OSHAWA – Given that XM is already installed in a number of its vehicles, General Motors of Canada said today it welcomes the CRTC’s pay radio decision.
GM Canada will be working with Canadian Satellite Radio (CSR) and its partners to analyze the conditions of license and determine how to move as quickly as possible to address pent-up consumer demand for satellite radio in Canada, said the car company.
"We are eager to move forward to introduce XM radio into our 2006 model year vehicles," said Michael Grimaldi, president of GM of Canada. "Satellite radio is the biggest advancement…
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TORONTO – It’s been a year of enormous growth for The Movie Network on demand, the company announced today.
In its inaugural year just completed, TMNOD has proven widely successful, recording exceptional ratings in both subscriber adoption and satisfaction, exceeding all expectations, says the press release.
The service lets existing TMN subscribers view most of the pay service’s content whenever they like, at no additional charge. The earnings, for the service and the cable operator, come via the “significant decline in our churn rate,” said Domenic Vivolo, senior vice-president, marketing and sales, Astral Television Networks.
"We are delighted with…
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TORONTO – So what’s it like going from one side to another, is what people often want to know from Janet Yale.
She spent four years as president and CEO of the CCTA (Canadian Cable Television Association ) before bolting to Telus in late summer 2003 and is now executive vice-president, corporate affairs. Yale (right) tries not to see her move from one side to another, and draws similarities between cable and telecom.
However, while each are facilities-based providers, cable and telecom are clearly at each others’ throats right…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco Cable today made official its launch of voice over Internet telephony in many of its major service areas.
Over the last year, Cogeco Cable has successfully tested its new digital telephone service in the Trois-Rivières area in Québec and in the Burlington/Oakville Ontario corridor.
These conclusive trials, as well as the market studies conducted at the same time, have helped to better pinpoint the services and functions that customers want, says the company.
In 2001, Cogeco abandoned testing it was doing in the telephony space after spending about $25 million, saying it would wait for the…
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TORONTO – Buyers by the dozens gathered at the Carlu in Toronto this morning for CanWest MediaWorks official unveiling of its new 2005-2006 programming slate for the Global Television Network and CH.
"We are very excited about our exceptional slate of new programming this year," said Kathleen Dore, president, radio and television, CanWest MediaWorks. "With a diverse mix of new comedies and highly touted dramas, combined with a strong roster of returning hits and new Canadian programs, Global and CH are well positioned to be the destination in television entertainment this fall."
The roster of new one-hour dramas includes…
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TORONTO – Last week’s Canadian Telecom Summit saw the leaders of Canada’s largest ILECs stay relentlessly on the attack, hitting at the CRTC as well as Canadian cable companies.
While Bell Canada Enterprises CEO Michael Sabia’s keynote on Tuesday said the telecom regs were just plain wrong, Telus Communications CEO Darren Entwistle backed him up the next day.
Both executives are peeved at the May 12th voice over Internet protocol regulatory decision which said, mainly, that for the incumbent local exchange carriers VOIP will be regulated as their traditional circuit-switched systems in that they must file tariffs each…
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TORONTO – The show that led the buzz-meter during the recent fall launches south of the border, Chris Rock’s “Everybody Hates Chris”, will premiere on Citytv this fall, CHUM Television announced today.
Other new shows include dramatic series "Just Legal" from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer; "Hot Properties," a new comedy about four women in the Manhattan real estate market; the drama "Supernatural" from executive producer McG ("The O.C.") starring Jared Padalecki; and "Wanted," a gritty crime drama from executive producers Aaron Spelling and E. Duke Vincent.
Mid-season programming highlights include: "Bedford Diaries" from executive producer Barry Levinson; "South Beach,"…
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TORONTO – Don’t expect Bell Canada Enterprises to let up on the CRTC any time soon.
Still stinging from the Commission’s May 12th VOIP decision, which maintains traditional regs on telcos’ voice over IP offerings while cablecos and others get a head start, BCE CEO Michael Sabia made plain today in his keynote address at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto that the company will keep pressuring government for wholesale change.
The situation is dire, he said, as Canada loses ground in the information communications technology (ICT) space to forward-thinking countries like Ireland and Korea. “By making a conscious…
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TORONTO – While he didn’t name names, one of the newest players in the telecom space in Canada appear to be having problems dealing with a certain western MSO.
At a Monday session during the Canadian Telecom Summit entitled VOIP Pioneers – Early Results, Matt Stein, vice-president of new technology and services with VOIP provider Primus Canada, expressed his frustration with customer issues that are peculiar to the west.
“The vast majority of our quality issues are from Alberta and British Columbia,” he said. “An overwhelming amount comes from those provinces and while I won’t name the company, it…
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MISSISSAUGA – Voice over Internet Protocol provider Vonage Canada today announced an aggressive expansion of its service by providing local phone number exchanges to consumers and small businesses in more than 50 additional cities and communities.
Customers from anywhere in Canada have already been able to choose an area code and local number from 14 major centres in six provinces, including Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.
Vonage’s expansion will allow people outside those major urban cities to switch to Vonage and choose a new local phone number from their city or simply transfer their existing…
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