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…
Continue Reading
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,…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
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…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – A review of broadcasting in new media is utterly unnecessary, says an unprecedented joint submission to the CRTC by Canada’s largest Internet service providers.
Friday was the deadline for submissions on PN 2008-44, which only asked for comments on what the scope of any future proceeding on Canadian broadcasting in new media might be. The Commission wants advice on what questions it might ask when it decides to undertake a review of what new media is doing to broadcasting and what Canadian regulations might have to say about it. At this point, it doesn’t want to…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Sounding not unlike the advice sometimes given in its namesake magazine (er, not that we’d know for sure…) Corus Entertainment CEO John Cassaday said he isn’t willing to “settle” for an average distribution deal when it comes to the company’s youngest digi-net, Cosmopolitan TV.
While the channel is carried by corporate relative Shaw Communications as well as Bell ExpressVu, neither Rogers Cable nor Cogeco Cable in the east, for example, carries the channel, which was launched on Valentine’s Day this year, and was profiled by Cartt.ca.
While Cassaday wasn’t specific about the carriage terms Corus is demanding…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Claiming he has a duty to protect the public from new texting fees (!), Industry Minister Jim Prentice has called the CEOs of Bell and Telus to his office to explain an impending wireless pricing change which both companies recently announced.
Beginning in August, both telcos intend to begin charging 15 cents per incoming wireless text message received by customers who are not a part of a data plan and who choose to pay as they go. Rogers, Canada’s largest wireless company, charges no such fee and has not announced plans to do so.
(Ed query: Is…
Continue Reading
CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – A few locals banded together with some employees worried about losing their jobs in an attempt to have a vote on the proposed $46 million sale of independent cable co-operative Campbell River TV to Shaw Communications quashed.
The company announced today it will reconvene a meeting on July 29th to attempt to complete the voting process and count the ballots.
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.
However, on…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications Inc. recorded a profit of $128 million in the third quarter ended May 31, 2008 compared to $92 million for the same quarter last year, according to financial results released Friday.
The income figures included non-operating items, including reductions in enacted income tax rates. Excluding the non-operating items, net income for quarter was $117 million compared to $86 million in the same period last year.
Consolidated service revenue reached $792 million in the quarter, a 3% increase from the same period last year. Total service operating income before amortization was $356 million, up 15% from…
Continue Reading
