Blue Ant seeks CanCon quota reduction

Media | 08/31/2015 3:55 pm EDT

Blue Ant Media Inc. has asked the CRTC to require less Canadian content on its Cottage Life specialty channel for the remainder of its contract that expires in three years. Blue Ant said in its application, which appeared on the...

‘Wireless’ concept extends to charging

Media | 08/28/2015 6:49 pm EDT

Wireless charging creates advantages beyond not having to use cords when refuelling mobile devices with electricity, according one British researcher, though a Canadian technology expert says widespread adoption of such technology is far from certain. James Moar, a research analyst with Juniper Research Ltd. in the United Kingdom, said in a phone...

Net-neutrality advocates cry foul over Videotron music service

Media | 08/27/2015 8:15 pm EDT

MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is giving itself an undue preference with a new service that allows its mobile customers to listen to music streaming without it counting against their...

Corus channels permitted to end CBC affiliation

Media | 08/27/2015 4:13 pm EDT

Two Corus Entertainment Inc. television stations in Ontario have been permitted by the CRTC to disaffiliate themselves from CBC/Radio-Canada and instead operate with programming provided by BCE Inc.'s CTV network, starting...

TV station revenues, profits down in 2014: StatsCan

Media | 08/27/2015 2:26 pm EDT

Canadian television stations saw a decline in revenues and an even sharper drop in profits last year, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. The federal agency said in online news release that revenue declined 0.7 per cent to $7.57 billion in 2014. Profits before interest and taxes were down 22 per cent to $836.8 million, it said. Statistics Canada said this sector's operating expenses increased 3.2 per cent last year to a total of $6.7 billion. Most of that — $4.8 billion — was spent on programming, which was up 5.3 per cent from the year before. Private conventional TV stations...

Wearable shipments tripled in Q2: IDC

Media | 08/27/2015 1:41 pm EDT

Technology research company International Data Corp. said said in a press release Thursday that the global market for wearables grew 223.2 per cent in this year's second quarter with 18.1 million units shipped, up from 5.6...

Smartphone shipments growth to slow, tablets to decline further: IDC

Media | 08/26/2015 3:24 pm EDT

New reports from International Data Corp. indicate that smartphone shipments will still grow but slow down from its previous expectations, while tablet shipments are expected to decline further than...

Stingray, Google, Rdio joining Videotron for announcement

Media | 08/26/2015 2:53 pm EDT

Representatives from Stingray Digital Group Inc., Google Inc.’s Google Music and Rdio Inc. will take part in the announcement about the new music service from Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron on...

DHX snags 6 broadcasters for new show

Media | 08/26/2015 1:49 pm EDT

DHX Media Inc. announced Wednesday it has signed six broadcasters globally to air a new BBC-commissioned TV show called Twirlywoos. DHX said in a press release that the new channels include Lagardère in France, which will...

CBS, Cablevision carriage agreement features streaming

Media | 08/25/2015 7:55 pm EDT

CBS Corp. and Cablevision Systems Corp. announced on Tuesday that CBS All Access and Showtime streaming services will be delivered to Cablevision’s Optimum Online customers as part of a...

Quebec radio station must play jazz

Media | 08/25/2015 4:03 pm EDT

A Gatineau, Que., radio station on Tuesday was granted a seven-year licence renewal but was not relieved of the requirement that jazz and blues make up least 20 per cent of its musical programming. The CRTC said in an online...

Bell Media shakes up executive ranks

Media | 08/25/2015 1:43 pm EDT

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division has undergone a number of changes to its executive ranks, with four individuals leaving and one new one coming in. The company confirmed in an email Tuesday that Phil King, president of CTV,...

Privacy commish investigates Ashley Madison breach

Media | 08/24/2015 8:18 pm EDT

The federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner has started an investigation into a data breach of customers of Ashley Madison, the website that helps married people have affairs. Valerie Lawton, a spokeswoman for the privacy...

