Search Results for: rogers

Cable / Telecom News

UPDATE: Mobilicity goes ahead with Chatr challenges; files complaint against Rogers

TORONTO – Mobilicity is making good on its threat to sue Rogers over the launch of its new low-cost brand Chatr. The new wireless provider told Cartt.ca that its legal counsel filed complaints against Rogers with various government agencies late last week, including the Competition Bureau, on the grounds that Chatr is in direct breach of Section 78 of the Competition Act which prohibits market leaders from using “fighting brands to discipline or eliminate a competitor.” COO Stewart Lyons said Wednesday morning that the company will not be issuing any statements on the matter “other than to say we are… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Sony’s Crackle comes to Canada

CULVER CITY, CA and TORONTO – Crackle, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s premium video entertainment network is now available in Canada. Advertiser supported, Crackle features high-quality original short-form series, full-length and short-form television shows, and motion pictures from the Sony Pictures library.  In addition to its website www.crackle.com, content will also be available on Rogers’ On Demand platform, as well as via distribution partners YouTube, Boxee, Dailymotion, and Metacafe. "Through our expansion into Canada, Crackle continues to build upon its successful distribution and ad network," said Eric Berger, SVP of digital networks for Sony Pictures Television, in a statement Tuesday.  "We deliver the… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Happy New Year! Presenting the top 30 stories from the 2010 broadcast year

EVERY TUESDAY AFTER Labour Day, because it’s a fun analysis of our year and lets us have the weekend off… we re-publish the top stories from the last 12 months. Why a “Happy New Year” now? Simple. September is the “new year” for broadcasters. The new fall shows are coming out and speaking from a regulatory perspective, the 2010 broadcast year ended August 31st and we are into a new year for them. (Ed. Note: Not so incidentally, we’re now less than a year away from the analog shut off – which was a popular topic this year – and there’s… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

TSN, Rogers Sportsnet tip off basketball schedules

TORONTO – Round ball has returned. TSN and TSN2 unveiled their 2010-2011 NBA broadcast schedule of 94 NBA games, including 47 Toronto Raptors match-ups, all available in high definition. In addition to its regular season broadcast schedule, TSN and TSN2 will have complete coverage of the NBA All-Star Weekend scheduled for February 18 – 20 in Los Angeles, plus the NBA Playoffs and exclusive Canadian coverage of the NBA Finals.  TSN also scored the broadcast rights to all Raptors games throughout the post-season. “There has been an incredible amount of buzz surrounding the NBA this off season and we are thrilled to… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Rogers, Warner to make sweet music together

TORONTO – Rogers Media is officially in the music business.  The company said Wednesday that it will begin selling advertising inventory around Warner Music Canada’s premium music video content in Canada. "Along with our other investments in premium digital video content, this partnership with Warner Music Canada will enable Rogers Digital Media to offer even more premium video content to advertisers," said Claude Galipeau, SVP and for Rogers Digital Media, in the announcement. The multi-year partnership will see Rogers’ digital distribution arm, Rogers Digital Media, exclusively represent Warner Music Canada’s music video content across a variety of digital properties including Warner Music… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

UPDATE: Rogers calls out Bell on definition of underserved areas

TORONTO – While not officially kicking its chief rival when it’s down, Rogers offered up a few thoughts of its own on the CRTC’s decision on deferral accounts. “One problem with the (deferral account disbursement process) is that it went to court, and so there’s about a four year delay between when the (underserved) communities were approved and when they got built”, said SVP of regulatory, Ken Engelhart, in an interview with Cartt.ca.  “What the CRTC really should have done was review all of the communities to make sure that they weren’t subsidizing Bell to go into some place… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Wholesale access still mandated, but with an extra 10% mark-up; Bell to lobby cabinet again

GATINEAU – As the large telephone and cable companies continue to push fibre deeper into their old copper networks to offer increasing broadband speeds and new services to their customers, the CRTC affirmed Monday the incumbents must continue to rent space to third party ISPs under its mandated access policy and the Commission’s speed matching rules. These regs must be set aside, though, Bell Canada’s regulatory chief, Mirko Bibic, told Cartt.ca late on Monday. “We need to figure out how do we get to a situation where this should not be done at all?” he said in reacting to Monday’s… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

WFN hooks Videotron; launches in HD on Rogers

TORONTO – WFN: World Fishing Network will launch its high definition service on Rogers’ cable systems starting Thursday. WFN HD will be available on Rogers channel #542 as part of the cableco’s sports theme package, or as an a la carte offering, and will be in free preview for the month of October.  The channel will also continue to be offered in SD on channel #426. In other news, the fishing and outdoor lifestyle network announced that it will be available to Videotron customers in Quebec starting September 1st.  WFN will be offered on channel #57 as part of Videotron’s ‘Custom’, ‘Mega’ and… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Super Channel restructuring plan gets thumbs up from creditors

EDMONTON – Allarco Entertainment, owners of Canadian pay-TV service Super Channel, received unanimous creditor approval for a plan of compromise and arrangement under Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). CCAA is a statute in Canadian law that governs the reorganization of businesses, allowing them time to restructure and reorganize debts. Allarco said Tuesday in a statement that it will appear in court on September 3rd to have the plan of arrangement sanctioned by the court. The company, which has been in CCAA since June 2009, said that it expects to be finished restructuring by the end of September. www.superchannel.ca Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Tickets, sponsorship available for Telecom Hall of Fame induction

OTTAWA – Tickets are now available for Canada’s 6th annual Telecom Laureate Awards gala dinner and induction ceremony, scheduled for November 10 in Ottawa. This year’s Telecom Laureates are John L. Bragg (Atlantic Canada’s Communications Entrepreneur), Charles Sirois (Global Communications Visionary), Stephanie MacKendrick (Advocate for Women in Canadian Telecom) and the late Major W. Bruce M. Carruthers (Father of Canadian Military Communications). In addition, this year’s Special Recognition Award will go to the Telecom Pioneers of Canada, part of a volunteer network of more than 620,000 current and former North American telecom industry employees, the largest industry-related volunteer organization in the… Continue Reading