OTTAWA and GATINEAU – For the first time, the CRTC will look at newspaper ownership when considering the diversity of media voices in Canadian markets.
As reported by Cartt.ca earlier this morning, the CRTC released its new policies on diversity of voices in Canadian media.
"With these new policies, we have developed a clear approach to guide us in assessing future transactions in the broadcasting industry," said Konrad von Finckenstein, chairman of the CRTC, in the Commission’s press release. "It is an approach that will preserve the plurality of editorial voices and the diversity of programming available to…
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GATINEAU – This morning the CRTC will release its policy decision on the levels of media concentration in Canada, Cartt.ca has learned, just four months after holding a hearing, dubbed the “Diversity of Voices” proceeding in September.
While existing rules were used to make decisions in 2007 on Canwest’s purchase of Alliance Atlantis, CTVglobemedia’s acquisition of CHUM Ltd., Astral’s Standard Broadcasting buy and Rogers Media taking over the Citytv network, new rules will apply to any other mergers.
The old rules, for example, prevented CTVgm from taking the Citytv stations in its deal for CHUM…
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TORONTO – While Telus declined to make any response, a weekend report that said the company may spend as much as $500 million to swap its wireless technology to the GSM standard, set markets buzzing Monday.
Right now, Both Telus and Bell Canada operate CDMA wireless networks, which to many, are more limited technologically than GSM, due in no small part to the fact that most of the rest of the world is GSM-dominated. Network and handset gear manufacturers build to the GSM standard first, such as the Apple iPhone, which is a GSM product.
Rogers is the lone…
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MONTREAL – Consolidated net earnings for the first three months of Fiscal 2008 at Astral Media increased by 15% over last year, rising to $37.5 million and consolidated revenues totaled $198.7 million for the first quarter, an increase of 20% over the same period of fiscal 2007.
EBITDA for the first three months increased 24% to $65.6 million and cash flow from operations rose 31% totaling $46.3 million for the first quarter compared to Q1 ’07.
Astral Media owns and operates such media assets as The Movie Network, Family Channel, Super Ecran and other pay television services, a large…
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TORONTO – The Radio Marketing Bureau today announced its program of special events for the Crystal Awards at this year’s Rogers Wireless Canadian Music Week festival on Thursday, March 6 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
Tickets for this year’s Crystal’s will include both a morning creative seminar and the Crystal Awards gala luncheon.
Dan O’Day, internationally known lecturer on all things radio, will be the morning host as he delivers a fast-paced, fun and informative seminar titled “Maximum Impact Radio”. Dan will challenge creative writers, producers and advertisers to engage themselves in generating superior and effective radio advertising…
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MONTREAL – Quebec’s Culture and Communications Minister Christine St-Pierre dropped a firecracker into the middle of the debate over the future of financially troubled broadcaster TQS last week, saying that if the private broadcaster disappears, Radio-Canada will be partly to blame.
“I think that if TQS dies, they’ll find a bullet from Radio-Canada close to the heart,” said St-Pierre who, until her election last year, was a Radio-Canada journalist in Ottawa and Washington.
Radio-Canada vice-president Sylvain Lafrance immediately dismissed the comment, saying the publicly-owned network has nothing to do with TQS’s liquidity problems.
Last year, Radio-Canada announced it would…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications bucked the trend among its cable brethren somewhat by growing its number of digital subscribers.
Shaw added almost 40,000 digital cable customers in the first quarter of fiscal 2008, ended November 30, 2007, a 56% increase over last year’s Q1. As reported this week by Cartt.ca, both Rogers Cable and Cogeco Cable saw their digital growth slow over the same or similar time frame.
However, at just 36% digital penetration as compared to basic subs, Shaw has a longer way to go in terms of digital growth when compared to Rogers (59% penetration) and Cogeco…
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MONTREAL – Fixed wireless company Inukshuk Wireless, which is jointly owned by Bell Canada and Rogers Communications, today announced the launch of its 2008 Calls for Proposals in its 10 licensed service areas: Alberta, British Columbia, Eastern Ontario and Outaouais, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Québec and Yukon.
On a national basis, the amount of funding available under this year’s call is approximately $2.4 million. The funding is part of Inukshuk Wireless’s commitment to invest annually to promote learning in each of its licensed regions, says the company’s press release.
“The Inukshuk Wireless…
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TORONTO – Wireless, digital cable, high speed Internet and cable telephony customers all saw growth slip in the fourth quarter, ended December 31st, reported Rogers Communications today.
While the company announced a doubling of its annual dividend, the authorization for a share repurchase program, and full year 2008 guidance ranges, the fourth quarter subscriber numbers it released shows a slowdown in growth in the quarter, compared to Q4 2006, perhaps reflecting the marketing onslaught from all video and telephony carriers and the uncertain nature of the economy going into the new year.
Gross postpaid additions on the wireless side…
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HAMILTON – The next SCTE Ontario Chapter general meeting will be held Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 in Hamilton, with the theme of Fiber to the Premise/Home/etc. – otherwise known as FTTX.
The group is asking for technical papers for the session. The possible topics of interest relating to FTTX are suggested as follows:
* FTTX topologies * FTTX technologies * FTTX advanced services/content to be delivered * FTTX cost models * FTTX challenges in deployment * FTTX state of the industry, current and future deployments
The presentation of the papers at the meeting are generally 45 minutes in duration…
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