Don’t ‘rubber-stamp’ Bell-MTS deal: NDP

NDP MPs pushed the innovation minister to closely scrutinize BCE Inc.’s proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in the House of Commons Wednesday.

Telus revenues up, profits shrink in Q1

Telus Corp. revenues increased by 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2016, rising to $3.1 billion compared to $3.03 billion during the same period a year earlier, the company said Thursday.

In a press release outlining earnings for the three months ended March 31, the company attributed the increase to continued growth in its wireless and wireline operations, which saw revenues grow by 2.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively.

Experts say approval of Bell’s MTS acquisition likely

BCE Inc. announced Monday morning that it will purchase Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. in a $3.9 billion transaction that, if approved, will see the number of players in Manitoba’s telecom market fall from four to three.

CRTC starts renewal process for TV provider licences

The CRTC issued a call for Thursday for IPTV and cable providers whose broadcast licences will expire in 2016 and 2017 to submit licence renewal applications.

Rogers to launch IPTV by end of the year

Rogers Communications Inc. will be launching an IPTV service by the end of the year, Guy Laurence, the company’s CEO, confirmed Tuesday during Rogers’ annual general meeting of shareholders held in Toronto.

“It’ll be everything your cable service offers today but on a slick, state-of-the-art platform that’s easy to use and personalized to your wishes,” Laurence said in a webcast of the conference. “It will take your TV viewing to a whole new level and we’ll introduce it at the end of this year.”

20% of Canadians don’t subscribe to TV: MTM

The number of Canadians without TV subscriptions is currently 20 per cent, according to a pair of new reports from Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

MTM noted that “living without a paid TV service is nothing new,” given that 15 per cent of Canadians did not subscribe to TV service in 2002.

23.7% of Canadian households don’t subscribe to TV: report

A new report from Convergence Consulting Group Ltd. estimates 3.43 million Canadian households, or about 23.7 per cent, didn’t have a traditional TV subscription with a cable, satellite, or IPTV provider in 2015.

That’s an increase from 21.7 per cent a year earlier, and lower than the 25.8 per cent the company predicts for 2016.

Bell selling unlimited access to on-demand movies

BCE Inc. said in a press release Friday it has begun allowing customers to buy ongoing access to on-demand movies.

The Own with Bell service is available to its IPTV customers, who can access it through their on-demand menus.

The first movie available will be Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which will cost $24.99, the release added.

TV subscription rate down to 77%: MTM

The percentage of Canadians subscribing to TV service in Canada fell to 77 per cent in the fall of 2015, according to a new report released Tuesday by Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

Telecoms’ TV customer losses up five-fold in 2015

The number of subscribers leaving the Canadian TV system appears to be accelerating, as Canada’s publicly traded telecom companies lost five times more TV subscribers in 2015 than a year earlier.

As skinny basic arrives, experts doubt consumer appeal

On the day Canadian TV providers were required to make their skinny basic options available to consumers, experts expressed skepticism about how many Canadians will sign up for the new offers and their ability to improve the trend toward cord-cutting.

Drew McReynolds, an analyst with RBC Dominion Securities, said in a research note Tuesday that the new options launched by the TV providers “are designed to protect profitability and/or incentivize households to largely stick with existing channel bundles, which in some cases have been improved.”

FCC opens “unlock the box” proposal to comment

A new proposal from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) aims to free TV subscribers from their leased set-top box agreements with cable and satellite operators.

In a 3-2 decision on Thursday, the U.S. regulator approved starting a process to "create a framework" to provide "innovators, device manufacturers and app developers" with the information necessary to develop new technologies "reflecting the many ways consumers access their subscription video programming today," the FCC said in a press release.

Bell profits down 8.8 per cent in Q4

BCE Inc. reported net earnings of $542 million in the fourth quarter of 2015, down 8.8 per cent from the same time a year earlier.

It said Thursday that final quarter revenues were up 1.4 per cent to $5.60 billion, up from $5.53 billion a year earlier.

Bell added that profits fell because of higher severance payouts, acquisitions and other costs, "of which $120 million related mainly to workforce restructuring initiatives.”

ADR assured Videotron must keep it until dispute resolved

The CRTC has told officials representing ADR.TV and Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron that the latter must maintain distribution of the former as the CRTC sorts through a dispute between the two parties.

