Search Results for: rogers

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers cuts 300

TORONTO – Layoffs have hit the management level of Rogers Communications. The company confirmed Thursday that it has let go approximately 300 people, spread amongst its cable, wireless and media divisions. “There’s no particular focus on any one part of the business,” said Rogers spokesperson Patricia Trott to Cartt.ca “There’s a focus in terms of positions of management and head office positions but it is across the country and not concentrated on any specific division. “We’re always looking to streamline operations and make sure we're focusing our resources on delivering value to our customers, that we improve productivity and efficiency and reduce… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

SCTE Canadian Summit 2012: BlackArrow system powers Rogers’ VOD ads

TORONTO – Rogers Communications is creating a new advertising marketplace for its on-demand content using a system from BlackArrow, the companies announced Thursday. BlackArrow’s Advanced Advertising System provides cable system operators and programmers with the real-time, multiplatform advertising management and decision solutions to offer timely and relevant ads in on demand sessions.  Rogers has already begun dynamically inserting pre-, post-, and mid-roll ads into its on demand programming, and the BlackArrow technology is scheduled to be in place across all of its cable markets by the end of this year. “The introduction of dynamically-inserted advertising solutions within on-demand TV can significantly… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

SCTE Canadian Summit 2012: Cable engineers plot IP video push

TORONTO – Now that they have started to embrace IP video technology, cable engineers are busily figuring out the best way to make the big transition to all-IP service delivery. Speaking at the SCTE Canadian Summit here earlier this week, MSO technologists spelled out various ways that they could use bonded DOCSIS 3.0 broadband channels to transmit IP video signals to customers’ homes. “We see the future as getting IP content to the home,” said Dermot O’Carroll, senior vice president of access networks for Rogers Communications. “In a cable company, getting IP to the home means using DOCSIS.” In a short… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

SCTE Canadian Summit 2012: Top North American cable engineers look ahead to the post set-top days

TORONTO – Although they’re seeking to upgrade to IP video as quickly as possible, four of North America’s largest cable operators don’t expect legacy video services and devices to disappear from the landscape for many years.. Speaking at the fourth annual SCTE Canadian Summit here earlier this week, top engineering executives from Rogers Communications, Comcast Cable, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks said they view IP video as the best way to deliver more advanced features and applications to subscribers, such as multi-screen services, network DVRs, interactive TV applications and converged services. In a wide-ranging session moderated by Cartt.ca… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Canadian Music Week 2012: Bell-Astral Media deal an encouraging sign, say radio competitors

TORONTO – It should come as little surprise Bell Media’s recent $3.4 billion bid for Astral Media was top-of-mind for radio industry executives at last week’s Radio Interactive conference, held as part of Slacker Canadian Music Week in Toronto. Radio presidents from Bell Media Radio, Corus Radio and Rogers Radio took part in a super session moderated by Ross Davies, director of member engagement for the radio group at BBM Canada. Also represented on the panel were U.K. broadcaster Absolute Radio and U.S. radio station operator Cumulus Media. Corus Radio president Chris Pandoff said the BCE-Astral Media… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

SCN buy will benefit local production community, Rogers maintains

TORONTO – Rogers Broadcasting is committed to the Saskatchewan production community, and believes that its yet-to-be-approved purchase of provincial broadcaster Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN) will help to keep that community “robust”. Responding to criticism last week that its proposal to buy SCN seeks to spend less on local shows than the station’s previous owners, Rogers Media’s broadcasting president Scott Moore told Cartt.ca that the deal could actually prove to be a boon to local producers by opening up access to national audiences via its stable of stations and networks. “We’ve asked the CRTC to allow us to do our Canadian programming… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

COMMENTARY: Bell Media vs. CIDG. There’s a reason no one sells single potato chips in this business

ON THURSDAY, A PANEL of seven CRTC commissioners and a dozen industry executives took part in a hearing where they all must have asked themselves repeatedly, “Geez, how often have I heard this before?” At least, that’s the question that popped into my head as I listened in. Bell Media faced off against the Canadian Independent Distributors Group during an expedited hearing concerning the parties’ fight over Bell Media’s 2011 wholesale carriage agreement, as we have already covered extensively. The CIDG (Telus, Cogeco, EastLink, Canadian Cable Systems Alliance and MTS) say the dispute isn’t primarily about… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Canadian Music Week 2012: Content and user experience needs to be killer

TORONTO – Future success in the digital media world isn’t about the gadgets – it’s all about the content and user experience. That was the consensus among a group of industry experts who gathered Wednesday afternoon for a panel discussion during the Digital Media Summit, as part of Slacker Canadian Music Week in Toronto. “There’s nothing clever technologically about the Apple iPhone, fundamentally,” said James Cridland, radio futurologist and managing director for MediaUK, a media industry information web site. “It’s the user experience that makes that product a brilliant product, in comparison to the old clunky things we used to have… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers takes first step in all-digital cable conversion

TORONTO – Rogers Cable is in the early stages of an aggressive plan to convert the bulk of its hold out analog cable customers to digital. The cable giant has begun calling and sending letters to its Ontario television customers asking them to either order a free digital adapter for their active cable outlets, or to upgrade to a digital set top box/personal video recorder (PVR) in order to “keep receiving all the channels you do now”. David Purdy, vice-president of video products, confirmed to Cartt.ca that Rogers is “preparing to harvest” its 13-16 analog Tier 3 cable channels in order to… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

SCN purchase costs Rogers $3M

TORONTO – Rogers Broadcasting has bid $3 million for its 100% stake in Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN) which it is planning to re-launch as Citytv Saskatchewan. The CRTC has yet to approve the acquisition, but is scheduled to review it during a hearing on May 7 held at the Allstream Centre in Toronto. Rogers is buying the former Saskatchewan provincial public broadcaster from Bluepoint Investments in a deal that was officially announced in January.  Bluepoint paid the Saskatchewan government $350,000 for the station late in 2010 after promising to spend $1.75 million per year on independent Saskatchewan production, and $1 million per year… Continue Reading