OTTAWA – With re-comments re-due today on the CRTC’s reconsideration of its 2005 decision on voice over IP telephony regulation, three of the four largest Canadian MSOs came down on the side of the Commission in a joint submission filed this afternoon.
Last month, the Federal Cabinet told the CRTC it had to re-think the decision it made on VOIP telephony and have a decision – again – within 120 days of the May 7th announcement. The cabinet edict was in response to appeals filed by all but one of Canada’s incumbent telephone companies.
Cogeco Cable, Quebecor Media’s…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Cable and satellite companies can now advertise their Internet and voice offerings on CNN, A&E, SpikeTV and other American cable channels, the CRTC has ruled.
The American channels make two minutes per hour available for local ad sales – which is a multi-billion-dollar business for U.S. MSOs. However, Canadian cable companies are not allowed, by regulation, to sell the time here.
Seventy-five percent of the time has to be given – at cost – to Canadian broadcasters, while 25% of the time could be used to promote cable’s video offerings – meaning the cablecos could not advertise…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The Christian Channel announced that Star Choice has begun to carry the digital channel owned by S-VOX, the same company which owns Vision TV.
Launched in October 2005 as the country’s first nationally licensed digital television service for Christian viewers, as of today the channel will be available to 850,000 Star Choice subscribers coast to coast, starting on June 1. It will be carried on channel 399 and on Star Choice’s "basic" package.
With the addition on the Star Choice platform, The Christian Channel may now be available to small cable companies as well, which get distant…
Continue Reading
ONE OF THE FIRST EVENTS I attended in this industry was a Christmas-timed "convergence party" at a company called Digital Renaissance in the fall of 1997.
This company and other like-thinking enterprises were about to change television as we know it. The revolution was afoot. I remember a bunch of high-ranking Bell Canada people were there, so we mostly took it seriously. There were many breathless chats about how TV as we knew it was over.
Well, as we all now know, that talk wasn’t technically wrong. It was just waaay too soon.
However, Digital Renaissance weathered the explosion…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC said Monday that it won’t be moving into the regulation of access to the inside wiring of commercial properties such as hotels and nursing homes.
The potential for such regulation arose from a dispute (what else?) between Bell ExpressVu and Rogers Cable. In February 2005, the DTH company asked for an expedited resolution on its complaint that Rogers was contravening section 10 of the Broadcast Distribution Regulations by not allowing access to its plant inside such buildings.
The Commission instead called for comments on possible regulatory amendments to section 10, which really speaks only to…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Bell and Rogers joint venture, Inukshuk Wireless, today announced the launch of its 2006 call 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 $3 million. The funding is part of Inukshuk’s commitment to invest annually to promote learning in each of its licensed regions, says the press release.
The Inukshuk Wireless Learning Plan aims to meet the needs for on-line learning…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Wireless technology customers are ready to move beyond voice and text messaging applications to an increasingly more sophisticated mobile user experience. That was a key message delivered by several speakers at the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) “Work.Live.Play.” conference, held this week in Toronto.
Whereas text messaging was viewed as the lowest common denominator, from a technology perspective, to attract mobile consumers two to three years ago, today’s wireless customers desire a much richer user experience, said Dean Tseretopoulos, vice-president of interactive mobile solutions at MyThum Interactive during a panel discussion.
Toronto-based MyThum Interactive…
Continue Reading
ST. JOHN’S – License this month. Launch next month.
Eastern telco Aliant today announced the launch of Aliant TV in St. John’s, NL. The IP-delivered digital TV option features over 150 video channels and 70 audio and will be available to customers in selected areas of St. John’s, Mount Pearl and Paradise – who can sign up now with installs to begin in late June and continuing throughout the year.
Aliant has offered terrestrial digital TV in parts of Halifax for almost a year and this is the first move outside Nova Scotia. As reported by cartt.ca last…
Continue Reading
SUDBURY – The Radio-Television News Directors Association of Canada presented its Central Canadian awards at the Regional Professional Development Seminar in Sudbury Saturday evening.
The 2005 TELEVISION winners are:
Bert Cannings Award – Best Newscast
* A-Channel London for Lynda Shaw’s Killer – (Medium Market) * CTV Montreal for CTV NEWS AT 6 The December 16 Blizzard – (Large Market)
Charlie Edwards Award – Spot News
* Global News – Ontario for Man on Fire * CTV Toronto for The Boxing Day Shootings – (Honourable Mention)
Dan McArthur Award – In-depth/Investigative
* City TV in Toronto for Fabry’s Drug…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – On Wednesday, Toronto’s 98.1 CHFI helped to raise over $700,000 to support shelters for abused women, and to help stop violence before it starts.
In conjunction with Winners/HomeSense, CHFI took part in "Shelter from the Storm" – a fundraising campaign that included a 13-hour CHFI Radiothon from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Morning show hosts Erin Davis and Mike Cooper were broadcasting live throughout the day from Winners College Park, raising funds for the Canadian Women’s Foundation and bringing attention to the subject of violence against women.
The broadcast featured survivors’ stories, experts and celebrity guests. Matt…
Continue Reading
