MONTREAL – More cost cutting and fewer than expected losses in its traditional wireline business led to a "steady" first quarter for Bell Canada Enterprises, the company announced this morning.
NAS losses in the quarter, ended March 31, 2007, slowed by 20% compared to Q1 2006.
"Once again, we were able to deliver solid EBITDA growth and that contributed to an increase in earnings per share," said Michael Sabia, president and CEO. "Overall, our wireline services held their own against competitors this quarter. There was less erosion in our local and long distance revenues and we had good performance…
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MONTEBELLO, Que. – Canada’s telecom industry must move swiftly to create the new consumer protection agency the federal government has called for or face the prospect of new legislation governing how the companies deal with miffed customers.
In a speech Wednesday at the 2007 Telecommunications Invitational Forum (read: no media) in Montebello, CRTC Chairman Konrad von Finckenstein told delegates that he wants to see the industry establish this new consumer agency so that it’s up and running when Canada’s incumbent telcos are forborne from regulation, which is likely to begin happening late this fall.
Part of the federal government’s…
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KELOWNA – Register today to attend the Canadian CommTech Trade Show and Training Seminars May 30th and 31st at the Coast Capri Hotel in beautiful Kelowna.
“Our exhibitors show is sold out with a waiting list," said show host Janice Lee of JLL & Associates. "We are so pleased. This show will provide 35% more exhibitors than last year and 25% more technical seminars. Our 2007 show is drawing attendees from Atlantic Canada through to Vancouver Island. Last year’s attendance was 52% cable, 41% telco and 7% from other industries.”
Buyers, technicians and operations management personnel can obtain diverse…
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TORONTO – Cogeco Cable’s Gary Pelletier will head to Harvard in June as the recipient of the CTAM Canada Fellowship Award to attend the 10th annual Executive Management Program.
Known as CTAM U, The Executive Management Program is a week-long intensive learning program at the Harvard Business School (HBS). The program focuses on strategic marketing and business principles through a detailed case study curriculum administered by HBS professors and key industry leaders.
Pelletier is director, product marketing (CATV and Broadband) at Cogeco Cable. He is responsible for acquisition, retention, pricing, promotions, packaging and product definition for analog and digital television…
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OTTAWA – Canadian regulators should think long and hard before setting a digital OTA television transition deadline as has been done in the States, says Canadian Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Glenn O’Farrell.
O’Farrell was responding to a story in Cartt.ca on Monday which quoted Industry Canada’s assistant deputy minister Michael Binder as saying such a deadline should he set in Canada.
The American analog shut off date of February 17, 2009 is thought of by many down south as set in stone, but Federal Communications Commission commissioner Michael Copps, just last week at the National Association of…
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OTTAWA – While Canada’s telecommunications industry is expected to see profit levels increase again to $4.3 billion in 2007, the reasons behind that growing profit are troubling, according to the Conference Board’s Canadian Industrial Outlook: Canada’s Telecommunications Industry – Spring 2007.
The report looked at Canada’s traditional wireline telephone companies.
"Despite modest sales growth and minimal price increases, industry profits reached a record high in 2006," said Michael Burt, senior economist, in a press release. But that growth was primarily due to "weak growth in material and capital costs."
That means the growth will be cooling soon. "(W)eak price…
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TORONTO – CHUM Radio launched the Emerging Indie Artist Initiative today, a program designed to bring new Canadian talent to audiences across Canada.
Each month, beginning May 1, 2007, CHUM Radio programmers across Canada will vote for the best emerging Canadian artist. The winning artist’s song will be added to playlists at all participating CHUM stations, reaching over two million Canadians, says the company.
The initiative will provide independent artists with mass exposure through airplay, advertising time and promotion and Suzie McNeil’s Believe is the program’s inaugural selection.
The Emerging Indie Artist Initiative is developed as part of the…
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TORONTO and MONTREAL – Because of the altered – and altering – media and telecom space, wireless web and TV carrier Look Communications said late last night that it is no longer actively looking for as buyer.
Technically, it has‘‘ discontinued its strategic review and maximization of shareholder value process,’’ says the press release.
As reported by Cartt.ca, the process started in late 2006 and ‘‘was commenced in an environment which is entirely different to the Canadian information, communication and entertainment environment that exists today. The Canadian landscape has changed dramatically with the following being just some of…
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OTTAWA – If 2006 was the year of local forbearance and the fight over deregulating the wireline phone market, 2007 will be the year newcomers and incumbents wrestle over wireless.
In fact, the lobbying has already begun. Last week, as reported by Cartt.ca, Quebecor Media CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau told Ottawa’s Canadian Club that the cozy oligopoly of existing players keeps prices high, stifles innovation and ensures new wireless applications already available in other countries are slow to market in Canada.
On Monday at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, a large roomful of wireless regulatory lawyers, financial analysts,…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) on Monday praised the RCMP for arresting and charging a male in the Township of Hatley, Quebec last Tuesday with theft of satellite signals and possession of equipment used to intercept satellite signals.
The search conducted by members of the Estrie Detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the residence of the alleged offender led to the seizure of cash, a vehicle and unauthorized devices. The Township of Hatley is in Estrie, Quebec.
“This investigation is aimed at establishing that the suspect, who operates a computer business, imported and sold…
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