OTTAWA – Registration is now open for the ‘New Developments in Communications Law and Policy’ presented by the Canadian Chapter of the International Institute of Communications.
Scheduled for November 14 -15 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, the event promises to bring together communications lawyers, academics, regulators and other stakeholders to discuss key developments in Canadian and international communications law and policy.
New CRTC chair Ian Scott will speak at the conference and FCC Commissioner (and former General Counsel) Brendan Carr will provide an update on the FCC's policies under the Trump administration.
In addition, research papers will be presented on, and…
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MONTREAL – Videotron will be the next Canadian TV service provider to roll out Comcast’s X1 interactive cable platform.
The Quebec company confirmed Tuesday that it has reached a strategic partnership with Comcast aimed at developing and delivering an IPTV service based on the award-winning Xfinity X1 platform “that will support a peerless customer experience for Videotron customers”.
X1 allows users to search and navigate live TV, on demand movies and shows, web video, apps and more in a simple, fast and intuitive way – and with a voice-activated remote.
When contacted by Cartt.ca, Videotron declined to disclose…
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OTTAWA – Canada’s publicly traded television service providers combined lost 22% fewer TV subscribers in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016, bucking the recent trend of accelerating TV cord-cutting in, according to new research released Monday.
Ottawa-based research and consulting firm Boon Dog Professional Services also found that BCE, Rogers, Shaw/Shaw Direct, Vidéotron, Cogeco, and Telus combined lost approximately 100,931 TV subscribers in their respective fiscal 2017 first and second quarters, down from the 129,000 lost in the same quarters in 2016.
“The significant turnaround in TV subscriber performance at Shaw Cable as a…
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WINDSOR, ON — Freedom Mobile’s customer care employees at its call centre in Windsor, Ont., have rejected a contract offer put forward by the company last week, the employees’ representatives from the United Steelworkers (USW) union announced Friday.
The employee vote took place Thursday, after a series of meetings were held throughout the day at a Windsor hotel. After reviewing the company’s contract offer, the employees held a secret-ballot vote and the offer was rejected, the USW said in a press release.
The 185 employees at Freedom Mobile’s Windsor call centre joined the USW in January and bargaining talks…
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MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc. reported Thursday consolidated revenue of $1.03 billion in the second quarter of 2017 and its largest quarterly year-over-year increase in adjusted operating income in almost five years.
The company’s adjusted operating income was $395.3 million for the second quarter of 2017, up 9.7% from the $360.3 million in adjusted operating income it reported in Q2 2016.
Quebecor’s net income attributable to shareholders was $132.4 million ($1.09 per basic share) in Q2 2017, compared with $9.8 million ($0.08 per basic share) in the same period of 2016. This increase of $122.6 million ($1.01 per basic share) was primarily…
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Now carried by all major TV providers in Canada
TORONTO — beIN Sports has announced a new distribution deal with Shaw Communications that makes the global sports network available to all Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct Satellite TV customers.
Known for its live coverage of the top soccer leagues from around the world, beIN Sports is making its Shaw Cable debut just in time for the start of the top European soccer leagues — Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and England’s Sky Bet Championship.
beIN Sports, which provides exclusive Canadian coverage of top international sporting events, such as…
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Bidding starts at $1.54 billion
OTTAWA – The auction of 600 MHz wireless spectrum, when it happens, will favour the smaller newcomers like Freedom Mobile and Vidéotron and looks to offer no payments to TV broadcasters which will be forced off the band.
While the Canadian bandwidth plan is to be harmonized with the United States (something we’ve known for a while), our auction for the valuable low frequency spectrum sure won’t be the same. In its consultation paper released late Friday (Ed note: right before the long weekend, so no questions, media!) Innovation, Science and…
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WINDSOR, ON — Collective agreement discussions have stalled between Freedom Mobile and the United Steelworkers (USW), which is negotiating on behalf of the wireless company’s customer care employees in its Windsor, Ont., call centre.
The 185 employees at Freedom Mobile’s call centre in Windsor joined the USW in January and bargaining talks for a first collective agreement for the employees began in late March.
Despite an intense last 19 hours of talks and the efforts of a federal labour conciliation officer, a settlement has not yet been reached, the USW announced in a press release late Thursday afternoon.
Freedom Mobile, previously…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications has completed the sale of its wholly owned ViaWest subsidiary to GI Partners portfolio company Peak 10 Holding Corporation for US$1.675 billion, the company announced on Aug. 1.
ViaWest provides hybrid IT solutions, including colocation, cloud computing and security and compliance for North American enterprises.
Proceeds from the transaction were used for the repayment of ViaWest level indebtedness, repayment of Shaw credit facility borrowings associated with the original ViaWest investment in 2014 and subsequent INetU acquisition in 2015, as well as the previously announced closing of the spectrum purchase from Quebecor on July 24, 2017, payment of…
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CALGARY — Shaw Communications is teaming up with 20 Calgary-area golf courses to launch its first-ever Shaw Charity Classic Make Your Mark Day, benefiting the lives of children and youth across southern Alberta.
On Sunday, August 6, golfers in Calgary can attempt to make a birdie at the designated Make Your Mark par-3 hole at any one of the participating courses. For every birdie scored, Shaw will donate $100 to support children and youth charities across Alberta through the Shaw Charity Classic, up to $100,000. Every Make Your Mark Day participant will also be entered to win an exclusive, inside-the-ropes…
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