Search Results for: rogers

Radio / Television News

Shaw sports service leads three new channel licenses

OTTAWA – The CRTC has approved a trio of new specialty channels, including a five-year license for Shaw Television to operate Shaw Media Sports, a national, English-language service that has been licensed as a Category C service. Shaw is the latest media company to apply and receive permission to operate a sports channel, since the CRTC opened up competition in the mainstream sports segment. Rogers, CBC and MLSE have previously applied to the regulator and been approved to launch their respective sports channels, but one wonders what big name sports rights are left for another new sports channel to acquire. Category… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

WIRELESS: Shaw could consider cable Wi-Fi for wireless network, says report

GATINEAU – While Shaw Communications continues to evaluate technologies for its plan to launch a wireless service in Western Canada, Scotia Capital Equity Research re-entered the debate by suggesting in a report published last week Shaw should not restrict its wireless solution to 4G/LTE but also consider cable Wi-Fi. Scotia Capital (among others) had earlier speculated that Shaw team up with Rogers Communications to build a national LTE network. “We think negotiations may still be ongoing, but we would like to point out another potential option for Shaw, one which we believe could turn out to be just as effective as… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Rogers to launch FX Canada in November

LOS ANGELES/TORONTO – Rogers Media Inc. and FX Networks have announced a deal at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Los Angeles to bring FX’s programming north of the border. “Clearly in my opinion, FX is a network in a States that’s on a rise,” said Scott Moore, president of broadcast for Rogers Media at the press conference. “It’s the number four cable network in the U.S. now. Its programming is edgy, it’s high-quality, and it’s a great fit with our existing brands.” FX Canada will launch on November 1 as anew digital service, and will deliver acclaimed programming… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

GTA broadcasters unite against Bell’s CTV2 application

GATINEAU – Back in June of 2007 when CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein was just about five months on the job, the Commission denied CTVglobemedia’s request to keep the Citytv stations as part of the company’s purchase of CHUM Limited. Since CTVgm (now Bell Media) already owned CFTO-TV in Toronto along with existing stations competing in Citytv’s other markets, the Regulator held firm to its one broadcast station per market policy of the same language, disallowing that portion of the sale. Weeks later, Rogers Communications stepped forward to buy the Citytv stations. When it issued its decision then, the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers launches real-time usage alerts for data roaming

TORONTO – With roughly five million Canadians preparing to travel this August according to Rogers Communications the company has launched new roaming solutions to help Canadians more easily manage their data use while traveling outside of Canada. Starting immediately, Rogers customers on a Roaming Data Pass will be the first in Canada to benefit from real-time data usage alerts while roaming abroad, giving cost certainty and peace of mind. These new Roaming Data Passes start at $5 per day for both customers and small businesses. The real-time usage alerts (up-to-date within five minutes) will be sent directly to a customer’s mobile… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Cisco to help Rogers Cup tennis to be “virtually combined”

TORONTO – Cisco and Rogers Sportsnet and will take fans courtside to see the world’s best tennis players at the 2011 Rogers Cup with cross-platform coverage on television, radio, online, mobile, print and even virtually through Cisco’s TelePresence systems. For the first time in the history of Rogers Cup, both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be staged simultaneously. The women’s tournament will take place at the Rexall Centre in Toronto August 6-14, while the men will compete August 5-14 at Montreal’s Uniprix Stadium. Multiple Cisco TelePresence systems will connect both venues through high-definition video, allowing participants in both… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Rogers offering customers live streamed Blue Jays games on demand

TORONTO – Beginning today, any Rogers customer can view live streamed Rogers Sportsnet coverage of the remainder of the 2011 Toronto Blue Jays regular season games through Rogers On Demand Online and on their smartphones with Rogers On Demand Mobile. Rogers says that since the start of the 2011 season, Toronto Blue Jays TV viewership on Rogers Sportsnet is up more than 23% nationally over 2010, with more than half a million people on average tuning in to each and every Jays game. "Canadians are dedicated Blue Jays fans. Rogers is giving customers a triple play with three ways… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

ACTRA, CMPA express cautious optimism towards group-based licencing policy

TORONTO and OTTAWA – Canada’s creative community used words like “optimistic” and “pleased” to describe their reaction to the CRTC’s group-based licencing policy released Wednesday. As Cartt.ca reported, Bell, Corus and Shaw will now be required to spend 30% of their revenues on Canadian programming, while Rogers will have to spend at least 23% of its gross annual revenues on Canadian programming for its conventional television stations.  Bell and Shaw must allot 5% of their revenues to programs of national interest, Corus 9% and Rogers 2.5%. Noting that it had hoped that the CRTC would require the English-language broadcasters to spend… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Group-based licensing decision renews Bell, Shaw, Corus for five years; Rogers gets three

OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Canada’s largest broadcast companies will inject billions of dollars into original Canadian programming over the next five years after the CRTC renewed the English-language TV licences for Bell Media, Corus Entertainment, Shaw Media and Rogers Media on Wednesday. The widely anticipated group-based licencing decision saw the broadcasting licences for services owned by Bell Media, Corus Entertainment and Shaw Media renewed until 2016. Citing the smaller number of specialty services owned by Rogers Media, the Commission renewed its licences through 2014. Over the next five years, Bell Media, Corus Entertainment  and Shaw Media must allocate at least… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Competition pulls down profits at Rogers

TORONTO – Increased competition in the wireless industry helped to weigh down second quarter profits at Rogers Communications. Rogers said Tuesday that net income for the quarter ended June 30th was $410 million, down 9% from $452 million in the same period last year. Revenue increased by 3% to $3.12 billion. "Rogers delivered a solid performance in the second quarter both for financial and subscriber results, delivering solid growth in a highly competitive environment," said president and CEO Nadir Mohamed, in a statement. "The strength of our asset mix combined with successful execution on our priorities – wireless data growth, customer… Continue Reading