Gusto TV sells show to South Korean 4K channel

Canada's Gusto TV on Tuesday announced that has sold one of its original shows to a South Korean 4K channel.

It said in a press release that 30 episodes of A is for Apple — a cooking-challenge program — had been sold UMAX, which is owned by Cable TV VOD Corp.

UMAX is known as becoming the first dedicated 4K channel in the world in 2014.

Telecoms to feel economic headwinds: analyst

Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said Monday that providers of telecommunications services in Canada will feel the effects of the struggling economy.

He said in a research note that most of repercussions from things such as the collapsing price of oil will be seen in services provided to business customers, as opposed to the consumer market where Internet and wireless services have become "more utility than discretionary."   

CRTC proposes fund for local TV news

The CRTC is proposing a new fund to support local TV news programming, which would be funded by existing financial resources within the broadcasting system.

The proposal was included a paper released Tuesday, which will be used as a basis for discussion at an eight-day hearing on local and community television that begins Jan. 25.

TV service provider code takes effect September 2017

Television service providers have another 20 months before they are forced to abide by a new code governing their relationship with customers.

Toronto telecom provider seeks condo access

Beanfield Technologies Inc., an independent provider of fibre-based Internet, TV and phone services in Toronto, is asking the CRTC to help it gain access to one of the few condominium buildings it isn't already connected to in the city's Liberty Village neighbourhood.

Content on multiple platforms can lower future revenue: report

Having premium content on linear TV and on over-the-top (OTT) services can cause adverse effects on revenue growth and will cause consumers to expect lower costs for premium TV content, according to a new report from Needham & Co. LLC.

Bell adds Netflix link to IPTV services

BCE Inc. announced Monday that subscribers of Bell’s Fibe TV and Bell Alliant’s FibreOP TV will have access to their Netflix Inc. account directly from their TV receivers.

It said in the release that all Fibe TV receivers have been upgraded to access the video streaming service, and added that customers have to press the apps button on their Fibe or Fibre OP TV remote.

CMPA reaches 3-year agreement with Directors Guild

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) announced Friday it has agreed on terms for a new three-year agreement with the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC).

It said in a press release that the renewed agreement, which will be from 2016 to 2018, provides an overall wage increase of two per cent for directors in each of the three years of its term and noted that the contract applies to all productions that begin on or after Jan. 1.

CRTC denies application to amend third-language exemption order

The CRTC denied an application from Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. Wednesday to amend the exemption order for discretionary TV services serving fewer than 200,000 subscribers in order for third-language undertakings to devote 15 per cent each week to Canadian programs rather than 15 per cent of the broadcast year and the evening broadcast period.

Future CraveTV prices unclear for non-Bell customers

Subscribers to BCE Inc.’s TV services will pay more for CraveTV starting in February, though the company isn’t saying how much customers who get the streaming service through other TV-service providers, or those planning to get the service independently over the Internet, will pay.

ADR files complaint against Bell

A Quebec TV station that focuses on disseminating public-safety and police-related information has filed a complaint against BCE Inc. for its impending exclusion of carriage of the channel, though the CRTC has ordered Bell to keep ADR.TV (Avis de recherche) available for subscribers at least until the matter is sorted out.

Distant TV signals losing value, service providers say

OTTAWA — Canada's major TV service providers argued before the Copyright Board of Canada on Monday that they should pay less for distant-TV signals because these channels are losing value as more viewing options become available to consumers.

It was the fifth day of a hearing scheduled to last until Friday, along with final arguments slated for Jan. 26 and 27.

Broadcasters advised to ‘pick their winners’ as pick-and-pay approaches

As the Canadian TV industry approaches an era where customers have more choice over the channels they subscribe to, large broadcasters should “pick their winners” and consolidate into a smaller number of channels, a new report from RBC Capital Markets says.  

Forbes downplays potential MTS selloff after Allstream deal

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. CEO Jay Forbes on Monday downplayed the likelihood that the whole company could be sold in the wake of a deal to unload its business communications division, Allstream.

MTS announced Monday that it has an agreement in place to sell Allstream to Boulder, Colo.-based Zayo Group Holdings Inc. for $465 million in cash.

3Macs telecom analyst Troy Crandall said the deal is positive for MTS, as Allstream has been "an albatross around the neck of Manitoba Tel every since it was acquired."

Bell holds out on distributing Bloomberg TV

When Channel Zero Inc. announced the launch of its Bloomberg TV Canada channel this week, it listed every TV-service provider that was carrying it and absent from that list was Canada's biggest provider of TV service.

