OTTAWA – The federal government issued a call for applications to Internet service providers (ISPs) wishing to service 280,000 Canadian households that are currently without high-speed Internet or with slower access.
On Wednesday, Industry Minister James Moore encouraged eligible ISPs to apply for funding to extend or enhance service to areas in need across the country, via the new application tool kit on the Connecting Canadians website. Successful applicants could receive up to 50% of eligible project costs, and for projects serving very remote or Aboriginal communities, the program could fund up to 75% of eligible costs.
Successful ISPs will…
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CANNES, France – Bell Media has signed a multi-faceted partnership with United Artists Media Group, (a newly formed joint venture among MGM, Mark Burnett, Roma Downey, and Hearst Entertainment) and Omnicom Canada Corp.'s Highway Entertainment to create new television formats for Canadian and international audiences.
Terms of the deal, announced Wednesday at MIPCOM, were not released. As a result of the partnership, pilots for several new formats are currently in development and pre-production at Bell Media, the company said.
"We are thrilled to partner with Mark Burnett, a pioneer in format television, and United Artists Media Group, along with Canada's Highway…
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OTTAWA and WOODSTOCK, NB – After receiving "thoughtful feedback" on Industry Canada's consultation on policy changes in the 3500 MHz band, Industry Minister James Moore was quick to reassure stakeholders that rural Canadians will not lose their broadband services as a result.
“Under no circumstances will our government take spectrum licences away from any local Internet service provider that is providing Internet service to rural Canadians”, Minister Moore said in a statement. "The decisions resulting from this consultation will ensure that the 3500 MHz spectrum band is deployed in the best interests of Canadian consumers, especially those living in rural…
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TORONTO – Asian Television Network International has acquired exclusive broadcast rights for the first ever Indian Super League that is taking place in India between October 12 and December 20, 2014.
Indian Super league is India's unrivalled football (soccer) championship, and is supported by All India Football Federation (AIFF). Indian industrialists and celebrities from sports and the film industry have invested in owning the league's eight franchises which are based out of Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. For the first time in Indian football, globally renowned soccer players will be playing alongside the best Indian footballers.
"We are…
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OTTAWA – Don't miss the chance to see CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien, Deloitte Canada’s Duncan Stewart and FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn, among others, at next week’s International Institute of Communications Canadian chapter conference.
Scheduled for October 21-22 in Ottawa, the event promises provocative, interesting conference sessions that centre on recent communications industry developments, such as disruptive innovation in the gaming industry, the desires of Canadian consumers, the democratization of technology, the surveillance era, the role of communications networks, and communications policy objectives.
Space is limited and advance registration is required for this two-day event.
www.iic-canada.ca
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OTTAWA – Spectrum set asides, eligibility to purchase set-aside spectrum, and the band plan remain the primary sticking points for Canada’s wireless service providers in reply comments to Industry Canada’s consultation on the AWS-3 spectrum auction framework.
The country’s large wireless operators have panned many aspects of the department’s proposed approach to the AWS-3 auction. A 30 MHz set-aside that includes spectrum contiguous to previously auctioned AWS-1 spectrum gives new entrants a considerable leg up, they argue. Not only do they believe that the set aside is the wrong approach, they think if the department does indeed set…
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TORONTO – Save the date for the CTAM Canada Broadcaster’s Forum which this year is entitled ‘Engaging Canadians with TV Everywhere’.
Scheduled for November 19 from 1:00 to 5:00pm at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, don’t miss this chance to learn from industry veterans and bright minds about key trends and strategies from TV Everywhere projects in Canada and the U.S. Confirmed panelists will be announced soon.
Tickets, available here, are $45.00 for current CTAM Canada members and $100.00 for non-members (ticket price includes 1 year CTAM Canada membership).
www.ctam.ca
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MARKHAM, ON – Building upon the success of last year's inaugural session, the Ontario Association of Broadcasters’ fall conference will once again include an industry executive town hall.
This one hour session, moderated by well-known consultant and former CRTC Commissioner Rita Cugini, will include:
– Erica Farber; CEO Radio Advertising Bureau, USA;
– Jim MacLeod; president and CEO, Numeris;
– Geoff Poulton; president, Vista Radio;
– Raj Shoan; Ontario Commissioner, CRTC;
– Paul Ski, CEO, Radio, Rogers Broadcasting; and
– Vanessa Thomas, Head of Canada, Songza – Google.
Covering all aspects of the industry – from content creators, buyers, sellers, research, regulation and ultimately the consumer, this…
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TORONTO – “What’s the phone company doing in healthcare?”
That’s a question that Paul Lepage (right), president of Telus Health, and Michael Guerriere (left), its chief medical officer, hear often.
The answer, in short, is that healthcare is Telus’ content play. While its competitors snap up content providers or add to their list of media assets, Telus has jumped headlong into the healthcare field, investing more than $1 billion in Canadian health IT over the last six years to capitalize on what it sees as that industry's enormous growth potential.
“The other telcos and cable companies are all making investments in broadcast assets and sports teams…
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TORONTO – Led by sitcoms, commercial television programming on Video on Demand platforms generated a previously unreported audience lift of up to 9% among English-speaking Canadians, according to a study from the Canadian Media Directors Council (CMDC) and the Television Bureau of Canada (TVB).
The VOD Industry Test, conducted by Numeris (formerly BBM Canada), focused on the set-top box Video-on-Demand TV content available through digital cable and IPTV, which allows subscribers to access recently-aired (on linear) programming. Viewing of this VOD content is not currently included in reported television audiences. The 12-week test took place between April and June…
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