National alert system gets underway

A national emergency alert system became operational on Tuesday, according to officials speaking on behalf of the company that will operate the infrastructure behind it.

A spokesperson for public relations company High Road, working on behalf of Pelmorex Media Inc., which owns The Weather Network, said in an email the system is in effect.

A press release from Pelmorex said the alert system is done in co-operation with federal, provincial and territorial governments, and Canada's broadcasting industry.

CMF raises annual budget by $7.2 million

The Canadian Media Fund said Monday it will have $375.2 million to fund television and digital-media productions in the 2015-16 fiscal year.

That's up $7.2 million from the $368 million it announced was the budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year, which runs April to March.

"Underspending in some 2014-2015 programs, revenues from tangible benefits and one-time adjustments of revenues from broadcast distribution undertakings (BDU) in 2014-2015 contributed to achieving this program budget," the CMF said in a press release Monday.

Cogeco Cable brings TiVo service to Quebec

Cogeco Cable Inc. said Monday it is now offering its TiVo Inc. service to customers in Quebec.

Cogeco Cable Canada CEO Louise St-Pierre said in a Monday news release that the service ensures “there will always be something worth watching.”

The company’s partnership with TiVo allows customers to access IPTV content as well as online services such as Netflix Inc., via a set-top box.

Proposed BDU code inconsistent with unregulated OTT: consultant

The CRTC’s proposed new code of conduct for television service providers is at odds with the commission’s stance that it won’t regulate over-the-top (OTT) services, according to broadcast consultant Peter Miller.

He said it was “interesting that this regulator still wants to get involved in this level of detail with respect to traditional providers while still saying they’re going to do nothing with over-the-top providers.”

Blais makes statement on alleged CTV news interference

CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais on Wednesday issued a statement warning about the seriousness of "manipulating news coverage" in the wake of a report that a prominent BCE Inc. executive did just that last week.

The Globe and Mail reported Wednesday that Bell Media president Kevin Crull directed staff at its CTV News operation not to show footage of Blais following the commission's decision Thursday on TV-channel unbundling.

IPTV gains are slowing as cable losses continue: Boon Dog

An Ottawa consulting company says IPTV services aren’t absorbing the exodus of cable customers at the same rate as they used to.

TV-industry consulting company Boon Dog Professional Services Inc. issued a press release Wednesday that showed Canada’s publicly traded companies lost a record of 64,649 TV customers last year, compared to a few hundred the year before.

PIAC calls for affordability standards in telecom

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) released a report on Monday that calls on Canada to legislate the requirement that all Canadians have access to "affordable" telecommunications services.

PIAC said in its report that affordability should be defined in such a way that people can afford telecommunications without having to give up other essentials, such as heat or food.

Telecoms will adjust to pick-and-pay regime, analysts say

Financial analysts reacting to the CRTC’s new pick-and-pay rules say they don’t expect the decision to have a major impact on the industry, though the broadcasting side of the business is more vulnerable than TV distribution.

Troy Crandall, a telecom analyst with 3Macs, said in a phone interview Friday that pure broadcast distributors, such as Telus Corp. and Cogeco Cable Inc., will be least affected, while companies focusing on content, such as Corus Entertainment Inc., will see the biggest impact.

Comwave approved for TV service

The CRTC approved a new TV service from Comwave Networks Inc. on Monday.

Telus announces $100M for fibre connections in B.C.

Telus Corp. is spending $100 million to provide access to a fibre optic network to 90 per cent of the homes and businesses in the British Columbia communities of Kelowna and West Kelowna, it said Tuesday.

It said in a press release that work began on the project in the fall and it expects the final premises to be connected by the spring of 2016. Telus said the connections will provide Internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

MTS lobbies senior federal officials

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. CEO Jay Forbes met with three cabinet ministers and the head of Canada’s telecommunications regulatory body over the last five weeks, according the federal lobbying registry.

MTS chief executive Jay Forbes communicated with Finance Minister Joe Oliver on March 3, CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais on Feb. 18, Industry Minister James Moore on Feb. 17, as well as Winnipeg MP and Heritage Minister Shelly Glover on Feb. 6, according to the registry.

