Rogers launches second-screen hockey app

Rogers Communications Inc. announced it is releasing a new hockey app that will give customers access to new camera angles and additional content like interviews and analysis.

“Exclusive to Rogers’ customers, and it is the ultimate second-screen experience,” said Rogers Media president Keith Pelley at the launch event in Toronto on Monday. “It allows our customers to select replays, to pick camera angles, to be the producer, to be the director.”

U.S. online industry group criticizes Canada

A coalition of some of the biggest Internet companies in the United States criticized Canada in a report released Tuesday for being a laggard in the usage and development of Internet technology to grow the economy.

The benefits of being ruled by the CRTC

In the past, an aspiring broadcast distributor had no choice but to go to the CRTC and get a licence before they launched their cable or satellite business. Now, in theory at least, they can bypass the entire process by launching an over-the-top (OTT) TV service.

While they would have more flexibility and freedom from regulation, such as Canadian content contributions and quotas, they also wouldn’t benefit from the rules that benefit licensed service providers, such as guaranteed access to content.

BCE says most Aliant common shares tendered

BCE Inc. and Bell Aliant Inc. said Friday that a vast majority of the common shares of the latter have been tendered to the former, and that the whole deal should be completed on or around the end of this month.

The companies said in joint press release that as of Thursday, which was the deadline for the offer on publicly traded common shares of Bell Aliant not yet owned by BCE, more than 90 per cent of stock sought had been tendered.

Shaw offers TSN, Sportsnet TV-everywhere apps

Shaw Communications Inc. said Thursday its customers can now access TV-everywhere products for BCE Inc.’s TSN and Rogers Communication Inc.’s Sportsnet specialty channels.

Netflix gets 4 Adam Sandler movies exclusively

Netflix Inc. said Thursday it has reached a deal to premiere four movies that will star and be produced by comedic actor Adam Sandler.

Cineplex refuses to show movies in conjunction with Netflix

Cineplex Inc. says it will not show movies at the same time they are made available by Netflix Inc.

Bell Aliant makes concession on Ontera purchase

The Competition Bureau said Wednesday that Bell Aliant Inc. has responded to the bureau's concerns surrounding its purchase of an Ontario-government-owned telecommunications provider.

The bureau said in a press release Bell Aliant has agreed to lease a "significant portion" of Ontera's fibre network in northern Ontario to Eastlink.

SaskTel releases transparency report

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. on Wednesday joined other telecom providers in releasing a transparency report, which showed that it received 11,857 requests for information last year from government agencies and emergency service providers.

SaskTel said it refused to provide information for 247 of these requests.

"Except for court orders, SaskTel will refuse to provide the information if we believe the request is vague or not supported by statute," it said in its report.

Bell Media invests in Hubub discussion website

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media said Wednesday it has invested $5 million in cash in Hubub Inc., and made commitments for millions of dollars more, to develop and promote the company's website and application that facilitates online discussions.

Bell Media said in a press release the investment has given it an equity stake in Hubub and the exclusive rights to monetize the company's service in Canada.

Netflix hits 100,000 subs in France

Netflix Inc. has gained more than 100,000 subscribers in France two weeks after launching in the country, according to a newspaper report on Tuesday.

French newspaper Le Figaro attributed the figure to anonymous sources and drew a comparison to an online streaming service from French broadcaster Canal+, owned by Vivendi SA, which has 520,000 subscribers three years after launching.

Netflix announces first original movie

Netflix Inc. said Tuesday it would have its first original movie next summer.

It said in a press release that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend will premiere on Netflix simultaneously with showings in Imax theatres around the world on Aug. 28 next year. The movie is the next chapter in the Ang Lee martial arts series.

Easier police access to online activity unpopular: survey

Most Canadians are not in favour of law enforcement having easier access to their online activities, according to a new survey.

A poll done by Ipsos Reid, on behalf of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, found 59 per cent of respondents were opposed to their Internet service provider being allowed to share people's online habits, such as browsing and search histories, without the person in question knowing this information is being shared.

EBay, PayPal to break up

EBay Inc. said Tuesday that its EBay and PayPal divisions will split into two separate companies next year.

