OTTAWA – Canadian wireless companies say they will be ready for the CRTC’s new deadline for the launch of phase two of wireless emergency 911 service.
The Commission said today the deadline for wireless carriers to upgrade their technology – so that people can more easily be found in an emergency – is February 1, 2010. A combination of GPS or radio triangulation will be deployed and the Commission has mandated the technology be precise enough to be able to say where a handset is, within a radius of 10 to 300 metres.
Right now, emergency operators rely on…
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EXTON, PA and TORONTO – The inaugural Canadian Summit of The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) will be held in at the Toronto Congress Cente next week, February 3 – 4, 2009.
It is designed to facilitate the exchange of technical information specific to Canada among engineering professionals. Cartt.ca is the media partner for the event.
Speakers will include Dermot O’Carroll and Tony Faccia of Rogers Cable, Chris MacFarlane of Cogeco Cable, Dennis Steiger of Shaw Cablesytems, Pierre Roy Poretta of Videotron, Steve Irvine of EastLink, Preston Gilmer of Sigma Systems, Oleh Sneizko of Aurora Networks, Scott Atkinson of Shaw…
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CALGARY – Just in time for the Super Bowl, CTV said officially today it is broadcasting a high definition signal in Calgary.
(Which may not be good news for fans of American Super Bowl commercials… more on that below)
CTV HD Calgary is now transmitting from CTV Calgary’s Patina Rise headquarters and is the only broadcaster now transmitting over-the-air in HD in Calgary. CTV is also the only one to have HD transmitters in all three markets metered by BBM Nielsen Media Research, Vancouver and Toronto being the other two.
CTV HD Calgary can be accessed by viewers with…
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HALIFAX – EastLink and its programming partners from across Canada will provide over 65 digital channels to EastLink Digital Cable customers to view at no additional charge during the month of February, the company announced this morning.
“The February Freeview will provide programming from Canadian media companies such as Alliance Atlantis Communications, CanWest Media Works and Shaw. Programming highlights include action, sports, music, movies, lifestyle, education, and more,” reads the press release.
www.eastlink.ca
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TORONTO — Moody’s Investors Service said this week it has placed the long term debt ratings of Shaw Communications on review for possible upgrade.
The rating action “was prompted by the company’s ongoing strong financial performance and solid credit protection measures,” says the Moody’s release.
The review will focus on Shaw’s future prospects in the context of its business and financial strategies, management’s commitment to strong and stable credit protection measures, liquidity planning, term debt refinance plans, and cable licence renewal. Moody’s will also review Shaw’s plans to exploit its recently acquired wireless telephony spectrum and anticipates that the…
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CALGARY – Shaw’s board of directors has appointed Michael O’Brien as lead director to replace retiring board member Don Mazankowski.
In this role, O’Brien will “provide independent leadership to the board and maintain and enhance the quality of the company’s corporate governance practices”, said the release announcing his appointment.
O’Brien has been a member of Shaw’s board since 2003, and served as chair of its audit committee since 2004.
Ron Joyce, co-founder of Tim Horton’s, is also retiring from the board after 9 years.
www.shaw.ca
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CALGARY – Thanks to a new box rental program, Shaw Cable has now surpassed the one-million mark when it comes to digital subscribers.
While that didn’t happen in the first quarter of fiscal 2009, ended November 30th, 2008, it has happened since, the company said late Wednesday.
Consolidated service revenue and service operating income before amortization of $817 million and $368 million, respectively, improved 10% and 11% in the first quarter of the fiscal year, compared to Q1 2008. Funds flow from operations increased to $312 million compared to $286 million in the same period last year.
During the…
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THE FINAL PUSH IS on for the inaugural SCTE Canadian Summit, to be held at the Toronto Congress Centre February 3-4.
The conference promises to be a key date in the engineering calendar for Canadian cable telecommunications engineers, technicians and vendors looking to share information and broaden their knowledge on challenges like switched digital, DOCSIS 3.0 and other myriad network issues.
While vendor tables have long been sold out, registration for the conference is still open and can be accessed by clicking here. As well, the deadline for nominations for the first-ever young Canadian Engineering Professional of the…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has sided with CTV in finding that Shaw Cablesystems and Bell TV did not perform simultaneous program substitution for the network’s HD broadcast of the 2008 Super Bowl last February. Star Choice was also named in CTV’s complaint, but was found to be in compliance.
While the Commission accepted Shaw’s explanation of technical difficulties, it has directed the cable company to resolve the issues in time for the 2009 Super Bowl broadcast. Bell TV has also been ordered to comply, and both BDUs must provide “written assurances” within the next two weeks to the CRTC and CTV, or…
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CALGARY – Shaw has launched The Big Ten Network in HD and SD, and the Golf Channel in HD, and both sports networks will be available in free preview mode until January 31, 2009.
The Big Ten Network covers the Big Ten Conference and its 11 member institutions in the U.S., offering live coverage of football, men’s and women’s basketball, and other NCAA-sponsored sports, as well as other campus news and highlights.
The Golf Channel covers 47 PGA Tour events and world golf championships such as the Mercedes Championship, the Sony Open, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the European…
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