OTTAWA – A number of Canada’s independent cable operators have balked at signing a new omnibus carriage agreement for the up-to 30 specialty channels owned by Bell Media and instead are demanding the CRTC step in and decide who’s right.
According to sources with direct knowledge of the agreement and the ongoing battle, both Cogeco Cable and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance have been through a few rounds of official CRTC staff mediation, which hasn’t yielded much in the way of results. It now looks like the disputes are headed towards binding, final offer arbitration in front of a CRTC…
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TORONTO – CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada in Punjabi is returning for its third season starting December 10.
Thanks to sponsorship support from Chevrolet Canada, two games will be available every Saturday night during the regular season, as well as one series per round during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Punjabi play-by-play voice Harnarayan Singh will once again call the action.
“We’re thrilled to bring back our Punjabi broadcasts with Harnarayan Singh for another season as a part of CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada thanks to our new presenting sponsor, Chevrolet,” said Julie Bristow, CBC’s executive director of studio and unscripted programming,…
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TORONTO – SOCAN appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada this week to represent the interests of Canadian music creators and publishers in three copyright cases related to the use of music on the Internet by corporations that include Rogers, Bell, Shaw, Telus, and Apple.
The organization said in a statement that its appearance comes in support of the decision made by the Copyright Board of Canada and confirmed by the Federal Court of Appeal to licence the use of music on-line in the form of downloads and musical previews, as well as the use of music in on-line games.
Composers,…
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TORONTO – Rogers' new on-demand app will be available on the Xbox 360 and newly designed Xbox LIVE dashboard just in time for the holiday season, the company said Monday.
Rogers' announcement was a piece of a global Xbox launch of its new interface, which also included a Disney XD channel from Astral Media and word that Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment will make content available via the gaming platform.
Free for Rogers’ postpaid wireless, home phone and Internet customers, the Rogers app will include over 1,000 hours of video content at launch. Rogers’ cable TV customers will also have access to premium…
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OTTAWA – Government and regulatory bodies need to be mindful of the impact its policies, or a lack thereof, can have on small media and communications companies, said a panel of such CEOs at the International Institute of Communications Canada conference on Tuesday.
Cal Millar, president and CEO of Channel Zero, said his company (which owns CHCH, CJNT, Movieola and Silver Screen Classics) is ready to compete with over the top services, but is at a disadvantage because OTT video providers aren’t regulated. “We are in a world today where content is somewhat ubiquitous. And in that marketplace we’ve now…
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OAKVILLE, ON – The Weather Network and MétéoMédia have launched their interactive iTV app on Bell Fibe TV.
The weather app allows customers to access on-demand weather information and enhanced content with the touch of a remote. Viewers may save their own city or town in iTV, plus up to nine other locations that could include their cottage or favourite vacation spots.
“Our easy-to-use iTV app makes it even more convenient for consumers to get timely weather information,” said Maureen Rogers, SVP of Television for Pelmorex Media, the parent company of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia. “As a company that’s known…
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TORONTO – CTAM Canada’s newly elected board of directors for 2012 includes a number of familiar names and faces.
Joining the organization are:
– Gordon Lee, Corus Entertainment;
– Alyson Townsend, Canadian Cable Systems Alliance;
– Isabelle Bertrand, AOV;
– Hawley T. Chester III, Fox Networks;
– Peter Furnish, Astral Television Networks;
– Suzanne Gouin, TV5 Quebec, Canada;
– Ryan Kane, Rogers Media;
– Peter Kovacs, Rogers Communications;
– Julie Kumaria, Astral Television Networks; and
– Jeremy McCarthy, Hollywood Suite.
CTAM board members serving the second of their two-year terms include Astral’s Dominique Cornellier; Celine Laporte of Terra Terra Communications; Sean Luxton of Insight Sports; Gary Pelletier from Stingray Digital; David…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable signed a “long-term agreement” for the continued distribution of all Shaw Media services, including popular channels History Television, HGTV Canada, Showcase, as well as on-demand rights to Global TV content.
The deal includes on-demand, online and mobile rights, through linear, VOD, broadband and mobile.
"It is extremely gratifying to renew our long-standing relationship with Rogers and secure their continued support of our leading specialty television brands. The agreement acknowledges our investment in programming, aggressive evolution to high definition offerings and leadership in the on-demand space," said Shaw Media president Paul Robertson, in the announcement. "This deal is a…
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TORONTO – Look out Groupon, here comes RDeals.
Rogers Digital Media has launched RDeals, a new daily deals site that brings local and national finds to Canadians for up to 90% off the original price. Beginning Tuesday, the site will offer national deals across Canada (excluding Quebec), as well as local daily deals to the Greater Toronto Area on products and services that include food, fashion, technology, vacations, spa treatments, and fitness classes.
"Canadians are increasingly looking to engage with their favourite brands through multiple digital platforms and channels. With RDeals, we are offering savings on top, quality brands and seamlessly connecting customers, wherever they are,…
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TORONTO – A miniature schnauzer named Speedy has been chosen as the winning dog in a contest launched last month by Fido.
The Rogers-owned discount wireless provider said that it received more than 23,000 entries during its ‘Fido Casting Call’ contest which ran for six weeks in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal. Speedy was voted into the top spot by Canadians and will now star in an upcoming Fido ad.
Fido also pledged to donate $220,000 to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides to be used to train and place 11 dog guides with Canadians with disabilities.
“Fido fans and dog…
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