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.
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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VANCOUVER – Telus’ 4G LTE network is now live in Armstrong, B.C., Fort McMurray, Alberta and Oshawa/ Whitby, Ontario. Its 4G LTE network now reaches more than 65% of the Canadian population. Telus invested $80,000 to bring 4G to Armstrong and the network in Fort McMurray is part of its $18 million investment in the region, while the Oshawa and Whitby expansion is part of its $280 million investment in the GTA over the next three years.
Upcoming Telus 4G sites launching across Ontario are in Sudbury, Brantford, Collingwood and St. Catharines; in Alberta at Fort McKay…
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OTTAWA – Fresh TV and Teletoon sucked the life out of the competition with My Babysitter’s a Vampire by winning the 2012 Shaw Rocket Prize for best in Canadian kids' programming at an industry gala held this week in Ottawa.
Selected as one of the top five finalists by an international jury of esteemed industry professionals, My Babysitter's a Vampire was judged for quality and content of both the show itself and its online presence. The kids jury from across Canada selected it as the grand prize winner after screening the five finalists…
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GATINEAU – Quebecor Media renewed its assault on CBC/Radio-Canada’s access to information practices during the corporation’s licence renewal hearing on Monday by requesting the CBC include access to information data in transparency and accountability reports to the Commission.
CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais, however, wondered if it’s wise to have a parallel system regarding access to information.
“We’re not asking for the CRTC to impose sanctions on CBC/Radio-Canada with respect to access to information like the Information Commissioner can. What we’re asking for is in the reports that are submitted to the CRTC, which allow the Commission to verify how…
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TORONTO – TSN announced Thursday that Nathalie Cook has been appointed vice-president of integrated marketing and partnerships, and Mark Silver has been named senior director, digital. Both join TSN after successful roles at Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.
In her newly created position, Cook will lead TSN’s brand partnerships, marketing, and events divisions. Known for popular campaigns like the Kraft Celebration Tour, Wendy’s Kick for a Million, and Purolator Tackle Hunger – Cook will further expand TSN’s growing number of integrated brand partnership programs and events, across all TSN platforms. She will also oversee all key functional areas related to…
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GATINEAU – CBC’s call for greater regulatory flexibility to help it deal with the new realities of the broadcasting environment got some support on the fourth day of its licence renewal hearing.
Shaw Communications Inc. appearing later Thursday afternoon, said that all broadcasters should have additional room to operate in an environment that is being challenged by the emergence of non-traditional players such as Apple, Google, Netflix and Amazon.
“Regulatory micro-management is neither necessary nor efficient,” Paul Robertson, president of Shaw Media, said in his opening remarks. “All of us in the broadcasting sector require the ability to respond quickly to…
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