OTTAWA — The CRTC announced Thursday it is closing the file on a complaint from the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) regarding various cable carriers’ wholesale high-speed access (HSA) services, and directed CNOC and the cable carriers to address outstanding issues through bilateral discussions or the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC).
In Telecom Decision CRTC 2015-40, the CRTC further directed CNOC and the cable carriers in question to submit a report, within 90 days, on the state of progress in resolving these issues. The cable carriers who were specifically included in CNOC’s original complaint, first submitted to the CRTC…
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TORONTO — Following on its exclusive deal last summer to distribute WWE’s flagship programming in Canada, Rogers announced today it has reached carriage agreements for WWE Network with multiple television providers.
Rogers became the exclusive Canadian distributor of WWE Network through 2024 in a 10-year broadcast and multimedia agreement reached with WWE in August.
In addition to Rogers and Eastlink, the premium WWE Network linear TV channel will soon be available to Cogeco Cable Canada, Shaw and Shaw Direct, Telus Optik TV and Telus Satellite TV, and Vidéotron subscribers. (In a Rogers press release issued today, no word was…
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OTTAWA – A number of independent ISPs are telling the CRTC that Shaw Communications’ proposed wholesale broadband rate increases are out of whack with economic reality. They say if the Commission adopts these rates, they may in fact have to choose not to compete in Shaw territory.
In its January 6 Tariff Notice 22 filing, the Calgary-based media and communications giant is seeking approval for new Third Party Internet Access (TPIA) service speeds and rates. The increases in TPIA rates range from a low of 21.8% to a high of 127.7%. For example, the 7.5 Mbps service…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications announced Wednesday it will reorganize its customer service operations over the next 11 months, a move affecting 1,600 employees at its Calgary, Edmonton and Kelowna customer contact centres, which are scheduled to close in the next year.
Shaw’s customer care operations will be realigned around its expanding contact centres in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Montreal. Shaw’s contact centres in Nanaimo and Mississauga are not affected by these changes, Shaw said in a news release.
As part of the move, Shaw’s Edmonton contact centre operations and part of its Kelowna operations will be closed in June, and…
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TORONTO — Shaw Direct satellite TV customers will soon be able to watch exclusive live matches, tournaments and worldwide sporting events thanks to the addition of beIN Sports to Shaw Direct’s channel lineup.
beIN Sports provides live games, original sports programming, news and highlight shows with in-depth analysis of worldwide sporting events, leagues and tournaments. According to a beIN Sports news release, Canadian sports fans will now receive unrivalled coverage of top soccer leagues, including Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1, England’s Football Championship and the 2015 Copa America tournament, along with other exclusive soccer matches…
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LAST WEEK WE SPECULATED that the big, vertically integrated Canadian telecom, cable, wireless and media companies could get out of media.
We talked to a few broadcasters who spoke on condition of anonymity who angrily wondered – with the CRTC apparently not listening to their concerns about costs, nor about being able to use their content as a point of differentiation with wireless or broadband customers while also taking simsub away, at least for the Super Bowl – why should carriers continue to own broadcasters?
The answer is cash flow, capex and a lack of available suitors.
Bell…
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OTTAWA — Consumers who want to sign up for CraveTV or shomi without first being Bell or Rogers/Shaw customers could be the potential beneficiaries of applications filed with the CRTC on Friday by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC).
PIAC-CAC submitted two applications to the CRTC, challenging the tied selling of the two online streaming services linked to the consumption of the service providers’ other telecom or broadcasting services.
In the application regarding CraveTV, PIAC-CAC are challenging whether Bell can restrict access to its subscription video-on-demand service to customers who already have a TV…
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THERE WAS TOO MUCH symbolism to ignore with the choice of London, Ont., as the place where CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais chose to begin dismantling simultaneous substitution and to shift the ground under Canadian TV companies, forcing the vertically integrated behemoths to ask themselves this question: “Why do we need to own media companies?”
Blais spoke in London a week ago to make three announcements, two of which were decisions from the Commission’s Let’s Talk TV hearing held in September 2014.
London is generally acknowledged as the first city in Canada to get cable over 60 years…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications is offering residents of Thunder Bay, ON free access to its Shaw Go WiFi network now through February 22, 2015.
Shaw Go WiFi is offering carrier-grade Internet connectivity at over 800 hotspots across the city, allowing users to access content on the go using their portable connected devices while avoiding potentially expensive cellular data charges. Residents who are not Shaw customers can connect to the network for free on their laptop and mobile devices by selecting "ShawGuest" on the list of available WiFi hotspots at participating locations and following the steps to register their devices. Registration…
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MARKHAM – The Ontario Association of Broadcasters will be holding its 10th annual Career Development Day on March 2 at 1:00 PM at Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Drive in Toronto.
Career Day 2015 will include a panel discussion followed by the ever popular roundtable discussions, which will include broadcasters from all areas of radio and television. This is a one of a kind opportunity for soon to be graduating students to speak candidly with experienced broadcasters in all areas of the business, says the OAB, providing students with first-hand information on all aspects of broadcasting. Many of OAB’s broadcasters who…
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