Instagram users more tech savvy: MTM

Media | 08/24/2015 5:56 pm EDT

A new report released Monday from Media Technology Monitor (MTM) says 85 per cent of Canadian users of Facebook Inc.’s photo and video-sharing app, Instagram, are younger than 50 and most are prone to owning new technology. MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, said in the report that nearly 55 per cent of Instagram users live in a cellphone-only household and “in general, Instagram users are a pretty tech loving group — they are more likely to own most technologies,” such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, PVRs, Apple Inc.’s Apple TV, or Google...

Internet transaction volume to rise 60% by 2018: Juniper

Media | 08/24/2015 2:48 pm EDT

Worldwide transactions using devices connected to the Internet will reach 125 billion annually in volume by 2018, a gain of 60 per cent over what's expected this year, Juniper Research Ltd. said...

Oil decline could affect Shaw, Telus: analyst

Media | 08/24/2015 1:35 pm EDT

The plunge in oil prices could end up hurting telecommunications service providers like Shaw Communications Inc. and Telus Corp., which have a high proportion of their business operations in Alberta, according to a Bay Street...

Global smartphone sales growth slows

Media | 08/21/2015 7:17 pm EDT

Worldwide smartphone sales in this year's second quarter grew at their slowest rate since 2013, largely as a result of the first year-to-year decline on record for sales of smartphones in China, Gartner Inc. said Thursday....

Quebecor shuts down Zik music service

Media | 08/21/2015 6:17 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc. on Friday announced it has shut down its Zik music-streaming service, citing a pattern of consolidation in global industry for online music. "Despite the efforts of many independent sites around the world, many...

Wearables creating more data-driven workplace

Media | 08/21/2015 5:46 pm EDT

Wearables and tracking tags are being used more frequently in a wider variety of workplaces to collect statistics on employee productivity, health and satisfaction — tracking the performance of professional athletes, helping doctors get to hospital patients quicker, and even monitoring stress levels of office workers. Daniel Rainham, associate professor and wearable sensor researcher at Dalhousie University, said in a phone interview that wearable sensors and trackers have been used for many years in manufacturing processing fields and industrial environments. Now, he said,...

Radio licences renewed, musical amendments denied

Media | 08/21/2015 4:53 pm EDT

Two Alberta radio stations were granted licence renewals by the CRTC Friday, though both were denied requested changes to the makeup of the music they play. Harvard Broadcasting Inc.'s CKEA-FM in Edmonton was granted a...

Shomi’s open access doesn’t equal white flag for TV services: expert

Media | 08/20/2015 8:21 pm EDT

As of Thursday, any Canadian with Internet was able subscribe to Shomi without being a customer of other services from its owners, Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc., though one industry observer said this does not mean these companies have given up on their TV services. Shomi announced Thursday in a...

Kik gets $50M US investment from Chinese company

Media | 08/19/2015 4:03 pm EDT

Canadian chat-app maker Kik Interactive Inc. said Tuesday that it has received a $50-million US investment from China's Tencent Holdings Ltd., maker of WeChat messaging app. Kik CEO Ted Livingston said in a blog post on the...

CRTC updates BDU requirements for ‘local availabilities’

Media | 08/19/2015 3:52 pm EDT

The CRTC indicated Wednesday that it has updated its policy regarding how TV service providers must use time allotted to them for promotional content on U.S. channels, otherwise known as "local availabilities." As the commission indicated it would do in March, as it revealed new regulations for video-on-demand...

As OTA leaves 600 MHz, stations set for ‘difficult transition’: expert

Media | 08/18/2015 8:34 pm EDT

Industry Canada will repurpose the 600 MHz spectrum band for mobile use and collaborate with the United States on the move, which means at least some over-the-air (OTA) television stations will have...

CBC sued for using U.S. YouTube video of storm: report

Media | 08/18/2015 7:37 pm EDT

CBC/Radio-Canada is being sued by a resident of Buffalo, N.Y., for allegedly using a video he posted on YouTube without his permission, according to a report from the Canadian Press. An article...

