CALGARY – Cue the robots. Shaw Communications’ workforce has catapulted in numbers. Zillions of delivery robots working within the national cable, satellite and broadcasting company’s network known as the “pipe’ now service the needs of its 3.4 million customers alongside customer care staff.
In a national campaign which launched November 5 that crosses all customer touch points, including television, print, online and out of home, Shaw (along with its agency, Vancouver’s Rethink) introduces us to its newly animated network and two of its cheeky delivery robots Bit and Bud (click here for one of the televised…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The launch of Telesat’s Nimiq 6 satellite and a stronger Canadian dollar helped propel its revenues up by about 10% in the third quarter to $220 million, compared to the same period in 2011 for the three month period ended September 30, 2012.
For the nine month period ended September 30, 2012, consolidated revenues were $618 million, an increase of approximately 2% ($14 million) compared to the same period in 2011. Telesat also attributed revenue growth to the beginning of commercial service of the Canadian payload on the ViaSat-1 satellite in December of…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Telus has expanded its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) to customers in Newmarket and Aurora. Additional communities will be getting access to LTE in the coming months, as the carrier continues to bring the technology to more Ontarians by the end of 2012.
Today's announcement is part of the company's $280 million investment in the Greater Toronto Area over the next three years to further expand and enhance its wireless networks.
"Telus is committed to offering the best customer experience and launching our 4G LTE service in Newmarket and Aurora is an excellent…
Continue Reading
IQALUIT – Northwestel has launched its Supreme Internet package for residential and business customers in Iqaluit.
“It is clear that residents and business owners in Iqaluit want faster download speeds, higher usage caps, and more affordable Internet,” said Curtis Shaw, Northwestel Vice President of Marketing. “For those reasons and more, we have created the Supreme Internet package.”
With download speeds of up to 5 Mbps, and usage caps of 30 GB for Residential customers and 100 GB for Business customers, Northwestel Supreme Internet is currently the best option available in Iqaluit for value and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Launching today with a three-month free preview, Videotron subscribers in Quebec will get unlimited access to FX Canada. Programming includes American Horror Story: Asylum, Sons of Anarchy, Louie and The League, as well as late-night shows Brand X with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. FX Canada is available to Videotron subscribers in SD on channel 210 and in HD on channel 810.
“There is a high demand for FX’s premium content across Canada, and Rogers is excited to bring this award-winning programming to the Quebec market, “ said Scott…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC has renewed the direct satellite relay distribution undertaking (SRDU) and Direct to Home (DTH) licences for Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Direct and Shaw Satellite Services for another seven years until August 31, 2019.
Shaw requested to be relieved from the requirement to contribute 5% of its annual revenues from broadcasting activities to the creation and presentation of Canadian programming, as well as from the requirement to file reports regarding such contributions. Shaw submitted that its SRDU’s competitors, namely terrestrial relay distribution undertakings (TRDUs), have no such obligation.
The Alliance of Canadian…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – TSN and Sportsnet have both reached an agreement with the Barclays Premier League to secure the media rights to a comprehensive soccer package over the next three seasons.
Beginning in the 2013-14 season, the agreement gives TSN, Sportsnet and French-language broadcaster RDS media rights to half of all Barclays Premier League games through to the 2015-2016 season – approximately 190 games per season. Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications says its placing a "significant focus" on customer service and pricing as it reported that net income from continuing operations fell 20% to $133 million in the fourth quarter, from $167 million a year earlier. Revenue rose about 3% to $1.21 billion for the quarter compared to $1.81 billion year-over-year.
"We have applied more rigour and discipline to our pricing, customer acquisition strategies and marketing activities," said CEO Brad Shaw during a conference call.
The cable and media company said…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Canadians need an “enforceable, comprehensive wireless code” in light of the number and type of complaints highlighted in the Annual Report of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), according to telecommunications advocacy group Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
The CCTS Annual Report, released Thursday, indicated that 60% of all complaints received were from wireless service customers. The CCTS also handles internet and wireless service problems for Canadians after being given the mandate by the CRTC.
"The CCTS can only do so much: the wireless industry needs to step…
Continue Reading
DENIED. We’re still surprised (and most anyone who tells you they feel otherwise is pretty much full of it).
I mean, many of us had suggested a full-on denial could happen – and the overall tone of the public hearing last month surely had some believing it was a possibility, but it was pretty difficult to find anyone who would actually say with any certainty before Thursday afternoon this deal would be nixed. The CRTC hasn’t really fully said “No” to a significant deal since Vidéotron tried to buy CFCF in the 1990s and Power Corporation wanted to buy Quebec…
Continue Reading