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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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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MONTREAL — BCE’s strong performance in the wireless market in its most recent fiscal quarter helped to offset softening gains in its wireline business, enabling the company to meet analysts’ growth expectations for both its overall revenue and wireless subscriber increases.
BCE reported operating revenues of $5.7 billion in the second quarter of 2017, up 6.7% from $5.34 billion in the same quarter last year. The company’s adjusted EBITDA was $2.38 billion in Q2 2017, representing a 5% increase from its adjusted EBITDA of $2.69 billion in Q2 2016.
These results were in-line with street expectations, according to a “first look”…
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GATINEAU – Maybe it’s not so bad yet, after all…
The CRTC on Thursday released three different documents breaking down the 2016 results from conventional broadcast, discretionary and on demand, and broadcast distribution undertaking sectors of the Canadian TV business.
The numbers are all almost a year old (filed by the regulated companies at the end of the regulatory broadcast year, August 31, 2016) – so bear that in mind when perusing these highlights. Also, these figures do not include any revenue from broadband, telephony or wireless streams. (As well, the Commission told us the breakdown for…
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Plus, DAZN has a big job to do and very little time
VARIOUS ‘SUPER SPORTS’ PACKAGES have quietly been pulled or are being rendered anew by Canadian TV carriers with the announcement last week they will no longer contain NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Red Zone.
Both Sunday Ticket (every single NFL game, no matter what) and Red Zone (all the games’ action when the team are inside their opponent’s 20-yard line) have been on offer to NFL fanatics from TV carriers for years, since Rogers originally tried to bring it north as an exclusive more than a decade ago.
Since the…
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NEW YORK – Media company ZoneTV is readying a suite of customizable linear TV channels that it says will launch this fall.
The start-up announced a partnership with video monetization technology and services provider Ooyala and Microsoft that will see it curate some 6,000 hours of licensed digital-first content into specialized channels for pay-TV subscribers called ZoneTV Dynamic Channels.
The result is a new cable/satellite content category that offers a personal user experience blending the convenience of linear viewing with the flexibility of on-demand programming in a highly personalized viewing experience, with genres that include kid’s programming, fitness, cooking,…
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OTTAWA – On Tuesday morning, the federal government will name former Telesat and Telus executive Ian Scott as chairman of the CRTC, Cartt.ca has learned. (Scott is pictured in a screen cap from cpac.ca during 2016's basic services objective hearing.)
As well, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada legal counsel Caroline Simard will be named vice-chair, broadcasting. Both will assume their new duties and begin their five-year terms in September.
CRTC senior legal counsel Christianne Laizner will also be named interim vice-chair telecom, effective immediately, filling the slot left open by Peter Menzies’ departure last week to…
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MONTREAL – Half of Montreal’s metro is now plugged into an LTE mobile network, and the project is proceeding on schedule, according to the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
With 34 out of 68 stations now connected, passengers have complete mobile connectivity between the Côte-Vertu and Mont-Royal stations on the orange line, between Beaudry and Lionel-Groulx on the green line, between Snowdon and Acadie on the blue line, and on the entire yellow line.
Deployment efforts for the second half of 2017 will be concentrated on stations to the north of Mont-Royal and will complete the blue line up to…
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GATINEAU – Some of the project evaluation and eligibility criteria proposed by the CRTC for its new broadband deployment fund must be altered or it risks repeating the deferral account fiasco, according to comments on a new broadband funding regime.
Introduced as part of the Basic Service Objective decision last year, the proposed funding model would provide much needed capital to broadband deployment projects in unserved and underserved communities across the country. It also set a new standard called the Universal Service Objective (USO) with a minimum requirement of 50/10 Mbps.
In comments to Telecom Notice of…
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TORONTO – Hollywood Suite will offer the red carpet treatment to new customers in Ontario, B.C., and Alberta after finalizing agreements with Cipher TV (AEBC Internet Corp), Beanfield Metroconnect and Frontline 360 Inc. for its four HDTV movie channels.
“We are thrilled to satisfy more and more Canadians’ appetites for nostalgic, high-quality programming with our growing service partnerships,” said Hollywood Suite content distribution VP Julie Kumaria, in the news release. “With an illustrious, expansive film catalogue and monthly movie premieres to boot, Hollywood Suite is excited to deliver the customers of Cipher TV, Beanfield Metro Connect and Frontline 360 unparalleled…
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