Vertical integration helps Canadian TV sector transition: analyst

Media | 08/18/2015 7:28 pm EDT

The tendency of major players in Canada's television industry to be involved in both content and distribution is helping the sector deal better with issues such as cord cutting and a declining...

Canadian OTT startup looks to take on the world

Media | 08/17/2015 8:01 pm EDT

An emerging Canadian provider of over-the-top (OTT) video content hopes that reaching viewers around the world, and particularly those with very specific interests, translates into keys to success in the fast-changing television...

CRTC renews licence for Stingray’s music channels

Media | 08/17/2015 4:55 pm EDT

The CRTC renewed the licence for Stingray Digital Group Inc.’s music TV channels, though it imposed a shorter licence term, citing Stingray’s past non-compliance with its licence conditions. The CRTC said Monday that it renewed the license through to 2020, and said the “shortened licence term will allow for an earlier review of the licensee’s compliance with the regulatory requirements and its conditions of licence.” It found Stingray was not in compliance with terms relating to Canadian content contributions between 2009 and 2012. The CRTC said Stingray stated...

Bell sells stake in Globe and Mail

Media | 08/14/2015 8:19 pm EDT

BCE Inc. said Friday that it has sold its 15 per cent stake in the Globe and Mail newspaper. It said in a press release it has sold its newspaper stake to Woodbridge Co. Ltd., an investment company run by the Thomson family,...

Braille smartwatch in development to give blind another option

Media | 08/14/2015 7:16 pm EDT

A South Korean company is aiming to provide blind people with the first-ever braille-display smartwatch this year, and a representative from the Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) says it...

Apple television service delayed: report

Media | 08/14/2015 4:57 pm EDT

Apple Inc.'s plans to offer live Internet-based television to residents of the United States have been delayed, said a report from Bloomberg on Friday. An article said sources have indicated talks are progressing slowly...

Sesame Street signs 5-year partnership with HBO

Media | 08/13/2015 5:44 pm EDT

Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization, announced Thursday that its famous children's series Sesame Street will air its next five seasons on Time Warner Cable Inc.’s HBO. The company said in a press...

More small BDUs sanctioned with CRTC denial

Media | 08/13/2015 3:35 pm EDT

The CRTC has given two more companies permission to provide television services to small audiences, even though it has technically denied their applications for licences. The commission said Thursday it has rejected an application from AEBC Internet Corp. for a broadcast licence to serve parts of Ontario, and another from Hastings Cable Vision Ltd. to do business in parts of Ontario and Quebec. However, it noted that the applications came in before its decision to allow new terrestrial-based TV-service providers with less than 20,000 subscribers to be exempt from requiring licences. The CRTC...

Uniserve confirms plans for IPTV service

Media | 08/12/2015 6:53 pm EDT

Uniserve Communications Corp. on Wednesday made note of a decision from the CRTC last month that set the stage for it and Atop Broadband Corp. to provide television-distribution services in British Columbia under a new exemption...

OUTtv accuses Bell of undue preference

Media | 08/12/2015 4:05 pm EDT

OUTtv Network Inc. has accused BCE Inc. of an undue preference toward its company in a complaint that appeared on the CRTC's website Wednesday. The LGBT-oriented specialty channel said in a letter to the CRTC that it was...

Quadruple screening on rise in English Canada: MTM

Media | 08/12/2015 1:33 pm EDT

A report released Wednesday shows that 27 per cent of anglophone Canadians surveyed have four different screens that connect to the Internet — a computer, smartphone, tablet and television. The study, from...

Videotron 4K box seen as cord-cutting prevention

Media | 08/11/2015 8:58 pm EDT

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron announced Tuesday it will be releasing an ultra-high-definition (UHD) set-top-box for its customers, making it the first Canadian telecom provider to commercially release such technology. Videotron...

