TORONTO and CALGARY – Rogers Communications said late Monday afternoon it plans to pay Shaw Communications $700 million to acquire Hamilton Ontario-based Mountain Cablevision and to secure Shaw’s AWS spectrum holdings in 2014.
The deal will also see Shaw purchase Rogers' one-third interest in TVtropolis for $59 million, giving it 100% of the specialty channel, and Shaw will enter into negotiations with Rogers for the provision of certain services in Western Canada. The press release did not specify what those services will be although Shaw CEO Brad Shaw hinted where some co-operation is being worked on.
The decision to option the…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC approved a pair of new category B specialty service licenses yesterday for Fantasy Sports TV and Quest.
Fantasy Sports TV is a Fight Network (which is controlled by Leonard Asper) application and the channel, if launched, will be “devoted to fantasy sports, allowing viewers to act as owners and assume all the responsibilities associated with operating real sports franchises, and allowing viewers to create, monitor, trade and discuss players on their teams with others also playing fantasy sports,” according to the Commission decision.
Quest’s application was filed by its owner HGTV Canada (Shaw…
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CALGARY – While subscriber losses worried some on Bay Street (the company dropped 28,000 video subscribers in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, ended November 30, 2012) Shaw Communications posted overall positive operating results for the three months ended November 30, 2012.
Consolidated revenue for the three month period of $1.32 billion was up 3% compared to the same period last year and total operating income before amortization of $601 million improved 6% over the comparable period. Free cash flow for the quarter was $244 million compared to $119 million for the same period last year. Increased operating income before…
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TORONTO – Building on an idea that was dubbed “Watch Canada” back in October, the Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada and the CRTC on Wednesday announced the creation of a working group of leading industry executives whose goal will be to “promote the increasing success of Canadian film, television and digital media with a principal focus on the Canadian market,” says a press release.
The creation of the group grew from industry leaders’ feedback at the Symposium on the Promotion of Canadian Films and Television Programs in Canada and Internationally which was held in Ottawa in conjunction with the International…
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A NEW REPORT FROM BMO Capital Markets, which dives deep into what will affect investment in the telecom and media space in Canada in 2013, takes a good look at the possibilities and assumptions heading into the auction of the 700 MHz spectrum everyone assumes will take place mid-year.
The report, by analyst Tim Casey, says what most believe – that the big winners in the auction, which will be expensive. will be the big three of Rogers, Telus and Bell, but that the latter two have an advantage over Rogers since Bell and Telus share the operation of their…
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TORONTO – After more than a year of negotiations, Hollywood Suite has found accommodations for their four HD commercial-free movie channels on the Rogers HD lineup. They’re now working to land Shaw next.
Featuring more than 400 HD movies per month, uncut and unedited, Hollywood Suite is: WarnerFilms (channel 486), MGM Channel (487), Sony Movie Channel (488), AXN Movies (489) and Hollywood Suite OnDemand. Rogers HD TV customers across Ontario will have a free preview of all four movie channels and Hollywood Suite OnDemand until March 31, 2013.
“We’re excited to be working with the great…
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TORONTO – Mobilicity says its legal battle with Telus to keep its TV ads running was no-contest. In a press release, it declared a “colossal victory for Canadian wireless consumers” after the British Columbia Supreme Court dismissed an interlocutory injunction application by Telus to pull certain Mobilicity TV ads off the air. But Telus contends today’s Court decision only dealt with the interim ruling to have the ads pulled and that it will not impact their pursuit of a full hearing.
"Today is a big day for wireless consumers and continued competition in Canada," said Mobilicity…
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WHITEHORSE – Latitude Wireless representatives will be visiting Watson Lake this month to mark the launch of its 3G HSPA wireless service.
“Watson Lake residents are going to be able to enjoy the clarity and speed of the new 3G network,” said Curtis Shaw, General Manager of Latitude Wireless. “We are very pleased that we were able to upgrade our network prior to the holidays to support the latest tablets and smartphones.”
3G HSPA technology allows customers to enjoy broadband wireless applications, including Internet access, video steaming and a variety of social media applications….
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TORONTO – The Banff World Media Festival has announced that CBS Corporation will be the inaugural Company of Distinction at next year’s Festival, being held from June 9 – 12, 2013 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, in Banff Canada.
As the Company of Distinction, executives, producers and talent from CBS Corp. programming divisions will be featured during the four-day festival in different facets of the event, including: keynotes, media leaders sessions, the Rockies Award Gala, and Banff’s famed master classes.
The new Company of Distinction program will allow the Festival to pay homage each…
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OTTAWA – In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday that the CRTC does not have the jurisdiction to allow conventional over-the-air broadcasters pursue a wholesale fee from BDUs for the carriage of their signals. The court’s decision should just about bring to a close the so-called fee-for-carriage (FFC) or value-for-signal (VFS) debate.
The court heard the case back in April which was essentially between the big BDUs, which had always stood against VFS, and Bell Canada. Canwest Television was listed as a respondent, but that was a leftover artefact of the earlier case as Canwest’s new…
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