TORONTO – In addition to kicking off consultations on a national digital strategy, Industry Minister Clement also announced the first series of projects to receive conditional funding approval under the government’s rural high-speed Internet program.
The 52 projects, scattered across nine provinces and territories, are anticipated to bring broadband Internet access to an estimated 169,000 Canadian households.
"I am delighted that, as a result of today’s announcement, so many individuals, families and businesses across Canada will soon have access to high-speed Internet service for the first time," said Minister Clement in a statement, earlier this week. "Canada is poised…
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Perry Hoffman
OTTAWA – Ciel Satellite Group and Telesat Canada could both end up being big winners in a recent satellite licensing process from Industry Canada. Last week, the department awarded the rights to one of two broadcast orbital slots up for grabs to Ciel, but left the door open to Telesat for the second slot if it’s interested.
Industry Canada awarded Ciel the 113 degrees west orbital slot and invited Telesat to ask for the 111.1 position – the other location available in the licensing process. But using the 111.1 slot will require some modifications to Telesat’s original plan,…
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OTTAWA – Two Canadian economists told a Parliamentary committee studying foreign investment restrictions in telecommunications that relaxing the rules would have a beneficial impact across the entire Canadian economy.
Randall Morck, a professor in the department of finance and management science at the University of Alberta’s School of Business, told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology last week that foreign investment restrictions have a negative impact on the entire Canadian economy.
“I still think and in fact I’d be willing to be bet several cases of Molson’s Canadian beer that if you wanted to retard the…
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OTTAWA and STRATFORD, ON – Industry Minister Tony Clement has kicked off a consultation process designed to build consensus on Canada’s forthcoming national digital economy strategy.
Speaking at the Canada 3.0 conference in Stratford on Monday morning, Minister Clement announced that the government will hold roundtable meetings and accept on-line submissions from the private sector, academia and the Canadian public on priorities and targets.
“Canada can and should be a leader in the global digital economy,” said Minister Clement, in a statement. “Now is the time for the private sector to step up and contribute their ideas for a digital strategy…
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STRATFORD – Wireless spectrum is squarely in the sights of Industry Canada and its leader, Minister Tony Clement, as we head into 60 days of consultations on a new digital economy strategy for the nation.
From what’s being discussed in Ottawa right now, we’re told, wireless companies have grown worried that if they thought the last batch of spectrum auctioned off was expensive (they paid $4.3 billion, collectively), just wait until the next one. Spectrum is a finite public resource and expect the federal government to get as much from it as it can (especially with a projected $50 billion…
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ONE OF THE MOST WIDELY quoted reports on the world wide media outlook for the next four years was Pricewaterhousecoopers’ Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: No hiding from the digital transition.
Depending on your point of view, the report presented an exhilarating, scary, or some combination of both, future for those of us working in media.
Jerry Brown, associate partner, advisory services, for the company’s Canada entertainment and media practice, is a 23-year veteran of the industry and notes that the 2009 study placed its emphasis on advertiser and consumer spending to determine where the revenue is coming from.
“Through a combination…
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TORONTO – A new $20-million, 338,000 square-foot production complex called the William F. White Centre has opened its doors in Toronto.
Acting as a hub for industry professionals, the facility will offer a full-range of production and related support services under one roof.
“Ontario’s enhanced all-spend tax credit recently introduced by the Ontario Government, combined with a rebound in U.S. production and a healthy indigenous industry helped this facility become a reality,” said chair and CEO Paul Bronfman, in the announcement. “William F. White remains committed to nurturing Toronto’s continued role as one of North America’s most active production centres. World-class facilities such…
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WHY DO THE OLD TV sets in the living rooms, garages, kitchens or at the cottages of millions of Canadians deserve to go digital?
As the transition to digital over-the-air TV deadline grows closer and the industry is awakening to the need to act, the question has been asked in some quarters: Why bother?
We can keep fibbing if we want but as an industry we already know it’s now impossible to update our over-the-air television broadcasting system to digital by the August 31, 2011 deadline set years ago by the CRTC. Not “virtually impossible.” Not “challenging.” It is not…
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DARTMOUTH, NS – Local advertising is back, said radio station owner Newfoundland Capital Corporation on Wednesday.
The company recorded what it called one of the best Q1’s it has ever had with revenue that was $25.7 million in the quarter ended March 31, 2010, or 13% higher than the same quarter last year – and most of the growth was organic, or same-station, increases.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $4.4 million in the quarter were 115% higher than last year, primarily attributable to improved revenue. Net income of $1.2 million was 124% better than the same quarter last…
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OTTAWA – Allowing more foreign investment in the telecommunications business, particularly for broadcast distributors, will almost certainly have an impact on the content carried on Canadian airwaves, according to Astral Media Inc.’s chairman of the board, André Bureau.
Speaking to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology for its study on foreign ownership restrictions in telecommunications, Bureau said broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs) have an “enormous influence” over the programming offered to Canadian consumers.
“BDUs are not just pipes. BDUs make programming decisions everyday. They control and decide which programming services consumers will have access to….
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