TORONTO – There is no shortage of people who believe, thanks to our exploding new media world, that: “Television is dead”, or some variation of that theme.
At the TV Bureau of Canada’s TV Day, held Thursday at the Carlu in Toronto, broadcasters, agencies and media buyers were given ample reasons to believe that not only is TV not dead, it has never been stronger. Of course, one would expect the TV Bureau and all the broadcasters to scream that from the rooftops because that’s their business, however, the numbers and the work being done, seem to back the notion…
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Perry Hoffman
GATINEAU – Telcos Telus and MTS Allstream are urging the CRTC to remove vertically integrated broadcasters/distributors from eligibility under the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF).
While Rogers, Shaw and Quebecor all want the LPIF program eliminated, Bell Media Inc. is neither for or against continuing the program. However, each have local stations who are collectively getting millions from the LPIF fund.
Ann Mainville-Neeson, director of broadcast regulation at Telus, noted during her opening remarks, that of the large vertically integrated providers, only Bell is clinging to LPIF despite the fact that it could save more than $1 million if the…
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GATINEAU – Bell Canada is now prepared to allow the Canadian Broadcast Corp. to receive money from the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) as long as the pubcaster is the sole provider of local TV services in a particular small market.
The media and communications giant had argued in comments that since the CBC receives approximately $1 billion from the federal government it shouldn’t qualify for funds from LPIF. But during opening remarks, Mirko Bibic, executive VP and chief legal and regulatory officer at BCE, said private local TV remains in a difficult financial situation and could see station closures,…
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CALGARY – Led by its cable division, second quarter revenue and profits saw increases topping 3% at Shaw Communications.
Consolidated revenue for the three months ended February 29, 2012 were $1.23 billion, up 2.9% from the same period last year, while total operating income before amortization dropped 2% to $493 million.
Net income from continuing operations increased 3.5% to $178 million from $172 million for the same period last year. Excluding the non-operating items, net income from continuing operations would have been $178 million compared to $171 million year-over-year.
Rate increases and customer growth in Internet and digital phone helped to drive…
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OTTAWA – Bell ExpressVu and Shaw Satellite Services have both applied to the CRTC to renew their respective satellite relay distribution undertaking (SRDU) licences which expire August 31, 2012.
Bell ExpressVu has proposed an amendment to the wording of a condition of licence authorizing the distribution of U.S. over-the-air television programming undertakings, while Shaw has proposed amendments to its conditions of licence relating to the distribution of Canadian and non-Canadian television and radio services, plus asked to delete conditions relating to the requirement to contribute to Canadian programming and to the filing of reports.
On Wednesday, the CRTC reminded both companies…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC will hear why the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) needs to be kept – and why it should be killed off – when a public hearing over its existence gets under way in Gatineau Monday morning.
The fund was created almost three years ago (in the midst of the financial crisis and just prior to the destructive Stop-The-TV-Tax vs. Local-TV-Matters battle), before Shaw and Bell bought into broadcasting, to support the creation of local television programming, particularly local news, in smaller markets. At that time, it was determined broadcaster spending on local programming had stagnated or…
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TORONTO – Canada's three new wireless-only carriers are having little impact on the country’s big telecom incumbents, according to a new report from Moody's Investors Service.
The report, ‘Canadian Telecommunications and Cable Industries: Consolidation Could Be in Store as New Wireless Companies Appear to Struggle’, says Wind Mobile, Mobilicity and Public Mobile, which are not rated by Moody’s, do not have the economies of scale, the access to funding, or the latest products to undercut or challenge the incumbents' market share. Rogers (Baa1 stable), Bell Canada (Baa1 stable) and Telus (Baa1 stable) together make up nearly 92% of Canada’s market…
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CALGARY – Shaw has kicked off its second campaign aimed at stocking the shelves of local food banks across the country.
In association with Campbell Canada, Food Banks Canada and shipping partner Purolator, Shaw is asking Canadians to participate in its four week long Fill the Food Banks campaign which begins this week and wraps up at the end of Hunger Awareness Week on May 11, 2012.
A Fill the Food Banks video will be released Thursday on Shaw’s YouTube page. For every unique view of this video throughout the campaign, Shaw will donate one dollar and Campbell Canada will donate…
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GATINEAU – Do customers want more choice or more channels? Are the two questions mutually exclusive?
If that sounds like an odd pair of questions because choice and channels can’t be unlinked like that, hear us out, because those two queries are what repeatedly sprung to mind reading the progress reports submitted to the CRTC by Bell Canada, Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications and Vidéotron on the vertically integrated companies’ moves to allow more programming choice and flexibility for their customers.
When it released its new policy on vertically integrated media and distribution companies last fall, the CRTC gave the big four…
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CALGARY – Shaw Direct and Xplornet have signed a marketing agreement that they say is designed to offer more value to new and existing customers.
The two companies said Wednesday that the accord will allow them to promote the other’s services – Shaw Direct’s DTH video and Xplornet’s Internet – to their respective urban customers. While the price of the bundle was not announced, the offer will be available starting May 9, 2012.
"Partnering with Xplornet will provide our rural customers with an exclusive bundle that fits their needs – and is part of our commitment as a leader in satellite technology…
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