Corus’ Disney Channel coming next month

Media | 08/11/2015 7:24 pm EDT

Corus Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday that its new Disney Channel will debut in Canada on Sept. 1. This follows news Corus announced in April that it had struck a deal with Walt Disney Co. for the rights to the U.S. company's content in Canada. Corus said in a press release Tuesday that the Disney Channel will feature shows such as K.C....

Friends says CBC refuses its anti-Harper ads

Media | 08/11/2015 4:48 pm EDT

The advocacy group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting says CBC/Radio-Canada is refusing to air TV advertisements critical of Prime Minister Stephen Harper for cuts to CBC. The group said in a press release that the ads in question...

Canadian company plans niche OTT channels

Media | 08/11/2015 3:47 pm EDT

Toronto-based TableRock Media announced on Tuesday plans to launch niche Internet-based video channels for worldwide distribution, starting next year. The company said in a press release that it would create channels dedicated to...

Netflix customers should voluntarily pay sales tax: report

Media | 08/10/2015 6:48 pm EDT

Canadian customers of Netflix Inc. are theoretically obliged to pay sales taxes on this service, even though Netflix does not collect the tax up front, the Toronto Star quoted a federal official as...

NFL granted status in Bell simsub case

Media | 08/10/2015 5:42 pm EDT

The Federal Court of Appeal has approved the National Football League as an intervener in the appeal BCE Inc. has made against the CRTC's decision to ban simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl, starting in 2017. An entry that appeared on court's website Monday indicated that the NFL would be permitted to submit evidence in this case. The U.S.-based football league filed for permission to intervene in this case last month, arguing it has a direct financial stake in this decision that CRTC made in January. It has a multi-year contract with Bell Media's CTV network to show...

Bell mobile-TV opponents call it OTT service

Media | 08/06/2015 8:36 pm EDT

Individuals fighting BCE Inc.’s appeal of a CRTC decision on its mobile-TV service in the Federal Court of Appeal have called it an “over-the-top” or OTT service, along the same lines of what...

CRTC’s hybrid-VOD category takes effect

Media | 08/06/2015 8:02 pm EDT

The CRTC on Thursday released final rules for a new category of video-on-demand (VOD) services in which operators can avoid regular broadcast regulations, even if the service is offered through a broadcast-distribution...

CMF provides $6.2M to digital-media projects

Media | 08/06/2015 3:08 pm EDT

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is contributing more than $6.2 million toward development and marketing funds for 28 digital-media projects as part of its first round of experimental stream funding for this year. It said Thursday in...

Bell gigabit service to launch Monday

Media | 08/06/2015 2:52 pm EDT

BCE Inc. said Thursday that its gigabit Internet service will launch Monday for 1.3 million households in Ontario and Quebec. It added that it will be available to households in Atlantic Canada by the end of September, resulting...

Mobile ads surge in Q2: Videology

Media | 08/06/2015 2:11 pm EDT

Videology Inc. said Thursday that the number of ad campaigns delivered on mobile platforms in Canada increased 260 per cent in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter. It added that 47 per cent of all advertising campaigns included a mobile component. Videology, a software provider for TV and video advertising, said in a press release that an increase was also seen in the number of Canadian advertisers running ads on more than one platform totaling to 46 per cent in 2015, up from 39 per cent during the second half of 2014. “Mobile usage is the predominant factor leading to increase in the amount of time that consumers are spending with screens, and advertisers know they need to follow their audiences,” Scott Ferber, CEO of Videology said in the release. “But just as consumers are not using one screen to the...

Harper comes out against ‘Netflix tax’ in video

Media | 08/06/2015 1:52 pm EDT

Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Wednesday posted a video of himself on Twitter standing in front of a screen with a Netflix logo and criticizing calls for taxes on video-streaming services. In the video, Harper said he is a fan...

5G revenue predicted to surge between 2020 and 2025

Media | 08/05/2015 4:05 pm EDT

Global service revenue from 5G wireless connections will skyrocket from $100 million US in 2020 to $65 billion US in 2025, Juniper Research Ltd. said Wednesday. The British research company said in a press release that 2020 is...

