OTTAWA – The CRTC has found that Rogers Media’s decision to cancel local third-language newscasts on its OMNI stations does not constitute a breach of its conditions of licence, and subsequently turned down requests by Urban Alliance on Race Relations and Unifor Local 723M seeking an expedited public hearing on the matter.
The Commission said Tuesday that it will instead review the OMNI stations’ ongoing performance and requirements, including their obligations regarding the provision of local third-language programming, as part of the upcoming hearing that will form part of the licence renewal process scheduled to begin later this year.
“This will…
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TORONTO – The Ontario Superior Court in Brampton is expected to issue a ruling this week that could have far reaching effects on cellphone privacy.
According to a report in the Globe and Mail, Justice John Sproat heard arguments from Rogers and Telus last summer pertaining to “tower dump” production orders issued by Peel Regional Police asking the two companies to provide communication records related to 21 cellular towers or sites. That would have required the telcos to disclose the personal information of about 40,000 customers.
Police use such orders as a technique to get all call-detail records from specific…
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SURREY, BC – Sportsnet has donated $250,000 to the journalism program at Vancouver’s Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), the largest gift in the history of the school’s Journalism and Communication Studies Department.
The first $100,000 of the gift will create six annual scholarships and awards to assist students interested in sports journalism, and provide them with opportunities to explore digital and multimedia techniques over the next five years.
Among the annual awards is a $5,000 scholarship that will send a student to cover a major North American sporting event, while another $5,000 award will allow a student to travel the continent,…
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LAS VEGAS – If the forecast for 4K Ultra HD global penetration numbers holds true, it looks like broadband service providers in most countries, including Canada, will have some catching up to do in order to support its adoption when it comes to online delivery.
Content Delivery Business Akamai recently released its Q3 2015 State of the Internet report which found that 15% of the world’s Internet connections now average 15 mbps or higher, which is the minimum speed it says is necessary to properly stream 4K content. That’s up from the 12% reported in Q3 of last year.
In the…
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LAS VEGAS – Here at CES, broadcasters are giving attendees their first ever look at how 4K HDR video looks when broadcast over-the-air. Two local Las Vegas television stations, KHMP and KSNV, are broadcasting 4K content to LG and Samsung Ultra HD (UHD) TVs.
The broadcasts mark the first major display of transmitted 4K programming in the U.S. utilizing the new ATSC proposed standards. Since ATSC 3.0 broadcasts will be IP-based, it is expected to allow for not only the broadcast of improved quality 4K Ultra HD TV signals, but also mobile TV and interactive content, which could be transformative…
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TORONTO – Long-time Rogers radio personality Mike Cooper is calling it a career, announcing Friday that he is retiring from popular morning show Erin and Mike in the Morning on Toronto’s 98.1 CHFI FM.
Cooper (pictured) will continue to host the show Coop’s Classics Saturday evenings on 98.1 CHFI, but his last day on the morning show will be January 29. Details of a new co-host will be announced in the coming weeks.
A veteran radio personality of 45 years, Cooper first joined the airwaves as an on-air host at CKAT-FM in North Bay, ON. He took a position with 1050 CHUM in…
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LAS VEGAS – “Cable companies find it hard to accept that people don’t just want to watch TV in the living room anymore,” said Jay Mehr, EVP and COO of Shaw Communications as it announced the launch of its FreeRange app Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show.
The app makes content instantly available to subscribers no matter where they are and Mehr (pictured) told a gathering of industry partners and press that the cable company had partnered with Comcast and Cisco to leverage Comcast's X1 platform to provide a truly disruptive mobile experience by providing live…
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LAS VEGAS – Samsung announced a number of new products Tuesday which the Korean company says will leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) by always being connected to the Internet (assuming we’ll want that).
The company also revealed a new bezel-less curved SUHD TVs with Quantum dot displays, a refrigerator (pictured) so advanced it looks more like a giant smartphone that keeps your food cold, a new smartwatch and a large screen Windows tablet, the Galaxy TabPro S that looks like the Microsoft Surface.
“Samsung has continuously worked to help people live smarter lives, and this year we have taken a…
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TORONTO – Gains in Sportsnet’s television and radio audiences as well as triple-digit growth on Sportsnet.ca and mobile made 2015 the best year in the brand’s history, Rogers said Wednesday.
Highlights from the year include:
– For the period Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2015, Sportsnet delivered a 5.2 audience share and an average minute audience of 216,000, marking a year-over-year increase of 40%;
– A total of 10 Sportsnet broadcasts surpassed the 3 million viewer mark in 2015; 3 surpassed 4 million viewers; and 1 surpassed 5 million viewers;
– The prime-time edition of Sportsnet Central was the most-watched sports news program…
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TORONTO – A new fourth player in Canada’s wireless industry combined with increased wireline competition are two factors poised to significantly impact the Canadian telecom industry in 2016, says Canaccord Genuity.
An industry overview released Wednesday by analyst Aravinda Galappatthige says that company is taking “a more cautious stance” as it considers this year’s outlook for the telecom stocks, particularly when it comes to the big three incumbents BCE, Telus and Rogers.
Galappatthige predicts that wireless competition will heat up as a “resurgent Rogers Wireless” continues to aggressively add wireless net additions, and as regional player Videotron Wireless advances towards its…
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