The companies said in a press release the two divisions would spin off from each other in the second half of 2015, subject to regulatory approval and other conditions.

CRTC to remove Netflix, Google input from Talk TV process

The CRTC said Monday it will remove all evidence presented by Netflix Inc. and Google Inc., including oral and written presentations, from the Let’s Talk TV process, following the companies’ refusal to provide the CRTC with information the regulator had requested.

“A company’s refusal to comply with requests and orders duly made at a public hearing is a serious matter,” it said in separate letters to Netflix and Google.

Government blamed for CRTC predicament on Netflix

The federal government’s pursuit of a consumer-driven broadcasting policy instead of a more comprehensive digital strategy has left the CRTC in a difficult position when it comes to regulating Internet video services, says at least one telecom expert.

Internet regulation may be template for future of wholesale wireless

As the CRTC prepares for a week of hearings beginning Monday on the future of wholesale wireless in Canada, the rules regarding wholesale Internet access may be a predictor of how the regulator will shape the future of the wireless market.

MTS announces agreement on pensions

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Wednesday it has reached an agreement with its unions and retirees regarding a pension plan that was in dispute following its 1997 privatization and was subject to a Supreme Court decision early this year.

PIAC awarded $20K in costs by CRTC

The CRTC on Wednesday said it was awarding the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) almost $20,000 in costs for expenses incurred in three different proceedings, to be covered by various telecommunications companies.

CRTC in tough spot after Netflix refuses to disclose: experts

Experts say that while CRTC must somehow respond to the refusal of Netflix Inc. to give the commission information it had been ordered to provide by CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais during a hearing last week, the government's stated refusal to tax and regulate online-video services cannot be ignored.

Netflix refuses to provide info to CRTC

Netflix Inc. will not produce some of the information CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais ordered from it last week.

“While Netflix has responded to a number of the CRTC's requests, we are not in a position to produce the confidential and competitively sensitive information ordered by the commission due to ongoing confidentiality concerns,” Netflix spokeswoman Anne Marie Squeo said in an email Monday evening.

Commish dissents on CRTC’s undue-preference decision

The CRTC has dismissed an undue-preference complaint against BCE Inc. filed by a company that plans to launch an over-the-top (OTT) TV service, though the decision was not unanimous.

Internet-, phone-service prices surging: StatsCan

The latest consumer price index from Statistics Canada indicates year-to-year gains in phone and Internet services that are several times the overall inflation rate.

Statistics Canada said Friday that phone-service prices in August were 7.6 per cent higher than they were a year earlier. The overall annual inflation rate in August was 2.1 per cent.

Bell Aliant brings fibre-to-the-home to Quebec

Bell Aliant Inc. said Monday that fibre-to-the-home connections are now available in Quebec, with three communities on its FibreOP network immediately and four more to be connected before the end of the year.

Bell Aliant said in a press release that its FibreOP service, which it uses to deliver Internet download speeds of up to 250 Mbps, along with TV and home-phone services, is now available in Alma, Saguenay and Victoriaville.

Boynton, Stoneham find jobs after Rogers

John Boynton and Shelagh Stoneham, two Rogers Communications Inc. executives who left in the wake of its corporate overhaul this year, have both found other jobs.

Boynton, formerly the chief marketing officer at Rogers, is now the chief marketing officer for Canada at Aimia Inc., a customer loyalty company that owns and operates the Aeroplan loyalty program, Aimia said in a press release earlier this month.

Blais threatens to revoke Netflix’ exemption order

GATINEAU, Que. — During the sometimes-contentious appearance by Netflix Inc. on the last day the CRTC’s two-week hearings on the future of television, CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais repeatedly ordered the U.S. streaming company to provide information to the commission, and at one point threatened to revoke Netflix’ digital-media exemption order if it does not comply.

Quarter of online video viewing on mobile: Ooyala

Mobile online video viewing doubled around the world over the last year and accounted for 27 per cent of all online video viewing in this year's second quarter, Ooyala Inc. said in a report released Monday.

