GATINEAU – While Canadian private broadcasters are increasingly spending big on American programming, their profitability took a huge hit in the 2008 broadcast year, ended August 31st, CRTC numbers show.
When compared with 2007, revenues for private conventional television stations decreased by 1.5% last year while expenses increased by 4%. This resulted in profits before interest and taxes (PBIT) of just $8 million, well off the $112.9 million reported in 2007.
In 2008, private broadcasters generated $2.1 billion in total revenue, with $387.3 million from local advertising remained – about the same level as last year. National advertising sales,…
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OTTAWA – Citing “economic and market realities” the Canadian Association of Broadcasters will be a far smaller organization going forward, concentrating more on policy and copyright matters.
As Cartt.ca reported first yesterday, the private broadcasters’ lobbying group fired 14 people, about half its staff. Included in the purge are COO Tina Van Dusen, SVP member relations and administration Sean Kiely, executive director of events and member services Marye Menard Bos, VP regulatory and policy Jay Thomson and VP communications Pierre Pontbriand.
The new CAB will be “a streamlined and effective advocacy association representing private radio and television broadcasters to…
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OTTAWA – The official announcement will come Wednesday morning we’re told, but Cartt.ca has learned that the Canadian Association of Broadcasters will go forward as a very different, far smaller, organization.
We don’t yet have all the particulars but it appears about half of the staff was told today they will be losing their jobs.
There’s no word yet on the new direction the organization will take (which is something the board of directors has been working on for two months, as we first reported) or the future of the annual convention – or who will replace…
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OAKVILLE, Ont. – Among Canadian TV web brands, The Weather Network sets the pace.
The company set a new record for unique viewers in December as 6.86 million Canadians visited the cable channel’s web site, a 48% increase over the previous month. (A lot of December snow in the Greater Toronto Area and difficult storms in Vancouver probably helped too…)
December’s record setting visits represent an increase of 25% over the same month in 2007.
The data, from ComScore Media Metrix’s news and information category, shows that theweathernetwork.com was well in front of second place cbc.ca (4.46 million) and…
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OTTAWA – The financial losses reported by Canwest Global Communications Wednesday should “provoke real concern about the overall crisis in Canada’s media companies” says the Canadian arm of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
“On a day when Nortel has filed for bankruptcy protection, Canadians have good reason to fear that their daily newspapers and radio and TV stations may also disappear if things continue on this path,” said CWA Canada director Arnold Amber, in a statement.
Claiming there has been little attention given to the “serious pressure on Canada’s news media,” Amber said that recent “significant…
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GATINEAU – Pay television network Super Channel appeared before the CRTC Wednesday to share their example of “inequity in minority language rights regulations”.
Citing his frustration that Super Channel is not carried by Quebec-based cable company Videotron “despite repeated attempts”, Super Channel president and COO Malcolm Knox said that the existing rules regarding Canadian television services in minority language markets don’t require Videotron to distribute even ‘must carry’ services.
“We are here today because the Commission gave us – Super Channel – a `must carry’ national premium television service licence a little over two years ago and we are…
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TORONTO – CTV announced that Canadian Idol will "rest" for the 2009 broadcast year "as a result of the current economic climate."
But the popular amateur singing contest has not been cancelled, and CTV “retains the format rights to the series” said a statement from a CTV spokesperson, implying that the show may return for a seventh season in the future.
Other countries have also ‘rested’ their Idol competitions at various times – broadcasters in Germany and Russia both halted production in 2005 between seasons two and three, and the Idol franchise in the Netherlands has rested twice, once in…
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OTTAWA – The demand for wireless will help Canada’s telecommunications industry “remain healthy and profitable”, according to the latest Industrial Outlook by the Conference Board of Canada.
"The continued rapid rate of increase in demand for wireless services – 8% increases on a year-over-year basis – is driving growth in the telecommunications industry. However, profit levels will remain flat over the next few years, due to fierce price competition, and a slowdown in demand growth due to the economic slowdown," said Michael Burt, associate director of the Industrial Outlook.
The forecast says that an uncertain economy will help to…
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TORONTO – Political and business leaders across the continent are expressing their tributes to Rogers Communications founder Ted Rogers, who died early on Tuesday, December 2nd.
Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO, Comcast:
“My father and I had the honor of knowing and working with Ted for many years, and his passing is a sad day for all of us. Ted was a giant in the history of cable television and telecommunications in North America.
“Ted’s passion, especially for new technology, was contagious. I always looked forward to his frequent visits to Philadelphia when we would share ideas and test new technologies….
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GATINEAU – When Star Choice took Sun TV (Quebecor’s Toronto station, CKXT) and CBKT Regina (CBC) out of its channel lineup in May, it did not violate its conditions of licence, the CRTC ruled Thursday.
Back in May, the DTH company (a division of Shaw Communications) took five stations out of its basic package, including the two mentioned above as well as CTV Calgary, which was quickly reinstated after customers complained. French-language CBC news channel RDI was also taken off, but the Commission forced Star Choice to reinstate it last week, as Cartt.ca reported.
This followed a stern Commission…
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