OTTAWA – The CMPA’s Prime Time In Ottawa conference is opening up more slots for both its 'Breakfast With' and noon hour topic tables due to popular demand.
Sign-ups will open at 12:00 PM ET on Friday, January 26 on this page and will be reserved for registered PTiO delegates only.
‘Breakfast With’ allows seven delegates to meet for an extended conversation with a featured industry guest over breakfast before the first session of the day, starting at 8 am. It’s a great way to pick up some information, and to start a relationship with the speaker and…
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TORONTO – Discovery Velocity has opened up for a month-long national free preview, on now through February 8.
Billed as Canada’s only home for factual turbo programming, Discovery Velocity will serve up live coverage of the most spectacular classic car auction event of the year, Barrett-Jackson Live (pictured, from January 16 – 21), alongside new series Texas Metal (January 12), and the return of Wheeler Dealers on January 22.
The freeview is available through television service providers including Bell, Bell Aliant, Cogeco Connexion, Eastlink, BellMTS, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Telus, Videotron, and several CCSA partners including Access…
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TORONTO – A weak TV advertising market weighed down first quarter results at Corus Entertainment.
The company said Wednesday that net income attributable to shareholders for the quarter ended November 30, 2017 was $77.7 million, up from $71.1 million in the same period last year, which includes business acquisition, integration and restructuring costs of $1.6 million. Adjusting for the impact of this item resulted in an adjusted net income attributable to shareholders of $78.9 million this quarter.
Consolidated revenues for the quarter were $457.4 million, down 2% from $468.0 million last year, and consolidated segment profit was $177.9 million, down 7%…
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TORONTO – Shawn Praskey last month departed Corus Entertainment for Disney.
Praskey (pictured) joined Corus in 2008 as marketing manager, joining the company from the former Astral Media and progressed through the ranks. He was vice-president, content distribution for the past three years until his departure last month.
Praskey’s new role is vice president, head of content sales, Canada for Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution.
He now manages all Canadian sales across multiple broadcasters and platforms, licensing television programming and feature films from the Disney/ABC Television Group and The Walt Disney Studios.
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SEATTLE – Amazon Prime Video in late September first announced it had picked up the BBC and AMC crime drama McMafia for 200 territories, excluding the U.S. and Canada, where AMC was to air the eight-part crime drama.
However, Amazon on Thursday announced it will exclusively stream McMafia in Canada on its local Amazon Prime Video platform from January 2, a day after the world premiere on BBC in the UK.
McMafia, based on a best-selling non-fiction book, is a co-production involving the BBC, AMC Network and Cuba Pictures, and is distributed internationally by BBC Worldwide. A spokesperson for BBC Worldwide…
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CANADIAN CABLE SYSTEMS Alliance CEO Jay Thomson knows Canadian networks and media inside and out. How could he not? Before the CCSA, he worked for the Canadian Cable Television Association, the Canadian Association of Internet Providers, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Media Producers Association (Telus and the CRTC, too).
The long-time Ottawa executive was hired as CEO of the CCSA in January 2017, replacing Alyson Townsend, who was let go in the summer of 2016. Thomson is steeped in the business and, as importantly, knows government – especially an Ottawa whose politicians and bureaucrats tend to be…
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LE PDG DE LA CANADIAN Cable Systems Alliance, Jay Thomson connaît les réseaux et les médias canadiens de fond en comble. Comment pourrait-il en être autrement ? Avant de travailler à la CCSA, il a travaillé à l’Association canadienne des télécommunications par câble (ACTC), Canadian Association of Internet Providers, l’Association canadienne des radiodiffuseurs et la Canadian Media Producers Association (également à Telus et au CRTC).
Ce dirigeant de longue date d’Ottawa a été embauché comme PDG de la CCSA en remplacement de Alyson Townsend qui a quitté son poste à l’été 2016. Thomson est à l’aise dans ce secteur et, de manière aussi…
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Whatever the future of TV may hold
GATINEAU – The rise of online TV distribution platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and others are upending the delicate balance of the Canadian broadcasting system and that means the federal government and the CRTC need to change the way they regulate the sector. In a nutshell, Canadian broadcasters, producers and distributors want these platforms treated the same way they are.
In comments to the CRTC’s consultation on new TV program distribution models (which was requested by the federal government ostensibly as the first step towards modernizing the Broadcasting Act and Telecom Act), many…
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LONDON and BARRIE – Logistics company Drexel Industries this week announced it will acquire mobile phone accessories and consumer electronics devices company Affinity Electronics of Canada.
The acquisition will combine Affinity’s assets and experience as an established mobile phone solutions company with Drexel’s strength in third party logistics, says the company’s press release. “Drexel’s retailer connected digital infrastructure is the catalyst for further growth and expansion into the mobility and connected home arena,” it adds.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Affinity and Drexel distribute products through Canadian partners, including: Amazon, Bell, Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Costco, Giant Tiger, Home Depot, Hudson…
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OTTAWA – The majority of Canada’s mobile wireless carriers have told the CRTC that redefining home network to include public Wi-Fi will have serious negative consequences on the mobile market while smaller providers Ice Wireless and Execulink argue Wi-Fi First providers are needed to inject much needed competition to an already highly concentrated market.
The final round of submissions on the CRTC’s Governor-in-Council demand that it reconsider its March wholesale wireless roaming decision were due December 1st. This is something ISED Minister Navdeep Bains announced during June’s Canadian Telecom Summit.
For Bell Canada, the only issue…
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