GATINEAU – What would have been fun, was a debate.
Day three of the CRTC hearings into BDU and specialty service regulations featured the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, two groups with decidedly different constituents, and points of view, on the future policy direction of the TV industry.
The CAB represents most broadcasters in Canada who together serve basically 100% of the Canadian population. The CCSA, on the other hand, has a far smaller group of members whose companies deliver cable and broadband service to under a million rural Canadians.
While each had their turn…
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GATINEAU – To many we’ve talked to so far this week, it smacks of re-regulation, not de-regulation, but commissioner Michel Morin wants to know what the industry thinks of a new points system he has devised to help small specialty services gain more notice.
At the BDU and specialty service hearings on Monday and Tuesday, the first-year commissioner has explained and re-explained his proposal to just about each intervener – several of whom seem a little perplexed by the proposal. Count some audience members in that group scratching their heads, too.
After hearing Morin (a former broadcaster explain it…
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CALGARY – A press release issued by Shaw Communications this afternoon that some might term a little imprudent, took some new swings at the CRTC and in the overall direction the Calgary-based company believes this month’s Commission hearing is headed.
The three-week-long hearing has just completed its third day of proceedings (Shaw isn’t scheduled to appear until April 23) into the policies governing broadcast distribution undertakings and specialty services, but the company which owns Star Choice and Shaw Cable clearly doesn’t like the tone of the discussions so far.
"When it was first announced, we were optimistic that this…
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GATINEAU – While Rael Merson said repeatedly that he believed the conventional broadcast system will right itself, if left to market forces, there was one idea he brought up that he will hear about for a while.
It’s the idea of a luxury tax. Merson, the president and CEO of Rogers Broadcasting, insisted during Monday’s first day of hearings into the policies on BDUs and specialty services that Canada’s top two conventional broadcasters, CTV and Global, have been beating themselves up so bad buying programming Stateside every year, paying ever-higher for prime time fare. That, he said, is the…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable will be broadcasting for free the Mandarin versions of the NHL playoff games that are being streamed over the Internet by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Rogers said it had decided to broadcast the feed as a value-add to its Mandarin customers.
One series per round of playoff games airing on Hockey Night in Canada, beginning with the Montreal-Boston series, will be produced in Mandarin by the CBC and streamed at CBCSports.ca.
Games broadcast in Mandarin will be available free to Rogers Cable digital customers in Ontario and New Brunswick on channel 460.
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TORONTO – The Score Media broke even in the second quarter ended February 29, with net income down $0.3 million from the same period a year earlier, according to financial results released Wednesday. The company attributed the decline “largely due to a restructuring provision recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2008 in the amount of $0.9 million.”
Revenue in the quarter was $8.4 million, up $0.7 million from $7.7 million in the same period a year earlier, but operating costs increased due to anticipated increased spending for high definition television programming, higher rights fees associated with broadcasting live…
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GATINEAU – The messages Rogers Communications executives were trying to get across to CRTC commissioners this morning were obscured a little by an unexpected source: company founder Ted Rogers.
Rogers strayed a little from the themes the others on his panel were trying to get across to Commissioners Michel Morin. Ron Williams, Len Katz, Michel Arpin, Rita Cugini and chairman Konrad von Finckenstein on the opening of day one of the hearings into the policies governing broadcast distribution undertakings and specialty services in Canada.
Rogers executives Ken Engelhart and Phil Lind took the lead, but with Canada’s pre-eminent cable…
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TORONTO – Rogers on Tuesday said its 3G high-speed wireless network and Rogers Vision, a wireless video calling, had rolled out in Moncton, NB and Halifax, NS.
Rogers also announced that the two cities were the first in the Western Hemisphere to commercially offer 7.2 Mbps wireless services, following a successful trial in late 2007. Now, the country’s fastest mobile download speeds are found in Moncton and Halifax, stated Rogers in a media release.
“This major expansion reinforces Rogers as Canada’s fastest and most advanced wireless network from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast,” said Rogers Wireless president…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Rogers Broadcasting Inc.’s application to acquire CTV’s stake in Outdoor Life Network, and the CBC’s application to purchase CTV’s shares in ARTV inc. were gazetted Tuesday (Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-27).
On behalf of 1163031 Ontario Inc., Rogers Broadcasting is applying to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares currently held by CTV in Outdoor Life for $38.805 million. Rogers is proposing a $3.880 million tangible benefits package in conjunction with the sale.
CBC is paying $1.760 million for CTV’s stake in the French-language arts channel ARTV. The CBC currently holds 45.09% and CTV 15.57% of the channel. If…
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I’VE HEARD NO END of parallels spun in attempts to explain the complex structure we call the Canadian television industry.
From cars and roads and traffic lights to water bottles and Lake Ontario. A house of cards to yarn and a sweater – and even an airplane ride and airline peanuts. Various parts of the industry are the gears in the car, the pre-and post-processed water, the air pressure inside and outside the plane. The yarn-and-sweater analogy is always “if you pull at one thread, the whole things comes apart.” I can’t repeat without a potential libel suit what…
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