GATINEAU – The industry needs increased levels of funding for access programming said executives from MTS, who appeared before the CRTC’s local and community TV hearing on Monday. The company has proposed that the more access programming BDUs carry on their community TV channels, the more money they should get.
In opening remarks, Paul Norris, VP of residential solutions at MTS, noted viewers want to see local programming that goes beyond news and that access programming is important for locally reflective expression.
“Access programming fulfills a unique role that is not available from conventional broadcasters or from social media…
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GATINEAU – Many parties to the CRTC’s local and community TV consultation have proposed funding approaches (each with their own acronyms we’re having trouble keep track of) which could financially support these struggling services. Rogers Communications Inc. has now joined them, unveiling its own approach to a local programming fund.
In its appearance before the Commission on Thursday, the media and communications giant argued while it still prefers its original proposal calling for greater flexibility to move local programming funds from larger to smaller markets, it offered up another model that it says is workable and would provide financial benefits…
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TORONTO – New Rogers channel Viceland will debut in more than 7.5 million Canadian households when it launches on February 29, the company said Friday.
The millennial-focused linear channel, which replaces Rogers’ Bio specialty channel, will be available through more than 20 TV service providers out of the gate, including Shaw and Shaw Direct, Telus, Videotron, Cogeco Connexion and Eastlink, in addition to Rogers Cable.
Kicking off with a three-month free preview, content includes Gaycation with Ellen Page and friend/co-host Ian Daniel, and original music documentary series Noisey, hosted by Vice correspondent Zach Goldbaum. Viceland will also air original series produced…
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VANCOUVER – Former CBC Radio exec Chris Boyce has joined podcasting and branded content start-up Pacific Content as it seeks to expand east into the Toronto market.
Boyce (pictured) was formerly executive director of radio and audio for the national broadcaster but departed in April 2015 in the wake of a workplace investigation report into inappropriate behaviour by fired radio host Jian Ghomeshi.
In his new role as a principal, Boyce will establish a Toronto presence for the rapidly expanding Pacific Content team, which has grown from two to ten people in the past three months. Pacific Content said that…
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MONTREAL – With just days to go before Bell Let's Talk Day on January 27, Bell issued a public thank you to the Canadian organizations supporting the initiative and promoting its messages around mental health.
"A huge thank you to all the individuals and organizations joining the Bell Let's Talk team to help get everyone talking about mental health. What better way to fight the stigma than having Canada's finest brands actively promoting the cause?" said Clara Hughes, national spokesperson for Bell Let's Talk, in the news release. "When you send your own messages on Bell Let's Talk Day, you not only let…
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Bell argues at Federal Court the CRTC made a jurisdictional mistake
TORONTO — Bell Mobility finally had its day in Federal Court on Tuesday, a year after the CRTC ruled the wireless provider had violated the Telecommunications Act by giving undue preference to its Bell Mobile TV subscribers when it exempted the mobile TV service from the data caps generally applied to customers of its wireless services.
Shortly after CRTC Decision 2015-26 was issued in January 2015, Bell Mobility filed for leave to appeal the decision. (In the same decision, the CRTC also found Vidéotron was in violation of…
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GATINEAU – Four and a half months after Vidéotron announced it would exempt certain music streaming services from its wireless data caps, prompting two complaints to the CRTC mere days later, telecom companies, consumer rights groups and others are still debating the interpretation of the Telecommunications Act, Internet traffic management policy and the wording of a recent CRTC decision.
The Unlimited Music offer applies to higher-end data plans offered by Vidéotron Mobile. It exempts a list of music streaming services, including Songza, Spotify, Google Play Music and Stingray Music, from…
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TORONTO – Police in Ontario will have to be careful when they ask a judge to order cellular carriers to hand over data records of phones that use particular cell towers in the province, a judge has ruled.
Law enforcement agencies want such data, including personal information on subscribers, to track the movement of suspects and who they are contacting.
But Justice John Sproat of Ontario's Superior Court of Justice ruled Thursday that a 2014 order by a justice of the peace telling Rogers Communications and Telus Corp. to turn over records for all phones activated, transmitting and receiving data through…
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TORONTO – Bell Media’s television streaming service CraveTV is now officially available to all Canadian Internet users, whether or not they have a paid subscription to a TV service provider.
For $7.99 per month, CraveTV can be streamed via iOS, online, and to TV screens through Apple TV, Chromecast and select Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-Ray players. It's also available through TV service providers including Telus, Eastlink, Sasktel, and Bell TV at a lower (unspecified) price.
New users get one month free when they subscribe, which they may do at CraveTV.ca or by downloading the CraveTV app from the…
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MONTREAL – Cogeco and subsidiary Cogeco Cable held their annual general meetings in Montreal on Wednesday, preceded by a conference call with analysts and a meeting with journalists. Here’s what we heard.
Wireless
“It’s been 10 years that you’ve asked me that question,” Cogeco CEO Louis Audet told journalists, and he had it again in the investor conference call. But the logic hasn’t changed, even as Shaw’s acquisition of Wind Mobile makes Cogeco the largest Canadian cable or telecom provider without a wireless service.
“Our perception since the beginning is that if we enter this industry it has…
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