CALGARY – Shaw Communications announced its subscriber figures for the last two months, and re-confirmed its financial guidance for fiscal 2009.
Basic cable subscribers grew 7,053 to reach 2.28 million, while the company added 74,833 digital cable customers for a total of 1.15 million by April 30, 2009. Shaw also reported 1.64 million Internet customers and 758,155 digital phone lines.
It’s direct to home satellite subsidiary Shaw Direct (formerly Star Choice) lost just over 2,000 customers in that same time period, bringing its total to 894,573.
"Cable subscriber results exceed the two month customer figures from a year ago and it is clear…
Continue Reading
CALGARY and TORONTO – Shaw Communications and Corus Entertainment are teaming up to provide the largest offering of 3D TV in Canada, coming this summer.
Shaw’s video-on-demand and Corus’ Movie Central will roll out a range of on-going 3D content ranging from box office feature films, family programming and sports to concert events and specials.
"We are convinced that 3D is the next big breakthrough for enhancing the in-home entertainment experience, and we are committed to developing the content and advancing the technology to support this," said Jim Shaw, CEO and vice chair, in the press release. "With the recent success of…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – On Monday afternoon, CTV received a letter from Shaw Communications asking to see the package of due diligence information it has prepared on CHWI-TV Windsor, CKNX-TV Wingham and CKX-TV Brandon.
Readers will recall that last week, in a newspaper ad, Shaw Communications offered to buy the three TV stations (two Ontario A-Channel stations and one CBC affiliate in Brandon) for a dollar each – the sum for which CTV CEO Ivan Fecan previously said he could not find a buyer.
About two hours after hearing of the offer from the Cartt.ca story about the ad last…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw customers who are fans of the Star Trek series can now catch the more than 600 episodes in newly re-mastered high definition on the cable company’s video-on-demand (VOD) platform.
The original series debuted on VOD on May 1st, one week prior to the release of Star Trek the movie, which will hit theatres across the country on May 7. Each of the cult classic sci-fi series will roll out approximately every two weeks through July, and will be available for six months.
"Shaw is going where no one has gone before," said president Peter Bissonnette, in a company press…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications doesn’t take long to act.
In fact, says company president Peter Bissonnette, the decision to go after three CTV-owned stations made available to purchase for the low-low price of a dollar each was made on Wednesday, with an offer executed via a newspaper ad slated for today’s Globe and Mail, but scooped yesterday by Cartt.ca instead.
Within hours of hearing of the ad from Cartt.ca, CTV accepted and Shaw – after some due diligence and contracts we suppose – will own CKNX-TV in Wingham, Ont., CHWI-TV Windsor, Ont. And CKX-TV Brandon, Man., for three…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – In a full page ad which is slated to run in tomorrow’s Globe and Mail, Shaw Communications says it believes over-the-air television has a bright future and it will purchase three stations CTV says it wants to close because it could not find a buyer for them, even for a buck.
The ad, (click here to see it) signed by CEO Jim Shaw, warns Canadians their broadcasters are seeking a bailout worth hundreds of millions of dollars. “They call this Fee for Carriage. Without mincing words, this is a tax. It is a direct tax on…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – About two hours after having been informed by Cartt.ca that an offer to buy three troubled TV stations was coming from Shaw Communications, CTV said it will accept the $3 offer.
An exclusive story broken by Cartt.ca this afternoon revealed that Shaw Communications was placing a full page newspaper ad in tomorrow and Saturday’s Globe and Mail, as well as The Hill Times on Monday morning.
The ad, signed by CEO Jim Shaw, warns Canadians their broadcasters are seeking a bailout worth hundreds of millions of dollars. “They call this Fee for Carriage. Without mincing words, this…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw is bulking up its video-on-demand (VOD) lineup and offering “value-based rental programs” for its digital boxes “as consumers nest at home during the economic slow-down”.
Shaw says that its VOD business is booming, and accordingly is extending its partnerships with the major film studios to offer VOD releases on the same day they arrive on DVD rental shelves. In fact it added the Mickey Rourke title The Wrestler to its lineup on Tuesday, the same date it was released on DVD and Blu Ray in Canada.
"We are experiencing an increased demand for VOD services, up 74% compared to…
Continue Reading
LAS VEGAS – Being the primary video source for customers is a far different thing than being there for them as a wireline, wireless or data provider.
Cable companies know this inherently thanks to decades of experience and many, many mistakes over the years. Cable’s first alert that there might be a network problem used to be when a customer called in to report they had no TV service and it might have taken a few calls (and please be there sometime between 8 and 8…) before the problem was fixed.
Nowadays, large cable companies have sophisticated network operations…
Continue Reading
EDMONTON and VANCOUVER – The Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) has launched a public awareness campaign encouraging Canadians to ask the government to “stop the outrage” of Canadian companies outsourcing jobs to other countries.
TWU president George Doubt spoke to the media in Edmonton on Thursday to address Telus’ recent announcement to expand its newly opened facility in the Philippines from 900 workers to 3000 workers. TWU represents Telus employees.
“We’re concerned about jobs and resources that are being outsourced,” he said in a telephone interview with Cartt.ca. “Companies that earn their revenue in Canadian communities have a duty to…
Continue Reading