GATINEAU – In their final written submissions to the CRTC on the proposed purchase of Astral Media by Bell Canada, various interveners say there are no words, no new rules the Commission can write which will sufficiently protect the Canadian TV system from the market power of a combined Bell/Astral.
That, tied to the fact Bell has told the Commission in no uncertain terms it will not proceed with the merger should it be required to divest any other assets, means the whole deal should be denied, just like the first one was rejected last fall. ( Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Canadian wireless operators remain largely unconvinced that Industry Canada’s proposed changes to spectrum licence transfers will be good for the wireless market. New entrants and incumbents alike are opposed to any rule changes that would limit a secondary spectrum trading market.
Mobilicity acknowledges that the department is trying to create a more competitive wireless market and took a first good step in setting aside spectrum in the 2008 Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) auction. But the upstart says “the imposition of additional vague, open-ended restrictions on the transferability of spectrum” won’t help new entrants raise the capital they need…
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MONTREAL – Laurent Maisonnave, president of Seevibes, and Marie-Claude Lavoie from LVL Studios have been announced as special guests presenters at CTAM Canada’s Networking Event on May 15 in Montreal.
Maisonnave will discuss how to drive incremental revenues from the second screen and social TV measurement. Lavoie from from LVL Studios will talk about how their Purple platform provides an integrated second screen experience benefiting broadcasters, distributors and the customer.
The CTAM Canada Networking Event 15 is an opportunity for industry colleagues to learn about innovations in second-screen companion viewing and social TV audience measurement….
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MONTREAL – It's the darling of the Canadian telecom field these days among Bay Streeters, and Telus again had a strong quarter, posting a 13% increase in quarterly profit in its Q1 results released Thursday as it added tens of thousands of new wireless and IPTV customers.
It’s wireless ARPU has grown to over $60 a month and the price of its newly split shares is on the rise. Churn is down, customer satisfaction is up, wireline revenues are increasing, and dividend payouts are growing for investors. According to EVP and chief…
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TORONTO – A group of 14 producers, writers, and directors from across Canada have been chosen to attend this year’s Banff World Media Festival this June as recipients of Bell Media’s National Fellowship program.
As part of the $1.8 Million Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative, the Bell Media National Fellowship program is intended to encourage professional development in the television industry by enabling emerging creative talent to attend Banff and benefit from the vast programming, mentorship, and pitching opportunities that the annual event has to offer.
In addition, Banff and Bell Media announced today…
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OTTAWA – Businesses in rural Canada will not be able to benefit from next-generation wireless services because the smaller wireless operators will be unable to purchase 700 MHz spectrum in the auction scheduled for later this year, argued provincial Crown Corp. SaskTel in an appearance before a Parliamentary committee this week.
Speaking at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Bob Hersche, senior director, corporate counsel and regulatory affairs at SaskTel, explained that despite having a massive fibre network that reaches every town with more than 100 people, the company still needs 700 MHz spectrum to…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) announced today it has reached an agreement in principle with the district councils of the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) on a new 2013-2015 independent production agreement.
“This was a tough negotiation but we are very happy we were able to reach an agreement that recognizes the needs of Canadian producers, yet fairly compensates DGC members across the country,” said Reynolds Mastin, chief negotiator and chief legal officer of the CMPA in a release. “I am very pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that reflects…
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MONTREAL – Interveners told the CRTC Tuesday that just because Bell Canada has decided it will spin off a few TV assets with this latest attempt to purchase Astral Media, that doesn’t make the deal any better for Canadians, or for them.
“This second application raises the very same concerns in the English-language television market,” Rogers SVP regulatory Ken Engelhart told commissioners on Tuesday morning. “The acquisition of Astral’s premium pay television services will threaten diversity and endanger the ability of distributors to deliver programming to Canadians at affordable rates and on reasonable terms on multiple platforms.
So for Rogers, the…
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FREMONTM, CALIF. – Cellphone-Mate, a Silicon Valley-based manufacturer of cellular amplifier technology, and Dallas-based wireless communications distributor Hutton Communications have announced that the two companies have joined forces to go after Canadian business and residential customers.
“Cellphone-Mate’s global customers are recognizing the immense value to be gained by augmenting their current wireless connections,” said Hongtao Zhan, founder and CEO of Cellphone-Mate, in a release. “This alliance will broaden our reach across Canada by tapping Hutton’s proven and well-respected sales channel. We look forward to a very long and mutually rewarding relationship with the entire Hutton team.”
Cellphone-Mate manufactures TriFlex T amplifiers,…
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TORONTO – CBC/Radio?Canada announced today that Visa Canada is its first major sponsor of the upcoming 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
The multiplatform sponsorship agreement is designed to highlight Canada’s achievements at the Olympic Games through Visa’s “Go World” campaign, which celebrates the emotions and excitement of unforgettable Olympic moments.
“We’re thrilled to have a significant sponsor like Visa Canada on board, to bring the Olympic Winter Games home to Canadians,” said Alan Dark, CBC Revenue Group’s general manager, in a release. “Sochi 2014 will be an exciting time for both CBC/Radio?Canada and…
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