The report said mobile's share of online video viewing increased 127 per cent over the last year and has quadrupled over the last two years. Ooyala, an online video management company, said this is because of a combination of faster networks and more advanced mobile devices.

Internet advertising money tops TV: IAB

A report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada shows that, for the first time ever, there was more revenue in this country last year in Internet advertising than television.

In a report released Wednesday, the IAB said Internet advertising revenue was more than $3.5 billion in 2013, up 14 per cent from a year earlier. That compared to $3.4 billion in television revenue, which was down two per cent from 2012.

TekSavvy asks CRTC for help to launch TV service

GATINEAU, Que. — Independent ISP TekSavvySolutions Inc. told the CRTC Tuesday it is considering becoming a TV distributor, on the same day that it announced a “partnership” with Hastings Cable Vision Ltd., an eastern Ontario cable provider.

Disney says pick-and-pay hurts TV broadcasters

GATINEAU, Que. —Walt Disney Co. on Monday warned the CRTC against a move toward pick-and-pay television.

Susan Fox, Disney’s vice-president of government relations, told the commission that having broad distribution benefits channels by allowing them to maximize advertising revenues, gives them the certainty necessary for long-term planning and allows them to “redirect consumer marketing and retention expenditures into higher quality and more diversified programs to better serve viewers.”

Google announces new smartphone for India

Google Inc. on Monday announced a new smartphone, known as Android One, it will make  available first in India and other developing countries in the near future.

Google said in a blog post that the new product represents the company's efforts to get smartphones to the approximately five billion people, mostly in less developed parts of the world, who do not yet have such devices.

Bloomberg reported that the phones will start at a price of 6,399 rupees ($115 Cdn).

Telus calls Shomi service undue preference by Rogers, Shaw

GATINEAU, Que. — Telus Corp. says it is “very concerned” Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. are using the beta-test phase of their recently launched over-the-top (OTT) service to give themselves an undue preference.

Rogers VP predicts end of TV broadcasting, as we know it

GATINEAU, Que. — You can’t assume that young people who have never had subscription-TV service will eventually get it, Ken Engelhart, Rogers Communications Inc.’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, told the CRTC on Thursday.

New TV service provider approved for Ont., B.C.

Gold Line Telemanagement Inc. has been granted licences to operate broadcast distribution services for markets in Ontario and British Columbia, the CRTC said Thursday.

Postings on commission's website said the company was approved for one application for the Ontario markets of Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton-Niagara, Oshawa, London, Kitchener and Windsor, and another for the B.C. markets for Vancouver and Victoria.

Videotron cites mobile TV as key in LTE launch

Four years after Videotron flipped the switch on a new wireless network, the carrier is launching an LTE network that president and CEO Manon Brouillette says will help the company deliver TV content to its mobile customers.

Videotron, owned by Quebecor Inc., was one of the companies that picked up set-aside spectrum in the 2008 AWS auction, and has been delivering HSPA service to the province of Quebec and the Ottawa region since September 2010.  

Sony cloud TV service to carry Viacom channels

Viacom Inc. and Sony Corp. said Wednesday they have reached a "landmark agreement" that sees at least 22 Viacom channels being carried on Sony's cloud-based TV service when it launches.

The two companies said in a press release this will be the first time U.S. media giant Viacom has allowed its channels to be used on an Internet-based TV service.

Regulating OTT could set ‘dangerous precedent’: Google

GATINEAU, Que. — A move by the CRTC to regulate over-the-top (OTT) video platforms could set a precedent for regulators in other countries, a Google Inc. lawyer told the commission on the first day of its two-week Let’s Talk TV hearing on the future of television services in Canada.

“The extension of conventional broadcasting regulation to online platforms would certainly be a significant impediment to the development of the platforms,” Google Canada counsel Jason Kee told the commission.

Twitter experimenting with instant-purchase tweets

Twitter Inc. said Monday it is testing a program that allows users on its social network to make purchases with the push of a new button that will be included in tweets.

Broadcast revenue rises as TV subs drop: CRTC

The latest numbers from the CRTC show Canadians are watching more television on more devices, though fewer people are subscribing to TV services and young adults are tuning out.

