OAKVILLE, ON – According to the Weather Network, this summer will be crisp and clear with a strong likelihood of high definition.
The Pelmorex-owned channel is continuing its HD roll out by launching on Rogers’ channel 586 late last week. The move is part of the network’s HD launch that began last month for Ontario and Manitoba viewers (channel 450 for MTS and channel 767 for Cogeco customers, respectively).
“We’re pleased to bring the new look and feel of The Weather Network in HD to Cogeco, MTS and Rogers customers,” said Maureen Rogers, SVP of television services, in the announcement. “With our move…
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TORONTO – On the eve of its annual awards gala, RTNDA Canada: The Association of Electronic Journalists has voted to change its name in order to adapt to the changes in the profession.
In a vote at its national conference this past weekend in Halifax, the membership agreed to change the acronym to include the word ‘Digital’. For the last 49 years, the acronym was short for Radio-Television News Directors Association. That will soon change to RTDNA, or Radio-Television Digital News Association – The Association of Electronic Journalists.
"Flipping those two letters, from ‘News Directors’ to ‘Digital News’ makes us more…
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GATINEAU – A code of conduct for vertically integrated broadcast and distribution groups, content exclusivity on mobile and the need for a skinny basic package were the primary discussion points discussion during the fourth day of the CRTC’s examination of vertical integration.
EastLink noted during its opening remarks that access to content is a “critical driver” of not only its cable distribution service, but for all of its services, and therefore rules need to be established to ensure equitable access to content.
“Programming services dictate contract terms requiring distribution in high penetration packages, packaging requirements and, in some cases, with the…
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GATINEAU – Do consumers really want the ability to pick the Jenny Craig of TV packages, a.k.a. the oft-debated, ultra-lean, skinny basic package?
It has been one of the primary questions coming from CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein and his colleagues over the first three days of the Commission’s hearing into vertical integration.
The idea has been bounced around for a couple of years (especially during the fee-for-carriage battles), however it has really taken hold of the imagination of the panel of commissioners this week.
In a nutshell, a mandated skinny basic package would force cable, satellite and telco TV distributors…
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PARIS – We can likely watch for a renewed wave of stories and blogs about how far behind Canada is when it comes to wireless and broadband as compared to the rest of the world when the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development releases its latest Communications Outlook report, expected some time today.
The wave of negativity has washed over the country several times already due to various such reports, so just make sure you dig deeper than the easy, salacious, headline.
According to a source who has already seen the report, it will make headlines that will make…
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GATINEAU – Having stopped its HSPA wireless network build earlier this year, Shaw Communications is nearing a decision on what to do, finally, on the wireless front.
“We’re in certain conversations, strategically, looking at options. We’re certainly looking at LTE 4G as where technology is going but we’re still in that process,” said company CEO Brad Shaw to reporters after his appearance in front of the CRTC’s vertical integration hearing.
“We’ll soon make an announcement, I think, over the next month.” The company put the brakes on its HSPA network build in February in order to reassess its wireless goals…
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PARIS – Canadians haven’t bought into the mobile Internet phenomenon like other countries’ citizens have according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) latest Communications Outlook report released Thursday.
Crediting the popularity of smart phones and tablet PCs for driving the growth of mobile broadband services, the report said that wireless broadband subscriptions in OECD countries exceeded half a billion by the end of 2010, noting an increase of more than 10% between June and December. The report is based on data from December, 2010.
The average penetration rate stood at 41.6%, meaning four in ten “inhabitants” in each country on…
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TORONTO – CBC and Rogers Sportsnet are teaming up to deliver all games from the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011 which starts this weekend, marking the first time every match will be broadcast live in Canada.
The partnership will see CBC air all matches involving Canada, including three of four quarterfinals, the semi-final, bronze and gold medal matches, all live. Rogers Sportsnet will air one quarterfinal match live, while also providing encore broadcasts of the quarterfinal, semi-final, bronze and gold medal matches. Additionally, in the early rounds, Rogers Sportsnet will provide live coverage of 18 matches not involving Canada.
Scott Russell will…
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GATINEAU – When Bell Canada and Telus each spoke to the issue of exclusive content on Tuesday morning during their turns at the CRTC’s hearing into vertical integration of media and distribution companies, we thought to ourselves: “this, we’ve heard before.”
Telus, the biggest carrier in the country without media assets, is worried the likes of Rogers, Bell, Shaw and Quebecor will make acquiring ancillary content for wireless, online, and any other devices that pop up, too difficult or expensive – or give themselves unfair head starts, much to the disadvantage of Telus and other companies like it.
Allowing the Canadian…
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TORONTO – Rogers Communications is offering its small and medium-sized business customers a cloud based business phone system via a new partnership with RingCentral.
Rogers Hosted IP Voice provides customers the functionality of a business phone system without the high cost or complexity of a traditional on-premise hardware PBX, Wednesday’s announcement detailed. Additionally, it is designed to meet the business needs of the mobile and distributed workforce, with features and functionality that legacy hardware PBXs cannot provide.
"We understand that for small businesses, seamless connections with customers are crucial to maintaining a professional image," said John Boynton, Rogers’ EVP and chief marketing officer….
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