Search Results for: quebecor

Radio / Television News

NextMedia 2008: Think broadly when trying to monetize online video

TORONTO – There are very few reliable ways to monetize video online – without taking a broader view of what you present to audiences and advertisers, that is. That seemed to be the message coming out of NextMedia this morning at the Circa nightclub in Toronto. Broadcasters Dominique Sebastien-Forest, general manager of digital media and e-commerce at Quebecor Media, Raja Khanna, GlassBox Television’s co-CEO, and Barbara Williams, Canwest Global’s executive vice-president, content, told delegates this morning – each in their own way – that trying to monetize video online has to be just a single part of an all-encompassing… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Change at Quebecor

MONTREAL – Change seems to be in the air at Quebecor. The company announced Friday that their Sun Media and Canoe divisions will now fall under president and CEO Pierre Karl Peladeau, eliminating the position of Michael Sifton, the former president and CEO of Sun Media Corporation. Sifton, who took the role in 2007 after Quebecor purchased Osprey Media, will be leaving the company. The integration of Sun Media Corporation and Canoe under one leadership will “help to maximize growth opportunities and synergies, and accelerate the migration of information and contents generated by the various publications to cross-platform supports”,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Videotron sees 13th quarter of growth

MONTREAL – Videotron saw third quarter growth across its four major products – cable TV, Internet, cable telephone and wireless telephone service, the company announced today as part of parent company Quebecor Media`s quarterly results, marking the 13th consecutive quarter of growth for all company services. As of September 30, 2008, the company reported 1,691,500 cable TV subscribers, including 876,700 for their illico digital TV, an increase of 31,000 during the quarter and by 53,000 on a year-to-date basis. Internet customers sit at 1,031,400 subscribers, and cable telephone customers reached 797,900. Since wireless was introduced in 2006, Videotron has… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

OPINION: Broadcasters association faces uncertain future

ON THE SURFACE, the 2008 Canadian Association of Broadcasters convention went off with nary a hitch. Speeches and panels were mostly interesting, attendance was stable compared to last year and the country’s broadcasters did their usual good job in celebrating their best and brightest while we were all entertained by various musical acts over about a 42-hour span at the Westin Hotel. Behind the scenes though, it’s a much different story. Now, while no one would go on the record with me about any of this, it became quite clear while talking to many people on the show floor… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Quebecor sees opportunity in new policy

MONTREAL – Quebecor Media says that for the most part, they’re “pleased” with the CRTC decision from last week, saying in a company press release that the new regulatory framework “seems to point Canadian broadcasting policy toward less regulation and greater competition in the area of telecommunications to the benefit of Canadians.” The release also said that the company will consider launching new networks and may submit applications for new licenses in light of the loosening of genre protection in the areas of general interest news and sports. However, the release said that the company “regrets” that the many… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Publishing, distribution pull TVA down in Q3

MONTREAL – Decreases in the publishing and movie distribution sectors led TVA to report an 8.2% decrease in operating income for their third quarter, according to the company press release issued today. Quebecor Media-owned TVA reported a consolidated operating income of $10.8 million for the third quarter of 2008 ending September 30, compared with consolidated operating income of $11.8 million for the same quarter of 2007. The company did report a 14.5% increase in the television sector’s operating income over the same quarter of 2007, however. "Given the slowdown in the advertising market in Canada, we are satisfied with… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Media and cable to weather economic downturn (but buy cable…)

TORONTO – Facing a "moderate recession" in Canada, our cable and media companies seem well positioned to weather a deteriorating economy, says a recent analyst’s research report. BMO Capital Markets financial analyst Tim Casey – who covers cable and media in Canada – admitted that while he was lowering his overall earnings forecasts “for the second time in three weeks” based on an “underlying thesis” of a “moderate recession in Canada” like the one we endured in the early 1990s, most companies seem well positioned to ride it out. On the radio side, which is of course tied to… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Commission will make public BDU and broadcaster financial data

GATINEAU – The CRTC said Tuesday it will publicly disclose the aggregate financial data of large broadcast distribution undertakings (cable and satellite companies) and large conventional television and radio broadcasters. “Although it was set out in Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-6 as its preliminary view, the Commission is now convinced, based on the comments received at the proceedings on the Diversity of Voices and the BDU regulatory frameworks, that the public disclosure of the aggregate financial data of both large BDUs and/or MSOs and large OTA television and radio broadcasters by ownership group would serve the public interest and would… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

QMI/Videotron to spend up to a billion on new wireless net

MONTREAL – Saying it will create about 1,000 new jobs, Quebecor Media and its cable and telecom division Videotron said today that they will invest between $800 million and $1 billion over four years to roll out its new wireless network. A big chunk of it has already been spent buying spectrum, however, during this summer’s advanced wireless spectrum auction when Quebecor bid $554 million to cover its home province, as Cartt.ca reported.  The new High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network should be up and running in 12 to 18 months, QMI CEO and Videotron president and CEO Robert… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Videotron to make wireless plans public on Wednesday

MONTREAL – Quebecor Media’s cable operator, Videotron will make some details of its planned wireless investment public on Wednesday. The media have been invited to the Monument-National in Montreal to hear “details of plans to invest several hundred million dollars in Quebec in the roll-out of a new highly advanced wireless network,” says the company release. Watch Cartt.ca Wednesday for more on this. www.videotron.com Continue Reading