TORONTO – Astral’s children’s channel Playhouse Disney has joined the lineup at EastLink, available to customers who subscribe to Astral’s Family Channel.
Playhouse Disney programming – which includes favourites like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny and Imagination Movers – is also available to EastLink subscribers through Family on Demand, which also launched Wednesday on EastLink OnDemand.
“Santa came a little early this year for our subscribers and we are thrilled to be able to bring the magic of Playhouse Disney to even more homes in Atlantic Canada,” said Joe Tedesco, SVP and GM for Family Channel and Playhouse Disney, in the…
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OTTAWA – Canadian children’s series Dino Dan has been named the winner of the 2010 Shaw Rocket Prize.
Produced by Toronto-based Sinking Ship Entertainment, the show stars Jason Spevack as Dan Henderson, a 10-year-old boy with an obsession for dinosaurs. It airs in Canada on TVO, Knowledge Network and Access, plus recently debuted in the U.S. on MTV Networks-owned Nick Jr.
Producers J.J. Johnson, Blair Powers and Matt Bishop received their $50,000 prize by from Heritage Minister James Moore at a ceremony in Ottawa earlier this week which celebrated the top five Canadian programs for kids aged 6-12. An international jury of…
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EXTON, PA – The SCTE is seeking applications for the second annual SCTE Technology Challenge (formerly Innovation Showcase) to be held during the 2011 Canadian Summit.
The SCTE Technology Challenge will introduce and demonstrate the latest products and technologies that operators can leverage to deliver leading-edge services, improve operational efficiency, and increase the overall value of the services delivered to customers.
Five companies plus two alternates will be selected. Applications must include an outline and/or description of the new technology to be demonstrated plus complete contact information (name, company, mailing address, phone/fax numbers, e-mail address, and company website).
The SCTE Technology Challenge…
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TORONTO – Bell Canada CEO George Cope couldn’t have been more blunt or matter of fact when asked about what the auction of 700 MHz wireless spectrum, which is expected in 2012. “It has to be a wide open auction,” he said. “There can be no discussion on this.”
Cope was speaking Tuesday afternoon at the Scotia Capital 2010 Telecom and Technology conference in downtown Toronto.
Cope spoke just after both Globalive (Wind Mobile) chairman Anthony Lacavera and Public Mobile CFO Jim Hardy had addressed the very same issue – albeit with different opinions than Cope, or earlier in the…
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GATINEAU – Bell Aliant Regional Communications says that if the obligation to serve subsidy regime isn’t fixed, it may have no choice but to cut off certain services to some of its most costly markets.
The revelation came under questioning from CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein when he asked Bell Aliant executives what the company would do if the Commission didn’t accede to its wishes and change the local subsidy regime.
Dennis Henry, VP of regulatory affairs for Bell Aliant was blunt in his response that some of the more expensive regions to serve may lose some telephony services….
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TIMMINS – On Wednesday everyone, save one company, told the CRTC that adding broadband delivery to the telecom industry’s basic service objective is something that the Commission must do.
And a few even said nevermind those paltry 3-4 Mbps goals, we need to aim at 10, at least (but we’ll get to that in a bit).
MTS Allstream, as we detailed here, not only said the CRTC should make broadband a BSO, but even tied a number, $7 billion over 10 years, which would pay for broadband to every single Canadian household – because letting market forces take care of…
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TORONTO – Canada’s telco TV providers say that they are getting better and better at eating their cable competitors’ lunch, so to speak. And, they have no intention of easing up any time soon.
Bell Aliant, MTS, SaskTel and Telus met with broadcasters and content providers this week in Toronto to chat about their successes and plans for the future. And, they introduced a new member of their informal consortium, TbayTel, who recently began offering digital TV in Thunder Bay, ON.
The majority of the telcos extolled the virtues of their Microsoft Mediaroom platform, particularly how it allows them to offer functionality…
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OTTAWA – Telus is telling Industry Canada that it stands to lose as much as $200 million in an auction of the 2500 MHz bandwidth if the current spectrum swap proposal remains unchanged.
The company’s comments come as verbal sparring over the specific rules for transitioning wireless broadband spectrum in the band continued this month with interested parties arguing over transition deadlines and the amount of spectrum to be given back to Industry Canada for auction.
Telus says that adopting the department’s plan would result in incumbents retaining 21% more spectrum than they currently have. This “would be…
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TORONTO – Just in time for the start of hockey season, Rogers Sportsnet One has added two new major BDUs to its roster.
The sports network said Friday that it was available on Bell TV, effective immediately, and then on Saturday, the deal with EastLink was announced. It is available in both in HD and SD.
Sportsnet One has also launched a number of “companion channels” to accommodate the regional broadcast restrictions of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators.
www.sportsnet.cawww.bell.ca
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HALIFAX – EastLink customers can now catch some of Global TV’s most popular prime time shows for free thanks to EastLink OnDemand.
Available to all digital cable customers where EastLink OnDemand is offered, the majority of the programming – which will include the likes of Survivor, Glee, Bones, The Good Wife and Hawaii 5.0 – will be available the day following the original broadcast, and new content from Global TV will be refreshed each day.
"We understand that OnDemand programming is preferred by a growing number of consumers”, said president and COO, Deborah Shaffner, in the announcement. “Over and above the thousands…
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