WHILE SAYING HIS company has not yet decided on a course of action, Bell Canada’s regulatory chief says thanks to the CRTC’s new vertical integration policy, he wants to start over when it comes to our broadcasting laws and its regulation.
(Explained here, the new policy: prohibits exclusives on linear TV content when it comes to mobile and online platforms; bans tied selling of specialty services ensuring BDUs can buy them from programmers one at a time; calls for consumers to be able to buy more specialties one at a time in a pick-and-pay format; outlines a specific code…
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TORONTO – Rogers Sportsnet has signed a five-year deal with the American Hockey League for the multiplatform Canadian media rights to the AHL All-Star Classic, which includes the skills competition and the AHL All-Star game.
The agreement encompasses rights on Sportsnet television, mobile and on-line for the AHL All-Star Classic, which this year will be held in Atlantic City. It also includes the first AHL outdoor game ever held in Canada as the Hamilton Bulldogs host the Toronto Marlies at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton on January 21, 2012, which Sportsnet will produce and broadcast. The Bulldogs are the top development…
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OTTAWA – Wind Mobile used a wireless event in Ottawa on Tuesday to reinforce the view that it needs access to more spectrum and a better regime for tower and cell site sharing.
Speaking on a wireless technology panel at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association’s Wireless Technology Showcase, Ante Rupcic, VP of core networks for Wind Mobile, said it needs access to large chunks of spectrum during the next round of licensing.
“It’s essential that we, too, get a fair stake of additional spectrum. Again, not these small chunks of spectrum, it has to be reasonable bands, reasonable channel…
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OTTAWA – The nearly 10-year effort to get mobile payments into the mainstream may soon becoming to fruition, according to David Robinson, VP of emerging business at Rogers Communications.
The Big Three Canadian wireless carriers, and their mobile payments enterprise EnStream LP, are putting the finishing touches on a contactless payment system that will enable consumers to embed all types of payment cards and other identification – referred to as credentials – on their smartphones. Robinson refers to the system as mobile proximity payments rather than contactless but both are applicable.
“We are ready to own the podium [on mobile…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC’s new policy on vertical integration, released late Wednesday, tries hard to balance the wants of Canadian television viewers with the commercial demands of the country’s largest vertically integrated broadcasters and television distributors, and the needs of the smaller and independent ones.
Following a five day long hearing in June, the new policy offers flexibility to the likes of Bell Media, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Quebecor Media, but also includes a number of safeguards and a code of conduct.
Highlights of the new policy include:
– Companies are prohibited from offering television programs on an exclusive basis to…
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MONT TREMBLANT – Wandering around (and around) the small, but sold-out trade show floor at the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance on Monday yielded many tales of growth and development, some of which are new, others a bit better-known.
Then in the evening, the Alliance handed out its annual supplier of the year and member of the year awards and honoured a couple of others as well. The CCSA’s 2011 member of the year, a company which “stood above the crowd,” said CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend is Co-operative de Cablodistribution de l’Arriere Pays (which serves the Charlesbourg and Lac-Saint-Charles…
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TORONTO – New independent broadcaster Hollywood Suite added to its senior management team Monday, just months before the planned launch of its four HD movie services.
Ellen Baine was named VP programming, Jeremy McCarthy is director of business sevelopment and Kerry Connelly is director of marketing. Additional appointments include Erich Neher as program manager, Ross Finkelstein as program coordinator and Sean O’Neill as producer/editor.
A 33 year veteran of the Canadian broadcast industry, Baine was vice-president of programming at CHUM Television before providing consulting services to media companies such as Obelysk Group, Descriptive Video Works, GlassBox Television and Bluepoint Investments.
McCarthy (pictured below with…
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MONT TREMBLANT – While it may look like the direct, immediate threat of over-the-top video has hit a plateau, don’t be fooled, Clearcable’s Rob McCann told Canadian Cable Systems Alliance delegates this morning.
As the first speaker of the day at the CCSA’s annual Connect conference, McCann woke the independent TV, internet and telecom distributors to news that online video’s growth shows little sign of slowing and that constant network investment is required to keep up with what the likes of Google and Apple are doing.
When companies the size of those two (approximate combined market capitalization, $570 billion) decide to…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC’s decision on new policy for the country’s vertically integrated companies is expected this week, most likely on Wednesday after the markets close, Cartt.ca has learned.
After a five day long hearing in June, the primary issues that emerged were a potential code of conduct that the large companies – Bell Media, Rogers Communications, Shaw Communications and Videotron – must abide by when negotiating for content and/or carriage; exclusive content allowances; the need for a skinny basic programming package; and protections for independent broadcasters and distributors.
Stay tuned – Cartt.ca will have a full report on the new…
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MONTREAL – The short list of TV veterans has been whittled down to three for the position of executive vice-president, French services at the CBC, sources have told Cartt.ca.
While no final decision has yet been taken, we have learned that former TVA executive Philippe Lapointe and former Rogers exec Marc Blondeau are in the running, as is CRTC commissioner Michel Morin.
Morin (right) has over three decades of experience as a journalist with Radio-Canada and was chief editor, television news, for Radio-Canada and RDI from 2003…
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