But Commission won’t entertain issues related to merits of Covid contact-tracing apps
GATINEAU — After dismissing the Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s (PIAC) request in May for the CRTC to clarify the rules and responsibilities Canadian wireless carriers have regarding Covid-19 contact-tracing apps, the Commission has now decided to give further consideration to the issues raised in PIAC’s subsequent Part 1 application filed on September 9.
PIAC’s second application is not a re-submission of its first application, explains PIAC’s cover letter, which says it “seeks Commission guidance on privacy rules for potential government requests to TSPs to provide…
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TORONTO — CBC announced today award-winning journalist and anchor Ginella Massa (above) is joining CBC News as a new national primetime host.
Massa comes to CBC from Citytv’s CityNews in Toronto, where she hosts three nightly newscasts and is well-known for her field reporting. She will join CBC in mid-November to begin developing a new 8 p.m. weeknight program, which is planned for launch on CBC News Network in early 2021, says the CBC press release announcing her move to the public broadcaster.
In addition to hosting the new primetime program, Massa will be part of CBC news specials and…
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MONTREAL – While recent news swirling around the company has been about other things, Cogeco Inc. posted good fourth quarter and year-end 2020 results as broadband demand remained high in Canada and the U.S.
For the quarter ended August 31, 2020, revenue increased by 2.2% over Q4 2019 to reach $624.2 million while adjusted EBITDA reached $300 million, an increase of 6.7%. Cogeco Inc. contains Cogeco Communications (Cogeco Connexion in Canada and Atlantic Broadband in the States) as well as the company’s Quebec radio stations.
Full year revenue came in at $2.48 billion, a 1.4% increase over 2019 and…
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TORONTO — Rogers today announced its customers can now access Amazon Music directly through their Ignite TV box, allowing them to listen to their favourite music as well as thousands of playlists and stations.
Rogers Ignite TV customers also have access to the Amazon Prime Video app to watch their favourite TV shows and movies.
With Amazon Music, Prime members have access to two million hand-curated songs and thousands of stations and top playlists at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Subscribers to Amazon Music Unlimited, the service’s premium subscription tier, have access to millions more songs and thousands of…
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MONTREAL — TVA Group’s Incendo production company announced today filming has begun on Cupids on Beacon Street, its newest TV movie being produced for Rogers Sports and Media to air as part of Citytv’s Fall in Love Friday lineup.
Being shot on location in Montreal, the movie stars Canadian actress Britt Irvin (Time for You to Come Home for Christmas, Chesapeake Shores, Undercover Angel). The movie also co-stars Canadian actors Jeremy Guilbaut (The Last Bridesmaid, Destination Wedding, Jingle Around the Clock) and Tamara Almeida (Entertaining Christmas, Ghostwriter, Motorino).
As copy editor at publishing house Romantic Reads, Eve loves her job —…
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Will Canada’s big media companies even show up for the streaming wars?
By Brad Danks
LIKE MANY PEOPLE IN THE INDUSTRY, I wasn’t surprised to see Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi shut down last week after rapidly blowing through $1.8 billion in start-up financing. The business model had so many flaws it was just a matter of when it would implode, rather than if.
A staff member reminded me I predicted at Quibi’s launch that they wouldn’t last six months; they made it to seven so I was off by a month. However, predictions aren’t important. What is important is looking at the reasons…
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By Len Katz
THE WORDS IN THAT headline came from a senior executive at a wireless conference almost a decade ago as he commented on the Joint Network and Spectrum Sharing Agreement that saw Bell Canada and Telus carve up the build-out of one national wireless high speed digital network to compete with Rogers. Telus trumpeted the agreement saying it allowed for an accelerated buildout.
It also resulted in one less national infrastructure network in Canada. So did the benefit outweigh the cost?
ISED (then Industry Canada) repeatedly approved the applications to extend the Sharing Agreements during subsequent spectrum auctions Continue Reading
Radio, other media, still suffering
NEW YORK – The Canadian advertising market saw considerable growth in the third quarter of the year, as compared to Q2, according to market data cruncher Standard Media Index. SMI collects and publishes media agency payment ad spend data, so its numbers come from actual invoices of ad time/space sold.
With the cancellation of sporting and other live events the ad sector suffered deep declines in Q2 ad revenue, averaging minus-47%. However, in Q3 the broadcast market a big bounce back with 39% growth, ending the quarter only 7% below the 2019 season. The return of…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s 24-hour news network CTV News Channel has launched a nationwide free preview, the broadcaster announced today.
The free preview is available through participating television service providers across the country, including but not limited to Bell, Bell Aliant, BellMTS, Cogeco, Eastlink, Rogers, SaskTel, and participating members of the CCSA.
Please click here for more.
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By Greg O’Brien
TORONTO – While reminding that the Covid pandemic continues to have an impact on business – and cautioning there remains considerable uncertainty, Rogers Communications reported a solid rebound in its businesses in the third quarter of 2020, beating most of Bay Street’s estimates.
The company reported wireless total net loading of 168,000 new customers – including a 34% increase in postpaid net subscriber additions, the company said in its third quarter press release this morning. Rogers also said approximately 2.2 million total subscribers have now switched to Rogers Infinite plans, up almost 60% in 2020.
That’s important, said CEO…
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