BURNABY – Children’s channel BBC Kids will cease operations at the end of the year.
A joint venture between B.C. public broadcaster Knowledge Network Corporation and BBC Studios, the channel was relaunched in 2011 without commercials after being sold off by Jasper Junior Broadcasting Inc., then a division of Shaw Media.
“After seven successful years of operations, we have made the difficult decision to close the channel”, reads a joint statement by Knowledge Network Corporation president and CEO Rudy Buttignol and Ann Sarnoff, president BBC Studios. “Both companies continue to share a commitment to quality children’s content that educates and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The Copyright Act review resumed in Ottawa on Monday, where representatives from Telus had the opportunity to discuss the company’s stance. The company’s appearance before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology followed last week’s presentations by Bell, Rogers, TekSavvy and Shaw.
Like TekSavvy, Telus is in the somewhat unique position of not being vertically integrated, something that Ann Mainville-Neeson, the company’s VP of Broadcasting Policy and Regulatory Affairs highlighted at the outset of the presentation.
“We are purely an aggregator and distributor of the best content there is to offer,” she explained.
As such, Mainville-Neeson…
Continue Reading
Better to leave it to various Acts review
GATINEAU – The CRTC announced this morning it has dismissed a proposed website-blocking regime which would address copyright piracy, dubbed FairPlay Canada by its backers.
The Commission ruled it does not have the jurisdiction under the Telecommunications Act and so it did not consider the merits of the proposal, saying in a release this is best considered under the Copyright Act, over which it has no jurisdiction.
The Copyright Act, is under review, on which Cartt.ca has been reporting on Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications has launched a new networking solution that it says gives businesses the ability to share business data and critical applications between head offices and their branch locations at up to half the cost of traditional networking solutions.
Shaw Business’ Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) service will remove the headaches and costs associated with IT and the Multi-Protocol Label Switch (MPLS) hardware typically required to keep head office and branch offices connected, reads the company’s news release. As a result, companies of all sizes will have the ability to connect their offices together with an efficient and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Three of Canada’s largest wired and wireless operators, and one independent, assembled on Parliament Hill Wednesday afternoon to discuss revisions to the Copyright Act.
Independent ISP Teksavvy had the stage first and vice-president of regulatory and carrier affairs, Andy Kaplan-Myrth, reiterated his company’s commitment to network neutrality and the privacy rights of their customers, including when it comes to copyright. He reminded the politicians on the committee TekSavvy’s appearance at the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, was as a far different operator than the likes of Bell, Rogers and Shaw. Teksavvy is just an ISP and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – To compete with OTT players, does ad-funded TV in Canada need a ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal’ to focus the entire industry? If so, what would that rallying cry look like?
The BHAG was one of the stated aims of an industry panel session on the future of ad-funded TV in Canada at the Future TV Advertising Forum Canada at the Steam Whistle Brewery in Toronto last week.
The panel did not unite over a single big hairy goal, but did identify some smaller furballs – like broadcasters needing to collaborate more on content creation, strengthening channel branding and…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – After having paused for Parliament’s summer recess, the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology reconvened in the nation’s capital on Wednesday to continue its statutory review of the Copyright Act.
Representatives from the Canadian Network Operators Consortium, Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinema, the Movie Theatre Association of Canada and the Professional Music Publishers' Association faced the committee this week. (Some larger organizations will face the committee next week from the likes of Bell, Quebecor, Rogers, Stingray Digital, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Teksavvy and Shaw Communications.)
Canadian Network Operators Consortium (a group of independent ISPs)…
Continue Reading
IQALUIT – Northwestel will officially launch its new high-speed broadband satellite network serving Nunavut October 1st, the company announced this morning.
Iqaluit, Nunavut’s capital and largest community, is the first to have the high-speed network commissioned – and all 25 Nunavut communities will have access to the network in the coming months, said the company in a press release. Industry Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) contributed $49.9 million to the project through its Connect to Innovate program.
Northwestel’s Tamarmik Nunaliit network provides up to 20 times more capacity to Nunavut communities than its previous generation C-Band satellite network. The network…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Vice Media Canada has named former Blue Ant Media exec Vanessa Case as its senior vice-president, head of studio, effective immediately.
Case (pictured) was most recently EVP content at Blue Ant Media and is a senior media executive with deep expertise in content strategy, delivering business growth, and development and execution for global companies, including owned intellectual property (IP), co-productions and international financing, reads Wednesday’s announcement. She has also held positions at Shaw, CanWest and Alliance Atlantis.
In her new role, Case will head up all Vice Studios' productions in Canada, including development, production, financing, sales and licensing, as…
Continue Reading
MARKHAM, ON – The Ontario Association of Broadcasters will present the 2018 Ontario Hall of Fame Award to both Barbara Williams and Ross Kentner at the organization’s fall conference.
A Board nominated honour, the Ontario Hall of Fame is presented to individuals who have spent most of their careers working for private broadcasters and demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of broadcast excellence.
Barbara Williams (pictured right) is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Corus Entertainment Inc., where she oversees all strategic and operational aspects of Corus’ content across conventional and specialty television, Nelvana, digital, and radio properties.
Prior to her…
Continue Reading
