TORONTO – The Supreme Court of Canada granted Rogers Communications’ application for leave to appeal a lower court ruling which said the company could not charge copyright owners a fee to track down suspected movie and TV content pirates.
In May, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that Rogers is not allowed to recoup its costs from copyright owners who ask the ISP to help track down individuals suspected of stealing video content to which they don’t own the rights. (Click here for more background on Rogers’ reasons for the appeal.)
While the…
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OTTAWA – It’s been five years since Canada’s copyright laws got a major makeover and now the federal government is going to determine whether more changes are needed (a re-examination every five years is now part of the rules). A session at the International Institute of Communications’ Canadian event in Ottawa on Tuesday dove into what needs to change, or not.
A paper written by Jay Kerr-Wilson, a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, and Kristina Milbourn, director of copyright and broadband at Rogers Communications, raised a number of issues including the need for copyright reform, the potential for streamlined decision…
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OTTAWA – This new guy is definitely different from the last one.
Exactly five years ago, then-new chair Jean-Pierre Blais used Ottawa’s IIC Canada conference to set out his plan for the Commission under his leadership. None could understand at the time how his “consumers, creators and citizens” vision would break apart industry assumptions, challenge business as usual, increase consumer involvement with the Regulator – and foster unprecedented levels of acrimony between the chair and industry – and between the chair and some of the CRTC staff and commissioners. A lot of that pain was fueled…
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OTTAWA – Ottawa radio listeners will once again share their afternoons with celebrated broadcaster, journalist, and community leader Rick Gibbons.
Returning to the airwaves on November 27, Gibbons (pictured) will host The Rick Gibbons Show each weekday from 1:00 – 3:00 PM on Rogers-owned 1310 NEWS. The popular host will take listener calls and discuss the day’s hot topics.
With a career in media that spans more than 40 years, Gibbons will draw on his extensive experience reporting and delving into issues around politics, business, and military affairs. Prior to joining 1310 NEWS, Gibbons was most recently at 580…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite is gearing up for a five-week national free preview promising a slew of films including 28 premieres.
From December 1 through January 5, viewers can stoke their holiday spirit with perennial festive favourites such as Die Hard, Gremlins, Scrooged and White Christmas; celebrate John Lennon on December 8 with A Hard Day’s Night, Imagine: John Lennon, and Across the Universe; remember Carrie Fisher on December 27 with When Harry Met Sally and Postcards from the Edge; plus ring in the new year with a Star Trek marathon.
Hollywood Suite owns and operates four exclusive HDTV channels featuring…
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TORONTO – Production exec Carol Commisso is the new vice-president of development at Halfire Entertainment.
An industry veteran, Commisso (pictured) was the production executive for original scripted programming at Rogers Media and prior to that, executive in charge of production for CBC TV Comedy.
In her new role, based out of Halfire’s Toronto offices, Commisso is responsible for overseeing all development and the growing slate of scripted series, as well as continuing to foster relationships with the international creative community.
“Carol has been in the industry for more than 30 years and has worked as both a writer and network executive, so she…
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Shaw says it’s a must if the government truly wants competition
OTTAWA – The large incumbent wireless operators and their smaller rivals continue to spar over proposed 600 MHz spectrum licensing rules in reply comments to Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) consultation. There are several sticking points over ISED’s pro-competitive ideas but the most contentious revolve around the provision to set aside spectrum for companies which aren’t Bell, Rogers or Telus.
Rogers and Telus remain convinced that setting aside spectrum for the regional wireless players isn’t the right approach. (Bell Canada’s reply comments weren’t made available at the time…
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MONTREAL and TORONTO – BCE Inc. announced late Monday it will acquire Canadian security company AlarmForce Industries in a transaction valued at approximately $166 million.
The move will bring Bell alongside Rogers in Ontario as a five-product company (broadband, home phone, TV, wireless and home security). Rogers has offered a home security service for a number of years and the service has morphed into more of a connected-home offering for its customers. Bell already has security/smart home divisions in the east and in Manitoba, which it acquired with MTS.
"Bell is excited to welcome the AlarmForce team as we pursue…
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TORONTO – Bell Canada isn’t content to let Telus and Rogers and Freedom dominate the discount segment of the wireless market.
During a conference call with financial analysts today discussing its third quarter results, BCE CEO George Cope said to watch for something from Bell to compete along side of Rogers’ chatr and Telus’ Public Mobile – what are sometimes called “value brands” in the industry as they tend to serve those in the low income segment of the population.
Bell, whose Virgin Mobile brand competes with Rogers’ Fido and Telus’ Koodo, doesn’t have such a third brand since it killed…
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Rogers agrees to expand distribution of tiny community station
GATINEAU – CRTC hearings feature a lot of what we call “woulda, shoulda, coulda” talk.
Loads of words about what companies would be doing, if only this or that were changed, what they should (or shouldn’t) be doing under existing rules and what they could be doing, regardless. It isn’t often where these issues are solved without the CRTC forcing the matter.
Well, during October’s phase II BDU license renewal hearing, commissioners heard from one small community TV outfit on what Rogers Cable could and should be doing for them in southern New…
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