BANFF – It’s not easy being a small fish in an ocean filled with predators new and old – and with unpredictable tides – but the strong, well-organized school of independent CCSA members consistently show they have advantages which can allow them to survive and thrive.
That’s the message CRTC vice-chair broadcasting Tom Pentefountas carried with him this morning to open the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual Connect conference at the Banff Springs Hotel.
He recognized that the transitions being made by the large companies in the media, cable and telecom spaces are exceedingly difficult and have certainly not been easy…
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OTTAWA and GATINEAU – Rogers and Bell are among the last wireless services companies that have yet to fully comply with the CRTC’s wireless code.
On Thursday, the Commission issued a report card assessing the implementation of the wireless code by the country’s 33 wireless services providers. That code, which turns one in December, was designed to make it easier for Canadians to understand their contracts for cellphones and other mobile devices, plus outline their basic rights.
Noting that verification of the code’s implementation is the first step in assessing compliance, the CRTC asked the wireless companies to submit reports…
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TORONTO – Tony Lacavera found the investors he needed.
Back in June, the chairman and CEO of Wind spent considerable time in public campaigning almost like a politician, singing the growing wireless company’s praises (including at the Canadian Telecom Summit, pictured), noting if he had some finances behind him and if the federal government made a few changes, he just might be able to make a go of being a fourth national wireless company after all.
Since then, Lacavera has been pounding the pavement in search of that capital and today the company…
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MARKHAM – Deals TV is now available to the more than 1.75 million homes served by Rogers Digital Cable on channels 201 and 299 in Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland, the new channel announced today.
Programming on the new 24/7 teleshopping channel will promote a variety of products, services and ideas to consumers in a wide range of retail sectors including finance, automotive, real estate and travel, according to the press release.
“We’re incredibly excited about the upcoming launch of DealsTV and the opportunity to provide viewers 24/7 access to high quality product and service information,” says Lawrie Yakabuski –…
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GATINEAU – Of all the interveners appearing so far at the CRTC’s TV Policy Review, the CBC’s might be the most contentious – and its executives endured a good grilling by the commissioners Friday morning on the fifth day of the Commission’s TV Policy Review.
The Crown Corp, which has had a rough past 24 months as most know, has come to the CRTC asking for a number of new things, but three aspects are drawing the most attention. It wants: to be able to shut off its transmitters and charge subscription TV providers a wholesale fee; for the Commission…
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GATINEAU – The non-vertically integrated cablecos, Cogeco and members of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) entered the Let’s Talk TV policy hearing discussion fray on Thursday with both arguing the Commission must ensure they can acquire programming rights at reasonable costs without onerous terms.
Keith Stevens, chair of the board at CCSA member Execulink Telecom, noted during the CCSA’s opening remarks that the recent affiliation agreement with Bell Media is a prime example of the harm small cable TV providers face when dealing with VI providers. Under this deal, Execulink was required to maintain packaging requirements as they were…
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MARKHAM, ON – CRTC Ontario Commissioner Raj Shoan will address Ontario Association of Broadcasters members and take part in a town hall at the organization's annual general meeting next month.
The AGM will be held just prior to the organization’s fall conference, Connection 2014, at 8:00 AM on October 30 at the Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel in Toronto. Commissioner Shoan will address the membership during the AGM.
He will also participate in the Executive Industry Town Hall later that day and discuss the hot issues, challenges and opportunities affecting broadcasting today and tomorrow. Other confirmed panelists include Erica Farber, CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau (U.S.); Geoff…
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GATINEAU – The funding of big budget Canadian programming as well as the role of the U.S. TV channels in the broadcasting system were put under the microscope during the fourth day of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV policy hearing.
Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Cogeco Cable warned of significant negative consequences to the Canadian system if the commission removed US 4+1s (CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX + PBS) from basic cable packages. The CRTC’s proposal was certainly a bone of contention for Rogers with the company saying it would face the wrath of subscribers if these channels were removed from…
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GATINEAU – The biggest stir on the third day of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV policy hearing centered on the possible inclusion of revenue earned from broadcasters’ online activities when calculating Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) Bell Canada arguing that it’s illogical, odd and added insult to injury.
“Working document item 10 concerns us greatly,” said Mirko Bibic, Bell’s executive VP and chief legal and regulatory officer, adding that the proposal on the table “would treat Canadian licensees in that space differently than the Netflixes of the world.”
That bit of the CRTC’s discussion document says: “The definition…
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TORONTO – Despite their continued discounted pricing, Canada’s new wireless entrants are expected to own only 5.8% of the wireless market (or 1.64 million Canadian wireless subscribers) by the end of 2014, the same percentage as they did at year end 2013, according to a new report from Convergence Consulting.
Canadian Wireless: Assessing the Impact of New Entrants, September 2014 says that Wind Mobile and Mobilicity can in some cases undercut incumbents Rogers, Bell and Telus and their discount brands on voice and on combined voice/data packages by more than 60%. Though in some cases, especially against Videotron,…
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