Auction raises $3.47 billion
OTTAWA – The results of Canada’s 600 MHz spectrum auction were announced after the markets closed Wednesday afternoon.
Rogers Communications acquired the most licences, 52, for a whopping $1.725 billion. “We are proud to make leading and meaningful investments to build the 5G ecosystem in Canada and to help drive our country’s global competitive advantage,” said Joe Natale, president and CEO, in the company press release. “This 5G spectrum is a precious and scarce resource that will benefit Canadians and Canadian businesses across the country.” Rogers was awarded licences in the A and…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – During the final regular season game of the NHL season aired on TVA Sports this past weekend, the Quebecor-owned broadcaster warned viewers they were going to lose access to the channel when the NHL playoffs begin – and that it’s all Bell’s fault.
Currently, Quebecor CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau is leading a one-man public campaign decrying the state of affairs when it comes to specialty TV and the wholesale rates his TVA channels receive from carriers (please see our feature interview published here), since they are so much lower than Bell Media channels…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – RTDNA Canada has announced the Central Region winners of the RTDNA Awards of Excellence, honouring the best journalists, programs, stations and newsgathering organizations in radio, television and digital.
The Central Region winners will now compete with winners from the West, Prairie, and East regions for the best of the best, the National Awards, which will be announced at the RTDNA Canada 2019 National Conference & Awards Gala scheduled for May 10-11, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto.
The 2019 Central Region winners are:
Digital
Best Podcast
CBC Montreal – Mic Drop
Breaking News – Charlie Edwards Award
CP24 – North York Van Attack
Continuing…
Continue Reading
VANCOUVER – RTDNA Canada has also recognized the West Region winners of the RTDNA Awards of Excellence, honouring the best journalists, programs, stations and newsgathering organizations in radio, television and digital.
The West Region winners will now compete with winners from the Prairie, East and Central regions for the best of the best, the National Awards, which will be announced at the RTDNA Canada 2019 National Conference & Awards Gala scheduled for May 10-11, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto.
The 2019 West Region winners are:
Digital
Best Podcast
980 CKNW – This Is Why
Breaking News – Charlie Edwards Award
CTV Vancouver Island -…
Continue Reading
SASKATOON – RTDNA Canada recognized the Prairie Region winners of the RTDNA Awards of Excellence, honouring the best journalists, programs, stations and newsgathering organizations in radio, television and digital.
The Prairie Region winners will now compete with winners from the West, East and Central regions for the National Awards, which will be announced at the RTDNA Canada 2019 National Conference & Awards Gala scheduled for May 10-11, 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Toronto.
The 2019 Prairie Region winners are:
Digital
Best Podcast
CBC Saskatchewan – Boushie
Breaking News – Charlie Edwards Award
CBC Saskatchewan – Humboldt Broncos Bus Crash
Continuing Coverage – Ron Laidlaw Award
Global Saskatoon…
Continue Reading
Reiterates push for “granular data”
GATINEAU – The Canadian wireless market reaps $24.5 billion in annual retail sales, accounts for 155,000 jobs and 31.7 million subscribers (2017 figures*) so the stakes are rather high when it comes to another regulatory review of that market.
Old ways (facilities-based competition) may be thrown out with new ones mandated (MVNOs). The questions surrounding the CRTC’s latest review of the wireless market has created much unease and uncertainty inside Canada’s wireless carriers (and a glimmer of hope among those who want to launch new MVNO-based brands and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Vancouver may soon have a new radio station after the CRTC issued a call for comments on the market capacity and on the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications in that city.
The Commission said Thursday that it issued the call after receiving an application from Rogers Media for a commercial radio station to serve that market, operating on the frequency used by its rebroadcasting transmitter CKKS-FM-2 Vancouver, which rebroadcasts the programming of CKKS-FM Chilliwack.
Interventions are due by June 3 and the deadline to file replies is June 18, 2019. Following receipt of comments, the CRTC said that it…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – A Competition Bureau request for the CRTC to facilitate a big data dump from Canadian wireless service providers has flummoxed the Commission and caused at least one carrier to accuse the Bureau of attempting to “hijack” the CRTC’s recently announced review of Canada’s mobile wireless services market.
On March 8, the Competition Bureau filed a procedural request with the CRTC under the proceeding, saying it planned to conduct three of its own analyses of the Canadian wireless market, but in order to do so, it needs the CRTC to demand Canadian wireless service providers…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – DAZN will kick off its coverage of English Premier League soccer in August after confirming Wednesday that it has locked down the Canadian broadcast rights to the EPL for the next three seasons.
The sports streamer said that all 380 Premier League soccer matches of the 2019-2020 season will be available live and in HD.
This will leave huge holes in weekend programming schedules, especially for both Rogers' Sportsnet and Bell Media's TSN, which have shared the rights to the most popular professional soccer league in the world for years. The lengthy season stretches from August to May, and by our…
Continue Reading
44% increase in complaints
OTTAWA – The mid-year report from the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) once again doesn’t look good for Canada’s telecom and TV providers.
The report released this morning shows a 44% increase in the number of complaints it received from Canadian telecom and TV customers between August 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019. This follows a 73% increase for that same period last year, so there has at least been improvement in the rate of growth in complaints at least.
Canadians complained most often about their wireless service, followed in order by…
Continue Reading
