OTTAWA – A radio host’s comments called a contest’s random selection process in to question, and a violent movie should have been delayed until after 9:00 PM, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has ruled in two separate decisions.
The CBSC investigated a complaint made by a listener of Rogers-owned CISS-FM (KiSS FM, Ottawa) in March 2016. The complaint concerned a contest segment called “Big Bag of Cash” where listeners had to listen for a cue-to-text and then send a text message to the station for a chance to play a game on air to win money.
Each contestant was to be…
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GATINEU – The CRTC today declared that broadband access is now considered a basic telecommunications service for all Canadians, that it is setting new speed targets while also creating a new fund that will invest up to $750 million over and above existing government programs.
Further to its legislative mandate, the Commission has set the following targets for the basic telecommunications services that Canadians need to participate in the digital economy:
speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download/10 Mbps upload for fixed broadband Internet access services. In 2015, 82% of Canadians already had access to speeds of 50 Mbps download/10…
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Carriers shouldn’t be forced to hold customer data
OTTAWA – Communications service providers shouldn’t be forced to hold onto subscriber metadata for police access for lengthy periods of time, Rogers Communications has told the federal government.
The company made that submission last week to Public Safety Canada’s public consultation on creating a new national security framework, which is looking at a number of issues sensitive to police including mandatory rules for data retention and installing interception gear to help investigations, help with unscrambling encrypted communications and giving police more power to access basic subscriber information.
Also meeting the December 15th deadline…
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TORONTO – Canadian Broadcast Sales founder and president Patrick Grierson will retire from the national radio sales organization on May 31, 2017. Details on his successor will be announced in the coming months.
Grierson has been at the helm of CBS for the past 23 years after founding the organization in 1993. Following his retirement, he will remain part of the CBS family in an advisory role until May 2018.
Jointly owned by Rogers Broadcasting and Corus Entertainment, CBS is Canada's largest radio representation company, representing 43 broadcasters and more than 400 radio stations (including repeaters) in 221 Canadian markets.
"A true…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications said Monday that it is expanding its Roam Like Home wireless travel plan to 800,000 additional postpaid wireless consumers.
Rogers customers can use the data bucket, and talk and text included in their plan in the U.S. for $5 per day and in over 100 global destinations for $10 per day. Customers will only be charged for a maximum of 10 days on each monthly bill or $50 in the U.S. and $100 in eligible international destinations. No long distance charges apply to calls and texts to local numbers in the destination they're visiting or back to Canada.
“Customers told…
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OTTAWA – Support for community TV and media has been on the agenda in the House of Commons, with nearly a dozen MPs presenting a petition calling for the creation and ongoing support of community media centres in Canada.
According to Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS), the petition says that community media centres will ensure that Canadians have access to adequate news and information that reflects their communities, as well as offer skill development for Canadians' participation in the digital economy.
Liberal MP Will Amos, who represents the riding of Pontiac, north of Ottawa, said in a CACTUS statement that he supported…
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TORONTO – The rumour mill in the TV business was spinning overtime on this one lately, but today Rogers Communications made it official – it is killing its long-awaited IPTV solution in favour of Comcast’s X1 platform.
The move means the company will take a pre-tax non-cash asset impairment charge in the range of C$475-$525 million in its fourth quarter.
Friday morning’s press saw Rogers tout a new “long-term strategic partnership” with Comcast to bring Rogers customers Comcast's X1 IP-based video platform. However, it will not launch until 2018.
As we have reported, Rogers was hoping to have its IPTV solution (built…
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TORONTO – Bell Media has promoted Rob Farina to the role of head of iHeartRadio, syndication, and strategic initiatives, Bell Media Radio.
Farina (pictured), joined the company in March as senior advisor for the launch of iHeartRadio Canada. His expanded role now includes responsibility for growing radio content syndication group Orbyt Media and implementing new strategic radio initiatives in coordination with radio programming VP David Corey. Farina will also continue to lead iHeartRadio Canada.
"Rob has played a vital role in the successful launch of iHeartRadio in Canada, a truly game-changing digital listening and experiential service," said Randy Lennox, Bell…
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MONCTON – Rogers extended its tech tracking tool, known as Rogers EnRoute, to customers in New Brunswick Thursday.
The service, which debuted in Ontario last month, allows customers to use their phone to track exactly when a technician will arrive for an installation or service call. Rogers EnRoute will roll out to the company's entire residential footprint this year and into early 2017.
"With Rogers EnRoute, we're taking another step to overhaul and simplify our customers' experience and save them time which is a precious resource," said chief customer officer Deepak Khandelwal, in the news release. "We've got more work to…
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TORONTO — Bloomberg TV Canada’s first year of operation has been one of growth and expansion, with distribution and advertising levels increasing monthly, the first of several news bureaus across the country coming online, and an “A-list” of newsmakers having appeared on the channel.
Despite not having carriage on Bell TV nor Bell Fibe, Bloomberg TV Canada executives say it has achieved distribution parity with its main business channel competitor, Bell-owned Business News Network (BNN). “We’re very happy, 12 months in, with the progress that we’ve made and the expansion that we’ve seen,” said Chris Fuoco, vice-president of sales and…
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