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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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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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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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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REGINA – For the first time, a telco TV provider is getting as local as the local cable community channel.
SaskTel Wednesday announced the launch of Max Local On Demand, a unique new service featuring original local community programming, all on demand, something no other Canadian service provider currently offers.
SaskTel, as is its condition of license, has created an Independent Programming Committee (IPC) with representatives from each of the nine districts in which Max serves (Estevan, Moose Jaw, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Regina, Saskatoon, Swift Current, Weyburn and Yorkton) to advise programmers of the new service.
“SaskTel Max…
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CALGARY – Could it be any other way for Shaw?
The company has long been a proponent of deregulation on the broadcast and cable side of its businesses, so it would have been disingenuous for the company to come down on the side of those who want to maintain regulation in Canadian telecom.
On Tuesday, the day after Industry Minister Maxime Bernier’s well-publicized announcement which will see the feds override a CRTC decision and move towards deregulation of the local phone space, the western cableco said it "had reviewed Minister Bernier’s decision to vary the CRTC’s decision on local…
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TORONTO – World Fishing Network is giving every Canadian a live tank of fish on Christmas morning. But there’s no need to feed these fish or to clean the tank.
The famous Christmas Day Yule Log, familiar to millions of television viewers in the United States and Canada (Shaw Cable has often run a burning fire as its community TV programming over Christmas), is burning up – because now, there’s some competition, WFN said today.
The network will air six uninterrupted hours of a colorful “Festive Fish Tank”, complete with Christmas carols, starting a new tradition on Christmas morning…
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