Don’t miss your chance to register for the 2009 Canadian Telecom Summit, only a few weeks away.
Held June 15 – 17 in Toronto, the event promises to cover all segments of the Canadian telecommunications and IT industries, and bring together leaders from all constituencies – service providers, manufacturers, applications providers, policy makers and regulators.
Some of the confirmed participants to date are Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO of Research In Motion, Nadir Mohamed, president and CEO of Rogers Communications, CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein, and Richard Stursberg, executive vice president of English Services for CBC.
Sessions include social networking; new…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers, Bell, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink and the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) have banded together to file a complaint with the CRTC alleging that CTV has violated the Broadcasting Act by airing a “one-sided and unbalanced coverage” of its own advocacy campaign.
As reported by Cartt.ca, CTV has been promoting its ‘Save Local TV’ campaign across its television properties in an apparent attempt to pressure the government and the CRTC for fee-for-carriage. But incorporating the campaign into their local newscasts violates the Broadcasting Act and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters own Code of Ethics, say the group of BDUs.
"While we…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – CTV has, predictably, refuted the allegations made by Rogers and other BDUs regarding its ‘Save Local TV’ public advocacy campaign.
In a statement sent late on Friday afternoon, the network said it has remained in “full compliance” with both the Broadcasting Act and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics, and called the complaint by the BDUs an “underhanded move by cable and satellite companies” and “an abuse of process designed to suppress freedom of speech and mislead the public”.
"The fact that the first we’re hearing about this is through a Rogers’ press release and still…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications is hoping to raise close to $1 billion.
The company has priced an offering of $1.0 billion of 5.80% senior notes, priced at $997.67 per $1,000 principal amount, for an effective yield of 5.841% per annum if held to maturity in May, 2016.
The net proceeds from the offering, estimated to be approximately $993 million, are intended to be used for “general corporate purposes”, including the repayment of outstanding debt under Rogers’ bank credit facility.
The senior notes are being offered in each of the provinces of Canada through a syndicate of agents, and Rogers said…
Continue Reading
ONE OF THE FORMER rules of thumb when it comes to opinionating was: Never Use “I”.
Saying “I think” or “I believe” in a column is redundant and lazy. To paraphrase what more than one editor has said in my presence over the years: “Readers already know it’s what you think, your name’s at the top of the piece. Be more creative in how you write.”
So, with apologies to all of my former bosses, I must say: I have a headache. I’ve grown just a little weary of thinking about the so-called crisis in conventional television. And judging…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Communications will increase its current normal course issuer bid for its Class B non-voting shares to repurchase additional shares.
Between February 20, 2009 and February 19, 2010, the company may purchase up to 48 million Class B shares, which represents approximately 10% of the public float, for an aggregate purchase price of $1.5 billion. As at May 15, 2009 there were approximately 519.554 million Class B shares issued and outstanding.
Rogers also announced that it has set a target leverage range for its capital structure of net debt to adjusted operating profit of 2.0 to 2.5 times.
The…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers Wireless has kicked off a promotional campaign in support of ‘the Android Market’, an on-line application store accessible only through the two Google smart phones that the company is launching on June 2.
The HTC Dream and HTC Magic smart phones, the first cell phones powered by Google Inc.’s Android platform, will allow for access to a range of Google mobile services, including Google Search, Google Maps, and Gmail.
"Innovation is part of our DNA at Rogers Wireless," said John Boynton, senior vice president and CMO, in the press release. "The leading-edge Android-powered HTC Dream and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers’ radio-thon in support of shelters for abused women raised almost $500,000 earlier this month.
This was the fifth consecutive year that Rogers was the media partner for ‘Shelter from the Storm’, Canada’s largest national campaign to end violence against women.
Rogers’ support of the initiative included donations of print, television, online and radio advertising, plus a live radio-thon on Rogers radio stations across Canada on May 7.
"We are overwhelmed by the support and donations received from our listeners and advertisers," said Shannon Valliant, vice president of financial operations for Roger Media, in a statement. "Our radio…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – TSN2 has finally found a home on the Rogers cable lineup.
The companies reached an agreement over the weekend after months of negotiation. TSN2 will be available to Rogers’ subscribers on a free preview basis on its digital channel 1, beginning Tuesday.
At the end of the month, TSN2 will move to its permanent channel location on channel 98, where it will be available to Rogers Digital VIP cable subscribers. As part of the agreement, customers must subscribe to TSN and have the HDTV Specialty Theme Pak to receive TSN2 HD. The cable giant is also launching…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – Canadian convention broadcasters have had their licenses renewed for a year, won’t face a one-to-one foreign-Canadian programming spend requirement – and will have a LOT of regulatory work to do in the next 12 months,
As first reported by Cartt.ca this week, the CRTC announced its preliminary decisions on a few matters from the public hearing to renew the licences of most of Canada’s private conventional television broadcasters.
“We are making our initial determinations public to provide a measure of guidance to conventional broadcasters as they prepare for the upcoming broadcast year and embark on program purchases,”…
Continue Reading
