OTTAWA – The process to find the new chairperson of the CRTC is officially underway today, less than two weeks before outgoing chair Konrad von Finckenstein’s term expires on January 24.
The chair, "Chief Executive Officer of the CRTC… establishes the corporate vision and values, defines the strategic priorities and plans and sets up the organization structure and operational systems and processes to guide the work of members and staff. This includes assigning members to panels and providing strong functional direction and expertise to members to enhance their conduct of delegated panel responsibilities and other areas of activity and to ensure…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – While the video rental business across most of North America struggles in free-fall, Quebecor-owned Le SuperClub Videotron has managed to buck that trend.
The Quebec-based chain has seen more than 40% growth over the past five years, and doubled its share of the province’s video rental market last year to 65%. It attributes its success to a renewed focus on customer service that includes initiatives such as unlimited movies for $9.99 per month, 7-day rentals for most films, and a lifetime guarantee on previewed movies.
In addition, the company spent more than $10 million in 2011 on renovating 40 locations to include a…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – TVA Group said Thursday that it is selling its share in specialty channels Mystery TV and The Cave to Shaw Media. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Quebecor Media subsidiary owns a 50% interest in Mystery TV and 51% of The Cave, though both channels have been run by the Shaw Media group.
TVA said that a licence transfer request was submitted to the CRTC last week, and pending approval, the proposed transaction could be finalized in the spring of 2012.
www.tva.canoe.ca
www.shawmedia.ca
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Videotron has named Manon Brouillette to the newly created position of president for consumer services.
In addition, Myrianne Collin has been appointed senior vice-president, strategy & marketing, while Marie Ginette Lepage becomes vice-president, product development. The Montreal-based company said Wednesday that the new roles are part of its plan to intensify its focus on customer service.
Since joining Videotron in 2004, Brouillette (pictured) has spearheaded a string of key projects, including the launch of Videotron’s new mobile service, the illico web Internet television service, and the company’s faster high speed Internet service. She most recently held the title of EVP…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – BDUs must provide at least 60 days notice to broadcasters before changing their terms of carriage, packaging or retailing of any programming service, the CRTC has reiterated to carriers in a letter this week.
The Commission drove home this point, originally set out in Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-35, at the behest of the Independent Broadcast Group/Le groupe de diffuseurs indépendants (IBG/GDI). In a letter to the CRTC, one that also copied vertically integrated companies Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Quebecor, the group expressed concern that the notice policy might be discounted by the big BDUs.
“If adequate notice is not provided,…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Both of Canada's two French-language private television networks made commitments to increase local news programming as CRTC hearings concluded Friday in Montreal.
Remstar, which bought the TQS network out of creditor protection in 2008 and eliminated its news-gathering operations, read the writing on the hearing walls and committed to increase local news programming on its five owned-and-operated stations after spending the week resisting calls to do so.
In '08, the CRTC gave what is now called V Interactions three years of reduced local news minimums when the station was purchased (from…
Continue Reading
By Pierre Dion, CEO, TVA Group
WHEN IT APPEARED BEFORE the CRTC for television licence renewal hearing last week, TVA Group pointed to the changes underway in the competitive and technological environment for the broadcasting industry and explained the conditions it needs to continue to thrive in the new broadcasting landscape.
Over the years, thanks to the efforts of its 1,600-plus employees, TVA Group has become the largest French-language broadcaster of entertainment, news and public affairs programming in North America. It is also one of the largest private creators and producers of Québec cultural content. Every year,…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – A number of Canada’s independent cable operators have balked at signing a new omnibus carriage agreement for the up-to 30 specialty channels owned by Bell Media and instead are demanding the CRTC step in and decide who’s right.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the agreement and the ongoing battle, both Cogeco Cable and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance have been through a few rounds of official CRTC staff mediation, which hasn’t yielded much in the way of results. It now looks like the disputes are headed towards binding, final offer arbitration in front of a CRTC…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Videotron is launching an enhanced HD channel lineup featuring new channels in the Outaouais region of Quebec on Wednesday.
The 20 new channels, which include the likes of APTN, CBC News Network, CNN, Oasis, and RDS2, can launch now that Videotron has completed changes to its analog service in the area, the company said.
"We completed the changes to our analog offerings at the end of September and we are now able to more fully meet the needs of our customers in the region and provide them with the best possible television experience," said Myrianne Collin, VP of marketing and product development,…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Appearing at a Parliamentary committee earlier today to talk about the impact of the Federal Court of Appeal’s decision granting the Information Commissioner access to certain CBC/Radio-Canada documents, the national public broadcaster instead found itself having to defend its accountability and transparency practices.
While the House of Commons Standing Commission on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics began in a rather cordial manner with Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro lauding the CBC for releasing information regarding money spent on its fleet of vehicles, the mood changed when he seemed to accuse the corporation of hiding hospitality and entertainment…
Continue Reading
