GATINEAU – Three of the country’s smaller, but major, ISPs have told the CRTC’s basic service objective hearing that it shouldn’t micromanage the broadband file by explicitly developing mechanisms to deal with service gaps. SaskTel, Cogeco and MTS all believe that governments are far better positioned to handle infrastructure and affordability issues.
In his opening remarks on Monday, SaskTel president and CEO Ron Stiles argued market forces combined with targeted government funding has worked for the vast majority of communities in Saskatchewan. To encourage additional broadband deployment, the CRTC should stay away from “prescriptive” approaches but rather set new higher…
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TORONTO – Independent specialty movie service Hollywood Suite announced today the launch of the new web version of the Hollywood Suite GO app (HSGO).
The newly designed VOD service is an extension of the premium movie channels and is available at hsgo.ca for Hollywood Suite subscribers from Access Communications, Cogeco, Eastlink, Hay Communications, MTS, NorthwesTel, Rogers, Shaw, Shaw Direct, Source Cable, Telus Optik TV, and VMedia.
“We are excited to offer our subscribers another platform to watch their favourite movies from Hollywood Suite, allowing them to experience their cinematic choices, anytime, anywhere,” said David Kines,…
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Chair's comments change the focus of the hearing, puts government, industry, on notice, to get their acts together
GATINEAU – The the second week of the CRTC's basic service objective (BSO) hearing featured a rare moment of reflection from CRTC chairman and CEO Jean-Pierre Blais which will now alter the focus of this hearing. Below are Blais' unedited personal thoughts, made just prior to Monday's lunch break.
Those of you who are familiar with CRTC proceedings will appreciate that it is unusual for Chairs to make formal remarks beyond those made at the beginning of the oral hearing.
But this is an exceptional…
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GATINEAU – Some 66,000 Canadians, or just 0.5% of Canadian television households, have signed up for the new slimmed down basic TV programming packages five weeks after they debuted, the CRTC said Friday.
The Commission asked ten of the country’s biggest TV service providers – Access Communications, Bell, Cogeco, Eastlink, MTS, Rogers, SaskTel, Shaw, Telus and Vidéotron, to add up subscribers to their new basic television packages. These ‘skinny basic’ packages, priced at $25 or less, debuted March 1st amidst great fanfare touting choice and affordability.
TV service providers also began offering either pick-and-pay for individual channels or small packages of…
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TORONTO – "We have delivered revenue and segment profit growth for the second consecutive quarter, driven by the launch of new specialty television services and digital distribution revenues," said Doug Murphy, president and CEO of Corus Entertainment today in the company’s second quarter financial release.
“With the completion of our transformational acquisition of Shaw Media on April 1st, we are fully focused on quickly integrating our operations, capturing significant synergies and unlocking the future growth potential of these powerful media assets."
Consolidated revenues for the three months ended February 29, 2016 were $197.7 million, up 3% from last year….
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TORONTO – Corus Entertainment, which is the exclusive brand partner for Nickelodeon in Canada, announced today a new content deal with Netflix.
The Netflix deal includes the Canadian streaming rights to Nickelodeon's classic hit series such as iCarly, Sam & Cat and Victorious, among others. The agreement also includes exclusive streaming rights to the critically-acclaimed animated Nick series, The Legend of Korra.
"We're delighted to partner with Netflix and reintroduce these iconic Nickelodeon series to Canadian kids and families on the streaming service," said Shawn Praskey, vice president, content distribution. "This deal provides YTV fans with even more of…
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OTTAWA – Friends and colleagues of the late Alain Gourd (pictured) are invited to a charity fundraiser in his memory, scheduled for May 4, 2016 at The Rainbow Bistro blues bar in Ottawa's Byward Market.
Themed ‘Scotch & Save 2016’, this is the second bi-annual networking event and fundraiser for the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada (CCAC) to honour Gourd’s memory.
Highlights of the evening will include special pricing on scotches and a raffle for bottles specially selected and donated by some of Canada's top communications law firms and companies, snacks, and a return musical performance by singer/songwriter Gerry Wall, familiar to many in the industry from his day…
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Canadians are receiving the broadband speeds they're paying for
OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The majority of broadband Internet services in Canada are as fast or faster than their advertised download and upload speeds, says a CRTC report on Internet services.
The preliminary report, released Thursday, found that most services from the country's major Internet service providers delivered between 109% and 122% of the advertised download speed, and that performance was largely consistent across all geographic regions of Canada in a mix of urban and rural settings.
Services using fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technologies delivered 119% of advertised download speed on average, while cable/hybrid-fibre co-axial (HFC) delivered 103%,…
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TORONTO – Cord-cutters or -nevers missing their live sports now have the option to buy Sportsnet Now, a direct-to-consumer service, without a pay-television subscription.
Launching nationally on Friday, the live streaming service (including the regular TV ad load) of the six Sportsnet linear channels promises select NHL, MLB, NBA, soccer and tennis events, as well as original programming like Tim & Sid and Sportsnet Central. Sportsnet Now will be available on tablet, mobile and online for a monthly subscription of $24.99 with no contract and a 7-day trial period. It remains included for existing Sportsnet TV distributors such as Shaw, Telus, Bell,…
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TORONTO – While season one of Empire aired in simsub on Citytv in 2015, season two of the Fox series, now 10 episodes in, has had no Canadian broadcaster since City dropped it. The show will not be carried by a traditional Canadian TV channel anymore as Rogers and Shaw-owned OTT portal shomi now has the exclusive Canadian rights to the series.
New episodes will be available on shomi within 24 hours of the Fox broadcasts (Wednesdays at 9 p.m.) and shomi will host all prior episodes as well. Last season and the first…
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