TORONTO – CBC today announced four women who will be the broadcaster’s brand new scripted content leadership team.
They will oversee separate development and production units for comedy and drama and report directly to Trish Williams, executive director, scripted content. “The updated structure is designed to be more responsive to Canadian creators and the independent production community,” reads the announcement.
“With this new structure, we are excited to welcome fresh perspectives and recognize the shining stars of our experienced scripted team,” said Williams. “Bringing in two highly respected producers to…
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By Ahmad Hathout
GATINEAU – The CRTC has announced a second round of funding commitment from its $750-million Broadband Fund and it’s going to what the industry has often identified as a serious cost barrier to rural broadband: transport facilities.
On Thursday, the regulator announced five recipients for funds worth a total of $26.7 million, focusing on British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Those companies are Rogers, Shaw, BH Telecom Corp., Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation, and Tough Country Communications Ltd., which are expected to connect 41 communities with 550 km of fibre transport.
The first announcement pledged $72 million for satellite and fibre…
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Data plan prices have dropped between 10% and 18% since last year
OTTAWA — With no fanfare, or even a press release, the ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry released its latest quarterly report on wireless plan prices last Friday, which shows the majority of monthly wireless plans with 2 GB to 6 GB continue to decrease in price across Canada.
ISI (formerly ISED) is tracking wireless plan pricing as part of the federal government’s public pledge to consumers to reduce the cost of wireless services by 25% by early 2022. Benchmark prices, or the prices to which the 25% reduction…
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VANCOUVER — Rogers Communications announced today its Rogers for Business division has expanded its cellular network to connect more rural communities in British Columbia.
The network expansion is leveraging financial support from the provincially funded Connecting British Columbia program, administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust, to provide broadband services to underserved Indigenous, remote and rural communities in B.C., says Rogers in a press release.
Last April, Northern Development Initiative Trust launched the provincially funded Covid-19 Response Intake program which provides grants of up to $50,000 to quickly boost community connectivity. Leveraging the funding, 29 existing cellular towers have been…
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TORONTO and MONTREAL — Although Canada’s annual professional tennis tournament will no longer be called the Rogers Cup, Sportsnet and Tennis Canada announced today the Rogers Sports and Media-owned network will continue to be the exclusive English-language broadcaster for the tourney, which has been renamed the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
As part of a new multi-year domestic media rights extension agreement announced today, Sportsnet will serve up the action at the National Bank Open starting in August 2021. The ATP men’s tournament is scheduled to take place in Toronto from August 7 to 15, while the WTA women’s…
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MONTREAL — TVA Group’s Incendo and Screentime New Zealand today announced they have started principal photography on a new TV movie, Love Knots, which will air as part of Citytv’s Fall in Love Fridays lineup.
Being shot on location in New Zealand, Love Knots is written by John Banas and directed by Josh Frizzell (Together Forever Tea, Ablaze, Fresh Eggs). The movie is being produced in association with Rogers Sports and Media’s Citytv channel. Samantha Ellison, Bridget Bourke and Tina McLaren will produce the film. Jean Bureau, Ian Whitehead and Philly de Lacey are executive producers.
The movie stars New Zealand…
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TORONTO – On the good news side, Rogers Communications’ fourth quarter results showed an addition of 114,000 new postpaid wireless subscribers while churn improved.
As for the bad, the Covid crisis continues to impact the company’s operations as full year revenue (for the period ended December 31, 2020) dropped 8% to $13.92 billion and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization declined 5%, compared to the same period of 2019 to $5.86 billion.
On the cable side, service revenue rose by 3% to just over $1 billion in the quarter as the company added 19,000 internet subscribers and 71,000 Ignite…
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SSi Micro says northern broadband won’t grow if everything is given to incumbents
By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Last week, outgoing Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai said a chunk of the United States’ historic C-band spectrum proceeds should go toward a fund intended to help bring basic telecommunications services to all Americans.
North of the border, NDP Member of Parliament Brian Masse (and many others) has long been calling for spectrum proceeds to fund rural broadband investments — even creating a proposal to connect the entirety of the country to universal objective speeds (50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload) much sooner than…
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More virtual buyers briefings slots opening up on Thursday
OTTAWA — Prime Time Online starts this week, and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) announced today delegates can now book virtual meetings with Global Affairs Canada trade commissioners to discuss projects with international appeal and export potential.
The trade commissioners taking part in the Prime Time Pitch Market’s Trade Commissioner Service Export Café are:
Jeffrey Crossman – Ontario
Allison Goodings – UK
Constance Richard – France
Catherine Scheinman – New York City
In addition, due to popular demand, CMPA announced it is adding a limited number of Buyers Briefings slots which will…
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TORONTO — Hollywood Suite this morning announced two internal staff promotions. Sharon Stevens (above, left) has been promoted to vice-president of programming, and Julie Kumaria (right) is now senior vice-president of marketing and content distribution.
As director of programming from 2017 to 2020, Stevens “took Hollywood Suite’s schedules to new heights of creativity and viewer engagement”, says the press release announcing the promotions. Since early 2020, Stevens has led the programming team as they curate, commission and schedule Hollywood Suite’s movie channels, along the way garnering audience accolades such as “tell your curatorial staff they are f**king geniuses”, says the…
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