Blue Ant makes several leadership changes

Blue Ant Media Inc. on Wednesday announced several changes to its leadership team, including the appointment of Jamie Schouela to the newly created position of executive vice-president of Canadian networks.

Blue Ant said in a press release that Schouela, who was formerly executive vice-president of marketing and communications, would now be in charge of the company's domestic TV and digital properties, with responsibilities including the implementation of its multi-platform content strategy and overseeing relationships with TV-service providers.

Telus, Cogeco challenge Bell appeal of wholesale code

Telus Corp. and Cogeco Cable Inc. have filed their opposition to BCE Inc.'s attempt to fight, before the Federal Court of Appeal, the CRTC's wholesale code governing relationships between television stations and TV-service providers.

CRTC says Toronto IPTV provider can broadcast U.S. channels

The CRTC granted Atop Broadband Corp., an IPTV provider serving most of the Greater Toronto Area, the authorization to carry WNLO-TV and WNYO-TV, based in Buffalo, N.Y.

TVB appoints Kathy Gardner VP of media insights

The Television Bureau of Canada (TVB) announced Wednesday it has appointed Kathy Gardner to the newly created position of vice-president of media insights.

TVB said in a press release that Gardner will oversee research and planning, looking into emerging technologies and consumer behaviour.

Market has adjusted to 2-year wireless contracts: analyst

Third-quarter results indicate the mobile market has adjusted to the higher-priced, two-year contracts that became the norm after the CRTC implemented the wireless code in 2013, says Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan.

In a research note issued Monday evening, Fan said this assertion is based on data showing that, for the first time in three years, all the publicly traded wireless carriers in Canada combined reported higher net gains for postpaid customers than a year earlier.

IPTV, Netflix adoption lower in Ontario: MTM

Ontario residents are not moving as fast toward newer ways of getting TV content, such as IPTV and Netflix, as other parts of the Canada, according to newly released figures.

CRTC says 30-day cancellation ban not for single channels

The CRTC on Friday made certain clarifications about the policy implemented early this year to prohibit providers of telecommunications services from requiring 30-days' notice of subscription cancellations.

Responding to concerns expressed by some providers, it said the regulation would be modified to explicitly state that the policy only applies to the cancellation of TV services as a whole, not individual channels or particular packages.

MTS revenue, profits down in Q3

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Wednesday reported lower revenue and profits compared to a year earlier.

It said in a press release that revenue was down one per cent to $398.4 million for the three months ended Sept. 30. Net earnings came in at $26.7 million, down from $36.8 million one year earlier.

MTS said revenue was down due to declines in wireless-voice and long-distance revenue, partially offset by gains in wireless-data, Internet, "information solutions" and IPTV revenues.

Bell becomes largest TV provider for Canadians

BCE Inc. announced Wednesday that the popularity of its Fibe TV service has made its the largest TV provider in Canada for the first time with more than 2.7 million customers across the country.

CCTS asks CRTC to keep membership mandatory for telecoms

Representatives from the Commission for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) told the CRTC Tuesday that making telecom companies' participation in the CCTS voluntary would affect the independence and effectiveness of the commission.

Connectivity beats content in telecom/media sector: report

The notion that "content is king" is challenged in a new report that points out that connectivity services take in significantly more revenue than content providers in Canada and have seen more growth in recent decades.

Telus provides $3.2M to content creators

Telus Corp. announced Monday it is providing more than $3.2 million in funding for more than 60 new local content projects in Western Canada this year through its Optik Local community programming.

It said in a press release that Optik Local provides funding to train filmmakers to create compelling original stories in British Columbia and Alberta. It added that the content will be distributed for free on Optik On Demand, as well as online.

Liberal government positive for big telecoms: analyst

A telecom-market analyst says incumbent telecommunications-service providers would benefit under a Liberal government.

Scotia Capital analyst Jeff Fan said in a research note released the Friday before Monday's election: "A Liberal majority could be a fresh and positive change for the incumbents."

He said that while a Liberal government would not want to see less competition in the telecom sector or higher prices, it would likely take an approach "very different from that of a Conservative majority."

Corus expands original content distribution to U.S. broadcasters

Following Corus Entertainment Inc.’s announcement at MIPCOM, the global entertainment content conference, it said in a press release Monday that it has signed deals to distribute its original content to two U.S. broadcasters.

