Search Results for: shaw

Radio / Television News

‘ET Canada’ goes musical

TORONTO – Global Television’s ET Canada has launched a new monthly music series that gets viewers up close and personal with top recording artists at The Orange Lounge Recording Studio in Toronto. Called ET Canada At The Orange Lounge, the show offers intimate interviews and performances with select musicians.  Music fans left wanting more may visit ETCanada.com for an extended version of the same session that also includes behind-the-scenes footage. Viewers can also join the Twitter conversation using #ETCanadaOrange. Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

The Cartt.ca Interview: Eric Boyko and Nic Savoie on Galaxie, the most popular Canadian specialty

DID THAT HEADLINE get your attention? I can already hear irritated e-mails disputing that claim being tapped out in response, but bear with us for a few paragraphs. “What!?” some of those running popular specialty video brands might be asking, “Isn’t Galaxie just that group of sleepy music channels which are a throw-in with everyone’s digital cable box?” Well, they may be a value-add which come automatically with most digital TV subscriptions, but some comprehensive recent measurement shows the suite of music channels (anywhere from 40 to 100, depending on the BDU) is anything but sleepy. This is… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Record IPTV subscriber growth curbs cord-cutting, but not by much and not for long, says new report

OTTAWA – In the third quarter of 2013, Canada’s publicly traded television service providers combined to add subscription TV customers, thanks to the record growth of IPTV, reversing a trend of cumulative losses in each of the previous three quarters. New research from Ottawa-based research and consulting firm Boon Dog Professional Services shows that the publicly traded TV service providers (cable satellite and telcoTV) added an estimated 14,145 TV subscribers combined in Q3 in what is traditionally a strong quarter for TV subscriber growth – and all of it was a result of record IPTV subscriber… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Regulatory chief Brazeau out at Shaw

OTTAWA – Shaw Communications has parted ways with its senior vice president, corporate and regulatory affairs, Jean Brazeau. While a company spokesperson confirmed Brazeau is no longer with Shaw, the reasons for his departure are not known at this time. He had worked at Shaw since 2006. Prior to joining Shaw, Brazeau was SVP regulatory at Call-Net and then at Rogers after the company’s acquisition of Call-Net in 2005. He has also worked at Bell Canada, the Competition Bureau and at Cable & Wireless. Shaw has listed the job opening, a plum one in the media regulatory space,… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

HEARING: Calls for more safeguards on Corus ring loud in Gatineau

GATINEAU – Interveners continued to insist the CRTC impose strict safeguards on Corus Entertainment to ensure that its acquisition of Teletoon and other services don’t negatively affect independent producers, reduce diversity of voices or open the door to anti-competitive behaviour. On the second day of the hearing, the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) argued that Commission approval of Corus’ acquisition of Teletoon will eliminate the safeguard as it relates to programming investment decisions being made independently of the Teletoon’s shareholders. “As a result, this transaction will effectively close a door for independent producers of animation programming,” Gerry Barr,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Big demand pushes CTAM’s Broadcasting Forum down the road – and to larger venue

TORONTO – CTAM Canada is moving its Broadcaster Forum to a larger venue to accommodate larger than expected registration demands by members. Scheduled for November 20 from 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM, the event will now take place in the Frontenac Room at the Westin Harbour Castle, just down the road from its previous location at Corus Quay in Toronto.  CTAM will re-open registration for the event later this week. The afternoon will consist of three panels, two of which will be moderated by Cartt.ca editor and publisher Greg O’Brien.  Senior executives from major broadcasting… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

The Cartt.ca INTERVIEW: Shaw Communications founder JR Shaw, OAB Hall of Fame inductee

TORONTO – When most people think of JR Shaw, it’s the cable business that first comes to mind since Shaw Cable and its sister satellite company Shaw Direct provide subscription TV service to over three million Canadians. But the executive chair of the company always been a big broadcast backer, too and he will be inducted into the Ontario Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame Thursday in Toronto. People nowadays forget that when cable first launched in the 1950s and grew through the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, there were precious few channels available to distribute to people, especially in Edmonton,… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Corus faces Commission today

GATINEAU – Corus Entertainment will face the CRTC today in the last stage of its quest to purchase a number of media assets being sold by Bell Media. In March, Corus agreed to purchase French specialty channels Historia and Series+, three Ottawa radio stations and the half of Teletoon it didn’t own in a $400 million deal which is part of the divestitures required as conditions of the Bell Media purchase of Astral Media. While Corus already held 50% of Teletoon/Télétoon (as well as Teletoon Retro in English and French, and the Cartoon Network)… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

A hard-working infant… Shaw’s brand-boosting Bit turns one

CALGARY – It’s been a year since Shaw Communications launched its new look and hitched its marketing wagon to Bit, Bud and the Bot World. According to the company, after more than 175 Bot-branded commercials, the new Shaw creations have increased the company’s image. “Shaw’s average brand likeability has increased by 25%, with the brand’s ‘don’t like’ score dropping by 33% since launch,” says the company’s note to the media released Monday. As well, on the social media side, Shaw has seen a 217% increase in Facebook fans, 39% increase in Twitter followers and 521% increase in YouTube… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

HEARING: Corus touts benefits of Teletoon et al transaction; others sound alarm

GATINEAU – Corus Entertainment was on the hot seat today, defending its proposed $400 million purchase of specialty services Teletoon, Historia and Series+ in front of the CRTC. The company is buying the assets from Bell Media as part of the latter’s requirement to divest assets resulting from its purchase of Astral. “We are here today to convince you that we are not only the best possible home for these assets but that our acquisition of these services is in the public interest. Allowing Corus to continue to grow will translate into more spending on Canadian programming and healthy competition… Continue Reading