TORONTO – New Canadians are avid users of mobile phones and alternative long distance calling options — and spend more on wireless and home phone combined, according to a new study by Solutions Research Group, a Toronto-based market research firm.
Among the key findings of the wireless and telecom module of the Diversity in Canada study are:
• Major ethnic groups in Canada are somewhat more likely to have cellular phones (61% have one, vs. 59% average among 15+ population in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver). Highest penetration is among Chinese Canadians (74%).
• Rogers is the leading wireless company…
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CALGARY – It wasn’t exactly a secret among western Canadian radio folks, but Rogers Radio made the format change official today by launching 660News in Calgary.
The station had been Oldies 66 CFR and pulled a 2.5 (A12+) in the fall 2005 ratings book but will now compete head on with Corus Radio’s news/talk CHQR 770, which boasted a 10.2 in the fall, fourth in the market.
"At Rogers Media we believe that our extensive experience with the ‘All News Radio’ format will allow us to deliver a quality product that listeners will return to throughout their busy day,"…
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TORONTO – Rogers and Bell can now compete nationally for high speed Internet users, regardless of where the two companies have wired footprints.
A trio of releases today announced that 1) the long-dormant Inukshuk spectrum is now ready to be used and; 2) that both Bell and Rogers – the co-owners of Inukshuk, are retailing high speed wireless service beginning today.
Rogers is called, a little clunkily: Portable Internet from Rogers Yahoo! Hi-Speed Internet and is available in 20 cities across Canada, giving customers access to Internet speeds up to 1.5 mbps download, 256 kbps upload from anywhere in…
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TORONTO – Maybe a series of minority governments in power only for about 18 months or so is something broadcasters might wish for.
Federal election advertising spending in the second quarter show total national ad spending on radio grew by over 10% during this period (December 2005 to February 2006).
The data was released Wednesday by Canadian Broadcast Sales (CBS), a national sales firm representing approximately 60% of all Canadian radio stations, owned by Rogers Media and Corus Entertainment.
In the second quarter, the top five categories by growth on CBS-represented stations were: Printing/publishing 409%; governments/federal/provincial 229%; beer/wine/coolers 149%; medicines…
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TORONTO – CanoeLive will be different, that’s for sure.
If the three minutes of the news program that Quebecor CEO Pierre Peladeau revealed to ad agency types and media buyers at Tuesday’s Canadian Media Directors’ Council annual conference is what comes to air, SUN TV’s CanoeLive will be a dizzying hour for TV viewers.
The clip featured a young 20-something female visible minority anchor fronting the show with an urban music track humming in the background non-stop (at about the same sound level of TSN’s background noise of local play-by-play), lightning quick cuts from one screen to the next,…
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TORONTO – Televising a combination of native HD programming and content converted with active pan-and-scan technology, the Score HD will broadcast in 720p widescreen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the sports channel announced today.
It’s the first Canadian HD sports channel with a constant widescreen image. News of the move was first reported here in December.
The Score HD is now available to Rogers Digital Cable HDTV customers on channel 507. Negotiations with other carriers are ongoing.
"This is the first phase of our long-term HD vision," said David Errington, senior vice-president and general manager. "The…
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TORONTO – Televising a combination of native HD programming and content converted with active pan-and-scan technology, the Score HD will broadcast in 720p widescreen 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the sports channel announced today.
It’s the first Canadian HD sports channel with a constant widescreen image. News of the move was first reported here in December.
The Score HD is now available to Rogers Digital Cable HDTV customers on channel 507. Negotiations with other carriers are ongoing.
"This is the first phase of our long-term HD vision," said David Errington, senior vice-president and general manager. "The…
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CALGARY – Cybersurf, an independent Canadian ISP, announced Monday it would offer free high speed Internet access to customers choosing its voice product.
The company is near completion of its national VOIP and cable high speed service and will use the Shaw, Rogers and Videotron backbones to provide its service.
To BR: branded CIA Local Phone in the Toronto market, Cybersurf’s service is offered as a competitive alternative to Bell and Rogers’ local phone service, and includes E911, 411, free unlimited local calling in the 416 area code, free call features and low domestic and international long distance rates….
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By Greg O’Brien
I REMEMBER WHEN THEN-CRTC broadcasting vice-chair Andrée Wylie told the 1999 CCTA convention in Vancouver that the Commission had no intention of trying to regulate the Internet.
Because of it’s very nature, it’s impossible to regulate the Internet itself (unless you’re China or some other repressive government that deploys some painful cyber-clamps and doesn’t mind tossing people in jail for reading the New York Times or somesuch online), which the CRTC recognized early on. Plus, 1999 was pre tech-bubble and the opportunities of the ‘net seemed endless. Why toss up regulations in front of such potential?
That Commission…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable is offering a free preview to MTV, the rebranded talktv channel that debuted last night.
Until June 1, customers can watch MTV for free, on the analog tier. (In Toronto, it’s on channel 59.) After the preview, the channel will be part of its Ultimate TV Pak.
CTV brought the MTV brand back to Canada after it failed as a diginet that launched in 2001 that was owned by Craig Media.
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