GATINEAU – The CRTC took a big step towards ensuring that net neutrality reigns in Canada with its decision today to order Vidéotron to no longer zero-rate its Unlimited Music service.
In Telecom Decision 2017-105, the Commission ruled that Videotron violated subsection 27(2) of the Telecommunications Act by providing certain customers with access to Unlimited Music at no charge and not having it count against their data plans. The company has conferred its eligible subscribers and content providers included in the service “an undue and unreasonable preference", says the regulator in its decision.
It went on to say that Vidéotron subjected…
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TORONTO – While Joe Natale plans to spend Thursday with some of Rogers Cable’s technicians, and then visiting stores and call centres in the days after that “to see what it’s like to be our customer”, the new RCI CEO stressed yesterday that success begins by building the right corporate culture.
Speaking to the board, shareholders and employees during the company’s annual general meeting held in the Velma Rogers Graham Theatre at the company’s Toronto headquarters just hours into the start of his tenure, Natale stressed he has “an overarching belief that everything starts and ends with culture. It’s the…
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Vidéotron’s Unlimited Music hangs in the balance
GATINEAU – Is selecting and offering free music services to wireless customers a form of net neutrality-bruising gatekeeping, or an innovative way to win and keep happy customers?
The CRTC will let us know Thursday when its decision from the November hearing into what the Regulator termed “differential pricing practices” (DPP) is announced at 4 p.m. ET.
According to Quebecor Media Inc., Unlimited Music is simply a marketing instrument which helps grow its wireless subscriber base (especially among younger users). Essentially, QMI’s Vidéotron has chosen a number of music services to…
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TORONTO – An influx of new wireless customers helped to power first quarter profits and revenues at Rogers Communications, the company announced late Tuesday.
For the period ended March 31, 2017, net income of $294 million jumped 28% from $230 million in the same period last year, while adjusted net income increased 34% from $245 million to $329 million as a result of higher Wireless and Media adjusted operating profit, along with lower depreciation and amortization.
Consolidated revenue increased 3% this quarter to $3.34 billion, largely driven by Wireless service revenue growth of 7%. Wireless service revenue increased primarily as a result…
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TORONTO – CBC has wrested the Juno Awards back from CTV after inking a new six-year exclusive broadcast partnership with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS).
The 47th annual Juno Awards will air live on CBC from Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on Sunday, March 25, 2018, following Juno Week celebrations which are scheduled to kick off March 19.
CBC said that it will also launch new music programming initiatives and special events throughout the year in partnership with CARAS, including covering a more diverse range of genres and musicians and investing in educational programs to support the next generation…
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TORONTO – RTDNA Canada will recognize three individuals in the Central region with lifetime achievement awards next month.
Keith Leslie from The Canadian Press, Rogers 680 News’ Scott Metcalfe and CTV Montreal’s Mutsumi Takahashi will be honoured on May 26 during the President’s Reception at the 2017 National Conference & Awards Gala for outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of their careers in journalism and news management.
Keith Leslie (pictured right) began his broadcast career at CKOC in Hamilton in 1977 while he was still in college, before moving to CFTJ in Cambridge and then to CKLC in Kingston, working as a…
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Top 10 priorities
TORONTO – Expectations will be high for Joe Natale when he takes the elevator up to the 10th floor of 333 Bloor St. E. for the first time as CEO of Rogers Communications.
Since he has such a long history in Canadian telecom and wireless and stellar track record leading so much of the growth at Telus since joining that company in 2003 (and departing in 2015), Bay Street expects Natale to waste no time making his presence and his priorities felt.
BMO Capital Markets telecom/media/cable financial analyst Tim Casey even went so far as to construct a top-10…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications has sold off the former home of its OMNI service in Toronto to a local developer for an undisclosed price.
Real estate developer Canderel said Thursday that the 1.8-acre-site, located at the corner of Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West in downtown Toronto, is suitable for residential and commercial intensification.
The building is currently home to offices and edit suites, as well as other corporate teams, which will be relocated to other RCI offices in Toronto.
Photo: Canderel
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TORONTO – Just in time for the NHL playoffs, Huawei Canada is teaming up with Rogers to sponsor the Hockey Central pre-game show broadcasts on Sportsnet.
The move comes as part of a two-year deal that taps Rogers as the exclusive distributor of the P10 Plus, which, along with the P10, are the first pair of Huawei’s 2017 flagship Android smartphones to arrive in Canada. Huawei said that its P series is known for its performance and battery innovation, plus boasts three Leica cameras, including a 20 MP monochrome portrait camera.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Huawei as we build our…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications announced today that Joe Natale will join the company as president and CEO next week, on Wednesday April 19.
In the press release, Rogers said that a confidential agreement was reached with Telus, Natale’s former employer, to secure his early arrival. He had been slated to join Rogers in June, after his non-compete agreement with Telus had expired. Natale had been with Telus since 2003 and had been promoted to CEO, before leaving that company in August 2015 when former CEO and Telus board chair Darren Entwistle took the job back.
"We are very pleased to have…
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