rogers to buy Kingston radio company

TORONTO – Rogers Broadcasting has agreed to buy up Kingston’s K-Rock 1057 Inc. The independent radio company launched rock stations K-Rock 105.7 FM (CIKR FM) in 2001 and KIX Country 93.5 FM (CKXC FM) in 2007 in partnership with Rogers. It will sell 100% of its ownership to Rogers, pending CRTC approval. "This is a great opportunity for Rogers to expand our presence in Kingston, a market in which we’ve been involved since 2000," said Paul Ski CEO for Rogers Radio. "K-Rock has led the Kingston market because of its strong bond with listeners, advertisers and community organizations. We… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Look to puts self on the block

TORONTO and MONTREAL – Look Communications has obtained permission from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice to hold a shareholders meeting to approve a plan to permit the sale of some or all of its key assets, it was announced today. Look’s key assets include approximately 100MHz of contiguous licensed spectrum in Ontario and Quebec covering approximately 18 million people; a mobile broadcast license which has been renewed by the CRTC to August 2011; approximately 30,000 broadcast and Internet subscribers; two network operating centers (Toronto and Montreal) plus 26 one-way broadcast sites and 10 two-way broadcast sites; and approximately $300… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Lind challenges Regulator to keep speed up; says bigger companies may be the answer to OTA TV

OTTAWA – While businesses can make mistakes by altering course too quickly, industry regulators make most of their mistakes by moving not quickly enough, Rogers Communications vice-chairman Phil Lind said Monday evening at a conference in Ottawa. He was the keynote speaker – pinch-hitting for company founder Ted Rogers, who is still in a Toronto hospital – at opening dinner of the International Institute of Communications Canadian conference in Ottawa. (While Cartt.ca will be there tomorrow, we were sent a copy of Lind’s speech, which is represented in this story). With CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein doing the intro… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw wins one in Gatineau; CBC Regina, SunTV to stay off DTH line-up

GATINEAU – When Star Choice took Sun TV (Quebecor’s Toronto station, CKXT) and CBKT Regina (CBC) out of its channel lineup in May, it did not violate its conditions of licence, the CRTC ruled Thursday. Back in May, the DTH company (a division of Shaw Communications) took five stations out of its basic package, including the two mentioned above as well as CTV Calgary, which was quickly reinstated after customers complained. French-language CBC news channel RDI was also taken off, but the Commission forced Star Choice to reinstate it last week, as Cartt.ca reported. This followed a stern Commission… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Viva revives an analog slot

TORONTO – So this is why Corus Entertainment paid $73 million for Canadian Learning Television. CLT, licensed by the CRTC in 1996 and launched as one of the final few Canadian analog cable channels back in 1999 by former majority owner CHUM Ltd., wasn’t valued so much for its programming or brand. Its value lay in its analog slot on most cable systems in the country as well as pre-existing satellite carriage – and that Corus knew it could take advantage of that. CLT was part-owned by CHUM and Alberta educational channel Access and never did find ratings success… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CTV cuts 105 jobs

TORONTO – CTV announced 105 job cuts today, most of them in Toronto, and many of those are reportedly coming from the 299 Queen St. W. location. The announcement follows a memo to staff from CEO Ivan Fecan last week warning that falling advertising revenues would result in layoffs and a hiring freeze.  A company statement from EVP human resources Dawn Fell said that no further staff reductions would be made for the balance this year. However, CTV should be making commitments to the employees losing their jobs that employment will return when times are better, says Canada’s largest… Continue Reading