VANCOUVER — Multiplatform content production and distribution company Thunderbird Entertainment Group today provided an update regarding how the company is responding to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, saying it remains fully operational.
The company’s entire team of more than 1,000 crew members across all of its divisions have been set up to work remotely since March 30. Engineering work to move teams offsite started in February and was rolled out in March, with optimization taking place in early April, says the news release.
In addition to enabling all productions in development to move forward, Thunderbird’s ability to remain operational has also…
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$500 million total to ease pressures on culture and amateur sport
OTTAWA – The Canadian government today released details of its previously announced $500 million fund to help the cultural and sports industries weather the Covid-19 crisis.
Minister of Canadian Heritage Steven Guilbeault, today said partner organizations will be contacted so that funds can begin to flow. “Canadian Heritage is working closely with its partners – in particular, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Canada Media Fund, FACTOR, Musicaction, and Telefilm Canada – to distribute the funds as quickly as possible using existing channels,” reads the release.
The distribution of funding…
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CEO says Bell is set to launch 5G, but it’s not the right time
By Greg O’Brien
MONTREAL – Taking into account the Covid-19 crisis so far, there was nothing unexpected in Bell Canada’s first quarter of 2020 – and company executives told investors and analysts today it plans to continue to with its capital expenditures this year.
“Despite the impacts of Covid-19, Bell delivered positive service revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in Q1, supported by ongoing broadband wireless, Internet and IPTV subscriber base expansion and a 2.6% reduction in total operating costs,” said company CFO Glen LeBlanc in this morning’s press…
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OTTAWA — The Conservative caucus issued a call to action on rural Internet by launching its own consultation process Wednesday morning which purports to force the country to meet the CRTC’s 50/10 Mbps universal service objective, everywhere, including rural and remote regions, by 2021.
In 2016, the CRTC set 2030 as the deadline for that particular speed to be made available everywhere in Canada.
“Today’s digital economy means that affordable, reliable access to consistent high-speed internet is a determinant to economic productivity, and individual equality of opportunity. Despite the CRTC designating broadband as an essential service more than 5 years…
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No details yet on the government’s $500 million Covid-19 aid program
By Denis Carmel
MONTREAL – Just as Industry Minister Navdeep Bains last week said the government would “soon” announce new timelines to help connect rural regions, Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said Monday the details of a temporary program to help the sectors of media, culture and sports would be revealed “soon.”
The $500 million program had been announced April 16 and during a virtual Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal conference, a visibly disappointed minister said more details will be available not a matter of weeks, but days.
Later in…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – On April 30th, the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology met to examine the Canadian response to the Covid-19 pandemic and while most questions related to the production of protective gear and testing equipment, along with disinfecting liquids in Canada, connectivity was touched upon, too.
Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry told the committee Thursday that the government would soon release new timelines for the High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy, launched in June 2019.
Answering a question from Bloc Québécois communications critic, Martin Champoux, the minister said his colleague Maryam…
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TORONTO – Fight Network this week announced a new partnership with Everlast Worldwide which will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of its new show Protect Yourself at All Times.
The weekly series is set to debut later in the year and will air on Fight Network in the U.S. and Canada, across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The network is available on many of the top Canadian and U.S. video providers, as well as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Fubo TV.
Fight Network is developing the new Protect Yourself at All Times (PYaAT) series in conjunction with consultant Adrian…
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By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – The Canadian Network Operators Consortium say the inflated wholesale rates paid over the years to network owners are akin to its members providing the likes of Bell Canada and others interest-free loans.
CNOC is disputing a legal claim made by Bell which says the retroactive wholesale payments the CRTC demanded in August the incumbents pay resellers is an unconstitutional tax.
In its legal arguments to the Federal Court of Appeal last month, Bell said the repayment demand ordered by the Commission in August is illegal because the Regulator has no authority to levy taxes under…
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QUISPAMSIS, N.B. — The Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) announced today Ian Spencer is joining the organization as manager of contracts, effective Monday, May 4.
Operating from his home base in Whitby, Ont., Spencer will be responsible for supporting Lori Rosenberg, CCSA’s vice-president of contracts, in negotiating current and future CCSA master programming agreements, managing staff in the administration of the agreements and implementing various CCSA member services. He will replace Debbie Randon, CCSA’s current manager of contracts, who will retire in July after 20 year of stellar service, says the news release.
Most recently, Spencer worked at CBC/Radio-Canada as manager…
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TORONTO — SiriusXM Canada announced today it is launching nine limited-engagement channels dedicated to some of the music industry’s most iconic artists, while also extending its Stream Free period through to the end of May.
Launching Friday, May 1, the collection of exclusive music channels will be devoted to stars David Bowie, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, George Strait, Guns N’ Roses, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Prince and The Rolling Stones. Each dedicated artist channel is authorized and produced in cooperation with the artists and their representatives, and will feature career-spanning hits, rare recordings, interviews and more, says the news…
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