ST. JOHN’S – Cutbacks, concentration of ownership, reimagining public media, and even the cable bill of president and CEO Hubert Lacroix were all up for discussion at CBC’s 4th annual public meeting. Ahead of its CRTC renewal hearing scheduled for November 19, executives also called for a regulatory framework that will enable the public broadcaster to maintain a presence “no matter what degree of industry consolidation may happen, or how fast technology and demographics might evolve.”
But before they got to the CBC’s numbers, Lacroix, whose future at the CBC remains unclear as…
Continue Reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
MONTREAL ? With a three-hour break mid-day (we were told someone had to go to a funeral, so quit complaining&), yesterday?s long hearing day featured a ton of back and forth between Bell executives and the panel of CRTC commissioners.
Long lovely narratives explaining each exchange would be nice but time restraints mean we?re going for the bullets only of some of the highlights. We think we?ve hit some of the main points with our bulleted rundown here.
* In his first public appearance as chair of the CRTC, Jean-Pierre Blais acquitted himself well, nailing a few biting comments throughout the…
Continue Reading
Bell Media named official sponsor for MAC Viva Glam Fashion Cares fundraiser
TORONTO – Bell Media has been named the official media sponsor and broadcaster of the 25th anniversary of MAC Viva Glam Fashion Cares taking place on Sunday, Sept. 9 in Toronto. In its final year, the event which benefits AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) and Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF), features performances by Sir Elton John, Scissor Sisters, Janelle Monáe, Sky Ferreira, and Canadian artists Shawn Desman, Jully Back, and Kreesha Turner.
On World Aids Day, Saturday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. ET, MAC Viva Glam Fashion Cares honorary…
Continue Reading