CMF announces $6.1M in funding for aboriginal programing

Media | 08/04/2015 8:51 pm EDT

The Canadian Media Fund said Tuesday it is contributing $6.1 million toward 12 projects as part of its aboriginal program. The CMF said in a press release that the funding will go towards five...

Federal election debates enter YouTube era

Media | 08/04/2015 4:22 pm EDT

Google Inc. said Tuesday that this Thursday's federal election debate will mark the first time such an event has been broadcast live and in full on its YouTube platform.  Google's blog post noted that this debate...

NFL says CRTC gave no notice Super Bowl SimSub was on the table

Media | 07/31/2015 5:58 pm EDT

The National Football League (NFL) said in court documents Tuesday that it did not participate in the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV review because the regulator did not give notice that it was...

CMPA appoints Reynolds Mastin as new CEO

Media | 07/30/2015 8:54 pm EDT

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) has appointed Reynolds Mastin as CEO following the departure of Michael Hennessy. It said in a press release Thursday that Mastin joined the CMPA as associate counsel in 2008....

Gig speeds mainly about marketing for now: analyst

Media | 07/30/2015 8:37 pm EDT

Canadian companies’ recent embrace of gigabit Internet isn’t meeting a need that exists in the market, but it is setting telecoms up for the day customers start demanding such speeds, according to Greg MacDonald,...

Ethnic broadcaster asks CRTC to amend CanCon rules

Media | 07/29/2015 6:21 pm EDT

Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. (ECGL) launched a Part 1 application Tuesday to amend the CRTC's new rules regarding Canadian content requirements for broadcasters with fewer than 200,000 subscribers.  The company requested...

22M Canadians watched Pan Am Games: CBC

Media | 07/29/2015 3:31 pm EDT

CBC/Radio-Canada announced Tuesday that more than 22 million Canadians watched some part of the Pan Am Games that aired from July 10-26. The public broadcaster said in a press release that nearly 2.16 million Canadians tuned in to watch the closing ceremonies that aired on July 26. In terms of digital content, CBC said in the release that it received more than 30 million total page views, and generated more than 3.2 video views over desktops, mobiles, and its app.  ...

NFL shouldn’t intervene in Super Bowl case: attorney general

Media | 07/28/2015 8:43 pm EDT

The National Football League shouldn’t be granted leave to intervene in BCE Inc.’s challenge of the CRTC’s decision to eliminate simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl, the...

IoT-connected devices to triple by 2020

Media | 07/28/2015 2:15 pm EDT

New data from Juniper Research Ltd. predicts the number of Internet of Things (IoT)-connected devices in the industrial and public services sectors will triple by 2020. The research company said in a press release Tuesday the...

Are ‘hybrid’ streaming services the future of TV?

Media | 07/27/2015 9:18 pm EDT

Streaming is often perceived as a competitor to the traditional TV system, but the introduction of a new service in the U.S. raises the possibility that instead of one replacing the other, the two could merge into a new hybrid...

CRTC approves Africa Channel for distribution

Media | 07/24/2015 7:33 pm EDT

The CRTC has approved the distribution of the U.S-based Africa Channel in Canada. BCE Inc. applied to bring the channel to Canada in March. The CRTC noted Bell described the channel as “a 24-hour general interest service...

Rogers Q2 revenues up

Media | 07/23/2015 7:50 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. said in its quarterly results that its revenues grew six per cent over the past year, from $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion. “Wireless revenue increased as a result of greater smartphone sales, higher network revenue from the continued growth in data use by our subscriber base, as well as the adoption of higher [revenue] … generating Rogers Share Everything plans,” the company said in a press release Thursday. Cable revenue stayed stable, while media revenue “increased as a result of the NHL licensing agreement together with growth at Sportsnet, the Toronto Blue Jays, and Next Issue Canada, partially offset by continued softness in conventional broadcast TV and print advertising.” At the same time, profits fell from $405 million to $363 million for the three months ended June 30. For its...

