OTTAWA – On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada will release its ruling on whether or not the CRTC has the jurisdiction to let conventional, over-the-air local broadcasters pursue a fee for the carriage of their signals by subscription television providers. The appeal was heard back in April, as Cartt.ca reported.
The ability for local broadcasters to charge a cable, satellite or telco TV provider a wholesale fee (and by extension of course, Canadian subscribers) has been something TV station owners have pursued off and on for decades. The CBC asked for the ability to pursue…
Continue Reading
NEW YORK – Rogers Communications wants to team up with U.S. cable companies to serve more large enterprise firms that have facilities spread throughout the North American continent.
Andy Striegler, vice-president of carrier services for Rogers Business Solutions (RBS), made the pitch to his MSO colleagues at an industry conference in New York late last week. Speaking at Light Reading’s Future of Cable Business Services event, he urged U.S. cable providers to link their networks and develop their wholesale businesses so they can compete with incumbent telcos and competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) for large commercial prospects.
“Moving from servicing small businesses…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – While rating the industry as “outperform”, a BMO Capital Markets report published Monday says the Canadian media and telecom business will generate $62 billion in revenue in 2012 and see an overall growth rate of about 3%, as compared to last year. Of that revenue, about 75% comes from our big four of BCE, Rogers Communications, Telus and Shaw Communications.
While wireless, wireline broadband and specialty television will continue to be the revenue drivers, overall growth will be partially offset by declines in legacy data, voice and print media, says the report. Look for the overall share of…
Continue Reading
BRANTFORD, ON – Telus’ customers in Brantford now have access to 4G speeds with additional communities to be upgraded to Long Term Evolution (LTE) in the coming months. Today's announcement is part of the company's $650 million investment in Ontario over the next three years to further expand and enhance its wireless networks.
"With a 4G LTE device like Samsung Galaxy S III or Note II, our customers will have the fastest wireless Internet at their fingertips, as fast as your home Internet connection but on your smartphone, tablet or Internet key. We are continuing…
Continue Reading
MONTRÉAL – A total of eight Canadian production companies will receive financial support from the latest round of disbursements from the Quebecor Fund.
A total of $2.88 million was allocated to the following production companies: Idéacom International Inc., PVP Projet Jar Dwellers Inc., Productions La Voix Inc., TVA Productions Inc., Cité-Amérique Inc., Communications Swan Inc., Québec Inc. (Triplex Films Inc., Jimmy Lee Inc., Groupe Média Upside Up Inc.) and Les Productions Kenya Inc.
The eight selected productions will air on TV5 Québec Canada, TVO, History (Shaw Media), Société Radio-Canada, TVA, Télé-Québec, Canal Savoir, Astral…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – An HDPVR with “more trimmings than a holiday turkey” is the focus of Shaw’s latest “Botworld” radio, TV and print campaign which focuses on its new HDPVR and how it can access more than 10,000 on-demand movies and titles. The unit can be purchased for $10 a month over 36 months.
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Some 31,500 rural Canadians who relied on rabbit ears or antennas to view local TV now have another year to apply for Shaw Direct’s Local Television Satellite Solution (LTSS), to ensure the transition to DTV and loss of OTA transmitters doesn’t leave them behind. Under LTSS Shaw provides a free dish, receiver and installation to rural viewers so they can continue to receive local channels.
The CRTC in a letter to Shaw has agreed to extend the eligibility period for LTSS for 12 months to November 30, 2013. It also approved Shaw’s requested…
Continue Reading
FENELON FALLS, Ont. – In surprising a move that is sure to make many raise an eyebrow or two and set some industry tongues wagging, independent cable operator Cable Cable has decided the TV Everywhere video on demand option it will offer its customers is Apple TV.
The company (with about 5,000 cable customers and over 6,000 broadband customers in the Kawartha Lakes region) launched a Christmas promotion this week where triple-play customers (cable, broadband and home phone) can call to receive a free Apple TV box (regular retail price: $109). The company is not walking away from its cable…
Continue Reading
AFTER A LONG CAREER in telecom in Canada, Len Katz calls his time at the CRTC the best years of his career.
The 61-year-old former vice-chairman, telecom (and former Bell Canada and Rogers executive) is spending some time now taking a deep breath, a bit of a break, after seven-plus extraordinarily busy years at the Commission. While he admits some boredom has already set in since leaving last month, he is happy to be able to spend extra time with family before deciding what to do next.
Despite some rumours in the summer, his health is good after recovering from a…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Sixteen Candles, one of the most popular teen movies from famed 1980s movie director the late John Hughes, will be the first movie shown on Rewind, Channel Zero’s latest specialty channel brand, when it launches Saturday.
Replacing Movieola in channel lineups (the short film channel moves to its new online home) Rewind will feature flicks such as The Godfather, Blues Brothers, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Moonstruck, Edward Scissorhands and many others – all targeted towards Generation Xers who came of age in the 70s, 80s and 1990s. In fact, the whole first weekend is being dubbed “High School…
Continue Reading
