GATINEAU – Differential pricing can benefit a broad range of players in the communications market, Telus told the CRTC on the fourth day of its DPP hearing, but just don’t let the vertically integrated (VI) entities use their “unnatural incentives” to give themselves an advantage.
“Since differential pricing practices increase the size of the market, they allow both carriers and content providers to spread these fixed costs over a larger number of consumers. This process has produced, and should continue to produce, newer and better services at stable or falling prices throughout the Internet ecosystem,” said Dr. Jeffrey Eisenach, managing…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC has released a working document designed to help direct the discussion and debate during the upcoming hearing into the renewal of the television licences held by the large English- and French-language ownership groups.
The Commission said Wednesday that it intends to discuss the imposition of the standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements for television stations, discretionary services (i.e., pay television and specialty services), and on-demand services (i.e., pay-per-view and video-on-demand services), also published Wednesday, as well as any exceptions to these conditions sought by the various ownership groups.
The public hearing will begin on November 22 at Palace Convention…
Continue Reading
Two cabinet ministers, CRTC chairman, headline event
OTTAWA – After a year interrupted and a year off, the International Institute of Communications Canadian chapter conference is back in November with a fascinating-looking conference agenda.
The headline speakers for the conference being held November 16 and 17 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa will be CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais, who opens the conference Wednesday afternoon, Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly, who will speak at breakfast on the Thursday, and Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains, who will speak at lunch the same day.
The…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, will join Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly and CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais at next month’s International Institute of Communication – Canadian chapter conference.
Scheduled for November 16 -17 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, IIC Canada 2016 will bring together business and government leaders in media, communications and technology to engage on key issues affecting the future of the Canadian communications sector.
Registration is well underway and space is limited. Click here for the program agenda.
www.iic-canada.ca
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Register now for GTEC 2016, Canada's internationally recognized forum for enabling and celebrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) leadership, innovation and impact in Canada's public sector.
Scheduled for November 1 – 3 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, the GTEC 2016 Conference and Exhibition promises to provide public and private sector leaders with insight, strategies and tactics designed to advance the development of Canada's digital economy.
“Our world is increasingly powered by novel information and communication technologies" said GTEC executive director Michele Lajeunesse, in the news release. "The private and public sector must transform to prepare for the digital…
Continue Reading
NEW YORK – The U.S. appears to be following in Canada’s VI footsteps now that U.S. telecom giant AT&T has officially agreed to acquire Time Warner Inc. for $85.4 billion.
But a Fortune report says that the massive deal “seems like a desperation move by both, an admission that they don’t really know what else to do, except try to get larger and hope everything works out for the best”. Only Comcast in the States has tried something similar with NBCUniversal, although Verizon is also trying to get into more content with the planned purchase of Yahoo!.
“For one thing,…
Continue Reading
VANCOUVER – Global BC television news show Global News Hour at 6 will be simulcast on Vancouver news talk radio station CKNW AM 980 starting November 7.
Parent company Corus Entertainment said that the collaboration is a “natural next step” as it continues to combine its assets with those of Shaw Media.
“Simulcasting Global News Hour at 6 on CKNW will help us grow audiences on both our TV and radio platforms,” said Western Canada Global News & Corus Radio VP Kenton Boston, in the news release. “Whether you’re at work, on the road, at home or on-the-go, accessing the best…
Continue Reading
Radio legend Alan Cross to be creative director
TORONTO – Vintage TV announced this morning its entrance to the Canadian market.
Launching today, Vintage TV Canada is available exclusively on Shaw Cable on channel 178 (channel 140 in Winnipeg), Shaw Direct Classic on channel 519, and Shaw Direct Advanced on channel 219.
Vintage TV, which has been a successful brand for six years in the U.K., offers “multiple touch points across a variety of platforms built around strategic partnerships,” says the company’s press release.
“Vintage TV Canada is forging these relationships across different industries in Canada, from music labels, music awards and satellite…
Continue Reading
But there are drawbacks
CANNES – It's peak TV, silly.
That's the prevailing talk at MIPCOM in Cannes this week as Canadian deal-making is on an upswing, thanks to a still-fast-growing OTT SVOD market with more buying outlets like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. (Speculation is rampant here, too, that Amazon desperately wants to launch Prime Video in Canada before the end of November, when shomi winds down, but has work to do on clearing content here.)
"The deals are changing. There's more buyers and unlimited shelf space available for producers," Michael Hirsh, a co-founder of Nelvana and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Fourth quarter profits tumbled at Corus Entertainment as the company continued to absorb its acquisition of Shaw Media.
The company said Wednesday that net income attributable to shareholders for the quarter ended August 31, 2016 was $25,000, well below the $17.8 million posted in the same period last year, which includes business acquisition, integration and restructuring costs of $19.6 million. Adjusting for the impact of these items resulted in an adjusted net income attributable to shareholders of $14.5 million.
Consolidated revenues for the quarter of $384.5 million increased 99% from $193.6 million year-over-year, reflecting the acquisition, while consolidated segment…
Continue Reading