GATINEAU – The CRTC will put off a review of its benefits policy until after the federal government renders its views on the Canadian Television Fund.
The Commission issued a public notice in July, asking for comments on altering its benefits policy so that some money could be directed to new media initiatives. Currently, when one broadcast company buys another, a certain percentage of the transaction (10% in the case of television companies) must be set aside for public benefits, which are mostly for the production of Canadian content.
However, a number of recent transactions (such as Goldman Sachs’…
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CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – The Campbell River Television board of directors said today that its members have spoken and they want to sell the cable co-operative to Shaw Communications.
The board has the preliminary results from the August 23, 2008 special meeting and “members who exercised their right to vote were in overwhelming support” of selling CRTV to the big western cableco, said the release. As a co-op, 75% of members must vote in favour of a change in ownership.
“At this point in time, the process of handing CRTV over to Shaw becomes a housekeeping issue,” says the…
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CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – The CRTV board of directors have announced a special meeting that will allow the membership to complete the voting process on the proposed $46 million sale of independent cable co-operative Campbell River TV to Shaw Communications.
The meeting will be held on August 23 at the Sportsplex at 4 p.m., with the doors opening for registration at 2 p.m.
As a co-operative, CRTV is required to attain 75% approval for any sale – as well as to change the bylaws of the entity in order to allow for such an ownership change.
Members who have not…
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MONTREAL – CanWest Broadcasting is rebranding Lonestar, a Western-themed cable channel, as MovieTime, a digital offering of popular Hollywood movies. CanWest says that MovieTime, which goes live Oct. 6, will feature more than 250 Hollywood movies.
Catering to adults 25-54, MovieTime will offer viewers unparalleled access to an extensive collection of contemporary hit movies.
"There are few things that generate as much excitement, delight and passion as people’s most-loved movies and with MovieTime, we are thrilled to give audiences a one-stop channel to catch all their favourite hits," says Barb Williams, executive vice-president, content, Canwest Broadcasting.
Canwest says Movietime reflects its on-going…
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IF THERE’S ONE THING distributors don’t like, it’s being told what to do by the CRTC.
As we saw during the April hearings into broadcast distribution undertaking and specialty service policy, cable companies don’t like linkage rules or must-carries or carriage restrictions or much of anything else they “have” to do.
Cable altogether opposed the licensing of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network as a must-carry, 91(h) channel in 1999, but the Commission still licensed it as a channel which all distributors must carry as a basic service. APTN is one of those channels that furthers the goals of the…
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MONTREAL – Bell Canada’s sassy buck-toothed duo, Frank and Gordon the beavers, may have been euthanized this week, but they sure worked hard the last quarter.
Bell Canada Enterprises (which is still a public company for a bit longer) reported its second quarter results today and had its best wireless quarter in two and a half years. And, it is dumping its beavers in favor of a new marketing campaign which is set to take flight during the Olympics, which begin this weekend.
Bell Mobility’s net adds were up 32%, its best postpaid gain since Q4 2005. Total additions in…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications today launched an unusual new TV channel entitled The Frame, a 24-hour high definition, commercial-free photographic art service showcasing visual imagery from artists and photographers worldwide.
“From exclusive fine art collections to award-winning photographs, The Frame will allow viewers to experience the world of illustrious photography and art in HD from the comfort of their own living rooms,” says the press release.
The premiere of The Frame will offer photography and art lovers images from 16 galleries, including Canada Collects, Animal Kingdom, Water World, Birds of a Feather, The Seven Seas, Canadian Horizons, City Lights,…
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OTTAWA – The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), based at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law, has asked the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to open an investigation into targeted web advertising.
Using certain technologies, including deep packet inspection, Canadian ISPs can identify tendencies of its users in order to better target the web ads sent to their computer screens as they search. The idea is to deliver better, more relevant ads to consumers and deliver better, more relevant customers to advertisers.
The practice, known as behavioral targeting, is used in many jurisdictions, such as…
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CHICAGO – With 33% market share in the Winnipeg TV market, MTS Allstream is ready to take its MTS TV service to other areas of the province.
The company’s consumer markets president Kelvin Shepherd told the crowd attending IPTV World North America in Chicago Tuesday that since the digital television service now passes 96% of homes in Winnipeg and has reportedly over 80,000 customers, it’s time to move beyond the capital.
(The company is already offering television beyond Winnipeg in 13 southern Manitoba communities, since it purchased Valley Cable Vision in 2006.)
“Our market share objective is actually somewhat…
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OTTAWA – Finally, after nearly two months of bidding, involving 331 rounds, Canada’s auction of wireless spectrum ended today, but is merely the first wave of change that will transform the nation’s telecommunications industry.
Canadian companies bid a total of $4.25 billion for 282 wireless-airwave licenses, the proceeds are more than twice the amount analysts had expected. The 15 successful bidders of the auction that began May 27 are eligible to receive licenses after making their final payments and showing compliance with Canadian ownership and control requirements.
Rogers Communications, Canada’s largest wireless carrier, bid $999.4 million for 59 licenses, reports…
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