BOSTON – Even as the U.S. cable industry scrambles to eliminate the need for installing traditional set-top boxes in the home, it has stepped up its fierce fight against a regulatory proposal to open up the set top leasing business and stoke retail competition.
As we reported earlier, National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) president and CEO Michael Powell lambasted Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler for promoting the proposed 'Unlock the Set-top' rulemaking. If it gains Commission approval later this year, the controversial proposed rule would mandate that cable operators give third party manufacturers…
Continue Reading
"Citizen journalists" don't follow same high standards as pros, says RTDNA
OTTAWA – The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) told the Heritage Committee Tuesday that there has to be a way to deliver more local news to communities, and one that doesn’t necessarily require the major broadcasters to fund the endeavour.
Speaking at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, RTDNA president Ian Koenigsfest said regardless of whether it’s media concentration or a shrinking diversity of voices that have led to less local news in communities, it’s imperative that more be delivered to them.
“Local news isn’t only about…
Continue Reading
BOSTON – Bad news on the traditional TV front is not hard to find. Ad dollars have gone elsewhere as traditional pay TV subscriptions fall while media companies face new competition for eyeballs from a whole host of new viewing platforms and business models – which just continue to grow.
Of late, though, there are signs in the States that all is not lost, that companies with great content and strong connections to consumers can grow in the space. Comcast added both video and broadband customers at the strongest clip in eight years, for example, thanks largely to its Xfinity…
Continue Reading
Independent operators say minimum should be 10 Mbps down, 3 Mbps up
We are at the end of the CRTC’s proceeding reviewing the basic telecommunications needs of Canadians. Launched close to a year ago, the CRTC has received widely diverse proposals in response to the fundamental questions of: Which services do Canadians need to participate meaningfully in the digital economy; and what is the CRTC’s role in ensuring the availability of affordable basic telecommunications services to Canadians? The CRTC has also reached out to Canadians under the banner of “Let’s Talk Broadband Internet!” with a survey on various topics. When…
Continue Reading
VANCOUVER – The CRTC is planning to cover a lot of ground at its Vancouver radio hearing that kicked off Monday at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
In addition to considering applications to operate new ethnic commercial AM and FM radio stations in the Greater Vancouver market, including the City of Surrey, the Commission will address three entities that it says appear to be operating radio stations without a licence or pursuant to an exemption in contravention of the Broadcasting Act.
Surrey Myfm Inc. and 89.3 Surrey City FM Limited operate stations in the Surrey market that claim to be low-power…
Continue Reading
THE PUSH TO ACTIVATE the FM chips on Canadian smartphones has gained some traction thanks to a new website aptly called Free Radio On My Phone.
The site says its led by the National Campus and Community Radio Association and a “collection of public, commercial and industry related radio organizations”, but it appears as though U.S. software developer NextRadio, who helped launch the American website freeradioonmyphone.org, is also heavily involved. The site lists the contact information for nine Canadian wireless carriers and urges consumers to contact them to demand that the FM receivers be turned on.
“Listening to radio on…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Cue Digital Media has expanded its content and sales team with three senior appointments, including Jake Labow as its VP of content.
Susan Courtney was named director, news & business, national sales and Alison Demelis becomes director, women’s group, national sales.
“With the recent addition of some major new partnerships, we needed to expand our team with dynamic content creators and proven sales leaders who could fully engage advertisers across our platforms,” said CEO and founder David U.K., in the announcement. “We have also created dedicated verticals – Sports & Entertainment, News & Business and a new Women’s Group…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Quebecor’s net income for the first quarter more than doubled, and the company hiked its quarterly dividend 29%, the Montreal-based giant said Thursday.
For the period ended March 31, 2016, net income attributable to shareholders was $69.9 million, up from $29.4 million in the same period of 2015, as a result of growth in all of its business segments.
Quebecor's revenues increased 5% year-over-year to $975.4 million, and adjusted operating income grew 4.6% to $354.7 million. On an adjusted basis, income from continuing operations was jumped 63.5% to $67.7 million from $41.4 million in the same period of 2015.
The company posted revenue increases…
Continue Reading
No easy answers
TORONTO – Yes, there were a ton of regulatory lawyers and policy wonks there and probably not as many newfangled content creators and distributors as organizers hoped, but the two-day Discoverability Summit, which wrapped up Wednesday in Toronto, seemed to us a worthwhile exercise even if the problem of discoverability remains unsolved and looks to be a challenge for some time.
The summit will definitely have helped flesh out ideas for the federal government’s just-started review of all things Canadian content.
1. What goes viral? No one really can predict. During the Youth Summit portion held last week in…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Women in Film & Television – Toronto (WIFT-T) and the Foundation for WIFT-T have added four new directors to its boards for the 2016-2017 term.
Announced at the organization’s annual general meeting this week, the newly elected directors for WIFT-T are Sonia Brar, VP information technology at Bell Media, and Marilyn Orecchio, VP national sales at Corus Entertainment. The newly elected directors for the Foundation for WIFT-T are Dianna Klisanin, development consultant, and Linda Stregger, BA, CPA CMA, media industry tax specialist at Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLC.
“We are pleased to welcome Sonia Brar and Marilyn Orecchio to the WIFT-T…
Continue Reading
