MONTREAL – Six telecom pioneers and industry leaders will be officially inducted into the Canadian Telecommunications Hall of Fame next month.
The 2006 Telecom Hall of Fame Laureates are Edward S. "Ted" Rogers (CEO, Rogers Communications Inc.), Edward S. Rogers, Sr. (Communications Inventor and Wireless Wizard), Donald L. Hings (Inventor of the Walkie Talkie, Burnaby, B.C.), Leila Wightman (Rural Telephone Pioneer, Clifford, Ontario), Francis Dagger (Public Ownership Advocate for the Prairies), and Ernest E. "Ernie" Saunders (Dean of Canadian Telecom Law and Regulation, Montreal, Quebec), says the press release.
The 2006 Hall of Fame Special Recognition Award will go…
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TORONTO – Saying that the hearings and subsequent licensing of a new pay TV player boosted its expenses, Corus Entertainment eliminated 83 positions on Tuesday as part of an overhaul of its content and television division.
The restructuring will see producer Nelvana folded into the television division and a new lifestyle, drama and movies group created.
Most of the job cuts are in Edmonton, as Move Central’s base is moving to Toronto. Corus’ Calgary offices will remain.
Having come out of a strategic planning session in May with the theme "Core and Explore," the company has decided to…
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TORONTO – According to CanWest Global CEO Leonard Asper, things are looking up for Global Television.
"Looking at the fall (ad) bookings, it’s looking good," Asper told the BMO Capital Markets Media and Telecom conference on Tuesday in Toronto. "It looks like the trough is over and we’re on our way up. How far up? I don’t know."
Once a ratings leader, Global Television began to slide over two years ago, ceding much the overall ratings lead – across the board – to CTV. But, with popular U.S. shows such as Prison Break, 24, House, Deal or No Deal,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC today approved Bayshore Broadcasting’s application for a new radio station for Wasaga Beach, Ont.
The station will serve listeners aged 35 to 64 with a classic adult contemporary musical format that would feature a variety of pop, soft rock and oldies musical selections with a focus on songs from the 1960s to the 1980s, says the decision.
At 97.7 FM, the new station will be the Owen Sound-based company’s fifth.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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OTTAWA – The number of Canadians who are abandoning their plain old telephone service for new-fangled cable delivery – or moving to wireless alone – continues to grow, a report from Statistics Canada says today.
There were 16.8 million wireless subscribers at the end of the first quarter, up 11.9% compared to the first quarter of 2005, a rate of year-over-year growth that is comparable to those observed over the past three years.
While the wireless market grows, losses among the traditional wireline players accelerate. The year-over-year drop of 5.3% was the largest observed since the erosion of this…
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HOLLYWOOD and TORONTO – Bet on this being a topic at the CRTC’s TV policy review come November.
CBS Paramount International Television and Rogers Cable announced today the two have "reached an unprecedented agreement" to offer Survivor: Cook Islands through Rogers’ video on demand platform.
This is the first time Canadian audiences will be able to access Survivor on VOD. Episodes will be available to Rogers Personal TV customers with a digital box beginning Friday, September 15, 2006. Each episode will be available after the broadcast on Thursday nights on Global Television in Canada. Survivor: Cook Islands premieres tomorrow.
This…
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OTTAWA – The stream of licenses for category two digital specialty services geared at ethnic markets seems to know no end.
Today, the CRTC approved 10 more channels which say they will serve the Greek, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, South Asian and other communities.
Click here for the list.
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TORONTO – All that’s left are the regulators now.
The deadline for CHUM Limited shareholders to deposit their shares to Bell Globemedia under the terms of the purchase offer made in July came and went today and the two companies said BGM now owns approximately 6.71 million common shares, representing more than 99% of that class of shares, and approximately 21 million class B shares, representing more than 98%.
BCE/Torstar/Woodbridge/Teachers Pension plan-owned BGM made an offer to purchase radio and TV broadcaster CHUM, controlled by the Waters family, for $1.7 billion, paying $52.50 cash per common share and any…
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QUISPAMSIS, N.B. – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance announced this week that Nancy Friedman, founder and president of Telephone Doctor, will be the keynote speaker during its awards luncheon on Monday, September 18th.
Her company is a St. Louis-based international customer service and communication skills training firm and Friedman has appeared on shows like Oprah, The Today Show, CNN and Fox News and is one of the world’s leading experts on customer service. Friedman will share her famous Five Forbidden Phrases that customers never want to hear. "During her motivational, laugh out loud presentation, ‘Hell Hath No Fury Like…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC has approved SaskTel’s application for a national general interest pay-per-view service.
The service would air mainly live sports, concerts, and other events, as well as pre-recorded sports and events, local programming, and adult programming. Up to 85% of programs would be live sports. Most programs would be in English, though French and third-language programming would be considered based on viewer demand.
As well, the commission has approved SaskTel’s application to run a free outlet for local expression, similar to a cable community channel, as part of its PPV offering. Less than 10% of its total…
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