But industry still has work to do
GATINEAU — The CRTC released today the findings of its first-ever secret shopper project, which was launched in response to the Commission’s 2019 report on misleading or aggressive sales practices among telecommunications service providers.
While the secret shopper report concludes the vast majority of enlisted shoppers’ interactions with the providers’ sales staff were perceived as positive, approximately one in five shoppers perceived they may have faced misleading or aggressive sales practices.
The report also says misleading or aggressive sales practices occur at a higher rate for certain vulnerable segments of the Canadian population, such…
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TORONTO and LONDON — Julie Bristow, the former CEO and president of factual and kids content maker Bristow Global Media, has launched the Content Catalyst Fund (CCF), a development and funding company focusing on content developed, delivered and designed by women and about women.
Based in Canada but with an international reach, the CCF will develop and invest in unscripted and scripted content, but with an initial focus on unscripted, says a press release on Tuesday. To help female creators find an audience for their work, the CCF will invest in end-to-end strategic support in viable female-led projects, says the…
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TORONTO — Rogers Communications today announced the launch of Team Rogers Community Draft, a nationwide program aimed at helping Canadian youth return to playing recreational sports when and where it is safe to do so in their communities.
Starting initially with hockey this fall, the program will provide “drafted” youth athletes (ages 5 to 17) with $150 each to help offset league registration fees, plus mentoring calls with Team Rogers professional athletes, Team Rogers merchandise and other unique sports experiences, says the company’s press release.
Applicant selection to Team Rogers will be done through a random draw. Draft selections start…
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GATINEAU — As the CRTC continues a Review and Vary of its August 2019 order which slashed the wholesale rates third-party Internet access (TPIA) companies pay to the incumbent network owners, the Commission announced today it is approving a stay of the order’s implementation while it completes its review.
The stay was requested by Bell Canada and cable companies Cogeco, Eastlink, Rogers, Shaw and Videotron when those incumbents requested in December 2019 that the Commission review and vary its Telecom Order 2019-288 decision.
The Commission’s announcement today comes after the Federal Court of Appeal on September 10 dismissed the…
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LONDON — Rural broadband funding organization SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) announced Friday it has now officially issued approximately $197 million in requests for proposals (RFPs) to expand broadband access throughout southwestern Ontario.
Now in the third phase of its broadband expansion plan, SWIFT says it is on track to close all phase three RFPs before the end of 2020 and intends to award 90% of the project’s contracts by the end of 2020 and 100% by January 2021, says its press release.
To view SWIFT’s full tendering schedule, including procurement values, closing dates and RFP status updates, please Continue Reading
MONTREAL — Incendo announced today principal photography has begun in Montreal on As Gouda As It Gets, the latest TV movie being produced by the company for Rogers Sports and Media to air as part of Citytv’s Fall in Love Friday lineup.
Written by James Phillips and directed by Anne De Léan (Within These Walls, L’heure Bleue, Le Jeu), As Gouda As It Gets stars Canadians Kim Shaw (The Lead, Christmas Scavenger Hunt, Saving Hope), Clayton James (When Calls the Heart, Made For You With Love, A Christmas Arrangement) and Tara Joshi (Grounded for Christmas, Nostalgic Christmas, V Morgan is…
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TORONTO — For the first time since 2016, the Toronto Blue Jays have made it into the postseason and beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet Now, the one-hour Blue Jays Central pre-game show will feature a musical opening by The Arkells and a video essay from sports journalist Stephen Brunt that explores the young Blue Jays team’s extraordinary 2020 season.
Former Jays pitcher John Axford will also join the show’s hosts Jamie Campbell and Pat Tabler.
Then game one of the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series between the Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays…
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THE FUTURE OF TV ADVERTISING Canada virtual conference is taking place Tuesday, starting at 10 a.m., and will feature advertising and marketing experts from Bell Media, Rogers Sports and Media, Corus Entertainment, Standard Media Index and Comcast Advertising, among others.
The lineup of speakers includes:
Mark Finney, vice-president of strategic sales, Bell Media
Rose Hutchison, director of advanced advertising sales solutions, Rogers Sports and Media
Spencer Charters, vice-president of data and advanced advertising, Corus Entertainment
James Fennessy, CEO, Standard Media Index
Larry Allen, vice-president and general manager of addressable enablement, Comcast Advertising
Elizabeth Crotty, executive director, Cox Media
Chris Pizzurro,…
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GATINEAU – Despite the demand it and others made to the CRTC for revised tariffs filed since the incumbent carriers lost their court case, no new revised tariff pages have yet been filed with the Commission by the network owners and until they are, independent ISP TekSavvy will stop paying its wholesale fees to Rogers and Bell.
On September 11th, TekSavvy, Distributel and the Competitive Network Operators of Canada each filed applications with the CRTC demanding the incumbent telco and cable carriers file new tariff pages as ordered by the Commission in its August 2019 decision setting new wholesale…
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MONTREAL – On Friday, Rogers Communications announced it would spend big in Quebec, if it can buy Cogeco’s Canadian assets, primarily its networks in Ontario and Quebec.
It made a number of expensive promises, as we reported here, including investing $3 billion on wired and new 5% networks, adding thousands of jobs, and keeping Cogeco’s brand and head office alive in Quebec.
In a statement issued that day, Cogeco said Rogers doesn’t need to own it in order to invest well in the province.
“Rogers may continue making all the investments it wishes in Quebec but it doesn’t need Cogeco to…
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