TORONTO – Calling ongoing discussions on net neutrality a “distraction”, John Lawford, executive director and general counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) said the bigger issues needing to be examined currently are vertical integration and competition law in Canada. Lawford spoke during a panel discussion Monday on “Competition in Telecom: Net Neutrality and Innovation” at the Canadian Telecom Summit being held this week in Toronto.
“Net neutrality is done,” Lawford said, with the CRTC’s acceptance in 2009 that the Telecom Act’s non-discrimination provision (Section 27(2)) applies to Internet services in Canada.
“The real work is at the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Heads up binge watchers, here comes shomi. The streaming service said Wednesday that it will be made available to all Canadian Internet users this summer, whether or not they have a paid subscription to a TV service provider.
For $8.99 per month, shomi can be streamed on tablet, mobile, online, and to TV screens via Xbox 360, Apple TV and Chromecast. It's also available on the set-top boxes of Rogers' and Shaw's TV subscribers. New users get one month free when they subscribe, the announcement said.
In addition to Canadian content like Vikings, Rookie Blue, and Mr. D, shomi’s Canadian exclusives…
Continue Reading
TORONTO and THUNDER BAY – Movie service Hollywood Suite today announced Tbaytel has launched Hollywood Suite GO (HSGO) to their Digital TV subscribers on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
HSGO is available for free to all Tbaytel Digital TV customers who subscribe to Hollywood Suite. Customers can download the Hollywood Suite GO app and take the company’s catalogue of films wherever they want. HSGO includes a customizable watchlist with optional push notifications and social features allowing users to share their watchlists and experiences with friends. The notification options keep users informed about new movies and collections, while the…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers and Shaw’s streaming service shomi is is now available on Apple TV and Google Chromecast.
Chromecast, a thumb-sized media streaming device, is plugged into HDMI ports on TVs, allowing shomi subscribers to cast the streaming service’s content from the app on their mobile device, tablet, or computer directly to a TV.
"Even before we launched, Chromecast was on our shomi roadmap as a must-have for our service and I'm delighted that we're now able to deliver this experience to our members," said Ann Tebo, shomi’s director of product management, in the news release. "With Chromecast, Apple TV, and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The merging of the statutes governing the communications industry has been addressed a number of times in the past. The first panel session at this year’s Communications Law and Policy Conference attempted to put some meat to the bones of whether having unified communications legislation would be good, or bad, for the sector and even if it’s doable at all.
Former CRTC commissioner Tim Denton provided a pretty succinct argument as to why the Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications Act are essentially incompatible, can’t be unified and be effective at the same time. On one hand, the Telecom Act…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Corus Entertainment has inked a program supply arrangement with Bell Media's CTV that will see three of Corus' local television channels in Eastern Ontario offer CTV programming starting this fall. The channels have long been CBC affiliates.
Beginning August 31st, Corus’ CHEX-TV in Peterborough, Channel 12 in Oshawa, and CKWS-TV in Kingston will launch new broadcast schedules featuring CTV hit series The Amazing Race Canada and MasterChef Canada. In addition, CTV's one-hour daily national news program, CTV National News with Lisa LaFlamme, will be integrated into the programming lineup along with the current local daily Newswatch newscasts. More details…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Bell Media specialty channel Much said Tuesday that its new online network of YouTube creators and digital influencers, known as Much Digital Studios, is now live along with the newly revamped site Much.com
The first group of established and emerging Canadian YouTube creators to partner with Much Digital Studios includes comedian Jus Reign (500,000 subscribers), beauty vlogger Melissa Merk (300,000 subscribers), and comedic troupe 4YallEntertainment, (pictured – 250,000 subscribers), plus comedy channels The Danocracy, Ron Dias TV, and Shane Cunningham; beauty, fashion, and lifestyle experts AllegraLouise and Mila Victoria; musicians…
Continue Reading
HAMILTON, ON – Cable 14 has been honoured with a Media Award of Distinction by the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) for its live broadcasts of a variety of McMaster University sports, as well as OUA postseason and Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship events.
The Hamilton-based community channel, co-owned by Cogeco Cable and Rogers (formerly Shaw and Source Cable), began airing McMaster sports on tape delay in the early 2000's. In 2008, with the addition of a fibre link to the Ron Joyce Stadium building project, Cable 14 began live broadcasts from the McMaster campus on a consistent basis.
Since then, Cable…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Rogers and Shaw have named David Asch as senior vice president and general manager of their jointly owned streaming service shomi, effective immediately.
Asch, (pictured), comes to shomi with extensive expertise in content licensing, acquisition and development; and a proven track record of negotiating and implementing content agreements with movie studios, television networks, sports leagues, event promoters, and music distributors for television, DVD, and digital platform distribution, reads Tuesday’s announcement. His most recent role was SVP content, at Redbox Automated Retail, where he led all content, development, licensing, and acquisition activities for the U.S. renter of DVD content….
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC) is again fighting wholesale service rates of the established telecom and cable companies. The group of independent ISPs is now telling the CRTC that it must make interim all usage sensitive rates from these companies until more fulsome analyses are done.
Bell Aliant, Bell Canada, Cogeco Cable, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Shaw Cablesystems, Telus Communications, and Vidéotron are all party to the application.
In an application filed on April 29, CNOC argues that evidence has now come to light that demonstrates existing usage sensitive rates are too high. It points to a recent…
Continue Reading
