BANFF – Vertically integrated media companies in Canada are essential to the long term health and viability of the Canadian production industry, delegates at the 2011 Banff World Media Festival heard Sunday afternoon.
Speaking at a panel discussion called ‘Canadian Media Leaders: The State of the Nation’ here on opening day, it wasn’t a shock that representatives from Bell Media, Rogers Media and Shaw Media took that tack. But it was somewhat surprising that CBC and Astral, neither of whom is affiliated with a BDU, would agree so readily.
“There’s a lot to be said for how’s this industry has been working…
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BANFF – CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein is one busy guy these days – just ask him. “We have a hearing virtually every month which is unheard of”, he told Cartt.ca on Monday morning at the Banff World Festival.
A few of the biggest broadcast-related issues on his plate at the moment – the pending digital transition and the impact that the over-the-top services are having in Canada – figured prominently in his annual breakfast speech to delegates here on the confab’s first full day.
Congratulating the country’s TV broadcasters on their efforts to date to comply with August 31st deadline,…
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BANFF – It seems as though you can’t go far at the Banff World Media Festival without hearing talk about over-the-top (OTT) providers, and, depending on your point of view, whether they are a bane or boon to the Canadian broadcasting industry.
At a panel discussion on Monday called "OTT Services The Future of Television" — moderated by Telus’ Michael Hennessey — a Canadian cable company, broadcaster and the independent producers coalition faced down a trio of representatives from foreign OTT services Google TV, Boxee and Netflix. But with every expectation of fireworks, the predominant tone of the discussion seemed to be one…
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TORONTO – Shaw Media announced today it has made a couple of new hires in its marketing department.
Sherida German has been appointed to the newly created role of senior director, marketing, Global News. In this role, she will oversee all news marketing and community relations strategy for the Global stations across the country, as well as Global National. German first the company in 1998 and most recently negotiated the largest co-marketing initiative in the company’s history with Johnson & Johnson’s brand Motrin, which resulted in brand exposure for TVtropolis and Wipeout Canada in 1,400 major national retail outlets.
She will…
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TORONTO – As promised last week, Telus announced Monday the company is lowering its roaming voice and data rates by up to 60%.
With the launch of Telus’ new “clear and simple international travel pricing,” all customers will now get the same low roaming rates when they’re traveling. Separate travel bundles and passes will no longer be required to take advantage of the lowest rate, making it easy and hassle-free for customers to use Telus wireless services when overseas.
"After the launch of our new HSPA+ wireless network in late 2009, Telus was able to offer our customers a…
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WELL, THAT WAS predictable.
We awoke Wednesday morning to a new report on wireless – this time on data roaming charges – from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The press release bellowed: “More effective competition and better regulation needed to cut high mobile data roaming costs, says OECD”.
When an international body with an unwieldy membership and fuzzy, broad mandate such as the OECD says we need more regulation of this or that, my automatic bullshit antenna engages. I also wondered aloud right away where Canada would rank in the report and in the press release (the only bit…
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TORONTO – Rogers Media is launching the country’s first national bi-weekly sports magazine in an effort to further leverage its Rogers Sportsnet brand.
Starting this Fall, the magazine will focus on the major professional leagues and the “premier” amateur events from a Canadian regional and national point-of-view. It will be produced by a soon-to-be-announced team of Canadian writers, editors and photojournalists who will no doubt plumb the depths of the company’s formidable sports television and radio assets.
“Sportsnet magazine will be Canada’s leading source for in-depth perspective and inside reports on hockey, baseball, football, soccer and MMA to name just a few,"…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is asking for comments on a proposed code of best practices for access programming on cable community channels.
The code, available here, was submitted by the Cable Industry Working Group which was assembled last August and includes representative from Rogers, Shaw, Cogeco, EastLink, Quebecor and the CCSA.
The deadline for submitting comments is September 6, and replies are due by September 16, 2011.
www.crtc.gc.ca
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TORONTO – Rogers will roll out its new Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in the nation’s capital this summer, the company confirmed Wednesday.
It also said that it is readying the first LTE-enabled mobile device in Canada, known as the LTE Rocket, which will deliver speeds "significantly faster" than HSPA+. The company said in April that it would launch LTE in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa this year, with more markets to come in 2012. It conducted a technical trial of LTE in the Ottawa-area last fall.
"We’re thrilled to be first in bringing this world class technology…
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WE DON’T WANT TO SUGGEST that over-the-top programming services aren’t a potential threat to the Canadian broadcasting system or that the matter shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Pelmorex is a passionate proponent of a strong Canadian system. We believe it is appropriate for the Commission to look into the matter and it is doing exactly that with its Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-344 (with a deadline extension now).
But, (and there always is a “but’, isn’t there), as OTT becomes the “issue du jour”, caution must be taken to ensure that the OTT threat is not to be used…
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