Stingray to buy three TV channels

Media | 07/23/2015 3:08 pm EDT

Stingray Digital Group Inc., a provider of music content through both traditional TV channels and streaming apps, announced Thursday it will acquire three TV music channels in order to expand its broadcast offerings. The...

Unions criticize Senate report on CBC

Media | 07/22/2015 4:37 pm EDT

The National Communications Federation (FNC-CSN) and the union representing Radio-Canada employees are criticising a recent report on the future of the CBC/Radio-Canada issued by the Senate’s transport and communications...

BlackBerry to buy AtHoc

Media | 07/22/2015 3:04 pm EDT

BlackBerry Inc. announced Wednesday that it plans to acquire AtHoc Inc., a software provider for secure networked crisis communication. The new platform will be integrated with BlackBerry’s existing secure system and will offer its enterprise customers safe, secure and mission-critical...

Canadian millennials most active on mobile devices: study

Media | 07/21/2015 9:05 pm EDT

Canadian millennials are more active on mobile devices than other demographics, while Canadians aged 35 and above still slightly prefer using a desktop, according to the new global mobile report by...

TekSavvy files appeal for cost order in Voltage case

Media | 07/21/2015 4:40 pm EDT

TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is appealing a cost award in a dispute over filesharing with Voltage Pictures LLC. TekSavvy initially said it would appeal the order in March, following a court decision that set the price Voltage must pay...

CRTC sets new rules for montoring children’s programming

Media | 07/21/2015 4:08 pm EDT

New rules for monitoring Canadian children’s and youth television programming have been put forward by the CRTC. The commission said Tuesday in a press release that beginning Sept. 1 television licensees must record and log their program target audience, as well report program expenses based on their target audience...

CBC should ‘explore alternative funding models’: Senate committee

Media | 07/20/2015 9:32 pm EDT

The Senate's transport and communications standing committee is recommending that CBC/Radio-Canada “explore alternative funding models and additional ways to generate revenue to minimize the...

PayPal, Ebay split completed

Media | 07/20/2015 6:08 pm EDT

PayPal Holdings Inc. announced Monday in a press release its separation from Ebay Inc. is complete and it will now be an independently traded company on the Nasdaq. “Mobile technology is transforming payments, making it...

CRTC to review rules for French-language music content

Media | 07/20/2015 3:52 pm EDT

The CRTC announced Monday it plans to review rules for French-language vocal music on the radio. It said in a release that it would re-examine the current framework in order “to ensure that it takes into account the current and future environment” of music. The aim of the review will be to make sure that French-language vocal music is better discovered, promoted, created and consumed, especially in light of the ongoing movement toward listening to music on platforms other than the radio, the release noted. Comments must be submitted by Sept. 3, and the public hearing will begin...

Credential sharing could help, or harm, OTT services

Media | 07/17/2015 7:47 pm EDT

The practice of sharing passwords so that more than one person or household can access a streaming service has financial ramifications for the industry, according to a new report, though it could also provide new services with a...

NFL seeks to intervene in Super Bowl simsub appeal

Media | 07/17/2015 4:01 pm EDT

The National Football League has filed for permission to be an intervener in BCE Inc.'s appeal against the CRTC's decision to start banning simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl. A motion filed by the NFL with...

Netflix subs, revenue up, profit down

Media | 07/16/2015 3:18 pm EDT

Netflix Inc.'s growth in subscriber numbers and revenue continued on an upward trajectory in the second quarter, yet its profit was cut to about a third of what it made last year as international expansion costs added up....

Corus reports revenue decline for TV, radio

Media | 07/15/2015 3:12 pm EDT

Corus Entertainment Inc. on Tuesday reported declining revenue in its third quarter in both its television and radio operations, as it ended the period with a net loss of more than $8 million The company said in a press release...

