OTTAWA – Jason MacDonald was named chief of staff for CBC Television this week. He replaces Ian Alexander, who has moved to the learning and development department at the Corp.
MacDonald has worked at CBC since 2002, most recently as director of public relations and operations for corporate communications in Ottawa. Before that, he had a career as a communications officer and journalist with various organizations in Montreal and Toronto, including Rogers Media.
"I’ve been very impressed by Jason’s strong strategic skills and his ability to perform well under pressure," said CBC TV’s executive vice-president Richard Stursberg, in a…
Continue Reading
WE ALL KNOW SUN TV (formerly Toronto 1) has had a terribly rough go of it since its launch in September of 2003.
Maybe the CRTC shouldn’t have granted a license for this one. Craig Media got it, went deep into debt to launch it – so deep it had to sell the whole company to get out of it. So, CHUM Ltd. bought Craig, keeping the A-Channels and selling off the new Toronto stick to Quebecor Media – owners of the super-popular broadcaster TVA in Quebec – and a company which has been looking for a way into…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Wireless growth fed Canadian telecom companies through 2005, especially since mobile users are much better spenders than wired accounts, says a report put out today by Statistics Canada.
Two events stood out in the telecommunications services industry in 2005, says the release, the number of wireless subscribers passed the 16 million mark and the number of conventional residential telephone lines dipped below 12 million.
The wireless industry (with providers like Rogers Wireless, Bell Mobility, Telus, MTS, Sasktel, Aliant and Virgin Mobile) recruited more than 650,000 new customers in the last quarter of 2005, bringing the total number…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – With a new collection of MP3 and video phones and exclusive content, Rogers Wireless is pushing its World Cup coverage hard – just in time for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
Rogers Wireless has signed a broadcast agreement with Infront Sports & Media, FIFA’s* worldwide electronic media distribution partner for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, to be the exclusive Canadian carrier of Official Mobile Video for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, kicking off on Friday, June 9 in Germany.
Soccer fans will have access to exciting mobile content including near-live video alerts, video highlights of the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Media investors will have to watch for new ticker symbols beginning next Monday.
The changes are being made as part of a broader symbol change initiative announced by the TSX under which it is modifying the ticker symbols previously assigned for approximately 150 of its listings.
For example, with Rogers Communications, RCI.B will replace the current ticker symbol RCI.NV.B for the Class B shares and RCI.A will replace the current ticker symbol RCI.MV.A for the Class A shares. It will be understood that the Class B shares are "Non-Voting" while the Class A shares are "Multiple Voting"….
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Rogers Cable has asked the CRTC for permission to offer satellite radio services Sirius Canada and XM Canada to its digital cable customers.
Rogers requires a license amendment to add the new audio products to its channel lineups in all of its systems in Canada.
"The licensee proposes to amend its licences to authorize these cable systems to distribute one or both of the audio programming services offered by Canada’s two satellite subscription radio undertakings," says the Rogers application.
"Rogers also considered that the addition of one or both of these services to its digital offering would…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The new Federal Cabinet wants the CRTC to revisit last year’s voice over Internet protocol decision.
As reported on numerous occasions by www.cartt.ca, the CRTC decided last year to maintain its position that voice, even delivered via IP, is still telephone service. What that meant was that incumbent telcos still faced some regulatory shackles (like having to file for tariffs) while newcomers, such as cable operators or VOIP providers like Vonage would have a freer hand.
Canada’s ILECs – most of them anyway – appealed the decision.
In governmentspeak: "The Governor in Council (GIC) has referred…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – "Work. Live. Play. – The Infinite Potential of Wireless", is the theme of the 2006 Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association annual conference.
The gathering, backed by major sponsors Bell Canada, Rogers, Telus and Nortel, will explore new business opportunities, converging technologies and life beyond 3G.
Set for May 16 and 17, 2006 at the Hilton Toronto Airport, the two-day symposium will feature more than 65 industry experts, business leaders and government officials in a series of panel discussions and workshops centred around three main tracks:
* Freedom to the Worker – Wireless Solutions for Business * Living in…
Continue Reading
IT HARDLY SEEMS LIKE a year ago since the launch of www.cartt.ca.
It feels more like just last month I was dragging my infant daughter around to business meetings, planning the launch of this site. Accountants, lawyers, web site developers, database folks, bankers, you name it, Brenna met with them. Prior to the launch (and even for some time after it), I was her primary caregiver, so she tagged along and was a perfect little angel in boardrooms, offices and restaurants… well, mostly.
Now, she’s almost two, in a great day care, and as of Tuesday, May 2,…
Continue Reading
WINNIPEG – The Radio-Television News Directors Association of Canada has honoured the best in electronic journalism in the Prairie region in 2005. The coveted RTNDA Awards were presented at the Association’s annual Prairie Regional Professional Development Seminar in Winnipeg, last weekend.
The 2005 TELEVISION winners are: Bert Cannings Award – Best Newscast
§ CBC North in Yellowknife for CBC News: Northbeat – (Small Market) § CTV Regina for CTV News Six O’Clock Report – (Medium Market) § CTV Winnipeg for CTV News @ 6:00 PM – (Large Market)
Charlie Edwards Award – Spot News
§ CTV Calgary for River…
Continue Reading
