OTTAWA – After stellar growth in 2003, revenues for television broadcasters increased at less than half the pace in 2004, says a report from Statistics Canada.
Television broadcasting operating revenues increased 4.1% to $5.4 billion in the 2004 broadcast year (September 1st 2003 to August 31st 2004) compared with an 8.8% advance the previous year.
Two of three main revenue streams of the industry continued to rise. Air time sales rose 4.8% to $3 billion and subscriber revenues increased 5.9% to $1.3 billion. In comparison, air time sales jumped 8.7% in 2003 while subscriber revenues rose 6.9%.
Grants fell…
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TORONTO – The show that led the buzz-meter during the recent fall launches south of the border, Chris Rock’s “Everybody Hates Chris”, will premiere on Citytv this fall, CHUM Television announced today.
Other new shows include dramatic series "Just Legal" from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer; "Hot Properties," a new comedy about four women in the Manhattan real estate market; the drama "Supernatural" from executive producer McG ("The O.C.") starring Jared Padalecki; and "Wanted," a gritty crime drama from executive producers Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent.
Mid-season programming highlights include: "Bedford Diaries" from executive producer Barry Levinson; "South Beach,"…
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TORONTO – Today, Teletoon announced the appointment of Leslie Krueger as vice-president of marketing, and Trent Locke as vice-president of finance and planning. The new titles are effective immediately.
Krueger has over 15 years experience in marketing, promotions and advertising. In her new role, she will be responsible for the strategic direction, development and evaluation of marketing programs, as well as the leadership of sales promotions, creative services and online media. Krueger (right) joined Teletoon in 2001 as director, promotions and became the director of marketing and promotions in 2002.
During this…
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TORONTO – The Alliance for Children and Television (ACT) honoured Canada’s top English-language children’s programs at the 2005 Awards of Excellence Gala last night.
The jury of industry creators and craftspeople selected the following award winners:
Grand Prize for Best Program – All Categories, sponsored by CBC: This Is Daniel Cook, produced by marblemedia and Sinking Ship Productions, broadcast by Treehouse TV, TVOntario, Knowledge, Access and SNC.
Award of Excellence, Animation, Ages 3–5, sponsored by Zone3: Peep and the Big Wide World, produced by 9 Story Entertainment Inc., broadcast by TVOntario.
Award of Excellence, All Genres, Ages 3–5, sponsored…
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TORONTO – Telecom lawyer Lorne Abugov used this week’s Canadian Telecom Summit to launch Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame.
While other industries have their own way to recognize their pioneers and leaders, the 160-year-old Canadian telecom industry has been lacking, says Abugov.
“The Canadian telecommunications industry has a rich heritage of achievement, invention and innovation that predates confederation,” says Abugov, the hall’s founder and senior telecom law partner with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, pointing to Canadian success stories like Alexander Graham Bell and Waterloo’s Research In Motion, makers of the Blackberry.
“There are few industries in Canada, or even…
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TORONTO – VOIP, wireless, video, SMS, IMS, GSM – we are on the cusp of major telecom changes – not to mention a riot of acronyms you can’t identify without a program.
It was clear through several sessions at the first day of the three-day Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto that wireless and voice over Internet protocol telephony are leading a revolution in communications, world wide. Here’s a bit of what we saw and heard.
Ericsson Canada’s president Mark Henderson told delegates that video looks to be the next big thing in wireless. Good video too, with interactive television…
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TORONTO – Don’t expect Bell Canada Enterprises to let up on the CRTC any time soon.
Still stinging from the Commission’s May 12th VOIP decision, which maintains traditional regs on telcos’ voice over IP offerings while cablecos and others get a head start, BCE CEO Michael Sabia made plain today in his keynote address at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto that the company will keep pressuring government for wholesale change.
The situation is dire, he said, as Canada loses ground in the information communications technology (ICT) space to forward-thinking countries like Ireland and Korea. “By making a conscious…
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WINNIPEG – While his announcement that Shaw Communications’ VOIP launch in Winnipeg is imminent got some headlines after a speech last week, company CEO Jim Shaw used the forum to pound away at one of his favorite topics: transforming government policy.
After saying in the prepared text of his speech to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce that he expected Shaw to launch voice over Internet protocol telephony in Winnipeg, “in the next few weeks,” he went on to outline his vision of a lighter regulatory regime for the telecom and TV industry.
Broadcast, telecom, it doesn’t matter, all areas…
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MONTREAL – Bell Canada today made official the introduction of a new signal encryption system for its Bell ExpressVu satellite TV service.
As of July 1, 2005, all television programming received by Bell ExpressVu customers will be distributed on the new platform, the company’s most comprehensive initiative to-date to combat the industry-wide issue of signal theft.
Last August, ExpressVu began distributing SmartCards required to support the new system to more than one million customers who purchased digital TV receivers before September 2004. More than 92% of this subset of customers have received and installed the new SmartCards, says the…
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QUISPAMSIS, N.B. – Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance recently completed a new master affiliate agreement.
The deal covers History Television, Life Network, Showcase, HGTV Canada and Food Network Canada. The CCSA represents 94 independent member companies for group purchases of programming, equipment and other services.
“We are very pleased to be able to offer our member companies an omnibus deal for these superior quality services from AABI,” said CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend in the press release. “The terms and flexibility offered by AABI allow member companies to create distribution solutions geared to their…
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