Morgan Elliott takes reins of Shaw’s regulatory ops

Media | 07/15/2015 2:48 pm EDT

Morgan Elliott has taken on the job of vice-president of regulatory and government relations at Shaw Communications Inc., according to his LinkedIn profile. The profile indicates Elliott started the job in June. It also indicates that during the same month he left his job as vice-president of government relations at BlackBerry Ltd., which he had held since 2009. Elliott's LinkedIn profile also shows that he is currently a board member for the Canada China Business Council and was a board member with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) until last month....

Telus sells Blacks website

Media | 07/14/2015 9:04 pm EDT

Telus Corp. said Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to sell the website of the Blacks photography retail operation to Montreal-based photo finishing company Les Pros de la Photo. It said in an emailed statement the sale will close on Aug. 4, at which time the purchasing company will do...

Videotron facing class action over MAtv

Media | 07/14/2015 8:11 pm EDT

A community group is launching a class action lawsuit against the MAtv community channel owned by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron. Independent Community TeleVision (ICTV) said in a statement on its website Tuesday that it...

Wearable tech could eliminate need for smartphones: exec

Media | 07/14/2015 8:11 pm EDT

Wearable devices could replace everything in our pockets, eventually wiping out smartphones in five to 10 years, says one wearable-technology company CEO. However, others say functionality, design and...

DHX announces Teletubbies deal for Italy

Media | 07/14/2015 3:48 pm EDT

Canadian television production company DHX Media Ltd. said Tuesday that an Italian broadcaster has acquired the rights to its Teletubbies children's series, including the new season currently in production and 14 past seasons...

Bell’s CraveTV to go pure OTT

Media | 07/13/2015 10:28 pm EDT

BCE Inc. will make its CraveTV streaming service available to all Canadians as of Jan 1., 2016, it said in a press release Monday, in what marks a change in strategy for the company. Bell Media president Mary Ann Turcke said...

No-link rule removed from Pan Am website

Media | 07/13/2015 8:23 pm EDT

The website for the Pan Am Games, underway in Toronto, has had a rule indicating a ban on unauthorized links removed. On Friday, the following quote appeared on the terms-of-use section for the website Toronto2015.org:...

Shopping Channel sale ‘makes sense’ for Rogers: analyst

Media | 07/13/2015 6:48 pm EDT

A potential sale of the Shopping Channel could net Rogers Communications Inc. $300 million, which Cannacord Genuity analyst Aravinda Galappatthige said is an “attractive price” for the...

Wireless price hikes affecting other telecom spending: report

Media | 07/09/2015 8:55 pm EDT

“Sharp” price hikes in wireless service over the past year are prompting people to reduce how much they spend on other telecommunications services, according to a Conference Board of...

CRTC consulting on some Talk TV decisions

Media | 07/09/2015 8:43 pm EDT

The CRTC has opened a consultation on a number of decisions it made as part of its Let's Talk TV review of television services ahead of making official changes to its broadcasting regulations to include them. It is consulting on amendments relating to its “skinny basic” and pick-and-pay TV service, the elimination of genre protection, rules requiring vertically integrated providers to offer a certain ratio of independent channels, and rules improving accessibility for people with disabilities. The deadline is Sept. 4....

Shoan, government reach deal on confidentiality

Media | 07/08/2015 8:39 pm EDT

CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan and the government, who are battling in court over a finding that he committed workplace harassment, have reached an agreement on keeping the identities of individuals involved in this case private. A...

Pros and cons of Periscope as journalism tool

Media | 07/08/2015 8:11 pm EDT

The use of live-streaming apps such as Periscope and Meerkat has helped journalists provide unfiltered, live as-it-happens moments for viewers, according to some proponents, though others claim such technology compromises the...

Radio ratings’ accuracy questioned

Media | 07/08/2015 6:58 pm EDT

A new piece of technology is causing controversy within Canada’s oldest broadcast medium. Over the past months, some radio stations in Canada have quietly begun using a device called Voltair in an attempt to improve their ratings — at least until ratings service Numeris stepped in and told them to stop a few weeks ago. Now Numeris says...

