Rogers, Shaw continue to work with government; Quebecor CEO weighs in
OTTAWA – Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne will not allow Rogers Communications to acquire all of Shaw Communications’ wireless licences, he said in a statement today.
“The wholesale transfer of Shaw’s wireless licences to Rogers is fundamentally incompatible with our government’s policies for spectrum and mobile service competition, and I will simply not permit it,” the statement reads.
Champagne noted the importance of access to Internet and wireless services and said the “government is making every effort to ensure that telecommunications services are reliable, innovative, competitive…
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OTTAWA – Two representatives from Rogers Communications appeared (virtually) before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today to reassure committee members local news will not be worse off after Rogers merges with Shaw.
As Cartt.ca previously reported, there were concerns expressed during the CRTC’s recent hearing on the proposed merger about Rogers’s plan to redirect funding Shaw has previously allocated to Corus’s Global stations to its own City TV stations.
Colette Watson (above), president of Rogers Sports and Media, told the committee the deal will enhance City TV’s local news services.
“Our City TV news stations are located in Winnipeg, Calgary,…
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Document filed reveals new information about 2019 meeting with Bell COO
By Amanda OYE
CHATHAM, Ont. – TekSavvy Solutions Inc. filed a disclosure of facts and circumstances today to the federal Integrity Commissioner regarding the actions of CRTC chair and CEO Ian Scott, which provides new information on the widely reported meeting between Scott and then Bell chief operating officer (now CEO) Mirko Bibic at an Ottawa bar.
According to a public version of its disclosure, TekSavvy is arguing Scott “committed a wrongdoing within the meaning of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.” The company is seeking further investigation into this matter.
The…
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By Mark Goldberg
ON TUESDAY EVENING, a Twitter thread by Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez requesting a rushed CRTC review of Russia Today (RT) caught my eye:
That’s right. Two weeks.
The Heritage Minister, the Minister responsible for the CRTC, is asking the independent, quasi-judicial regulator to collect evidence and render a decision in two weeks on whether RT should be continue to be permitted as a broadcasting service option for Canadians.
Two weeks.
The Commission regularly takes two weeks just to have a decision translated. Please tell me how the CRTC can prepare a…
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TORONTO — toober, a Toronto-based live television app that connects viewers to specialty TV from around the world, announced today it is making Ukrainian channels available at no charge for the foreseeable future, effective immediately.
Cartt.ca readers will be familiar with the Canadian technology company behind the toober app – video broadcast solutions provider Nextologies.
“Our mission has always been to help people worldwide stay connected to their homelands through news and entertainment,” said Sasha Zivanovic, CEO of toober and Nextologies, in a press release. “In times of crisis, nothing is more important than getting accurate reporting of events directly from…
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PM wants CRTC to review channel’s presence in Canada
CANADIAN TELEVISION SERVICE providers are dropping Russia Today (RT) an English-language international news channel funded by Russia, from their channel lineups.
There has been growing concern about the channel’s presence in Canada specifically, and about Russian-funded international media around the world more generally. Many concerns relate to the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation.
On Feb. 26, Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez posted on Twitter, saying, “I share the concerns of many Canadians about the presence of Russia Today in our broadcasting system. We’re looking at all options.”
Since then, several Canadian television service providers…
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CANADIAN TELECOMS ARE helping customers connect to family and friends in Ukraine by waiving charges for calls and texts from Canada to Ukraine, and in some cases they are waiving roaming charges for customers currently in Ukraine as well.
Companies that have made such announcements include:
Sasktel announced today it will automatically waive long-distance charges for its wireless, landline, and business calls from Canada to Ukraine, international text messaging fees for texts sent from Canada to Ukraine, and roaming charges for calls, text and data overages for its customers who are currently in Ukraine.
Cogeco tweeted today it is waiving…
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Company continues wait for the right MVNO conditions, decision on Shaw’s Freedom
MONTREAL – Quebecor Inc. today reported its fourth quarter and full year financial results for 2021, which show revenue increased 3.2% and 5.5% respectively compared to the same periods in 2020.
For the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2021, Quebecor’s revenues were $1.2 billion, up from $1.1 billion in the same quarter of 2020. For the full year, revenues were $4.6 billion, an increase from $4.3 billion in 2020.
Adjusted EBITDA decreased 5.3% in Q4 2021 to $498.8 million. For the full year 2021, adjusted EBITDA increased 1.1% to $2…
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MONTREAL — Music service provider and broadcaster Stingray announced today a partnership with TikTok to launch TikTok Radio on Stingray Music on TV, web and mobile platforms, starting today in the United States and tomorrow in Canada.
“Listeners will enjoy hearing music the TikTok community loves, including viral hits, throwbacks, and songs from the next generation of rising stars. To truly reflect the TikTok experience, the channel will also feature trending sounds and introductions from some of TikTok’s popular artists and creators,” reads a Stingray press release.
The curated TikTok Radio channel “will be refreshed several times a week with songs…
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CALGARY – Glenbow, an independent, non-profit museum, archive and gallery located in Calgary, announced today the Shaw Family Foundation has donated $35 million to help increase the accessibility of the museum and to celebrate the legacy of Shaw Communications founder JR Shaw.
The donation includes $25 million to establish the JR Shaw Free Admissions Endowment, which will allow Glenbow to “eliminate general admission in perpetuity, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to access its resources,” a press release says.
“At Glenbow, we have long believed that art is for everyone and have committed to increasing accessibility to arts and culture,” said Nicholas…
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