CALGARY – Shaw Communications told investors today that the company is not happy with the financial results turned in by its business services division, so it has altered strategy and parted ways with the division’s leader, promoting Ron McKenzie to take over for John Piercy, who has left the company.
During the company’s quarterly conference call with financial analysts, company EVP and COO Jay Mehr noted that after seeing double-digit percentage growth in EBITDA its enterprise division for a few quarters, posting just 5% growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 wasn’t good enough.
Mehr said that couple…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – A drop in video subscribers helped to flatten first quarter profits at Shaw communications by 7.3%, the company reported Wednesday.
Consolidated revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2015 ended November 30, 2014 was $1.39 billion, up 2% from $1.36 billion in the same period last year, while total operating income before amortization dipped to $606 million from $608 million last year.
Net income fell 7.3% to $227 million from $245 million for the same quarter last year, though the current period included higher amortization and an equity loss related to new SVoD service shomi, a joint venture with Rogers…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications has amended the terms of its five-year $1 billion bank credit facility with its syndicate of ten financial institutions, including The Toronto-Dominion Bank as lead arranger and sole bookrunner, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada and The Bank of Nova Scotia as syndication agents and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Canada) as documentation agent.
The maturity date of the facility has been extended from January 2017 to December 2019.
Shaw said that the facility is used for general corporate purposes.
www.shaw.ca
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Asian Television Network International has launched three more channels nationwide on Shaw Direct.
General interest Hindi-language channels ATN-Sony and ATN-Aapka Colors plus Bollywood Movie channel ATN-B4U Movies are available immediately, and are on free preview through January 13, 2015.
"We are delighted to launch these three popular channels on Shaw Direct via DTH satellite across Canada", said ATN president and CEO Dr. Shan Chandrasekar, in the news release. "These channels will complement our compelling ATN flagship channel with star plus programming , which was the only South Asian channel available on Shaw Direct so far. The consumers can now…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Business is launching an upgraded Managed WiFi solution that it says will enable hotels, resorts, casinos and conference centres of all sizes to keep up with the ever-growing demand for Internet connectivity.
Available in January 2015, Managed WiFi will deliver Internet access and a scalable WiFi solution to properties in one package at one affordable price, eliminating the need to buy these services individually while ensuring a property's bandwidth requirements are always met. It also includes a complimentary site design and analysis to determine the optimal WiFi solution for each property.
“Consumers rank Internet connectivity and WiFi availability…
Continue Reading
GATINEAU – The current wholesale broadband access regime has made it very difficult for new IPTV providers to compete against incumbents, argued independent ISP/IPTV provider VMedia in appearance before the CRTC’s Fibre Hearing on Friday.
Company representatives said that costing under capacity-based billing (CBB) doesn’t make sense for them and the resulting inconsistent rates affect its ability to offer a triple-play bundle of voice, Internet and TV at prices that are competitive with the incumbents.
In its opening remarks, VMedia provided details about rates it would be required to pay to access facilities from an incumbent to replicate current incumbent IPTV…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – While official spectrum license transfer applications were filed by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications in early September, sources tell Cartt.ca senior officials at Industry Canada have let Rogers executives know they’re unlikely to be granted control of Shaw Communications’ unused AWS wireless spectrum.
In January of 2013, as part of a larger deal, Rogers bought an option from the Calgary-based company to acquire its AWS spectrum in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Northern Ontario to be exercised when the moratorium on its sale expires. It ended September 1st and the two companies applied to…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications has reached a commercial agreement with the City of Campbell River in B.C. to extend Shaw Go WiFi into municipal buildings and public areas within the coming months.
The five-year non-exclusive deal will see Shaw Go WiFi hotspots installed in City Hall, Tidemark Theatre, Willow Point SportsPlex, Campbell River Community Centre, Campbell River Museum, the Maritime Heritage Centre and the Discovery Pier. The City of Campbell River will continue to supply free WiFi at the airport, City Hall and the Community Centre using its own network and third-party installations.
There is no cost to the City, and…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications ended the fiscal year on a high note Thursday, after posting double digit profits for both the fourth quarter and annual period ended August 31, 2014.
Net income jumped 64% to $192 million for the quarter and rose 13% to $887 million for the 2014 fiscal year. The company said that the current periods benefitted from higher operating income before amortization and restructuring costs, lower amortization and interest expense and improved net other costs and revenue, partially offset by higher income taxes. On an annual basis, the impact of the aforementioned items was partially reduced by…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA and CALGARY – Shaw Communications finalized a ten-year agreement with the Ottawa Convention Centre that will see the downtown venue be named Shaw Centre, effective immediately.
The partnership will provide Shaw with the opportunity to showcase its media brands and products, as well as provide visitors with free access to its carrier-grade wifi network Shaw Go WiFi. The Shaw Centre will continue to use 'Canada's Meeting Place' as its descriptor, and will continue to partner closely with Ottawa Tourism in all domestic and international marketing efforts to ensure the Centre is positioned as the premier meeting venue in Canada's Capital. …
Continue Reading
