Search Results for: shaw

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw will comply on HD substitution

OTTAWA – Shaw Communications has told the CRTC it will implement high definition simultaneous substitution as the Commission has previously told it to. A December 7th letter to the Commission says the HD sim-subbing Shaw Cable and Star Choice weren’t doing, will begin being done by December 31st. Two weeks prior to that letter the CRTC set a January 15th, 2008 hearing date for Shaw to appear and explain its non-compliance. After a complaint filed by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters in June that said neither Shaw Cablesystems nor its sister satellite company Star Choice were performing their… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Shaw hit with non-compliance decision

OTTAWA – Shaw Communications is again in hot regulatory water over the sponsorship messages that have appeared on its cable community channels out west. Last week, the CRTC issued a letter decision to the company saying some of the ads appearing on Shaw TV aren’t allowed under the regulations and applied new reporting requirements to the big cableco, since this is the second such violation. When we reported on this in 2006, we noted that the Broadcast Distribution Regulations , say cable companies are not allowed to air traditional ad spots and there are limitations on the types… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Shaw advertises its shots at the CTF

OTTAWA – Shaw Communications has taken aim again at the Canadian Television Fund. In a full-page advertisement on the back of the sports section of Saturday’s edition of the Ottawa Citizen, Shaw asks: “What do you call a $250 million boondoggle?” The answer, also in all capital letters, reads the ad: “The Canadian Television Fund.” The advertisement notes the CTF has lost is way, and has “little to show” for the $2.5 billion it has spent on promoting and developing quality TV programming in Canada. “Who made the decisions to spend billions of your dollars only to achieve so… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Commission calls Shaw on the carpet over HD simsub

GATINEAU – The CRTC has told Shaw Communications that it must appear at a public hearing on January 15th over the company’s apparent refusal to simultaneously substitute certain over-the-air digital television signals. After a complaint filed by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters in June that said neither Shaw Cablesystems nor its sister satellite company Star Choice were performing their simultaneous substitution duties as required under the broadcast distribution undertaking regulations, the Commission issued decisions on the matter in August. The Regulator directed Shaw Cablesystems and Star Choice, to do the sim-subbing (substituting a Canadian TV signal over an American… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

SET Asia and NDTV have launched on Shaw, ATN announces

TORONTO – Sony Entertainment Television Asia (SET Asia) and NDTV, two channels owned by the Asian Television Network International Limited (ATN), have launched on Shaw Cable. SET is a Hindi-language, 24-hour general interest entertainment channel from India that is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. “We are very pleased to add both Sony and NDTV to our compelling South Asian lineup on Shaw Cable in western Canada. ATN’s flagship channel is already available on Shaw with the finest of programming from Both ZEE TV and STAR PLUS, along with ATN Alpha ETC Punjabi and B4U (Bollywood For You) the Movie… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw registers customer gains for all products but basic cable TV

CALGARY – Shaw Communications Inc. registered customer gains in all areas – telephony, Internet, digital TV and satellite TV – except basic cable in the fourth quarter ended August 31, the company announced Friday. While Shaw’s revenue jumped 13.2% to $715 million in the fourth quarter over the same period last year, its net income declined 35% to $135.9 million from $210 million. The company’s bottom line was affected by an income tax recovery that occurred in the previous year that was not duplicated in the current fourth quarter. Cable division revenue grew 16% to $542 million in the fourth… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw wants to shuffle CTS up the dial

GATINEAU – Having to wedge six new channels to the collective basic cable lineups in Edmonton and Calgary at essentially the same time is just too much to ask, Shaw Communications has told the CRTC. In a recent application, Shaw has asked for a new condition of license to let it carry Crossroads Television System (CTS), a new religious broadcaster in Calgary and Edmonton which has been in operation in Ontario for years, on channel 51 – an unrestricted channel, but well away, numerically, from where most other must-carries are placed. Shaw notes that the CRTC approved new licenses not… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Videotron and Shaw are best-positioned for AWS spectrum auction

TORONTO – A pair of independent analyst reports published to investors last week both identified Shaw Communications and Videotron ltée as the two companies best-prepared to bid for wireless spectrum during the advanced wireless spectrum auction in early 2008. Of course, the rules surrounding the auction have not yet been released (the best we can tell you is that they’ll be out before Christmas) and both sides are busily lobbying. Companies who want AWS to possibly build their own networks like Quebecor (owners of Videotron) or expand nationally like MTS Allstream, want some special breaks in the auction… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw wants to buy CRTV

CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – Tiny cable co-operative Campbell River Television has been in Shaw’s sights before. However, this time CRTV looks like it could be an acquisition target and not that of Shaw’s lawyers. A press release last week said that CRTV’s board of directors reviewed an “expression of interest” to purchase CRTV from Shaw. The offer was received on September 24th and was open for CRTV’s consideration until the 2 October 2007. The Board of Directors of CRTV have reviewed the offer and have responded to Shaw thanking them for making the offer. Calls to Shaw by Cartt.ca have… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Shaw raps CRTC decision on USA Network

CALGARY – Shaw Communications Inc. says it’s “extremely disappointed” with the CRTC’s decision last week to deny its application to add USA Network to the list of eligible foreign satellite services for digital distribution, as Cartt.ca reported last week. “The CRTC is continuing on a path of protectionism for the benefit of certain Canadian programmers at the expense of Canadian television customers,” said Peter Bissonnette, President of Shaw Communications. “Shaw strongly believes that Canadians deserve access to the best national and international sources of programming – that is what the Broadcasting Act promises,” he said in a statement. In… Continue Reading