Corus said that Walt Disney Co.’s ABC Family has secured the rights to Cheer Stars, and Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. has secured the rights to Masters of Flip.

Federal election unlikely to change telecom policy: Huang

Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday that, despite the uncertain outcome of this month's federal election, a significant change in policy with regard to telecommunications is unlikely.

Huang noted that polls have indicated a close race between the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP, with a minority government looking likely. He added that "minority governments have historically shied away from pushing any significant/contentious new policy objectives."

Pick-and-pay TV prices could reduce cord cutting, say experts

Prices for TV subscriptions in the coming pick-and-pay era will be one of the main factors determining how over-the-top (OTT) video services are affected, say experts, noting that competitive pricing in TV packages might curb the cord-cutting trend. 

MTS seeks another extension on Classic TV alert compliance

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is asking the CRTC to grant its Classic TV customers another exemption from the regulator’s emergency alert rules, which would be in place until MTS is able to migrate all customers to set-top boxes capable of receiving such alerts.

OMNI TV to air first original series

Rogers Communications Inc.’s OMNI TV announced Wednesday it will be broadcasting its first production of an original series on its channel.

OMNI said in the release that the show, titled Blood and Water, will be a Chinese crime drama that was filmed in Vancouver and will be available in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

TV wholesale code finalized, takes effect in January

The CRTC on Thursday released a final version of its anticipated wholesale code governing the business relationships between TV-service providers and channel operators, which, among other things, bans provisions that would prevent a particular channel from being offered on a stand-alone basis or as part of a package that customers can create themselves.

The rules, which take effect on Jan. 22, will also ban so-called penetration-based rate cards (PBRCs) that require service providers to compensate channel operators when certain thresholds for advertising revenue are not met.

CRTC to review local, community-TV regulations

The CRTC is asking whether maintaining a physical presence in an area is necessary to produce local programming and whether community-access TV is still relevant as part a proceeding on local and community television it announced Monday.

The regulator said it will review its policies on local and community-TV programming, and hold a public hearing on the matter early in the new year.

Telus among first to use new Ericsson TV interface

Ericsson AB announced on Thursday that its cloud-based TV platform, MediaFirst, is now commercially available to operators and content providers, noting that Telus Corp. will be utilizing the service to enhance service for its TV subscribers.

MTS seen as acquisition target for Bell

A stock market analyst has speculated that an acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. is likely next year.

A research note Wednesday from TD Securities analyst Vince Valentini said that with MTS set to sell off its Allstream division in the coming months, “we believe that the stage will be set for a sale of the remaining Manitoba operations to one of the larger telcos in Canada by mid-2016.”

CMF provided $365.5B in funding last year

The Canadian Media Fund (CMF) said Monday that it provided $365.5 billion in funding for television and digital-media productions last year.

That's up from $354.5 billion that it reported spending in the previous year's annual report.

The CMF said in a press release Monday that money spent in the 2014-15 fiscal year, which ended in March, triggered $1.3 billion in activity in the Canadian video-production industry, up 11.3 per cent from the year before.

Bell announces Amazing Race exclusive for Fibe customers

BCE Inc. said Monday that Fibe TV customers will have exclusive access to a spinoff series of The Amazing Race Canada.

It said in a press release that The Amazing Race Canada Auditions will be available, starting Sept. 2, on-demand on Channel 1 for Fibe TV customers, on what's known as TV1, formerly Bell Local. The show will be found in the community folders for Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City, as well as a to-be-launched community folder for Ottawa later on, Bell said. The content will also be available on the Fibe TV app, the company said.

Oil decline could affect Shaw, Telus: analyst

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 analyst.

Gerry Vanderpost joins Distributel as CFO

Distributel Communications Ltd. on Thursday announced that it has hired Gerry Vanderpost as its chief financial officer.

Vanderpost had been vice-president of financial at Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc., and joined Distributel earlier this month, the company said in a press release.

More small BDUs sanctioned with CRTC denial

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.

Bell says non-refundable monthly payments are OK

BCE Inc. says in a filing with the CRTC that it is not violating regulations by requiring customers to pay for various services by the month in advance and not providing partial refunds if subscriptions are ended before the paid-for period is finished.

Uniserve confirms plans for IPTV service

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 order for companies with less than 20,000 subscribers.

