CALGARY – Shaw Communications announced this morning that it is resigning from the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association ("CCTA") effective today.
“As the telecommunications and broadcasting industries evolve, it is becoming increasingly clear that the member companies of the CCTA have divergent interests and differing strategic objectives making it difficult to build industry-wide consensus on various issues. Shaw believes that it will be better served by pursuing its own strategies and developing its own objectives without the added burden of seeking industry consensus,” says the Shaw release.
It’s not immediately known at this point what the long-term future is for…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable is the first BDU in Canada to carry The Israeli Network, offering the service to digital cable customers in Ontario.
A free preview of the network, on channel 635, is available until Jan. 4, 2006. After that, it will cost $14.95 a month, not including the rental or purchase of the digital set-top box.
"We’re thrilled to launch The Israeli Network on Rogers Digital Cable," says Slava Levin, co-founder, CEO, and President of Ethnic Channels Group Limited, which operates the channel. "Our years of experience in the multicultural television and broadcast industry will allow us…
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MONCTON, NB – Rogers Cable is launching subscription video on demand in New Brunswick, after rolling out in larger cities. Digital customers in Moncton, Fredericton, Bathurst, Edmundston, Miramichi, and Saint John will now have access to more than 70 movies and television series.
The Movie Network On Demand will be available on channel 308 at no additional charge to customers who currently subscribe to The Movie Network. Viewers can choose to watch a movie or program at any time with the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward the show, just like with a VCR or DVD player.
"The Movie…
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TORONTO – CHUM Limited and the Waters family today announced the death of company founder and Canadian broadcasting pioneer Allan Waters. He was 84.
As chairman and president until 2002, Waters (right) laid the foundation for CHUM Limited’s growth to its current place as one of Canada’s premier media companies, with radio and television stations across the country. “His vision for CHUM was rooted in fostering strong connections with the communities it serves, while staying true to his own guiding principles of respect, honesty and fair dealing,” said the company’s press release.
“Allan Waters’ contribution to…
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IF YOU WANT AN EARLY look at what the communications infrastructure in Canada is going to look like, it might be worth studying Saskatchewan.
The incumbent telco, SaskTel, has embarked upon an ambitious, aggressive, costly push to modernize its network, driving fibre deep into its communities, taking dead aim at the two large cable companies in the province with its MAX high speed Internet and digital television service.
The reason why this might offer a glimpse into the future is that this is a province where the “normal” economic guidelines the rest of the communications companies in Canada are…
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TORONTO – What do HDTV set buyers want when they bring their big, bright, expensive new TV home?
HD content, of course. However, what those in the TV industry are finding is that consumers are often under-informed when it comes to what’s available in high definition when they plug that set in.
So, in co-operation with Rogers Cable and Cogeco Cable, Astral Media’s The Movie Network has partnered with Future Shop and Best Buy on a cross-promotional initiative designed to promote The Movie Network and High Definition at retail stores across Ontario beginning tomorrow (Thursday, December 1, 2005.)
Consumers…
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ALVISO, Calif. – TiVo customers trying to remember whether it’s Pontiac or Honda offering “3.9% financing for a limited time” will be able to turn to their PVR boxes to find the right commercial for them.
On Monday, digital/personal video recorder manufacturer TiVo announced plans for a television-based advertising search solution coming in Spring 2006. “Leveraging TiVo’s television search capabilities that enhance the TV viewing experience, the new product will deliver relevant, targeted advertising to subscribers that want to view particular advertising categories,” crows the press release.
(In Canada, Montreal company etc.tv, along with Videotron, Molson’s and TVA, is…
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YEARS BACK, IT WAS EASY to pick on VisionTV. Its programs were old, appearing only on the specialty channel in their second or third (or fourth!) window.
Much of its original “Mosaic” programming looked and sounded terrible – and violated the channel’s Canadian content requirements, it turns out, causing CRTC sanctions. Preachers and traditional religion dominated the channel. However, when current president and CEO Bill Roberts (left) came on board in 2000, he set out to drastically alter VisionTV. More original, interesting, programming – about faith and spirituality and not necessarily organized…
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TORONTO – Over 1,200 Rogers Cable trucks in Ontario, Newfoundland and New Brunswick will begin sporting “Stop it! Report it!” decals as the MSO announced today it is supporting Cybertip.ca’s national awareness campaign about online sexual exploitation.
Cybertip.ca is a national tip line for receiving and addressing reports from the public regarding child pornography, luring, child sex tourism, and children who are exploited through prostitution. It also provides the public with information, referrals and other resources to help Canadians keep their children safe while on the Internet.
Since Cybertip.ca launched in September 2002, over 5,483 reports of child pornography…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable added Phoenix North America Chinese Channel to its big list of multicultural programming today. The Commission approved the channel for addition to the eligible satellite list yesterday.
From now until January 1, 2006, Rogers Digital Cable customers can enjoy a free preview on channel 599 in Ontario.
Phoenix North America Chinese channel provides the latest news and entertainment television from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, 24-hours-a-day. Broadcast primarily in Mandarin, this Chinese-language channel delivers a complete variety of television entertainment, including movies, dramas, talk shows, game shows, family…
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