THE SMALL AND MEDIUM-sized business market has become a crowded place.
All of the big companies have said in the past months they see this market as a place to find big growth. Rogers, Bell, Shaw, Cogeco, Telus et al – all have talked about how well they hope to do in the SME space.
So is there room for small startups like Syntagma Network Services? CEO Theresa Carbonneau thinks so. The company’s small business plan offers a full suite of voice over IP-delivered services including broadband connectivity, voice services, e-mail and web hosting, exchange server hosting, virus scanning…
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DEREGULATING LOCAL PHONE in major urban centres in 2007 seems to me to be the right thing to do.
"The idea that somehow the cable guys are at a disadvantage to the telcos has not been proven so far in the entry of the cable industry in local voice," Lawson Hunter, Bell’s chief corporate officer said to me Wednesday. I agree with him. To a point.
Setting aside the unprecedented use of the provision in the Telecom Act that let’s the government issue policy directives to the CRTC (until 2006, it just hadn’t been done), it’s time to…
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CALGARY – DTH company Star Choice said today it will expand its Mississauga operations by adding a call centre and increasing employment at the facilities by up to 100 people over the next few quarters.
“Our continued growth and focus on providing the best customer service to our 869,000 customers across Canada made the decision to expand an easy one,” said Jim Cummins, vice-president, operations, in a press release.
Shaw Communications-owned Star Choice currently operates call centres in Calgary and Montreal. There will be no job loss as a result of the Mississauga expansion, the company said.
The newly…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications said today announced that it has agreed to buy the cable systems in Winfield, Lumby, Pender Island, Mayne Island, Galiano Island and Lillooet, B.C. from Mascon Communications.
The deal sees Shaw acquire about two-thirds of Mascon’s approximately 11,000 customers, leaving Mascon with systems in Sicamous, Chase and Sun Peaks.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"We are delighted with the acquisition of these B.C. cable systems", said Peter Bissonnette, president of Shaw, in a release. "These cable systems complement our existing cable properties in and around Kelowna and the Gulf Islands."
"We are proud…
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CALGARY – The battle for workers in Alberta is holding things back a little at Shaw Communications, the company said today.
The company posted nice growth figures in the first quarter of the fiscal year, ended November 30, 2006, but during a conference call with financial analysts CEO Jim Shaw said "a tight labour market" means that the company’s telephone service is primarily sold via word of mouth because it can’t find enough installers in order to "hit the gas" on a mass-market campaign.
In Q1, consolidated service revenue of $671 million for the three month period was an…
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CALGARY – The Canadian Television Fund will lose a huge chunk of its funding this year since Shaw Communications has apparently told the CTF it will no longer contribute, says an Ottawa Citizen report.
According to the report, CEO Jim Shaw says he will no longer send the cable and satellite company’s contribution of $56 million to Ottawa this year.
Shaw says that until the fund is restructured, he will withhold the five per cent of his company’s revenues that legislation stipulates be used to support the production of Canadian TV shows.
Shaw has often said it would rather…
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TORONTO – Revenues and profits were up across nearly all segments for Corus Entertainment in the first quarter of fiscal 2007, ended November 30th, 2006.
“The positive momentum of last year has continued in our first quarter results in terms of both ratings for and revenues,” said John Cassaday, president and CEO, in the press release. “Strong advertising and subscription growth from specialty television and solid national advertising sales in radio were the major contributors to our positive results.”
Of course, what was on everyone’s mind Wednesday morning was Alliance Atlantis and its impending sale. "We are and continue…
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CALGARY – Twenty years is a long time for one fire to burn.
Shaw Communications has rolled out the red carpet to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its premier television event – the holiday fire log! "This blockbuster reunites the critically acclaimed fire log and hand that debuted 20 years ago this holiday season," says Shaw’s press release.
"Fire log fans of old and new will cozy up in front of their television sets this holiday season, and watch what critics are calling the finest holiday programming for all ages. Through the magic of television, Shaw customers will enjoy…
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FINAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE CRTC on its conventional television policy review were due in yesterday.
Cartt.ca managed to get our hands on eight submissions (unfortunately, none of the companies serving the Francophone market responded to our e-mails), which were filed by parties Wednesday in response to what they were asked – or what others were asked – during the seven-day oral presentations that began on November 27th.
(Ed note: Thank goodness broadcasting vice-chair Michel Arpin – who looks as though he’ll be the Commission’s Interim Chair for the time being as the PMO explores more candidates to replace departing…
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TORONTO – Rogers Cable will add Turner Classic Movies to its analog channel lineup on February 1st.
Turner Broadcasting and Canada’s largest cable company made the announcement today. In addition, TCM will be made available to all subscribers via a free preview on December 23 and 24, 2006.
“We continue to strengthen both our analog and digital offerings” said David Purdy, vice-president and general manager, television, in a release.
Rogers is the sixth Canadian BDU to add the commercial-free, classic movie channel, joining Shaw Communications’ Star Choice and Shaw Cable, as well as MDU supplier Novus Communications, SaskTel’s Max…
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