Search Results for: rogers

Cable / Telecom News

COMMENTARY: Status quo is gone

I WAS A UNION MEMBER TWICE: For several summers as a labourer installing gas pipeline in Northern Ontario and for a four month stint as a part-time Bookmobile driver and librarian in Guelph, Ont. I lived for a few years in Sault Ste. Marie and saw what the Steelworkers have had to go through there with Algoma Steel. I lived in Windsor for three years and the Canadian Auto Workers union was always front and centre. I say all this to illustrate that I think I have a bit of a grasp on what the union/corporation relationship can be…. Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Last year’s radio results, from Statscan

OTTAWA – With 2005 results already rolling in and showing strong radio performance among publicly traded private broadcasters, Statistics Canada today released its compiled 2004 figures. Click on the links to check out the ’05 performances of Corus, CHUM, Astral, Rogers and Newcap. However, back in ’04, the air time sales of commercial radio broadcasters increased 3.3% to $1.2 billion in the broadcast year, ended August 31, 2004, that’s off the pace set in 2003 which saw a growth rate of 8.4%. For the first time since 1999-2000, the advertising revenue of radio broadcasters grew at a… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CTAM REPORT: HD “pissing match” seen Stateside, too

PHILADELPHIA – While CTAM Canada put together a fun night for programmers and distributors on Sunday evening here in Philadelphia (see photos below this story), CTAM Summit attendees on Monday morning were shown that the programmer-distributor relationship can be as contentious as ever when we start talking about high definition. During the “Monetizing Advanced Video Services” session, Time Warner Cable’s SVP programming Lynne Costantini, Showtime Networks’ SVP marketing Geof Rochester and Channing Dawson, SVP emerging media at Scripps Networks (Food Network, HGTV, Fine Living, DIY Network) argued about who should pay for HDTV. When Dawson complained about the high… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

The TUESDAY INTERVIEW: Alliance Atlantis CEO Phyllis Yaffe

IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT as a young librarian in Winnipeg that there was no way Phyllis Yaffe could envision a career path that would take her to the top of one of Canada’s largest TV companies. She grew into larger roles, as librarian at Seneca College in the 1970s to executive director for the Association of Canadian Publishers, vice-president of marketing at kids magazine Owl and then in the ’80s she was elected to the board of the foundation to underwrite new drama for pay TV (now the Harold Greenberg Fund) and was chair when she left in 1993… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Wireless leads solid RCI Q2

TORONTO – Operating revenue increased 29% for the quarter ended June 30th at Rogers Communications Inc., with all three operating companies contributing to the year-over-year growth, including 47% growth at Wireless, 5.3% growth at Cable and 27.1% growth at Media. Consolidated quarterly operating profit grew 26.9% year-over-year, with 47.6% growth at Wireless (to $364.8 million compared to June 30 2004) and 13.9% growth at Media (to $44.2 million), offset by a 1% decline at Cable (to $171.6 million). The company passed the one million high speed Internet subscriber mark during the quarter. Wireless ended the quarter with a total… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

EastLink partners with Atlantic Film Fest

HALIFAX – EastLink announced today it will be official communications provider and offer exclusive event coverage as part of a sponsorship deal with the Atlantic Film Festival, September 15-24 in the Nova Scotia city. EastLink will support the festival through its high speed Internet service, local telephone and cable services. It’s also a first in that the partnership will see EastLink Television – with the support of its employees and volunteers – provide exclusive programming and live coverage of the event. This will include interviews with major stars, directors and festival organizers; live coverage of red-carpet Galas, including the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

CRTC calls for ethnic channel comments

GATINEAU – The CRTC today called for comments on adding five foreign third language services to the eligible satellite list. The Commission issued the notice today after receiving requests from the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association and Rogers to add NTV Bangla, Azteca 13 International, TV Chile, TVE Internacional and Canal de las Estrellas Latinoamérica to the list of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis. NTV Bangla is a 24-hour general interest service offering a variety of programming including news, current affairs, sports, documentaries, comedies, movies, serial dramas, and children’s entertainment with 98% of its programming in… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Aliant launches PC purchase program

SAINT JOHN – Eastern telco Aliant is offering its customers a chance to buy a personal computer through the company. Its new PC purchase program is a unique offer that will allow more Atlantic Canadians to get online. The program combines Aliant’s high speed Internet with a new home computer system, beginning at $54.95 a month (based on a three-year contract). The company did not disclose which brand of computer it would be selling. "Our research tells us that approximately 37% of Atlantic Canadians don’t have a computer or online access at home – this value-packed program will give… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

COMMENTARY: Mobile TV is the next regulatory battlefront

THE WIRELESS INDUSTRY AND broadcasters look to be readying themselves for a regulatory scuffle over the delivery of television to mobile phone handsets. The wireless companies say that since the video signal they plan to make available to cell phone customers is delivered via IP, (over the Internet), that it therefore falls under the CRTC’s 1999 new media exemption order and should not be subject to regulation. Period. That order said the CRTC would stay out of regulating the Internet – a decision which was made when the web was still just a toddler, however. The broadcasters say that television… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Garby moves to Vision

TORONTO – David Garby has been hired as director, advertising sales for VisionTV. An experienced advertising industry executive, he takes up this new position on July 25. He will be responsible for the continued growth of VisionTV’s advertising and sponsorship revenue as well as the expansion of its client list, while working hand in hand with VisionTV’s media partners, including Airtime Sales and Trillenium Media. Before moving to VisionTV, Garby served as Account Manager for CHUM Television’s conventional stations. Prior to that, he worked on Craig Media’s launch of Toronto 1, and sold airtime for all of Craig’s conventional and… Continue Reading