Whatever the future of TV may hold
GATINEAU – The rise of online TV distribution platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and others are upending the delicate balance of the Canadian broadcasting system and that means the federal government and the CRTC need to change the way they regulate the sector. In a nutshell, Canadian broadcasters, producers and distributors want these platforms treated the same way they are.
In comments to the CRTC’s consultation on new TV program distribution models (which was requested by the federal government ostensibly as the first step towards modernizing the Broadcasting Act and Telecom Act), many…
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LONDON and BARRIE – Logistics company Drexel Industries this week announced it will acquire mobile phone accessories and consumer electronics devices company Affinity Electronics of Canada.
The acquisition will combine Affinity’s assets and experience as an established mobile phone solutions company with Drexel’s strength in third party logistics, says the company’s press release. “Drexel’s retailer connected digital infrastructure is the catalyst for further growth and expansion into the mobility and connected home arena,” it adds.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Affinity and Drexel distribute products through Canadian partners, including: Amazon, Bell, Best Buy, Canadian Tire, Costco, Giant Tiger, Home Depot, Hudson…
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SHENZHEN, China – CENGN, Canada's Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks based in Kanata, Ontario announced last week Huawei will be the newest member of the consortium.
The new partnership with CENGN will provide an opportunity for Huawei and its' operator partners in Canada to work with Canadian SMEs and start-ups on a number of opportunities and issues related to the deployment of 5G, while leveraging the research team at Huawei's Canada Research Centre, also based in Kanata, says the press release.
"We are excited about the opportunity to work with CENGN and our operator partners, including Telus, Bell and…
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MONTREAL – As Bell Canada CEO George Cope warned a month ago – his company was not about to let Telus, Rogers and Freedom keep the low-cost wireless market to themselves and in response, the company announced the launch of Lucky Mobile today.
Created to compete with Rogers’ chatr, Telus’ Public Moble and Shaw’s Freedom (and it seems the initial markets being launched are exactly Freedom’s footprint), the low-cost prepaid brand’s plans start at $20/month, for talk and text, but not data, a price which generally undercuts everyone in the space. (Chatr offers a…
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Internet complaints on the rise; PIAC wants a new code of conduct
OTTAWA – The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) said today it saw an 11% increase in the number of complaints received from Canadian telecom customers in 2016-17, a turnaround of a three-year trend of declining complaints.
While Canadians continue to complain most often about their wireless services, they represent a declining proportion of all complaints to the CCTS, says the organization in its press release. What’s on the rise, however, are consumer complaints about their broadband services.
“The CCTS is the administrator of the CRTC’s Wireless Code, and…
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OTTAWA – CPAC president Catherine Cano has been recognized by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) with one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women Top 100 Awards in 2017 in the Arts & Communications category.
The award celebrates the professional achievements of strong female leaders across the country in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.
With more than 20 years of executive leadership in broadcasting, journalism and television production, Cano (pictured) joined CPAC in January 2016. Since her arrival, she has overseen the modernization of the television channel including a new look and fresh programming, has championed the network’s further expansion onto social and…
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OTTAWA—Public policy should not dictate matters of jurisdiction, lawyers for Bell Canada argued on Tuesday before the Federal Court of Appeal in the company’s nearly two-year-long quest to have the court overturn the CRTC’s mandatory Wholesale Code.
Bell Canada argues that nothing in the Copyright Act or Broadcasting Act gives the Commission the right to impose certain prices and other commercial terms for TV programmers to license their programming to BDUs, which is Bell’s main beef with the Wholesale Code.
“There is no doubt that the CRTC has wide discretion” to regulate programming negotiations, “but its power to do so is…
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SEATTLE – Amazon’s voice-activated digital assistant Alexa is coming to Canada and bringing the company’s voice-controlled Echo speakers.
Amazon said Wednesday that it is now accepting pre-orders for Alexa-enabled devices Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus at the special introductory prices of $99.99, $49.99, and $169.99. The devices will begin shipping on December 5.
Alexa will come with a new English voice with a Canadian accent, local knowledge, and local skills from Canadian developers, reads the news release. Amazon also announced the expansion of the Alexa Skills Kit and the Alexa Voice Service, and said that Canadian companies including Telus, CBC, The Weather…
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OTTAWA – This new guy is definitely different from the last one.
Exactly five years ago, then-new chair Jean-Pierre Blais used Ottawa’s IIC Canada conference to set out his plan for the Commission under his leadership. None could understand at the time how his “consumers, creators and citizens” vision would break apart industry assumptions, challenge business as usual, increase consumer involvement with the Regulator – and foster unprecedented levels of acrimony between the chair and industry – and between the chair and some of the CRTC staff and commissioners. A lot of that pain was fueled…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite is gearing up for a five-week national free preview promising a slew of films including 28 premieres.
From December 1 through January 5, viewers can stoke their holiday spirit with perennial festive favourites such as Die Hard, Gremlins, Scrooged and White Christmas; celebrate John Lennon on December 8 with A Hard Day’s Night, Imagine: John Lennon, and Across the Universe; remember Carrie Fisher on December 27 with When Harry Met Sally and Postcards from the Edge; plus ring in the new year with a Star Trek marathon.
Hollywood Suite owns and operates four exclusive HDTV channels featuring…
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