NEW YORK – In a move sure to send shock waves through the Canadian television business, CBS Corporation said Monday it will be expanding the availability of CBS All Access over-the-top VOD viewing portal internationally through a partnership of its CBS Interactive and CBS Studios International divisions, starting here in Canada in the first half of 2018, with other markets to follow, the company said in a press release.
“CBS All Access is growing faster than we anticipated domestically, and now represents a whole new opportunity internationally as well,” said Leslie Moonves, chairman and CEO, CBS Corporation, in the release….
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OTTAWA — Those in the telecom industry who didn’t get an early start to their civic long weekend (or don’t have any leisure plans at all for the next three days) may be able to get a jump on reading the federal government’s consultation paper regarding the proposed auction of 600MHz band spectrum.
Late Friday afternoon, the government issued a press release in which the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED), announced a consultation process for proposals to auction 600MHz spectrum, and made available the government’s most-recent consultation paper on the matter. (We…
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NCA provides for single digital media use fee
TORONTO — Members of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) have voted in favour of ratifying a 2017-2020 national commercial agreement (NCA), ACTRA announced Friday afternoon.
Supported by 78% of voting ACTRA members, the 2017-2020 NCA settlement will provide for a new single digital media use fee payable on all commercials produced for or moved over to digital media. The three-year agreement also promotes new work opportunities for performers in low-budget digital media commercials with the ACTRAonline Opportunity Pilot Project.
All rates and fees in the NCA, with the exception…
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OTTAWA — The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) shot back at Canada’s English-language private broadcasters today after Bell Media, Corus Entertainment and Rogers Media released an open letter to the CRTC yesterday in which they asked the Commission to maintain status quo on recent broadcasting decisions.
In their letter, the big three broadcasters urged the Commission to stand firm on its recent decisions regarding reduced minimum spending requirements on programs of national interest (PNI) as part of the CRTC’s group licence renewal decision in May.
Bell, Corus and Rogers were responding yesterday to a joint open letter released…
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MONTREAL — Stingray Digital Group reported an 18.9% increase in revenue for the first quarter of its 2018 fiscal year, achieving $29.2 million in revenues compared to $24.5 million in the same quarter last year.
However, the company’s net income decreased to $0.3 million or $0.01 per share (diluted), compared to $2.0 million or $0.04 per share (diluted) in Q1 2017, representing a 86.3% decrease year over year. After adjustments, Stingray’s adjusted net income was reported to be up 9.5% to $5.7 million or $0.11 per share (diluted), compared to $5.2 million or $0.10 per share (diluted) in the same…
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TORONTO — In a first for Canada, Groupe Média TFO is looking to blockchain technology as a way to potentially transform how digital cultural productions are managed and rewarded financially.
With the support of the Canadian Media Fund (CMF), Groupe Média TFO is inviting interested players from the content production and distribution industries to participate in defining a blockchain prototype for a new royalty model for audiovisual works created by Canadian producers.
“The consumption of cultural products is increasingly achieved through IP systems,” said Glenn O’Farrell, president and CEO of Groupe Média TFO, in a press release. “We wish to…
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OTTAWA – While not mentioning the CRTC’s decision on programs of national interest (PNI) specifically, the three largest Canadian broadcasters have sent a letter to Canadian MPs (also printing it as a full page ad in the Parliament Hill newspaper The Hill Times), asking them to ignore the complaints of the creative community and let recent CRTC decisions stand.
The letter, signed by Bell Media president Randy Lennox, Corus Entertainment EVP and chief operating officer Barbara Williams and Rogers Media president Rick Brace says the CRTC undertook a years-long process to overhaul its TV regulations to try and prepare for…
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TORONTO — Advertising Standards Canada will now be known as Ad Standards after refreshing its corporate identity in collaboration with branding expert Anderson DDB Health & Lifestyle.
Ad Standards will use a new logo that features dynamic bars of transparent colour that move upwards, which the company says symbolize that advertising standards raise industry integrity and heighten consumer confidence.
“The refreshed material was designed to ensure that our organization’s identity will continue to be impactful and meaningful for consumers and the advertising industry in the years to come,” said Jani Yates, president and CEO of Ad Standards, in a press…
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THE CORD-CUTTING ANALYSIS in Friday’s Summer Numbers: CRTC TV data dump highlights, lowlights says that 11.12 million households subscribed to cable, satellite or IPTV service in Canada in 2016, down only slightly – 3.5% – from 11.5 million in 2016.
I agree this doesn’t seem like a big drop over four years especially given the market changes in that period.
But when we look at the numbers relative to the total number of households in Canada, we see a different story emerge.
In 2011, there were 13.32 million occupied households in Canada per the census and 11.5 million…
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Its Canadian vids aren't CAVCO pointed
TORONTO — Canadian content creators looking to become the next online sensation are getting a boost from YouTube with the launch of a dedicated Cancon channel that will showcase emerging and established Canadian talent.
YouTube Spotlight Canada every month will highlight both French and English Canadian creators and videos that are creating buzz online and will also feature themed playlists to help Canadians explore trending topics and news stories.
“Canada is the first country to have its own Spotlight channel dedicated solely to local creators,” said Marie Josée Lamothe, managing director, Quebec, Google Canada, in…
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