GATINEAU – The upcoming hearings to license four new pay TV applicants isn’t just a fight between the incumbents and the possible newcomers, says CanWest Global.
The interventions and replies surrounding the four applications were made public by the CRTC Monday and of course the incumbent pay operators, Astral Media (The Movie Network, Super Ecran) and Corus Entertainment (Movie Central) are solidly against licensing any of the new applicants.
The hearing is scheduled for October 24th.
As many already know from the re-tellings, last year, Spotlight TV, a company led by former Alliance Atlantis executive George Burger (backed…
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TORONTO – The four new pay television applications before the CRTC offer questionable customer value, will increase churn and hammer the bottom lines and the share prices of the two incumbent license-holders, says a research report published this week by investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston.
The report, entitled “A Luxury No One Can Afford,” says the four new pay services misinterpret the state of the Canadian pay system (which it characterized as “gold plated”) versus the American system and that any new applicant would find it very tough to stimulate high penetration levels.
The pay TV space in…
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MONTREAL and TORONTO – Quebecor-owned MSO Videotron will join the quadruple play club in 2006 by adding wireless service on the Rogers Wireless network.
The two companies today announced the signing of a strategic relationship agreement that will enable the Quebec cable company to offer consumers television, broadband Internet, cable telephony and Videotron branded mobile wireless services.
Videotron will operate as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, or MVNO, utilizing wireless voice and data services provided by Rogers Wireless across its GSM/GPRS network. This is the same arrangement Virgin Mobile Canada has with Bell Mobility.
The company plans to launch…
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TORONTO – While saying that Rogers Home Phone has had a good first two months in the market (but declining to provide numbers), Rogers Cable president Edward Rogers is still hopeful the company can work with other Canadian MSOs.
During the opening morning of the BMO Nesbitt Burns Media and Telecom conference on Tuesday, Rogers said, “we’re pleased with the results that we’re seeing,” from its telephony launch. Rogers hit the ground running though, with 600,000 or so existing Sprint Canada customers thanks to its purchase of Call Net in June.
“We’re seeing a very healthy response from customers,”…
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MONTREAL – Quebecor Media announced today it has promoted Mark D’Souza to vice-president finance.
He replaces Jacques Mallette, who will assume responsibilities of executive vice-president and CFO at Quebecor World. Mallette will continue in his role as EVP and CFO of Quebecor Inc., as well.
D’Souza joined Quebecor in 1997 as treasurer of Quebecor World. In 2002, he was appointed vice-president and treasurer of Quebecor and assumed the same responsibilities at Quebecor Media.
"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mark D’Souza who has a vast experience at Quebecor," said Pierre Karl Peladeau, president and CEO, in the…
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MONTREAL – Videotron Ltee announced today that it intends to offer, on a private placement basis, approximately US$175 million aggregate principal amount of unsecured senior notes due December 15, 2015.
The net proceeds from the sale will be used to repay in full all of Videotron’s outstanding indebtedness under its secured credit facilities, to pay a dividend to its parent company, Quebecor Media, and the balance, if any, will be applied to general corporate purposes.
www.videotron.com
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TORONTO – With low ratings at SUN TV and newspaper readership sliding at The Toronto Sun, owner Quebecor Media is betting that converging the two – and adding more content and high profile personalities – will revive both brands.
As part of a major corporate release today, which included an announcement on consolidating the company’s Ontario printing division, SUN TV (formerly Toronto 1) The Toronto Sun, Canoe.ca and commuter freebie newspaper 24 hours will converge, “into a cross-pollination of news, entertainment, sports and community will be an exciting meeting of styles and formats,” says…
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TORONTO – Quebecor Media-owned broadcaster Toronto 1 will begin the new fall 2005 season with a brand new name, borrowed from a corporate sister, www.cartt.ca has learned.
Sales representatives for the channel have been quietly telling media buyers in Toronto that the name Toronto 1 will be dumped in favor of SUN TV, named after Quebecor Media’s Toronto tabloid newspaper, The Toronto Sun.
Craig Media, which bet the farm while founding the station in the fall of 2003 and was then forced to sell out entirely to CHUM in 2004 when revenue at the Toronto station came nowhere…
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TORONTO – Paula Davies has been hired as the new executive producer of in-house production and Quebecor Media’s Toronto 1.
Davies comes to the station from CHUM Television and Craig Media where she guided MTV Canada and TV Land in her position as assistant general manager. Before that she was with A-Channel Calgary, WTN, CKY-Winnipeg, MTN-Winnipeg and ATV-Halifax. Her success has been recognized in the community. In 2003 Davies received a prestigious Top 40 under 40 Award from the Calgary Inc. Business Magazine.
“We are very pleased and excited to have Paula join the TORONTO 1 management team,” said…
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MONTREAL – Videotron and Toyota will be the co-presenters of the revamped, New Montreal Filmfest, it was announced today.
All Videotron services – cable television, video on demand, Internet, cable telephone and Canal VOX – will help showcase the Filmfest (September 19 to 25) by promoting its program and spotlighting its people.
"Our partnership with the New Montreal Filmfest is in keeping with our mission of giving customers the best possible user experience, since it will help bring premieres and exclusive content to the public." said Robert Depatie, president and CEO of Videotron at the press conference announcing the…
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