OTTAWA – After consulting with the space players over the past eight months, Industry Canada today called for applications to fill satellite slots over Canada.
The launch of this licensing initiative to authorize the development of Canadian satellites says that up to 29 satellite licences may be assigned. It will be the largest spectrum licensing initiative ever undertaken in Canada. A comparative competitive licensing process will be used in which applicants will be required to submit proposals to Industry Canada but license winners will be expected to have birds operational in the 2008-10 time frame.
"We need to increase…
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ONE UNINTENDED HAZARD of deregulation is that all other news outlets will be under-reporting the size of the Canadian cable industry this morning.
On Wednesday, the CRTC released the Canadian broadcast distribution industry’s statistical and financial summaries. But the report doesn’t include all distributors.
From 2004 to 2005, revenues, as well as number of subscribers, remained more or less constant for Class 1 cable carriers. However, with growing investments in voice over IP, for example – as evidenced in Shaw Communications’ third quarter report that said capex will rise at a good clip for the next 24 months…
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CALGARY – While the company that bears his name posted another strong quarter and is quickly closing in on 200,000 phone customers, Shaw Communications founder and chairman JR Shaw was again asked about rumors that the company would be sold during Friday afternoon’s conference call with financial analysts.
Pointing out that the family has been very active purchasers of Shaw shares, the chairman added, "The family is very content with the ownership that they have… We have no intention of doing anything with this property, or any other properties that we have, on an exit basis… Someone asked me…
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TORONTO – John H. Clappison has been added to the board of directors at Rogers Communications.
Ted Rogers, president and CEO, and Alan Horn, chair announced the appointment on Monday.
Clappison is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and has had an extensive and successful business career. He was most recently the Greater Toronto Area Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers and sits on a number of corporate boards. Clappison is also active in the community with the Shaw Festival and St. Michael’s Hospital.
He will also become a member of the Audit Committee of RCI.
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications has joined a campaign to promote customer safety and security online as it partners with the Microsoft Security Response Alliance.
Shaw is supporting the alliance’s week-long campaign this week by offering advice on its www.start.shaw.ca Web page about how to protect their identities, information and computers. Shaw is the only Canadian communications company to participate.
Information includes steps to protect people from online predators; avoid identity theft, spam, and credit card fraud; and protect their PC from spyware and other threats.
"Shaw is excited to be partnering with the Microsoft Security Response Alliance for the…
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OTTAWA – The new Federal Accountability Act may cost Elizabeth Roscoe her job, say to reports out of Ottawa.
According to The Hill Times newspaper, a series of new amendments introduced last week makes it virtually impossible for anyone who has worked in government in any way to take any kind of lobbying position for five full years.
Elizabeth Roscoe, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ senior vice-president of policy and public affairs has become something of an Ottawa flashpoint on the issue. She worked for a few weeks on the transition team when Prime Minister Steven Harper was taking…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications has taken its battle with Internet phone company Vonage to court.
Today, Shaw filed the latest in a series of court documents with respect to a claim against Vonage Canada in the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, Calgary, "to set the record straight on its digital phone service and its quality of service enhancement," says the company’s press release.
Shaw offers a voluntary fee of $10 a month to Shaw High Speed Internet customers who get their phone service from third party providers such as Vonage. Shaw says the fee is to guarantee quality of…
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SASKATOON – Shaw Communications has let go Bob Anderson, its regional manager for the Prairie province, reports CJWW radio.
Anderson has been with Shaw for 16 years. An e-mail sent to Shaw Communications president Peter Bissonnette by Cartt.ca on Wednesday afternoon was not immediately returned.
Shaw’s Saskatchewan TV market has been hard hit of late by provincial telco SaskTel, which at the end of 2005, had over 42,000 customers for its MaxTV service.
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CALGARY – Saltspring Cablevision will be acquired by Shaw Communications, the companies announced this morning. This follows yesterday’s announcement of Shaw’s purchase of Pemberton Cable.
Saltspring Cablevision serves about 1,500 cable and Internet customers on Saltspring Island in B.C., the largest of the Gulf Islands located in the Strait of Georgia between mainland Vancouver and Victoria, B.C.
"Saltspring will also complement our existing cable properties in nearby Victoria and others located on Vancouver Island so that we take advantage of operational synergies with these systems," said Peter Bissonnette, Shaw’s president.
www.shaw.ca
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CALGARY – On the face of it, Shaw Communications purchase of Pemberton Cable, announced late Wednesday, is small potatoes.
But, if you consider that Pemberton Cable’s owners have a license to build a cable system into mega-popular resort town, Whistler – home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games – then the deal becomes something else altogether.
Pemberton Cable currently operates the cable and Internet systems located in Pemberton, B.C., 30 kms north of Whistler.
"We are truly delighted with the acquisition of Pemberton Cable" said Peter Bissonnette, president of Shaw Communications in a release. "This gem of a cable…
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