Must pay nearly $18 million to production funds
By Steve Faguy
MONTREAL — Bell Canada “misallocated” millions of dollars of funding for Canadian programming and failed to meet its obligations to community television programming by using much of its required funding for community TV on shows that clearly furthered Bell Media’s commercial interests, the CRTC announced in a lengthy (26,632-word) decision rendered on Thursday.
The performance of Bell’s community television was reviewed as part of its Fibe TV licence renewal, the company’s IPTV network in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada, and as a result of the violations, Bell has been directed…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications today launched Cyber Protect for Shaw Business, a new service which will provide increased network security measures for business customers.
“Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent and increasingly sophisticated. With the amount of sensitive and confidential information that businesses share and store online, a single cyberattack has the potential to be absolutely crippling,” said Katherine Emberly, Shaw’s business division president. “By acting as a key line of defence against cybercriminals, Cyber Protect from Shaw Business will help alleviate the uncertainty and worry many customers feel when it comes to network security, and allow them to focus on…
Continue Reading
Feds say attachment costs “often prohibitively expensive”
By Ahmad Hathout
TORONTO – The newly-appointed board of directors of the Ontario Energy Board will oversee a review of pole attachment rates in the province, according to a mandate letter sent earlier this month, a priority assignment that is aligned with the province’s efforts to reduce equipment install costs to drive its broadband expansion goals.
Captured in just one line underneath a section on reducing regulatory burdens, the letter requires the “modernized” board to “consider pole attachment policy in the context of opportunities to better serve areas that are currently underserved.”
Ontario has the highest…
Continue Reading
By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – In 2013, the CRTC licenced the Seasonal Channel, a category B television channel owned by Stingray that would “feature still pictures and moving video of nature scenes with appropriate music that will change based upon the season to create a soothing video environment.”
In its 2019 licence renewal, questions were raised as to whether the channel, called Ambiance at that point, should be exempted under the Still Image Exemption Order. As Stingray said, in a letter to the Commission, on February 7th 2019: “It is also important to note that Stingray Ambiance is currently the only…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA — Nokia announced today a new agreement with Ontario-based Greener Acres Canada to turn electronic waste into smart city green poles that will replace traditional utility poles.
Using the almost 50,000 tons of recycled e-waste collected annually in Ontario, Greener Acres plans to use special manufacturing techniques to produce up to 1,000 smart city green poles per day, says Nokia’s press release.
Under the agreement, Nokia and Greener Acres will work together to develop and upgrade Canada’s utility pole infrastructure to smart, green poles that can power smart cities and broadband communications. According to the release, each year Canada…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA — The Competitive Network Operators of Canada (CNOC) issued a reminder today there’s only 10 days left to register for the two-day virtual 2020 Canadian ISP Summit, happening November 3 to 4.
With the theme “Navigating the New Normal”, the virtual conference will feature keynote speakers, general session presentations and panels, as well as a virtual trade show.
Already confirmed to speak are CRTC chair and CEO Ian Scott, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Navdeep Bains, innovation strategist Shawn Kanungo, and CNOC president and chairman Matt Stein.
Panels include a regulatory panel moderated by Cartt.ca editor and publisher Greg O’Brien,…
Continue Reading
2.8 million minutes of online activity, 153,000 platform interactions
EXTON, Pa. — SCTE-ISBE announced today its Cable-Tec Expo Virtual Experience held last week had record-breaking attendance with participants from more than 100 countries.
The virtual format of the event allowed people to participate remotely and registration was free for the first time in the show’s nearly 40-year history, thanks to sponsorships from Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, Midco, Liberty Global, Millicom, RCN, Rogers, Shaw, the National Cable Television Cooperative, and the SCTE Foundation.
SCTE-ISBE says the free registration drove a substantial increase in first-time attendees, who accounted for more than half of…
Continue Reading
Rogers was the fastest fixed broadband provider in Canada in Q3, says Ookla
SEATTLE — In its latest Speedtest Global Index measurement of network speeds in Canada, Seattle-based Ookla reports Rogers Communications was the fastest fixed broadband provider among top providers in Canada in the third quarter of 2020.
According to Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data from July to September, Rogers achieved a speed score of 151.51 in Q3 2020. (Ookla’s speed score incorporates measurements of each provider’s download and upload speeds to rank network speed performance, with 90% of the final speed score being attributed to download speed.)
The next highest…
Continue Reading
Bell’s Oosterman to lead media group
MONTREAL — BCE announced today Bell group president and vice-chair Wade Oosterman will take over operational leadership of Bell Media in 2021 following the departure of Bell Media’s current president, Randy Lennox, on January 4.
“On behalf of everyone at Bell, I would like to thank Randy (above) for his leadership at Bell Media and his support of a smooth leadership transition in 2021,” said Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada, in a press release. “A renowned executive in Canadian music and media, Randy joined Bell Media in 2015 and has…
Continue Reading
From 18-year-old Canadian writer’s work
TORONTO – Kids media investor Shaw Rocket Fund along with Toronto’s global social storytelling platform Wattpad and noted production company Shaftesbury, today announced a new narrative podcast project.
The inaugural Shaw Rocket Fund Accelerator Writing Contest, co-sponsored by Wattpad, asked writers to create inclusive stories for Canadian teens with the goal of pairing an emerging creative writer with industry mentors needed to guide them throughout the creative process of creating a finished podcast. Shaftesbury will serve as the project’s first production partner and will lead the mentorship, working with 18-year-old winner Loridee De Villa across all…
Continue Reading