French-language radio stations to combine sales

Media | 07/08/2015 4:46 pm EDT

The CRTC said Wednesday that two separately owned French-language commercial radio stations in Gatineau, Que., will be allowed to combine their sales teams. The stations involved are Cogeco Cable Inc.-owned CKOF-FM, which has a...

Microsoft restructuring phone business, cuts jobs

Media | 07/08/2015 4:37 pm EDT

Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it is cutting as many as 7,800 positions primarily as a result of restructuring its phone hardware business. The company said in a press release that this will result in a write-down of about $7.6 billion US on assets gained through the acquisition of Nokia Corp.'s devices and services business last year. It said it faced an additional $750 million to $850 million in restructuring costs.  “We are moving from a strategy to grow a stand-alone phone business to a strategy to grow and create a vibrant Windows ecosystem including our first-party...

Rick Brace to replace Keith Pelley at Rogers

Media | 07/07/2015 8:57 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday that Rick Brace will become president of its media division later this summer, replacing outgoing media president Keith Pelley. Rogers said in a press release that Brace will assume the new...

CRTC can’t apply 2 different acts in mobile-TV decision: Bell

Media | 07/07/2015 5:53 pm EDT

The CRTC erred in finding that BCE Inc. gave itself an undue preference with the pricing of its mobile TV product because the Telecommunications Act does not apply to this case, Bell argued in a court document Monday. Bell said the CRTC committed a jurisdictional error in its decision earlier this year, in which it...

Soccer channel’s licence revoked upon request

Media | 07/07/2015 5:16 pm EDT

The CRTC said Tuesday that it has approved a request from soccer TV channel Gol TV, owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., to have its broadcast licence revoked as of Aug. 31. The notice on the CRTC's website said Gol TV has a Category 2 specialty channel licence and it would cease operations at the end of August. The application...

TV tangible-benefits spending up 27% last year: report

Media | 07/07/2015 2:32 pm EDT

Companies spent $138.7 million on TV-related tangible benefits in Canada in the 12 months ended Aug. 31 last year, marking a 27 per cent increase from a year earlier, according to TV-industry research...

Messaging traffic to grow 70% in next 4 years

Media | 07/07/2015 2:24 pm EDT

The volume of online and mobile messaging will increase 70 per cent over the next four years, Juniper Research Ltd. said Tuesday. The research group said the number of emails, instant messages, social media posts, and text...

U.S. kids prefer video content on mobile devices: survey

Media | 07/06/2015 8:18 pm EDT

A new study conducted by Miner & Co. Studio. suggests watching regular cable TV is declining among kids in the United States, who would prefer to watch their favourite shows on a smartphone or...

International Datacasting names co-CEOs

Media | 07/06/2015 4:23 pm EDT

International Datacasting Corp., the Ottawa-based maker of broadcasting technology, said Monday that Chris Barrett and Steeve Huin have been appointed co-CEOs of the company. Barrett and Huin replace Doug Lowther, who will be...

Broadcaster challenges 2-year-old CRTC decision in court

Media | 07/03/2015 7:27 pm EDT

ADR.TV said Friday that it has applied to Federal Court for a judicial review of the CRTC's decision in August 2013 not to grant it mandatory carriage on basic TV packages in Quebec past Aug. 31...

Government files to censor details in Shoan case

Media | 07/03/2015 5:06 pm EDT

The federal government has filed a notice of motion in Federal Court to keep certain details under wraps in the judicial review CRTC Commissioner Raj Shoan is seeking of a process that found he committed workplace harassment. A notice filed by the Attorney General of Canada on Monday said a representative would appear in a Toronto courtroom next Tuesday to argue that certain evidence in this case not be made public. That evidence includes an unredacted version of a report from a third-party investigator that found Shoan had harassed Amanda Cliff, the CRTC's executive director of...