OTTAWA – In its updated three-year plan released today, the CRTC said it will give top priority to projects such as revamping its tangible benefits policy, developing a national broadband performance testing program, and creating a new mandatory code for wireless providers.
Those initiatives are among a number of goals that the Commission has outlined for completion during 2013-16 under three key pillars it has identified as “connect,” “create” and “protect.”
The Commission's activities under the "Create" pillar ensure that Canadians have access to compelling creative content, from diverse sources, on a variety of…
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TORONTO – Canada’s biggest broadcasters still haven’t found a way to make their digital ventures pay off in this on-demand world, and continue to rely on their linear television channels to drive the bottom line.
Speaking Tuesday evening at a Canadian Women In Communications-sponsored panel entitled ‘Perspective on the Broadcast Landscape Revolution’, Christina Litz, vice president of digital content and engagement for Corus Entertainment, said that her department’s mandate is to leverage social media specifically to drive live tuning to the company’s women and children-focused television channels.
“And we don’t see that going away any time soon”, she said, adding that…
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COURTENAY, B.C. – Vista radio co-founder, president and CEO Margot Micallef has resigned from the company, employees were told earlier this week. Former Rogers Radio president Gary Miles, a member of the Vista board of directors, will act as interim CEO until a permanent successor is found.
“I have worn many hats since founding Vista, including chair of the board, CEO, president and Board Member,” Micallef said in her resignation letter, which has caught many in the industry by surprise. “In my capacity as president and CEO, I have taken Vista as far as I can and now believe it…
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TORONTO – Astral Media announced the launch today of its Disney Junior HD channel on Rogers (channel 479) and EastLink (channel 748).
The company says the new English-language channel is available free of charge to eligible customers who already subscribe to Disney Junior SD. Disney Junior HD will be available through other service providers which be announced in the coming weeks.
“Today’s launch completes the Astral Kids’ portfolio of HD offerings and enhances the quality programming families have come to expect from Disney Junior,” said Joe Tedesco, Astral Kids senior vice-president and general manager, in…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media today cleared the final hurdle in its bid to acquire Score Media after receiving regulatory approval from the CRTC.
With today’s approval, Rogers Media can now start to integrate and rebrand the channel, which has been in trust since October 19, 2012, under the Sportsnet umbrella. Rogers’ acquisition of Score Media cost $167 million, and includes The Score, Canada’s third largest specialty sports channel with 6.6 million television subscribers, closed captioning service Voice to Visual Inc., and mixed martial arts program The Score Fighting Series. The rebranded channel will be unveiled…
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GATINEAU – Shaw Communications was the first broadcast distributor to take the stand before the CRTC?s 9(1)(h) hearing on Monday and it appealed to the Commission to ensure that it maintained high standards when considering additional channels for mandatory carriage.
Jean Brazeau, senior VP of regulatory at Shaw, noted during his opening remarks that exceptional importance should be the minimum threshold that channels need to meet to achieve mandatory carriage status. ?Once satisfied, the applicant still must meet the additional criteria. This includes demonstrating ?extraordinary? need among an intended audience and widespread acceptance by Canadians of an increase in the…
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TORONTO – On May 8, City’s local morning show Breakfast Television and select Rogers radio stations are holding a national on-air fundraiser to raise money to help end violence against women.
The second annual Morning for Hope event, in support of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, will air live from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. local time on City, as well as on radio stations 98.1 CHFI (Toronto), News1130 and 96.9 JACKfm (Vancouver), Lite 95.9 (Calgary), 107.7 The River (Lethbridge), 91.7 The Bounce (Edmonton), 102.3 Clear FM (Winnipeg), Lite 92.9 (Halifax), and K-Rock 105.7, KIX 93.5, and…
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IT MIGHT SURPRISE SOME to learn that one of the fastest growing Canadian media companies is not some sexy, new media, web based disruptor, but in fact built on the oldest electronic media we have: radio.
In about nine years, Vista Radio has grown from a single station in Duncan, B.C. to a national power with over 60 stations spread from the west coast to Ontario. It really jumped in size in 2012 when it agreed to purchase Haliburton Radio and its 24 Ontario stations for $32 million (backed by Westerkirk Capital, an investment arm of the powerful Thomson Family)….
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TORONTO – Sportsnet today launched its newly re-designed Sportsnet Mobile app for Android phones and tablets.
Designed with the serious sports fan in mind, Sportsnet Mobile for Android uses the latest in mobile technology, with the same look and feel as the recently released versions for both the BlackBerry 10 and iOS platforms.
Key features of Sportsnet Mobile for Android phones and tablets include:
MySN: users can customize Sportsnet Mobile to follow specific teams, players and fantasy leagues, as it happens
Real-time alerts: provides up-to-the-second coverage on any game, including instant notifications…
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TORONTO – TheScore, Inc. today announced an influx of $16 million in private placement financing from a small group of new and existing investors that includes Rogers Media.
The company said it has entered into subscription agreements for $16 million non-brokered private placement of 100,000,000 Class A Subordinate Voting Shares at a price of $0.16. Relay Ventures, a venture capital fund based in Toronto and Silicon Valley focused on the mobile space, is leading the private placement, along with existing shareholders Levfam Holdings Ltd. and Rogers Media.
This follows a 2012 deal by Rogers, which…
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