The broadcasting portion of the CRTC's annual Communications Monitoring Report was released Thursday.

The report showed that revenues for the overall broadcasting industry in 2013 rose by 1.3 per cent to $17.1 billion. However, the proportion of Canadian households with a television subscription of any kind fell to 84.9 per cent from 85.6 per cent a year earlier.

Rogers NHL streaming plan result of OTT shift: analyst

Rogers Communications Inc.'s launch of a hockey streaming product shows the company wants to "build up its OTT [over-the-top] capabilities" as more TV viewers move away from linear television and toward streaming options, RBC Dominion Securities analyst Drew McReynolds said.

Bell says rural broadband commitment fulfilled

BCE Inc. says it has held up its end of a 2006 deal with the CRTC by hooking up 112 rural communities to broadband Internet by Aug. 29.

“Bell completed broadband service rollouts to all 112 communities in our deferral account-funded broadband program by Aug. 29, as planned,” company spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis said in an email.

Netflix announces new Facebook feature

Netflix Inc. on Tuesday announced a new recommendation feature that works through Facebook Inc.'s social network.

The provider of online TV services said in a blog that, after viewing a program, users will be asked it they want to recommend what they have just seen to their friends and family. They choose those who are sent recommendations by accessing their friends list from Facebook.

Paper billing issue small potatoes for telecom sector: analysts

Much has been made this week about the practice of levying extra fees for the privilege of getting a physical bill for telecommunications services, and some industry watchers are downplaying the issue's importance.

Moore promises to outlaw ‘pay-to-pay’ billing

Hours after a meeting between telecommunications companies and CRTC officials regarding paper-billing charges that failed to end in a result satisfactory to policy-makers, Industry Minister James Moore said via social media he'll solve the issue with legislation.

“Our Government will introduce legislation to end pay-to-pay billing practices for telecom industry #ConsumersFirst,” Moore said on Twitter late Thursday evening.

Conspicuous by its absence in TV review: OTT services

In a little more than a week, the people who make and produce, broadcast and distribute, analyze and report on the Canadian television industry will gather in Gatineau, Que., to spend two weeks talking about its future.

Netflix petitions FCC against Comcast-Time Warner merger

Netflix Inc. on Tuesday said it has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to block the proposed merger between Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Cable Inc.

The petition submitted to the American regulator and attached to an online news release said the combination of these two U.S. cable giants would create "the nation's largest onramp to the Internet."

Amazon buying Twitch game-streaming site

Online retailing giant Amazon.com Inc. has acquired game-streaming site Twitch Interactive Inc., Twitch CEO Emmett Shear announced Monday, with the deal coming in at just less than $1 billion US.

Twitch.TV, which allows gamers to stream live video of themselves and their computers screens, had more than 55 million unique visitors in July, according to a Monday news release from Amazon, viewing 15 billion minutes of content from more than a million broadcasters, including professional competitive video gaming.

ACTRA ratifies 3-year contract for advertising

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) said Monday its members have ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA).

ACTRA said in a press release that the deal received 98.5 per cent approval from members and covers July 1 this year to June 30, 2017.

Shaw gives Ontario city free WiFi preview

Shaw Communications Inc. said Monday it would provide free access to its WiFi network in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., until Sept. 14.

The company said in a press release that people in the northern Ontario city can enjoy access to almost 900 hotspots, whether or not they are Shaw customers, for the next few weeks.

Ottawa networking centre granted $11.7M

Industry Canada on Monday included an Ottawa-based centre dedicated to developing cutting-edge network technology as one of five new recipients for funding over the next five years.

The department sent a link by email for the government's Networks for Centres of Excellence of Canada website that said the Centre for Excellence for Next Generation Networks would get $11.7 million over the next five years.

The other four recipients are medically oriented and all five are getting a combined $68.1 million over five years, the website said.

BCE, Rogers tell CRTC they don’t throttle mobile traffic

In documents submitted to the CRTC this week, BCE Inc. said it does not throttle mobile data traffic, though it’s prepared to if necessary, while Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said it does and there is no contradiction between that and its experiment with mobile-TV plans where the data used does not count against caps.