Cord-cutting accelerated in first half of 2015: report

A report from Boon Dog Professional Services Inc. released Wednesday said Canada's publicly traded TV-service providers lost six times as many subscribers in the first half of 2015 than in the same period a year earlier.

Data revenue bolsters Telus numbers

Telus Corp. on Friday reported a 5.1 per cent year-to-year revenue gain in its second quarter, boosted by more data-generated cash from both its wireless and wireline operations.

Bell gigabit service to launch Monday

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 in availability to 2.2 million households by the end of this year.

MTS revenue, profits down

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. announced in its quarterly results a decrease in revenues, which totalled $398.3 million, compared to $403.3 the previous year.

Net income was $10.4 million for the three months ending June 30, down from $28.8 million for the same period a year earlier. The company said in the release that was due "largely to increased restructuring costs and increased depreciation and amortization expense which was accelerated in Q2 to reflect the change in government policy on three-year wireless contracts."

Telus sells Blacks website

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 business as Blacks.ca.

"The timing of this sale ensures our customers will be able to continue using the site and app without interruption to order the same quality products they’ve come to expect from Blacks," Telus said.

Wireless price hikes affecting other telecom spending: report

“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 Canada report released Thursday, though some analysts say they wouldn’t necessarily draw the same conclusion.

The Conference Board said in a press release that the cost of telecom services, along with “changing consumption habits and a slower economy, will cause Canadian consumers to reassess their telecommunications spending in 2015."

Bell overcharging departing customers, says Quebecor

Quebecor Inc. has filed an application asking the CRTC to force BCE Inc. to stop charging customers after the date they cancel telecommunications services.

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

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 company Boon Dog Professional Services Ltd.

Broadcaster challenges 2-year-old CRTC decision in court

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 of this year.

The channel said in a press release that it is a "public interest television network," providing police bulletins 24-hours-a-day on missing people and suspects at large.

Telus makes NFB content available through Optik

Telus Corp.’s Optik TV customers will now have access more than 1,000 National Film Board of Canada (NFB) films on their TV via a new app.

Telus announced Thursday in a press release that the NFB app is now available to Optik TV subscribers in Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec.

Kelvin Shepherd stepping down from MTS

Kelvin Shepherd is retiring as president of Manitoba Telecom Service Inc., paving the way for Jay Forbes to take on the roles of both chief executive and president, the company said Monday.

Telcos losing advantage over cablecos in TV: analyst

Cable companies are “poised to level the playing field” against telephone incumbents in the area of TV service as they launch more advanced technological services of their own, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said Monday.

Huang wrote in a research note that in recent years, telcos have “differentiated with their advantage" in IPTV services, "which were successfully marketed to consumers as the sexier next-gen TV vs. legacy cable service.”

CRTC approves 7 non-Canadian TV channels

The CRTC on Friday granted approval for seven non-Canadian television channels to be distributed in Canada, six of which were sponsored by BCE Inc.

Shaw writes off $55M on abandoned IPTV project

Shaw Communications Inc. on Thursday reported a decline in its quarterly income with much of the drop attributed to a $55-million write-down taken on an abandoned IPTV project.

Shaw said in a press release that it started work in 2013 on an "end-to-end IPTV solution," and then "paused" late last year to review the platform under development and assess other options. Ultimately, it decided to discard the work that had been done. The net effect of the writeoff amounted to $41 million after tax, Shaw said.

Canadian telecom prices remain high in international comparisons: report

Prices of low-end wireless plans have continued to climb for the second year in a row, while Canada’s rates for broadband, wireless and bundled telecom services remain high compared to other countries, a new report found.

Rogers IPTV launch to coincide with skinny-basic offering

Rogers Communications Inc. will launch its IPTV service at about the same time it starts adjusting to new rules that require service providers to provide skinny-basic TV packages for no more than $25 a month, the company's chief financial officer told an investor conference in Toronto on Wednesday.

"With that enhanced user interface, it'll be good vehicle in which to launch some of the new, what I would call, packages," Tony Staffieri said during the TD Securities Telecom & Media Forum.

60% of mobile data on WiFi by 2019: Juniper Research

Almost 60 per cent of the data generated globally by smartphones and tablets will be offloaded to WiFi networks by 2019, Juniper Research Ltd. said Tuesday.

Juniper said in a press release that more than 115,000 petabytes from mobile devices will be offloaded in 2019, up from less than 30,000 PB this year.

