OTTAWA – The biggest challenge the Canadian broadcasting industry is facing is a subset of distributors who are seeking lower rates for specialty services, Kevin Crull, president of Bell Media, told the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time 2012 conference in Ottawa on Friday morning.
Crull spoke about this issue and other challenges Bell Media is facing in a interview style session with former CTV president, former head of CBC News and current professor, MBA program in arts and media administration, Schulich School of Business, Trina McQueen. Crull said this issue is more important than the group licensing regime…
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GATINEAU – Independent distributors Cogeco Cable, Telus, EastLink, MTS and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance still hate the terms of carriage offered to them by Bell Media for its specialty channels and so the parties will soon face mandatory mediation in front of a CRTC commissioner as the carriers continue to allege undue preference against Bell.
The carriers, together they are calling themselves the Canadian Independent Distributors Group (CIDG), all object to the carriage agreement put before them by Bell Media for all of the company’s specialty channels, as we have previously reported. Bell Media insists…
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TORONTO – Astral's The Movie Network is offering audiences the chance to sample some of its popular series for free via the on demand and on-line platforms of Rogers, Videotron, Cogeco and EastLink.
The offer, which will run from February 11 through February 26, will include HBO series like Luck, the new horseracing drama starring Dustin Hoffman; Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire; Showtime programming such as Dexter, Nurse Jackie, Californication, and House of Lies; Spartacus: Vengeance from Starz; and original series Call Me Fitz, Less Than Kind, Good Dog and Funny As Hell.
"We are thrilled to be working with…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media announced Monday that Telus will now offer FX Canada to its Optik TV subscribers in Alberta and British Columbia.
Beginning yesterday, Rogers-owned FX Canada is available to Telus Optik TV subscribers in Alberta and British Columbia in standard definition on channel 188 and coming soon on demand and in high definition on channel 690 in early 2012.
The digital specialty launched last month on Rogers Cable, EastLink and Cable Cable.
www.FXCanada.ca
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GATINEAU – CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein told the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance and Telus on Monday that the two organizations need not fear Bell Media withholding its TV signals while the independent carriers continue to try to convince the broadcaster to alter its new wholesale carriage agreement.
As Cartt.ca first reported last week, a number of Canada’s independent TV distributors have balked at signing the new contract, which encompasses up to 30 Bell Media channels (including TSN, BNN, Comedy, MuchMusic, Discovery and so on) and have complained to the CRTC that the terms demanded by…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite has kicked off a two month free preview of its four HD movie channels.
The independent broadcaster confirmed Thursday that its new services launched on EastLink on November 23, Telus Optik TV on December 5, SaskTel MAX on December 7 and on MTS TV on December 8.
Featuring 450 commercial-free HD movies 24/7 per month, uncut and unedited, Hollywood Suite’s services include studio movie channels WarnerFilms, MGM Channel, action adventure channel Hollywood Storm and romance and relationship channel Hollywood Festival.
"Hollywood Suite has received overwhelming support from EastLink, Telus, SaskTel and MTS and we're excited to be working with…
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OTTAWA – A number of Canada’s independent cable operators have balked at signing a new omnibus carriage agreement for the up-to 30 specialty channels owned by Bell Media and instead are demanding the CRTC step in and decide who’s right.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the agreement and the ongoing battle, both Cogeco Cable and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance have been through a few rounds of official CRTC staff mediation, which hasn’t yielded much in the way of results. It now looks like the disputes are headed towards binding, final offer arbitration in front of a CRTC…
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TORONTO – With subscriber additions at Wind Mobile, Public Mobile and Mobilicity well below what many had hoped, is the model failing?
That’s what Canaccord Genuity telecom analyst Dvai Ghose asked on Monday in a research note to clients. Noting the departure of Mobilicity CEO Dave Dobbin is the second new entrant CEO to leave over the past six months, Ghose wrote what many have been saying for some time now: This isn’t how is was supposed to be.
“Independent new entrant subscriber growth has been weak — WIND only added 41k net subscribers in Q3/11, down from 45k…
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HALIFAX – EastLink has cracked the 100 HD channel mark and said that number will climb even higher by the end of this month.
"We will continue to add more HD programming including additional HD channels in the coming months," said president and COO Deborah Shaffner, in Monday’s announcement. "We maintain a significant lead over our competitors and we are committed to maintaining it."
EastLink confirmed that it is set to launch four new HD movie channels that will include Video On Demand content with 1080p 24 Blu-ray quality picture. The new services, those from Hollywood Suite, will be the first HD content…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite has finalized a number of distribution agreements in advance of the Monday launch of its four new HD movie services.
According to the independent broadcaster’s newly launched website, Warner Films, MGM Channel, Hollywood Storm and Hollywood Festival will debut on EastLink and Telus; plus launch on SaskTel on November 30 and on MTS on December 8.
The channels have pledged to air over 450 different movie titles every month, all commercial-free, uncut and unedited. A selection of films will also be available on demand, on-line and on mobile.
www.hollywoodsuite.ca
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