MONTREAL – While it’s all-hands-on-deck time for the CBC’s 16 days of broadcast and new media coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics, CEO Hubert Lacroix sent out a note of caution to employees last week, warning hard decisions are coming once the sliding, riding, skiing, skating and sledding comes to an end.
“I couldn’t imagine a better start to the year than the Sochi Games!” Lacroix enthused in the staff memo. “Whenever I walk down the hall, wherever I happen to be, the energy is palpable. And the most exciting thing is, in just a few short days, that energy…
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GATINEAU – Submissions to the CRTC on its wholesale domestic roaming rates proceeding break down just where most would expect.
In December, the CRTC launched a review of the rates Rogers, Bell and Telus charge smaller wireless service providers when customers of those smaller companies use their phones to roam outside of their own provider’s home network. The primary accusation of the Commission is that the big three are charging the likes of Wind and Eastlink more than they charge American operators whose customers roam on networks here when they travel.
In the summer of 2013, the…
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TORONTO – Budding radio announcers will once again have the opportunity to gain experience on the airwaves through GenNOW, an internship program offered by Rogers Media in partnership with Seneca College.
Now in its second year, GenNOW is a four-month placement for students enrolled in their final year of Seneca College’s Broadcasting – Radio program. Participants will work closely with programming staff at Rogers Radio station KiSS 92.5 in downtown Toronto to develop announcing skills, host overnight shifts, and get hands-on experience on the technology used to build a radio show. Students will achieve marks for weekly assignments that…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC will examine licence renewal applications from Rogers Media, plus consider a second request for a Canadian film channel and a pay-per-view service for Telus at a hearing scheduled for April 8, 2014 in Gatineau.
The Commission made public Wednesday that Rogers has filed applications to renew the broadcasting licences for 17 of its television services and stations, including its City stations, multilingual ethnic television stations and Sportsnet. In addition to licence renewal, the Commission will examine “key issues” relating to these applications including the group-based approach to the licensing of the City television stations and…
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TORONTO – While we first reported here that Quebecor’s cable and wireless division Vidéotron might be interested in buying ailing Mobilicity and stocking up on 700 MHz spectrum in the ongoing auction, most reaction has been disbelief.
In a research note to clients on Monday, BMO Capital Markets analyst Tim Casey doesn’t buy it. “We acknowledge there is a potential opportunity for a non-incumbent bidder in the auction (such as Quebecor, EastLink, Novus or Feenix) to scoop up the remaining prime block of 700MHz spectrum (for Southern Ontario, Eastern Ontario, B.C. and Alberta) at attractive valuations….
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WHISTLER, B.C. – While Rogers, Shaw and Telus say they are supportive of an a-la-carte channel environment, executives from each company offered up some cautionary advice during CIBC’s annual Whistler Institutional Investors conference last week.
Speaking at the event January 23, Steve Wilson, Shaw’s executive vice-president of corporate development and CFO, acknowledged the industry realizes that consumers want more choice, and from his company’s point of view, it’s about giving them the ability to access content in a variety of ways. There also needs to be consideration given to the impact that has on the Canadian broadcasting system and the…
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WHILE THE CANADIAN SUBSCRIPTION television market is at the beginning of a decade-long decay, growth is still in the cards for cable and telecom companies in Canada thanks to the world’s shift to broadband, says a new report from Scotiabank.
The report, entitled “Embrace the Evolution” (whose cover photo is pictured) says thanks to broadband internet “the growth outlook is bright” for telcos and cablecos (1%-1.5% revenue growth and 2.5%-3.5% in EBITDA growth), due partially to more predictability on the capital expenditure front – and the concentration on more profitable broadband products and services.
However, it won’t be pretty on the…
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GATINEAU – The simultaneous substitution of American broadcast signals for Canadian ones, when the programming is identical, has been going on since the 1970s.
Back then, cable operators were often described by broadcasters and others as pirates who brought in American TV channels and charged customers for the privilege of seeing them, even though they paid nothing for the signal and Canadian broadcasters had often purchased the copyrights of much of that U.S. programming for our country. Faced with the threat of a federal government crackdown on its business (yes, the Commission of the day was pondering forcing all American…
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TORONTO – Change is afoot in the upper echelons of Rogers Media.
In the first of two announcements Thursday, Scott Moore (pictured) was named president of Sportsnet and NHL, effective immediately. In this new role, Moore will lead the two “priority sports portfolios” and serve on the Rogers Media Senior Leadership Team.
Previously, Moore was president of broadcast at Rogers Media, overseeing programming, production, regulatory, engineering and distribution of the company’s TV and radio assets. Prior to joining Rogers Media in 2010, he was executive director of CBC Sports and general manager of CBC’s media sales and marketing department.
Moore was quick to…
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TORONTO – A coalition of Canadian academics and consumer groups are asking the country’s biggest telecommunications service providers to divulge the extent to which they pass on their customers’ private information to government agencies when asked.
Spearheaded by Toronto-based researcher Dr. Christopher Parsons, the organization sent letters to 16 different companies this week, including Bell, Rogers, Cogeco, Shaw, Telus and Videotron, asking them to respond to questions on their data retention and sharing policies. The telcos were asked to respond or commit to responding by March 3, 2014.
“Specifically, we are asking how, when, and why your company discloses information to…
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