EDMONTON – According to the Telecommunication Workers Union (TWU) and the B.C. and Alberta Federations of Labour, four Calgary radio stations refuse to run radio spots in support of locked-out Telus workers. The radio campaign calls on customers to disconnect from Telus.
The 30-second radio spots, which start today, will run four-to-five times daily in Edmonton, Fort McMurray and throughout B.C. It’s considered a “heavy rotation,” notes Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) President Gil McGowan, of the three week campaign, with a substantial budget of over $250,000 ($120,000 going for Alberta placement).
The four radio stations allegedly refusing to…
Continue Reading
PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. – Municipally-owned telco CityTel acquired the remaining Monarch Cable systems last week from owner Bill Yuill and announced an overhaul of its corporate governance, too.
Monarch had approximately 12,000 cable customers in Prince Rupert and the nearby communities of Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers, Houston, Hazelton, Telkwa, Port Edward and Stewart. Monarch was founded in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and Shaw Communications purchased those systems in 2003 for $90 million. Monarch acquired the B.C. systems, the former Okanagan Skeena Group, from Telemedia, in 2000.
The $23.5 million deal is scheduled to close on August 31st, with Commission approval to…
Continue Reading
SASKATOON – Just days after Shaw Communications made its announcement, SaskTel today said it, too, has entered into a video on demand agreement with Paramount Pictures in Canada for the provincial telco’s Max TV digital television service.
This agreement provides VOD rights for current and library titles such as Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, starring Jim Carrey; Team America: World Police, featuring the voices of Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Coach Carter, starring Samuel L. Jackson.
"We are pleased to expand our VOD distribution into Canada and look forward to further enhancing the VOD experience…
Continue Reading
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Vista Broadcast Group, a single-station operation until recently, is ramping up its operations with several purchases, the most recent of which is its agreement to purchase Cariboo Central Interior Radio Inc., which was announced this week.
The joint announcement was made by Terry Shepherd – president and managing director of CCIR Inc. and Margot Micallef, chair and CEO of Vista Broadcast Group. Terms of the sale, which is subject to CRTC approval, were not disclosed.
Vista Broadcast Group is the owner of CJSU-FM (SUN FM)in Duncan, British Columbia (on Vancouver Island) and recently announced that…
Continue Reading
BURNABY – While the second quarter press release still intimated Telus may not launch its terrestrial digital television service, CEO Darren Entwistle told financial analysts today in a conference call that Telus TV’s launch is a matter of when, not if.
The when will come once the company’s labour problem is finalized. While the company has imposed its latest contract offer after 4.5 years of going without a contract with its workers, the union called a general strike.
Today, the company said 70% of its unionized workers nationally are still coming in to work and that the two sides will…
Continue Reading
I WAS A UNION MEMBER TWICE: For several summers as a labourer installing gas pipeline in Northern Ontario and for a four month stint as a part-time Bookmobile driver and librarian in Guelph, Ont.
I lived for a few years in Sault Ste. Marie and saw what the Steelworkers have had to go through there with Algoma Steel. I lived in Windsor for three years and the Canadian Auto Workers union was always front and centre.
I say all this to illustrate that I think I have a bit of a grasp on what the union/corporation relationship can be….
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – All the regional telcos used to work together to lobby the government like this under the old Stentor Alliance – an working group that was disbanded years ago when they all decided to compete with one another.
Today, the remaining former Stentor members (with one notable exception) held a joint press conference to make official their appeal to Federal Cabinet over the CRTC’s voice over Internet protocol decision.
The decision, as reported on numerous occasions by www.cartt.ca, says that incumbent telcos have to abide by existing telecom regulations in the way of win-back rules, tariff applications, and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – There are just under 40 independent telephone companies left in Canada – little telcos that for one reason or another, were never swallowed up by Bell Canada.
All of them, save one, are in Bell’s Ontario or Quebec territory. Of those, there are six which are owned by municipalities: Bruce Municipal Telephone System, Cochrane Public Utilities Commission, Dryden Municipal Telephone System, Kenora Municipal Telephone System, The Corporation of the City of Thunder Bay – Telephone Division, all in Ontario, and Prince Rupert City Telephone, in British Columbia.
This week, the Department of Canadian Heritage closed a comments…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Bell Nordiq Income Fund this week reported net earnings of $8.7 million, while the combined operating revenues of principal operating companies Telebec and NorthernTel were $88.6 million, with net earnings of $26.3 million and available distributable cash of $30.1 million.
As anticipated, cash distributions declared were $23.9 million, consisting of $8.7 million to the Fund and $15.1 million to Bell Nordiq Group Inc.
"Our solid second quarter performance is the result of both stable organic growth and strong margins," commented Roch L. Dubé, president and CEO, Bell Nordiq Group Inc. "Our growth businesses, Internet and wireless, continued…
Continue Reading
VANCOUVER – Telecommunications Workers Union president Bruce Bell told CKNW radio host Bill Good yesterday that Telus employees will strike on Friday.
That’s the date Telus said it would unilaterally impose its latest, last, contract offer on its workers, whether their union approves or not.
After four and a half long years without a contract (and without a raise for employees) Telus is fed up, vice-president of corporate affairs Drew McArthur told www.cartt.ca Wednesday.
The union has simply refused to budge, not even putting Telus’ contract offer to a vote among its members. Telus first tabled the offer in…
Continue Reading
