MCLEAN, VA – Satcom company Iridium Communications this week announced Operation Arctic Lynx (OAL), which it says is “a series of partnership-driven field exercises deploying Iridium and Iridium Connected technologies and involving more than 20 organizations, primarily focused above 60 degrees north latitude and stretching as far as 82 degrees north latitude.”
Taking place between June 11 and June 26, 2021, OAL involves an international contingent of organizations including existing Iridium customers like the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. federal agencies, Alaska state and local organizations, Canadian government organizations, scientific research organizations and multiple aerospace industry companies.
The operation will see…
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Why we can’t allow two companies who don’t lead, to merge
By Brad Danks
IF YOU HEARD A PRIMAL scream coming from across the country during your morning coffee last Thursday, no doubt it came from people like me who were reading the article in this publication entitled, Why more Canadian media consolidation is a must, summarizing a report from Scotiabank analyst Jeff Fan that recommends the merger of Bell Media and Corus Entertainment.
It’s not clear whether this is an idea actually being considered by those companies, the banks or major investors or if it is just a random report…
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By Etan Vlessing
TORONTO – In an annual upfront presentation short on traditional song and dance sales pitches, top executives at Rogers Sports & Media on Tuesday gave Canadian marketers and ad agencies a master class on big data and how advanced audience analytics will drive their multi-platform and device sales campaigns.
Division president Jordan Banks opened the broadcaster’s virtual show, which is an important pitch for ad dollars, by spotlighting a “massive transformation” in the organization after the pandemic accelerated consumption changes in the Canadian media landscape caused by cord-cutting and a shift in subscriber revenue to mostly foreign streaming…
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TORONTO — Evanov Communications announced today it has begun testing its Toronto ethnic radio station CHLO AM530 in HD Radio.
CHLO was the first station founded by the company and its programming caters to many cultural and linguistic communities in the Toronto market, with a primary focus on the large and diverse South Asian audience.
According to Carmela Laurignano, Evanov’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, CHLO AM530 is the first and only AM station in Canada to adopt digital HD technology with its own standalone HD transmitter.
“We are excited to be on the leading edge. Radio broadcasting has endured, withstood, and adapted…
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By Mel Cohen
THE CRTC REVERSED ITSELF last Thursday, declaring that it erred in 2019 when it set lower rates for wholesale customers of the major telephone and cable companies. Wholesale customers are the dozens of smaller companies that compete with the majors and each other to provide internet services used every day by Canadian homes and businesses.
They are companies you might know – Distributel, Primus, and other members of the Competitive Network Operators of Canada. The consequence of the CRTC decision is that Canadians will soon pay higher prices to use the internet.
What is particularly frustrating about this…
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OTTAWA — Saying “Bill C-10 is good for Canada”, 30 broadcasting, production and music industry organizations have come together to purchase ad space in The Hill Times, Toronto Star and Le Journal de Montréal to release an open letter calling on the federal government to pass Bill C-10, the bill aimed at updating the Broadcasting Act for the digital age.
They weren’t alone with an open letter, or urgent C-10 appeal.
Starting today, full-page ads (see above) are appearing in the publications, with the letter’s signatories including the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB),…
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TORONTO — Some of Canada’s best-known performers and creators are speaking up in support of ACTRA’s (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) campaign urging the federal government to pass Bill C-10, which aims to modernize the Broadcasting Act.
In a press release issued Monday, ACTRA national president David Sparrow said: “The future of Canada’s screen-based industry is at a pivotal moment… Canadian performers and creators are calling on our federal government to act now to modernize Canada’s outdated broadcasting system.”
“Canada’s Broadcasting Act is 10 years behind almost every other country in the world,” adds Sugith Varughese, original Fraggle…
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TORONTO — Ahead of Rogers Sports and Media’s upfront presentation Tuesday, Sportsnet today revealed it is building a new immersive broadcast studio for its NHL production team which will be located at Rogers Campus at 333 Bloor St. E. in Toronto and will be ready for the 2021-22 NHL season.
Designed to be customizable, the brand-new space will “facilitate unique content creation, real-time data integration, and exclusive sponsorship opportunities,” reads Sportsnet’s press release.
The Sportsnet team has been operating out of a studio at Toronto’s CBC headquarters, which was built in 2014, coinciding with the first season of its Continue Reading
TORONTO — Telefilm Canada announced today the launch of a new six-episode podcast series, Maple Popcorn, which offers exclusive interviews with Canadian TV and film icons to provide a sneak peek on what goes on behind the scenes and explore the cultural contributions made by the Canadian film industry, says Telefilm’s press release.
Produced by The Brand is Female and powered by Telefilm Canada, Maple Popcorn is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcast platforms. The weekly series is hosted by Canadian entertainment reporter Marriska Fernandes.
“The Canadian film industry is experiencing remarkable levels of production compared to pre-pandemic…
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By Etan Vlessing
THE INDIENET GROUP of independent TV broadcasters on Thursday unwrapped a fall 2021 programming slate designed to reach an older slice of the Canadian TV audience for domestic advertisers and agencies.
Never mind cord cutting and fast-evolving streaming TV wars as Canadian and international broadcasters increasingly target younger viewers by going online and direct-to-consumer. The underlying message from Indienet for 2021 was that no ad-supported streaming or digital platform can match linear TV’s live audience share and reach — at least for now.
Kathy Gardner, vice president of media insights with ThinkTV, a trade group promoting Canadian commercial TV,…
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