BDUs worried about wording in new cancellation regulation

Canadian TV providers are worried the wording the CRTC proposed to prohibit policies requiring 30-day notice to cancel TV services could be interpreted to apply to the cancellation of individual channels.

Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., TekSavvy Solutions Inc. and Eastlink all expressed the same concern in interventions posted to the CRTC website Friday and Monday, and asked the CRTC to clarify its wording.

Large telecoms oppose CNOC application for interim relief

Canada’s biggest telecom companies are asking the CRTC to dismiss an application by smaller providers that, if granted, would make usage-sensitive rates interim, allowing small Internet service providers to access refunds and retroactive rate adjustments should the CRTC lower wholesale rates in the future.

BCE Inc. said in an intervention that doing so would introduce “significant and unnecessary uncertainty that harms the marketplace and ultimately consumers and the public interest.”

‘Golden age of TV’ facing changes: panel

TORONTO — There has never have been a better time than now to be a consumer of television, it was said during a panel discussion Wednesday at the Canadian Telecom Summit, but it was also discussed how big changes are afoot, and those in the industry are facing uncertainty.

Peter Miller, chairman of Interactive Ontario, which promotes the digital-media content industry, spoke about how now is the “golden age of TV” because consumers have never before had the ability to access whatever they want, when they want.

TekSavvy’s Abramson takes on incumbents at Telecom Summit

TORONTO — With a key decision from the CRTC on smaller service providers’ access to wireline telecommunications networks expected soon, three incumbents’ regulatory bosses took on their counterpart at TekSavvy Solutions Inc. over the issue at the Canadian Telecom Summit on Tuesday.

Misgivings expressed over proposed TV-service code

A number of Canadian broadcast distributors have taken issue with aspects of the CRTC’s proposed code governing the relationship between TV providers and their customers, including the requirement that distributors must notify customers when a channel changes its terms of service.

In interventions that had to be filed by Monday, Telus Corp. called that notification proposal a “bizarre requirement,” adding that there is “no reciprocal requirement for channels to alert TVSPs [television service providers] of any programming changes.”

Stingray plans to raise $140M from IPO

Stingray Digital Group Inc. announced Tuesday that its initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange will include 22.4 million voting shares for total proceeds of $140 million.

Based on these prices, market capitalization for Stingray will be about $296 million, the company said in a press release.

The offering is set to close June 3, Stingray said.

CRTC consulting on 30-day notice ban for telecom services

The CRTC said Wednesday in a notice of consultation that it is looking for comments on its elimination of 30-day notice requirements for cancelling telecom services, which has been in effect since January.

CRTC opens online discussion on TV code

The CRTC said in a press release Tuesday it has opened an online discussion forum on a code of conduct for TV providers it proposed in March.

Broadcasters, BDUs at odds over proposed wholesale code

While many broadcasters and TV providers expressed support for the CRTC’s proposed changes to its wholesale code, which governs carriage agreements for TV channels, they took differing positions on whether the code should be mandatory and whether it should ban minimum penetration and revenue guarantees.

CRTC approves new IPTV service from VMedia

The CRTC on Friday approved a new IPTV service from VMedia Inc., despite arguments from some interveners that the proposed service would be transmitted over the public Internet and should therefore not be licensed as a broadcast distributor.

Telus wireless operations drive higher Q1 results

Telus Corp. on Thursday reported higher profits and earnings from the year's first quarter, largely on the strength of its wireless business.

The company said in a press release its quarterly profit was $415 million, up from $377 million a year earlier. It said revenue grew 4.6 per cent to $3.03 billion.

MTS chops operations at Allstream

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Thursday that, following a strategic review, it will make cuts to staff and capital spending at its Allstream division.

MTS's Allstream, which provides business communications services across the country, will cut 25 per cent of its staff, MTS said in a press release. That includes 100 people who left the company immediately and 400 more who have been notified their jobs are ending over the next year or so. It also said it will cut capital spending at Allstream by 20 to 30 per cent.

Pay-per-view sports getting boost from boxing

Despite streaming services eating away at the profits of pay-per-view movies and TV shows, TV providers could see their biggest PPV revenues in history on Saturday as two of boxing’s biggest names fight in front of a worldwide audience.

Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are set to face each other at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in a fight that promoter and Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, told ESPN could raise $300 million US between ticket sales, pay-per-view sales and sponsorships.