TORONTO – TV will maintain its “super media” status this year, while PCs will begin to lose ground to tablets and smart phones, according to Deloitte Canada’s annual predictions for the technology, media and telecommunications industries.
The 2011 Canadian TMT Predictions are based on research, in-depth interviews and input from Deloitte clients and alumni, industry analysts, global TMT executives, and more than 7,000 Deloitte TMT member firm practitioners.
According to the report, the top 10 most significant TMT trends that will impact Canada this year are:1. Smartphones and tablets: More than half of all computers aren’t computers anymore Continue Reading
TORONTO – Omnicom Media Group has named Adam Ivers as the new president and CEO of its Toronto-based agency Highway Entertainment.
Ivers joined Highway Entertainment in 2007 and most recently held the role of executive vice president. Prior to Highway, Ivers was VP of programming for the former CanWest Global Broadcasting (now Shaw Media), in addition to stints at International Management Group Canada (IMG) and TSN.
“Adam’s experience in broadcast programming, entrepreneurial approach to deal making and his innate skill for working collaboratively, has resulted in both company growth and new ways of delivering value for our clients in a rapidly evolving…
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WINNIPEG – The Manitoba government received plenty of feedback from the wireless industry as it prepares to consider changes to The Consumer Protection Act designed to provide better regulation of cell phone contracts in the province.
Wind Mobile urged the Manitoba government to enhance the abilities of consumers to “vote with their feet” by limiting carriers’ ability to charge "punitive and anticompetitive early termination fees”, and by ensuring greater transparency in wireless contracts.
The wireless upstart also lauded Manitoba for “demonstrating leadership in the area of consumer protection”, and encouraged the adoption of similar measures in Ontario and federally.
“Congratulations to the…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian film and television production industry showed only limited growth in the last year, according to a new report from the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA).
Profile 2010 is an annual economic report on the screen-based production industry in Canada providing a snapshot of Canada’s three main production segments: Canadian production (which includes Canadian television and theatrical production), foreign location and service production, and broadcaster in-house production.
The report noted a modest overall increase in production volume from $4.8 billion to $4.9 billion between 2008/09 and 2009/10. Total numbers for independent television production were down by 3.4%, despite an…
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MARKHAM, ON – Bell and Telus are partnering with Chinese networking and telecommunications equipment supplier Huawei on two joint innovation centres that will focus on advancements in wireless.
The location of the centres or the number of jobs that could be created were not made available as part of Monday’s announcement. Huawei opened a Canadian research and development centre just outside of Ottawa last April.
“Huawei played a key role in the introduction of Bell’s world-leading HSPA+ network, and we’re confident this Joint Innovation Centre will create further breakthrough products and services that keep both companies at the forefront of mobile…
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OTTAWA – CTVglobemedia Inc. says that it stands to lose up to $6.5 million in advertising revenue just by airing two public service announcements (PSAs) about the impact of the upcoming digital transition on over-the-air TV viewers.
According to the CRTC’s proposed regulations for the digital TV transition, broadcasters must begin airing the two PSAs no later than March 31, 2011. The first, which must will air six times per day to start and eight times daily beginning one month prior to the shut off, will inform viewers that analog OTA signals will cease on August 31, 2011. At least 25% of the PSAs must run…
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TORONTO – Rogers has attached its Sportsnet television brand to its sports radio stations in Toronto and Calgary. Effective immediately, the former FAN stations will be known as Sportsnet Radio FAN 590 and Sportsnet Radio FAN 960, respectively.
“We’re excited to bring the strength of these two brands together,” said newly minted Rogers Broadcasting president Scott Moore, in a statement on Wednesday. “Both the FAN and Sportsnet resonate with passionate local fans. Our fans want to talk about and interact with their local teams. We offer the best place to do that.”
TORONTO – The Canadian broadcast and telecom industries appear to have plenty to say about the proposed merger of Bell and CTV. With comments and interventions due on Tuesday, three weeks in advance of the CRTC hearing, most stakeholders offered their conditional support, but only with safeguards in place to preserve industry competition.
Rogers tied its support of the deal to Bell’s continued opposition to the issue of value-for-signal (a.k.a. fee-for-carriage). Bell, Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw and Telus at one point banded together to challenge the CRTC before the Federal Court of Appeal arguing that the Commission lacks the power…
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TORONTO – Kirstine Stewart has had the ‘interim’ label removed from her title after officially accepting the role of executive vice-president of CBC’s English Services, the public broadcaster said Monday.
"The broadcasting landscape continues to change rapidly. CBC has before it an opportunity to deepen its relationship and engage with Canadians in new ways. Kirstine Stewart is just the person to lead CBC into that future," said president and CEO, Hubert T. Lacroix, in the announcement.
Stewart, who was formerly general manager of CBC Television, took on interim EVP title last August after Richard Stursberg was abruptly let go. Lacroix…
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OTTAWA – The Liberal Party’s proposed amendments to the new copyright bill struck a sour note with Canadian screenwriters and broadcasters.
After opposition leader Michael Ignatieff announced revisions to Bill C-32, which include plans for a new fund to offer a private copying compensation payment of $35 million annually to Canadian artists, the Writers Guild of Canada and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters responded to the proposals with a thumbs down.
While acknowledging that the new fund may be a stopgap for the music industry, it “does nothing for authors of movies, TV shows and more”, the WGC said.
“The Liberal proposal correctly recognizes that the Conservative…
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