Search Results for: shaw

Cable / Telecom News

Telus charges Corus/Shaw with conspiring to block access to premium content

OTTAWA – In a battle of GOs, Telus is charging Corus Entertainment and Shaw Communications of conspiring to block its efforts to stream Movie Central/HBO content to its Optik On The Go customers, which competes directly now with Shaw`s GO TV Everywhere service. Telus filed a complaint with the CRTC last week saying Telus has tried unsuccessfully for nearly a year to acquire the premium content for its Optik on the go service from Corus, to no avail. “Corus is offering in-home, out-of-home and on-the-go access to Movie Central… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Mason files dissident proxy circular ahead of Telus general meeting

TORONTO – Mason Capital Management has filed and is sending its dissident proxy circular to voting shareholders of Telus Corporation ahead of its general meeting scheduled for October 17, 2012. Mason has been locked in a bitter dispute with Telus over the telecom’s proposed plan to eliminate its dual-class share structure without paying a premium to voting shareholders, including itself, to reflect their higher value on the open market The proxy circular filed today includes a letter to voting shareholders, which outlines the reasons Mason believes voting shareholders should vote “No” to Telus’ proposal including: Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CPAX adds V and Tele-Quebec networks

TORONTO – The Canadian Premium Audience Exchange (CPAX), a new online, real-time bidding exchange service is adding two new networks, V and Télé-Québec. The networks join recently announced Corus and founding partners Shaw Media, Rogers Media and CBC/Radio-Canada. The participation of V and Télé-Québec further expands and strengthens CPAX's premium French-language opportunities for the advertising community, with Canadian digital advertising inventory now reaching across a wide network of top domains in French. CPAX says it now offers an efficient and cost-effective means of reaching targeted audiences with premium inventory across leading Canadian brands in both English and French. "V is… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

BELL/ASTRAL: Big, bad, Bell has not met proof’s burden, so Astral deal must be refused, say replies

GRANTING BELL THE RIGHT to buy Astral Media will make an already big company that acts badly, enormous, add incentive for it act even worse, which in the end will crush competition and choice in Canada. Therefore, the deal needs to be quashed altogether or tough new rules applied to constrain the biggest player in Canadian media, say final replies to the CRTC’s public proceeding into Bell Canada’s quest to buy Astral Media. Those last written rejoinders to the Commission’s public proceeding into Bell Canada’s purchase of Astral Media (CRTC 2012-370) from intervenors were due into the Commission on Friday,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw wants into U.S. Wi-Fi roaming consortium

MONTREAL – An American consortium of cable companies which have banded together to let their customers roam freely on each others’ Wi-Fi networks may soon gain a Canadian partner. Earlier this year (as reported on by Cartt.ca from the Cable Show in Boston), a number of U.S. MSOs forged a new partnership to let their respective customers share 50,000 wireless hotspots for free when they travel. When traveling outside their home markets, high-speed Internet subscribers of the participating companies (Cablevision, Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House) will look for the “CableWiFi” network and through… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Rogers forms alliance in bid for a Citytv Montreal: would support a new ethnic TV station

MONTRÉAL – Rogers Communications in its $10.3 million proposal for Montréal’s CJNT-TV (Metro 14) says it has found the “optimal solution” that provides the city with a new English-language commercial TV station while also supporting a local plan for a new multilingual station. And even if the CRTC says no, it’s got a back-up plan to loosen CJNT’s current ethnic programming requirements. Under Rogers’ optimal scenario the new station would be branded Citytv Montreal with programming and conditions of licence similar to the company's other Citytv… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

NA wireless carriers report strong Q2 margins – combined EBITDA up 14.5%

TORONTO – North American wireless carriers reported strong Q2 margins, with combined wireless EBITDA service margins for Rogers, Telus, Bell, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, LEAP and MetroPCS up 342 basis points and EBITDA growth up 14.5% over the previous year. This according to figures reported in Dvai Ghose’s Canaccord Genuity Daily Letter for September 17. He says the improved margins were driven by reduced device subsidy pressure. Wireless equipment subsidies dropped an estimated 12% in Q2 due to a “dearth of iconic device launches.” He noted that with the Samsung Galaxy S III and the iPhone 5 recently launched “we… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

BELL/ASTRAL: Telus wants much tougher code of conduct for Bell

MONTREAL – Telus is another in the line of companies who want the purchase of Astral Media by Bell Canada killed. But, if it is approved, the industry needs better rules to govern the behaviour of it and other vertically integrated companies (but especially Bell…), Telus told the CRTC Thursday morning in Montreal. The best example of Bell’s intransigence, said Telus executives, is its dealings on multiplatform content. “It has been mentioned by many parties in this proceeding that Olympic coverage on mobile was only available to Bell Mobility subscribers,” said Telus director of broadcast regulation and corporate affairs, Ann Mainville-Neeson…. Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

BELL/ASTRAL hearing notes: Why independents are mad at the vice-chair and other sticky points

MONTREAL – Sometimes it’s hard to put a finger on the reasons why we decide to pull something out of the tens of thousands of words spoken at CRTC hearings and turn it into a story. Other times, such as Cogeco Cable CEO Louis Audet’s focused, furious appearance Wednesday, it’s easy to figure out why we cover some submissions instead of others… We know everyone works hard on their presentations and the job they all do is commendable. However, as I often tell people, we can’t write about everyone. That said, there are frequent portions in every CRTC hearing that stick… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

BELL/ASTRAL Day 2: No more new rules please, implores Shaw, which touts its own Shaw Go strategy

MONTREAL – While one large, vertically integrated Canadian media and distribution company vehemently told commissioners why it opposes Bell’s Astral purchase another, Shaw Communications, went before the CRTC right after Quebecor to say it did not see any reason why the deal should be denied. “Strong, efficient and diversified operators will enhance the system by providing consumer choice, value and innovation,” Shaw Communications president Peter Bissonnette told the panel Tuesday morning. Vice-chair broadcasting Tom Pentefountas, however, wondered if a combined Bell-Astral was too big for Shaw – big enough to allow it to corner the market on movies and the top-rated… Continue Reading