Perry Hoffman
GATINEAU – Canadian cable operators do not believe that a local-into-local signal carriage regime imposed on DTH companies would be disastrous for the operations of Bell TV and Shaw Direct.
Bell TV and Shaw Direct say in their submissions on 2010-488, the review of the direct-to-home satellite distribution policy they don’t have the capacity to carry all local over-the-air (OTA) signals, and despite technological improvements in compression coming online in the future complying with a local-into-local regime will be problematic.
Both say that if forced to carry all over-the-air (OTA) stations, they will have no choice but to remove specialty…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications rolled out a $900 million senior notes offering on Wednesday.
The notes are priced at $999.45 per $1,000 principal amount, for an effective yield of 4.707% per annum if held to maturity. They will mature on September 29, 2020.
Rogers said that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately $895 million, which are intended to be used to repay outstanding advances under its bank credit facility and for general corporate purposes.
Moody’s assigned the offering a ‘stable’ ratings outlook, saying that it viewed the transaction “as being accommodated within Rogers’ prevailing Baa2 senior unsecured rating”.
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The big players in Canada’s wireless broadband space have told Industry Canada that it should avoid adopting the U.S. plan for the 2500 MHz band and instead opt for the international band plan. They say the economics resulting from such a decision are much better for the Canadian wireless sector.
“Harmonization of the Canadian band plan with the globally adopted band plan will be essential if Canadians are to benefit from the global ecosystem for wireless network technology and consumer devices that are already developing for the band,” Inukshuk Internet tells Industry Canada in comments filed…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – While more and more Canadians opt for smart phones like BlackBerry’s, iPhones and Android-powered devices, increased competition in the market is going to hurt the incumbent wireless operators’ bottom lines, says a new report.
Toronto’s Convergence Consulting forecasts a Canadian wireless service ARPU decline of 1% for 2010 (ARPU saw a 3% decline in 2009), driven by a 7% drop in voice ARPU (2009 saw a 9% voice ARPU drop). While data service ARPU will grow by 26% in 2010, the company estimates, that will not be enough to counter overall ARPU decline according to its report ‘Canadian Wireless 2008-2014:…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – As the CRTC considers Shaw’s proposed purchase of Canwest Global’s TV assets, one industry analyst specualted on the implications of content providers making their content proprietary.
In a note to investors on Tuesday, Dvai Ghose, the managing director and head of Canadian research for Canaccord Genuity, said that companies like BCE and Rogers “see content ownership as an essential bargaining chip when negotiating content deals”, which, he continued, could make it difficult for companies who do not own content, naming TELUS and MTS as examples, to compete in the broadband, TV, and wireless segments.
“This does not seem to be in the interest…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers is airing a new television series, but this one is available solely on its community TV channel.
The new comedy series, Sketchersons TV, is written and performed by Toronto-based sketch troupe The Sketchersons and produced by Generator Films. The award-winning troupe, well known in Toronto for their weekly stage sketch show ‘Sunday Night Live’, uses talk-show and commercial parodies to offer an amusing spin on mundane everyday life.
“Rogers TV is always looking for local content, driven by Toronto community members”, said Rogers TV Toronto station manager, Annie Hadida, in a statement. “Sketchersons TV is one of many new…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Canada’s wireless carriers were pleased to read on Cartt.ca that Industry Minister Tony Clement is going to make the auction of the 700 MHz wireless spectrum a priority of his ministry,
“We’re happy he’s saying, ‘bring it on’,” Rogers Communications senior vice-president of regulatory, Ken Engelhart, told Cartt.ca.“We agree with Minister Clement, that (the auction) should be brought on fairly quickly.”
The 700 MHz spectrum, of course, is what our conventional broadcasters use to transmit analog TV signals right now. They face a deadline of August 31, 2011 to get off that spectrum (shutting off their analog transmitters)…
Continue Reading
PART OF THE RATIONALE behind Bell Canada’s purchase of CTV is that the mobile and broadband spaces are unregulated – and that content exclusives will be part of the game when attracting and retaining subscribers who want to see their video content on their iPads, BlackBerrys or PCs, as well as their TVs.
Bell CEO George Cope told us as much when we asked him about it during the press conference announcing the deal last week.
However, to paraphrase what Telus has been saying for a while now: “Not so fast, consolidators.”
The Bell/CTV deal was excellent timing for the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO and CALGARY – Add Shaw to the short list of distributors who have added Rogers Sportsnet One to their programming rosters.
Starting Wednesday, Shaw said that “the vast majority” of its customers will receive Sportsnet One as part of their existing television package. The channel will be available to all Shaw digital TV customers in a free preview until October 31, and then be added to the Shaw Digital TV, HD Plus, and HD Sports packages.
Shaw Direct customers will have Sportsnet One included in the English and French Essentials package, and in the HD Sports packages.
"As customer advocates, we’ve…
Continue Reading
CANADIAN WIRELESS CUSTOMERS ARE hungry for a deal. According to brand new research, they are seeing the big ad campaigns and know they can shop around more than they ever have – and they’ll take their business to the best rate.
While all the wireless providers, new or incumbent, talk a great game about providing the best customer service, the highest speeds, the greatest apps and handsets, and the strongest, most reliable network – all lovely marketing bullet points – they only work to a degree.
Exclusive research from Toronto’s Solutions Research Group and Cartt.ca shows that when it comes to…
Continue Reading
