GATINEAU – Earlier this month, a group of 14 broadcasters met for the first time to begin figuring out how to develop a subscription television set top box data measurement system.
In its TV Policy Review decision, the CRTC said building such a system would be a very good thing and set a deadline of April 13th for an industry-wide working group to start moving. Representatives from Bell Canada, Blue Ant Media, CBC, Cogeco, Corus, Eastlink, the Independent Broadcasters Group, MTS, Pelmorex, Quebecor, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw and Telus met on April 8th saying in its first…
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OTTAWA – The country’s free cell phone recycling program Recycle My Cell is calling on Canadians to join in the Earth Day celebrations Wednesday by making sure that all those old cell phones in their junk drawers are recycled responsibly.
Earth Day also marks the launches of Recycle My Cell's "What in Your Drawers?" community challenges in Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador. Non-profit and community organizations in those provinces are challenged to collect as many old cell phones as possible between April 22 and May 22, 2015, and the group in each…
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OTTAWA – Industry Canada’s latest auction kicked off earlier this week with 11 companies looking to secure some of the more than 300 licences up for grabs in the 2500 MHz band. A combinatorial clock auction (CCA) format, the same as was used in the 2014 700 MHz auction, is in place, meaning the bandwidth sale could last a few weeks.
Along with the Big Three – Bell Mobility, Rogers Communications and Telus Mobility – new entrants Wind Mobile, Vidéotron and Bragg Communications (Eastlink) are all participating. Regional wireless company MTS, rural satellite and wireless broadband providers SSi Micro and…
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OTTAWA – Making sure to set aside cash for TV broadcasters from the auction of 600 MHz wireless spectrum just might drive the prices to be paid for that spectrum too high for some to participate.
Arguments from the integrated wireless/broadcasting companies that they should get a portion of the proceeds from an auction of the 600 MHz band to pay for the transition to new over the air (OTA) frequencies should be dismissed, argues Wind Mobile.
The company notes that setting aside money from a 600 MHz auction could result in higher spectrum licence costs because the integrated…
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SAINT JOHN – Nationwide online voting is now open for Tuned-in Canada, the annual awards presented by the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA).
More than 130 nominations were submitted from across the country, and the judges – which included Cartt.ca editor/publisher Greg O'Brien, comedian Ron James and TV5 President and CEO Suzanne Gouin, compiled the following shortlist of four nominees per category:
I *heart* customer service– WTC Communications (ON)– Transvision Cookshire (QC)– Access Communications (SK)– Mascon Cable Systems (BC)
I *heart* community building/public service– Eastlink – Tree decorating (NS)– Cable Cable – Kawartha Lakes Boys…
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DENVER and TORONTO – Just in time for spring, World Fishing Network will be available on a free preview to cable, satellite and telco subscribers in North America for the month of April and into early May.
Dedicated to the angling lifestyle, the network’s programming includes instruction, tips, travel, tournaments, cooking, boating and outdoor recreation with some of the most recognized personalities in the angling community. Starting April 4, World Fishing Network will begin airing 21 new and returning shows with new episodes, including original productions JP DeRose Breaking Boundaries, Bill Boyce’s Cali and Hookin’ Up with Mariko Izumi, along…
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GATINEAU – There are always some interesting figures which emerge with the publishing of the annual aggregate returns of the large carriers and broadcasters by the CRTC.
Below are a few highlights from the data filed by Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV companies (we’ll look at the conventional TV, pay and specialty and radio numbers later) for the broadcast year ended August 31, 2014.
Of the subscriber losses suffered by the large, established TV carriers (cable and satellite brands Rogers Cable, Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct, Videotron, Bell Satellite TV, Cogeco Cable and Eastlink) almost all went to…
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HALIFAX – In an aggressive new tactic, Eastlink said Monday that it will “buy out” a customer’s old cell phone contract when they switch to Eastlink Wireless.
Open to residents of Nova Scotia and PEI, customers may purchase a new device or bring their own, and, after purchasing a plan from Eastlink with a minimum 500 MB of data, submit their bills from their previous provider showing an early termination/cancellation fee. Eastlink will then issue a credit of up to $200 per device on up to five devices per household.
"We listen to our customers and we know they hate the…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s CraveTV subscription video on-demand streaming service is now available to more TV subscribers in Ontario after Bell signed up four more distributors in the province for the service.
The four new CraveTV distributors are Hay Communications, with customers in Zurich, Grand Bend, and Exeter; Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, serving communities throughout Huron and Perth County; Huron County-based Tuckersmith Communications; and Wightman Telecom in Clifford, ON. These new distribution partners join the list of providers that also includes Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, and Bell Aliant FibreOp TV, Telus Optik TV, Eastlink, Northwestel, Nexicom, Access Communications,…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC unveiled sweeping changes to the Canadian TV broadcasting system earlier today. The Regulator has eliminated genre protection rules, shifted from Canadian content exhibition quotas to spending requirements and created a new class of online video-on-demand (VOD) services.
In a speech to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, Commission chair Jean-Pierre Blais underscored the need to adapt the broadcasting system to meet the realities of today where “people watch content in the ways, on the devices and at the times that most suit them.” He acknowledged that content is still king, but added that the viewer is now…
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