Internet infrastructure approaching limits of capacity

The size of the Internet is becoming a challenge for the hardware that supports it and there could be some hiccups in service in the coming months as a result, according to experts.

Jim Cowie, chief scientist with New Hampshire-based Internet analytics company Dyn, said users of the Internet might have had problems accessing certain websites on Aug. 12 because on that day many of border gateway protocol (BGP) routers that direct web traffic reached their limit.

Software-defined networking market to boom: IDC

The market for software-defined networks will multiply in the coming years, according to a new forecast from International Data Corp.

The research company said in a press release Wednesday that the worldwide market value for software-defined networking products for the enterprise and cloud-service segments will rise from $980 million US this year to more than $8 billion US by 2018.

Small ISPs positive, Xplornet critical of new 3500 MHz policy

The government’s proposed changes to the licensing of 3500 MHz spectrum are receiving praise from small wireless Internet service providers (ISPs), while satellite Internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. said it is “deeply concerned.”

Tech giants pick sides as battle for IoT protocol unfolds

Some of the largest software and hardware makers in the world, including Microsoft Corp., Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Intel Corp., are choosing sides in a battle over communications standards as the world of connected devices evolves into an Internet of Things.

Samsung to purchase IoT company

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced on Thursday that it has reached an agreement to purchase SmartThings, a maker of a mobile platform that supports Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications and devices.

Samsung said in a press release that SmartThings will continue to operate independently, though it will be moving its headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Palo Alto, Calif.

Eastlink no longer buying Bruce Telecom

Bragg Communications Inc., which operates Eastlink, won’t be buying Bruce Telecom, the Competition Bureau said Friday.

The bureau said in a press release that it reviewed the proposed acquisition and concluded that had it “proceeded as proposed, it would have likely resulted in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition in the towns of Port Elgin and Paisley, [Ont.], where the two firms are the only providers of wireline telecommunications services.”

Cisco to cut 6,000 workers over next year

Cisco Systems Inc. said Wednesday it will be cutting its workforce by about eight per cent, or 6,000 workers, over the next year as it restructures to concentrate its efforts on specific areas such as data centres and cloud networking.

Nearly half of Anglo market own tablet: MTM

Almost half of anglophone Canadians aged 18 or older own a tablet, according to a report released Tuesday from Media Technology Monitor.

Tablet penetration has grown to 45 per cent of Anglos from 34 per cent in the same period last year, said the report from MTM, a project of CBC/Radio Canada

CEO Pierre Blouin to retire from MTS

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said on Tuesday its chief executive officer, Pierre Blouin, will retire this year.

The company said in a press release that its board of directors has started looking for a new CEO, and a new chief will likely be announced before Blouin's departure.

Blouin has been CEO of MTS since 2005 after spending several years in an array of executive roles at BCE Inc.

Kevin Chan representing Facebook in Ottawa

Kevin Chan has been appointed Facebook Inc.'s head of public policy in Canada.

Company spokeswoman Meg Sinclair said in an email to The Hill Times that Chan will be based in Ottawa and have an "ongoing dialogue with policy-makers about Facebook’s products and services," while also "engaging on a broad range of issues that impact the Internet sector."

Greg Larnder joins TeraGo

Internet provider TeraGo Inc. announced in a news release today that Greg Larnder is joining the company as vice-president of sales on Aug. 5.

Larnder served as national sales director at Microsoft Canada from 2012 to 2013, TeraGo said in the release, after service as a vice-president for more than a decade at privately-owner IT provider Compugen Systems Ltd.

Xplornet pledges 100% rural broadband coverage by 2017

Rural Internet provider Xplornet Communications Inc. said in a news release Monday that it will bring broadband to 100 per cent of Canada’s rural population by 2017.

The company, which claims to be the country's largest rural broadband provider, said in the release it would reach the goal by rolling out an LTE wireless network as well as two new satellites to make 25 Mbps broadband available to every home and business “outside of the big urban cities.”

U.K. to institute “notice-and-notice” copyright regime

The U.K. has scrapped the copyright enforcement approach set out in its 2010 Digital Economy Act in favour of a regime similar to Canada’s.

