TORONTO – Launching today with a three-month free preview, Videotron subscribers in Quebec will get unlimited access to FX Canada. Programming includes American Horror Story: Asylum, Sons of Anarchy, Louie and The League, as well as late-night shows Brand X with Russell Brand and Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. FX Canada is available to Videotron subscribers in SD on channel 210 and in HD on channel 810.
“There is a high demand for FX’s premium content across Canada, and Rogers is excited to bring this award-winning programming to the Quebec market, “ said Scott…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC is ending the 5% limitation on the carry-over of Canadian programming over-expenditures and the obligation to use them in the subsequent broadcast year, but broadcasters currently subject to it will have to apply to have it removed.
The CRTC’s decision follows previous filings by both Rogers and Bell that argued the 5% cap limited their flexibility. Rogers submitted that the cap reduced its ability to operate its Citytv conventional television stations and that some of its Canadian programming expenditures (CPE) were already committed to large budget productions during the first broadcast year…
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TORONTO – Reports that VimpelCom is preparing to drop its telecom assets in African and Asia is the “strongest signal to date that VimpelCom may eventually exit Wind Canada,” writes Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan.
Fan in his October 29 Equity Research report refers to a Financial Times (FT) report that VimpelCom (VIP), Wind Mobile Canada’s parent, is expected to sell its sub-Saharan African units and its Zimbabwean business, Telecom Zimbabwe. VimpelCom is also preparing for a sale of its three businesses in Cambodia and Laos as part of the company’s strategy to focus on…
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OTTAWA – Canadians need an “enforceable, comprehensive wireless code” in light of the number and type of complaints highlighted in the Annual Report of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS), according to telecommunications advocacy group Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
The CCTS Annual Report, released Thursday, indicated that 60% of all complaints received were from wireless service customers. The CCTS also handles internet and wireless service problems for Canadians after being given the mandate by the CRTC.
"The CCTS can only do so much: the wireless industry needs to step…
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DENIED. We’re still surprised (and most anyone who tells you they feel otherwise is pretty much full of it).
I mean, many of us had suggested a full-on denial could happen – and the overall tone of the public hearing last month surely had some believing it was a possibility, but it was pretty difficult to find anyone who would actually say with any certainty before Thursday afternoon this deal would be nixed. The CRTC hasn’t really fully said “No” to a significant deal since Vidéotron tried to buy CFCF in the 1990s and Power Corporation wanted to buy Quebec…
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WATERLOO – Research In Motion has been selected by EnStream LP, a joint venture of Canadian carriers Bell, Rogers and Telus, to provide its Secure Element Manager (SEM) solution to manage credentials on wireless handsets in Canada that support Near Field Communication (NFC) services. NFC-enabled smartphones can be used as “digital wallets” that allow payments to be deducted from stored accounts simply by placing the phone in front of a transponder at the retail point of sale. SaskTel also confirmed they have partnered with EnStream and will exclusively utilize their Secure Element Management (SEM) platform.
RIM's…
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THE ASTONISHED FEEDBACK came fast and furious late Thursday as people tried to give voice to their feelings on the Commission decision to deny Bell Canada’s $3.4 billon purchase of Astral Media.
******************** “Like most observers, we had expected conditional approval,” said analyst Dvai Ghose of Canaccord Genuity in a note to clients. “This could also have implications for other potential media transactions such as Shaw-Corus, although in that case both entities are already controlled by the Shaw family. We also believe that the speculation of a Corus bid for Astral could rise and could be more palatable for regulators.
“While…
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WINNIPEG – Beginning October 20, 2012, 10-digit dialing will become mandatory for all local calls in Manitoba which brings the three-month transition period to an end, and on November 3, 2012, the new area code 431 will be introduced in the province.
Since July, local calls made using seven digits were interrupted by a recorded announcement before the call went through. As of this Saturday, local calls will no longer be completed without first dialing the 204 area code. The Telecommunications Alliance (members include MTS, Rogers, TELUS, Bell and Westman…
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TORONTO – It’s unlikely a foreign player, like a Softbank, would enter the Canadian market and “roll up” Wind, Mobilicity and Public Mobile to take on the incumbents says a Scotia Capital analyst.
“Even if they were combined, do not have the same potential combined spectrum position like S/CLWR (Softbank, Clearwire). The Canadian "challengers" would have to still acquire more spectrum licenses in the “700 MHz auction in 2013 and the 2.5 GHz auction in 2014 to compete against the incumbents Rogers, Telus and BCE,” writes Jeff Fan in the October 15 edition of…
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GATINEAU – They’re confused, angry and just won`t take it anymore. So, as first reported by Cartt.ca yesterday morning, the CRTC has taken the unprecedented action of calling on the public to help it create a comprehensive code of conduct for wireless service providers.
Input will be accepted until November 20, 2012 and the public consultation process will begin on January 28, 2013, in Gatineau, Quebec. The Commission will also be announcing shortly details regarding an online consultation to further promote discussion among Canadians on the issues and questions raised by its proceeding.
"Our…
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