VANCOUVER – A strong performance by the company’s wireless division helped lead Telus Corporation to strong revenue and income growth in the second quarter of 2005, ended June 30th.
Consolidated operating revenues in the quarter came in at $2 billion, up 8% from a year ago while operating income was up 24%. Earnings per share for the second quarter were 53 cents, up 10% compared from Q2 2004 and net income was $189.5 million, a 10% increase.
While praising the company’s results Telus president and CEO Darren Entwistle also addressed the current strike by its employees in British Columbia…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Bell Canada today today announced the purchase of the residential assets of MDU cable operator Cable VDN.
Based in Montreal, Cable VDN offers analog and digital television (under the brand MAXTV) and high-speed Internet to customers living in apartments and condos in a large segment of the city (see map, from VDN’s web site).
The company – part owned by lead investor and president Philip Gale and minority shareholder Gaz Metropolitan, among others – also holds a BDU license for downtown Toronto, which it received in January of this year.
The purchase…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – These category two digital specialty service licenses must be a pretty good money-making idea because companies keep applying for licenses, the Commission keeps approving them and they keep launching.
Today, two more were approved. CTV was granted a license for CTV NewsVu, which, if and when launched, would be dedicated to showcasing local newscasts from its affiliates to all parts of the country.
Insight Sports was granted a license for something it’s calling The Soccer Net, which is pretty self-explanatory. The programming would focus on instruction from beginner to advanced play, and for both amateur and…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – Due to concerns raised by a couple of local independent broadcasters, the CRTC today denied a request from Standard Radio to convert CHOR Summerland (B.C.) from an AM station to FM.
Standard wanted to switch CHOR from 1450 AM and its oldies format to 98.5 MHz FM as an adult contemporary station.
While the Commission has showed much willingness in the past to allow AM station owners to make the switch to the better-quality FM signal, issues raised by SILK FM and Great Valleys Radio Ltd., the licensee of CIGV-FM Penticton, caused it to turn down Standard’s application….
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – Three more category two digital specialty channels (two fully HD) were approved by the CRTC today.
The Family Channel received a license for The Parent Channel, which will be devoted to providing informative and entertaining programming to parents and caregivers and children from infancy through the teen years. The service will focus on educational themes of interest to parents and caregivers such as discipline, safety and emotional and physical development, according to its license.
Documentary producer and cinematographer John Panikkar received two category two licenses called OasisHD and ArtefactHD.
Oasis sounds a bit like a…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Quebec authors, artists and cultural enterprises have demanded the federal government overturn the CRTC’s decision to license two satellite radio operators in Canada.
A group of 10 organizations submitted a request to the Privy Council on Friday, July 29, demanding that the governor-in-council reverse decisions 2005-246 and 2005-247 made on June 16 licensing Sirius Canada and Canadian Satellite Radio. Friday was the deadline to appeal.
They join some broadcasters and other Canadian cultural groups who all want the decision reversed. They say the decisions are contrary to the Broadcast Act and decades of Canadian content…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The CRTC today granted a license for a new FM radio station in Pembroke, Ont., which is about 140 kms northwest of Ottawa, to My Broadcasting Corp.
“We’re very excited to bring a fresh new sound to the air in Pembroke and Petawawa” said co-owner Jon Pole in a press release this morning. “It’s great to see the continued support of the CRTC for independent broadcasters.”
The new adult contemporary format station will broadcast at 104.9 FM with a direct focus and commitment to the community.
“Our formula for providing local news first, three-day valley weather, and Today’s…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – Full marks for decision speed on this one as Telus today received its broadcast distribution undertaking license.
The hearing on the license was on June 6th.
The license is for the following regions: Rimouski, Saint-Georges, Sept-Îles, Baie-Comeau, Gaspé, Montmagny and Sainte-Marie, and their surrounding areas – the same wired coverage regions of the company’s regional telephone division, Telus Quebec (once known as Quebectel).
www.crtc.gc.ca
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – A report on street gangs which aired on Tele-Quebec in January was not abusive, despite the use of the term “nigger gangs”, but was contrary to Broadcasting Act objectives, the CRTC ruled yesterday.
On January 9th 2005, the Commission received a complaint from a viewer over the comment made during public affairs program Les Francs-tireurs, broadcast by the Société de télédiffusion du Québec (Télé-Québec, the Quebec provincial broadcaster). “The complainant alleged that the use of the expression " nigger gangs" was abusive and racist,” says the Commission’s decision yesterday.
The CRTC dealt with the complaint because Télé-Québec…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The CRTC will hear applications for four new English category two digital specialty channels in October.
Michael Garrow, owner of the Fight Network (which is scheduled to launch this fall) has applied for The Wagering Network, which will consist of programming dedicated to all aspects of the gaming world in Canada and abroad. It will carry no live event sports – and sports highlights will comprise no more than 10% of its programming schedule, says the application.
Alliance Atlantis has asked for two licenses. Its History Television channel wants a license for Military Television, which will be…
Continue Reading
