MISSISSAUGA – The first Canadian CommTech East Show & Seminars proved a hit this week, surpassing the hopes of the organizers.
More than 800 attendees from the cable, telco cable, wireless, ISP and related industries attended the two-day event which offered 29 seminars, live demos and a sold out trade show with over 2,000 products and services from more than 80 North American manufacturers and distributors.
Show organizer Linda Guzman said attendance exceeded her expectations, and was record breaking for CommTech Show’s eight year history. The show has been a staple for cable and telecom engineers and technicians out west, first…
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TORONTO – The Movie Network announced Wednesday The Movie Network GO (TMN GO) is now available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and to customers of television provider Bell Aliant, which serves subscribers in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and parts of Northern Ontario.
Released to coincide with the recent premiere of Season 4 of HBO Canada’s Game Of Thrones, TMN GO is available to subscribers at no additional cost for Xbox Live Gold members and Bell Aliant subscribers to The Movie Network. TMN GO offers instant and unlimited access to more than 1,000 hours of Hollywood…
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TORONTO – Rogers Wireless launched new consumer and small businesses international travel packages this week which will include a $9.99 per day data-only option.
"Our customers have told us they want simpler solutions when travelling, no matter where their travels may take them," said Raj Doshi, senior vice president, products, Rogers Communications, in a press release. "With these new travel packs and a daily data rate, customers should feel confident they can text, get online, and stay connected while knowing how much their services will cost."
International travel packs are easy to understand and come with more data, says the company.
A…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and Bell Media have unveiled the four participants selected for the 2014 Bell Media Showrunner Bootcamp.
The participants are:
– Sherry White, a Canadian-based screenwriter and filmmaker who is currently writing and producing for CTV’s hit series Saving Hope, and is the co-executive producer on the ABC/Global series Rookie Blue. Sherry has also written for Rookie Blue for five seasons. Previously, she has written for series such as MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives, 18 to Life, and Hatching, Matching & Dispatching. Sherry is currently developing series for both ABC Studios and Warner…
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TORONTO – Rogers’ new mobile wallet is ready at last.
The company said Friday that is launching the suretap wallet, a new application that lets customers use their smartphones to make payments at thousands of retailers across the country by simply holding it up to contactless payment terminals, just like they do today with plastic credit and debit cards.
Available on select NFC-enabled Android and BlackBerry 10 smartphones, suretap wallet safely stores eligible payment cards on customers' smartphones, including Rogers Prepaid MasterCard and gift cards from select national retailers and restaurants.
The app also allows customers to add funds to their prepaid…
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REGINA – Despite increased competition in the province, SaskTel ended 2013 with net income of $90.1 million and operating revenues of $1.2 billion, up $22.7 million from 2012.
But according to president and CEO Ron Styles, that amount could drop to $59.2 million next year due to unintended consequences of new federal regulations that encourage the presence of four wireless companies in all regions of the country. Styles is scheduled to meet with federal government officials this week to express concern over prices in provinces with four carriers, such as Saskatchewan, which he says are much lower than in provinces where…
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OTTAWA – CBC will eliminate the equivalent of 657 positions as part of $130 million in budget cuts over the next two fiscal years, the national broadcaster announced Thursday. It will also incur one-time severance costs of $33.5 million.
The cuts are necessary to balance its current budget, said president and CEO Hubert Lacroix, in a press release. He blamed the loss of the NHL, an industry-wide softening of the advertising market, disappointing schedule performance in key demographics on CBC Television, and lower-than-expected ad revenues from Espace musique and CBC Radio 2.
Lacroix also said that CBC and Radio-Canada will no…
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LOSING THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE rights (and revenues) will move from the realm of “what if” to real, tangible cuts which will be felt directly by many CBC staffers today (Thursday) when senior management hosts a series of town hall meetings to address the Corporation’s future.
We don’t know what, exactly, will happen but given the massive revenue hit the broadcaster will take next season – when it will still air games, but earn no revenue from hockey at all, while still being on the hook for Saturday night’s game productions – not to mention the very soft ad market…
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OTTAWA – Various parties continued to question the level to which Rogers Media will use its recently acquired NHL hockey content as a component of its Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) commitments at the company’s licence renewal hearing before the CRTC while Rogers said they need not worry.
The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA), in its opening remarks on Wednesday fretted that Canadian content will suffer because Rogers will use the NHL to account for its CPE commitments, particularly if the Commission approves Rogers request to be treated under the group licensing framework (GLF).
“We have to wonder if hockey fans will…
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TORONTO – Reducing churn through much-improved customer service should be the top priority for newly minted Rogers Communications CEO Guy Laurence, according to a recent analysts report circulated on Bay Street.
“We believe improving customer service is an important strategic priority at Rogers, perhaps the most important priority,” wrote BMO Capital Markets telecom and media analyst Tim Casey. “Among the national wireless incumbents, Rogers’ operating metrics have been underwhelming. Specifically, it has the highest churn rates and a declining ARPU profile. Combined, they translate to deteriorating customer lifetime revenues and value at Rogers. We expect new CEO Guy Laurence will…
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