TORONTO – The CBC, Bell Media and Shaw Media are the top three English broadcaster recipients of Performance Envelope allocations for 2013-2014 as announced today by the Canada Media Fund.
Of the CMF’s program budget of $360.7 million, $173.3 million has been allotted in Performance Envelopes for 21 English broadcasters. CBC will receive $58.1 million, Bell Media $32.6 million and Shaw Media will receive $27.3 million. Thirteen French broadcasters will share $85.7 million, of which Radio-Canada will receive $32,7million, Groupe TVA $22 million and Astral (French) $16.4 million.
CMF’s envelope system was designed to…
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HALIFAX and FREDERICTON – Shaw Media-owned Global News announced it is rebranding its Global Maritimes operations to Global Halifax and Global New Brunswick as part of its mandate to tell more locally-focused stories.
The separation of Global Maritimes into the two new stations, which takes places April 15, moves both Global Halifax and Global New Brunswick from being an amalgamated regional news source to focusing more on local stories in both areas. Global is highlighting the move with new programming and the hiring of new on-air talent
The two stations will continue to share some…
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MONTREAL – Bell says it wants to help its internet customers practice safer surfing with its launch today of a new McAfee Security feature.
Bell Internet customers will automatically be transferred to one of three McAfee Security from Bell tiers: Good, Better or Best. Customers currently using free Bell Internet security will receive the Good package at no extra charge. Bell Internet customers with enhanced security services will be moved to the corresponding Better and Best security packages. McAfee Security from Bell is compatible with both Windows and Mac.
“Bell Internet customers want to focus…
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OTTAWA – Competition in Canada’s wireless industry could be hampered by more stringent spectrum licence transfer regulation, new entrants and incumbents alike are telling Industry Canada.
Rogers Communications warns the department that its proposal will lead to an inefficient market where the existing secondary trading market for spectrum licences will become limited as some operators will see their options to sell spectrum holdings constrained. These new rules could “dampen new entry by increasing the risks associated with selling their business to the highest bidder if they fail to establish a viable wireless business” and “possibly result in lawsuits by aggrieved…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Cable companies reported a modest growth in revenues and subscribers in 2012, while satellite companies recorded a decline in these categories, according to the CRTC’s statistical and financial results for the industry released today.
Combined revenues for both cable and satellite companies increased by 4.2% from $13.5 billion in 2011 to $14.1 billion in 2012. Similarly, the total number of subscribers (which includes customers subscribed to IPTV services such as Bell’s Fibe TV or Telus’ Optik TV), rose by 1% from 11.4 million to 11.5 million. (We checked with the CRTC and the only…
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GATINEAU – There's no Say No To Bell campaign this time around, but most of Bell's major competitors have again told the CRTC they are strongly against the takeover of Astral Media by BCE, even with the new promises to divest English-language TV assets.
Quebecor, Rogers and Telus all said they were against the deal in submissions sent to the Commission on Friday, the deadline for interventions in the new application for change of ownership.
Quebecor Media, which owns the Vidéotron cable provider and broadcaster TVA, "asks the Commission to categorically refuse the approval of the revised application," saying it would…
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BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Arrested Development fans, rejoice! Netflix will premiere its highly-anticipated fourth season of Arrested Development on May 26, 2013. On that date, all 15 new episodes of the Emmy Award-winning comedy will be available for members to watch instantly at launch at 12:01 a.m. PDT.
“Arrested Development is now widely viewed as one of the top TV comedies of all time and Mitch Hurwitz is bringing it to Netflix in a brand new way, crafted for the on-demand generation that has come to discover the show in the years since it last appeared…
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AS THE DEADLINE APPROACHES for submissions in the CRTC's hearing to examine our plan to unite Astral and Bell Media, competitors are already revving up their rhetoric.
Last week in a blog post, Telus's director of regulatory affairs, Anne Mainville-Neeson, road-tested the company's lines on why "vertical integration in the broadcasting industry can be harmful.” This position conveniently overlooks the fact that the federal Competition Bureau has comprehensively reviewed and cleared the proposed Astral-Bell Media transaction, and that the CRTC is of course conducting its own comprehensive analysis.
It also ignores the fact that the CRTC already has a…
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TORONTO – Shaw Media has announced that Bounty and Tim Horton's have signed on as sponsors for a new competition series premiering next week on Shaw’s Food Network Canada.
Donut Showdown, which airs April 2 at 10 ET/PT, is a new 30-minute competition show that features donut makers from across North America testing their creativity in the kitchen. Each episode features three contestants whose first challenge is to create a batch of donuts that includes three unusual ingredients. The expert judge panel decides which competitor goes home and which remaining two contenders move on to the…
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TORONTO – Calling it a complete reinvention, Shaw and Global News announced it has revamped its website, GlobalNews.ca, with a new editorial strategy and design that supports the growth of mobile devices as a viewing platform.
“The new GlobalNews.ca represents Shaw’s continued investment in connecting Canadians with the most relevant and timely news and information,” says Troy Reeb, Global’s senior vice-president, news and station operations, in a release. “The focus on giving viewers the best possible experience, regardless of whether they are watching TV or browsing on their smartphone, is the reason Global News continues to…
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