Bell files another complaint about condo access

BCE Inc. has filed a complaint against Plazacorp Investments Ltd. and Rogers Communications Inc., asking for access to one of Plazacorp’s Toronto condo buildings, a month after the CRTC closed a similar complaint against a different building.

PIAC says up to $600M annually at stake in paper-billing issue

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) says up to $600 million a year is at stake as the CRTC gets set to meet with telecommunications companies to discuss the practice of charging customers to receive paper bills.

John Lawford, PIAC’s executive director, said in a phone interview that PIAC has put together estimates for a report, which will come out in the coming weeks.

Savings, simplification cited in BCE takeover of Bell Aliant

Saving money, simplifying operations and creating a stronger telecom competitor in Atlantic Canada were among the reasons cited for why BCE Inc. is seeking ownership of all parts of Bell Aliant Inc. it does not already own.

New device claims to add IoT to anything

A new device from New Tork-based LittleBits Electronics Inc. claims to bring the Internet of Things to any device, according to a Wednesday news release.

The company’s CloudBit has “the power to turn any object into an internet­connected device,” the company said in the release, without soldering or adding extra wires.

Inaction against VPN usage ‘may speak volumes’: lawyer

Users of Netflix Inc.’s Canadian feed who feel like watching a few episodes of 30 Rock, Louie or Les Revenants will find themselves out of luck.

But in a world where Canadians know these shows are available on Netflix’ U.S. service, accessing them can be as easy as installing an app or browser extension. Perhaps it’s no wonder millions of subscribers have chosen to.

Government to spend $305M on rural broadband by 2017

Industry Canada said Tuesday it would spend $305 million by 2017 to extend broadband Internet access to rural and remote communities, echoing a commitment made in the federal budget this year.

The “Connecting Canadians” program aims to bring Internet connections with a minimum speed of 5 Mbps to 280,000 Canadian households that currently have no access or slower access, the department said in a press release.

Wireless broadband penetration falls short in Canada: OECD

Data released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development on Tuesday shows Canada falls well short of the average of economically advanced countries in terms of wireless-broadband penetration.

Figures on the OECD's website showed an average penetration rate of 72.4 per cent for wireless broadband among 34 countries in this group at the end of last year, meaning there is about three subscriptions for every four people.

Web operators must pay SOCAN for music videos

Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc. must pay Canadian songwriters and publishers for music videos viewed on their services, the Copyright Board of Canada ruled on Friday.

The board certified two tariffs from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) that cover both official music videos and user-generated content on the Internet viewed online from 2007 to 2013.

Netflix subscriber growth slows

Netflix Inc.'s quarterly results, released Monday, showed the lowest level of global subscriber growth in a year.

Northwestel allowed to charge extra for standalone Internet

The CRTC said Monday it has granted Northwestel Inc. permission to charge extra to customers who subscribe to its Internet service without its landline phone service.

The commission added that it has yet to determine whether Northwestel's proposed surcharges — $20 for residences and $30 for businesses — are appropriate.

Allstream to provide telecom network for Rexall

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s Allstream unit on Monday said it has been chosen by the Rexall chain of drugstores to provide a telecommunications network for its 448 stories across Canada.

Allstream said in a press release the network would include voice infrastructure as well as a secure network for data, and it would "significantly" reduce costs for Rexall, owned by Katz Group Canada Ltd.

Amazon launches monthly e-book subscriptions in U.S.

Amazon.com Inc. said Friday it has launched a monthly e-book subscription service in the U.S., giving users access to all they can read for $9.99 US a month.

The product is called Kindle Unlimited, and will provide subscribers access to more than 600,000 different books, including bestsellers such as the Harry Potter series, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, Amazon said in a press release.

Netflix-Disney deal expected to hit movie channels, BDUs

A deal between Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. that will see Walt Disney Studios’ movies appear on Netflix’s Canadian streaming service as soon as eight months after they hit the theatres will affect premium movie channels most directly, though it will also have a “trickle-down” effect on the whole TV system, said broadcasting analyst Mario Mota.

Facebook tests direct-purchase feature