Apple releases details on watch, exclusive HBO streaming service

Apple Inc. unveiled new details about its upcoming Apple Watch on Monday, saying the wearable device will be available on April 24 in Canada and eight other countries.

The watch will have 18 hours of battery life with “normal use,” CEO Tim Cook said at an event in San Francisco on Monday, and will integrate with users’ smartphones to provide health data, notifications and messaging capabilities.

New MTM report shows shrinking rate of TV subscriptions

New data shows an overall drop in the share of English Canadians subscribing to TV services over the last year.

MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, released a report Thursday that showed the proportion of Canadian anglophones subscribing to cable TV had fallen to 43 per cent last fall from 46 per cent a year earlier. It had been as high as 64 per cent in 2005, MTM said.

"The decrease can be attributed to the increase of competition in many markets across Canada," MTM said in the report.

Rogers includes NHL streaming, Shomi with new Internet packages

On Wednesday Rogers Communications Inc. announced a new brand of broadband Internet, Ignite, that comes bundled with subscriptions to two of Rogers' online video-streaming services.

The company said in a press release the new Internet packages will include Shomi, a joint streaming service owned with Shaw Communications Inc. that features movies and television series, and Rogers' own NHL GameCentre Live for hockey games. Individually, GameCentre costs $200 a season and Shomi is $8.99 a month.

BCE asks for extension to public alerting deadline

BCE Inc. is asking the CRTC to extend the March 31 deadline for incorporating its Bell Aliant subsidiary’s services into the National Public Alerting System (NPAS).

The company said in a Feb. 26 filing posted to the CRTC’s website on Tuesday that it has encountered several “software issues” related to location data while testing its emergency alerts, and needs three more months to integrate Bell Aliant’s services into its existing system.

No plans to seek must-offer status for Bloomberg TV

One of the executives behind the newly announced Bloomberg TV Canada news channel says that there are no plans to seek a broadcast licence that would compel broadcast distributors to offer the channel to customers.

Online video factors into cord-cutting: CIRA survey

Newly released results from a Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) survey show the availability of online video content is a factor for four in 10 Canadian Internet users who do not subscribe to cable TV.

CRTC suspends proceeding against Shomi, CraveTV

The CRTC has suspended the proceeding initiated the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) and Consumers' Association of Canada (CAC) against video-streaming services CraveTV and Shomi.

CTV Go picked up by Rogers, other BDUs

BCE Inc.'s online TV-everywhere service, CTV Go, is now available to customers of Rogers Communications Inc. and four other TV service providers, CTV said Thursday.

The network said in a press release that other broadcast distributors added include Bell subsidiary Northwestel Inc., Access Communications Co-operative Ltd., Cable Cable Inc. and Nexicom Systems Inc.

One-third of Netflix users have used U.S. IP address: survey

About one in three Canadian customers of Netflix Inc. have used a U.S. IP address to access the company's American service because it offers more content than the Canadian version, Media Technology Monitor (MTM) said in a report released Tuesday.

VMedia gets CRTC go-ahead for VOD service

CTV Go now works with Google Chromecast

BCE Inc.'s CTV network announced Thursday that its TV everywhere service, CTV Go, has become the first of its kind in Canada to work with Google Inc.'s Chromecast streaming device.

Chromecast is a thumb-sized device that plugs into a television's HDMI port and can access over-the-top streaming services as well as pick up video from a computer or mobile device.

Telus profits up on higher data revenues

Telus Corp.’s fourth-quarter profits rose 7.6 per cent from a year earlier as the company reported a double-digit jump in data revenue from its wireless and wireline customers.

According to the company’s latest financial report, released Thursday, net income rose to $312 million on revenue of $3.13 billion in the fourth quarter, up from a profit of $290 million on revenue of $2.95 billion of in the same period a year earlier.

Telus to make Netflix available for Optik TV users

Telus Corp. said Wednesday it will be making services from Netflix Inc. available through its Optik TV set-top boxes in the coming weeks.

Telus said in a press release that almost half of its Optik TV customers are Netflix subscribers, and this development removes "the inconvenience of having to switch hardware and source inputs or fumble with additional remotes" when watching Netflix on a television.

Bell reports surge in wireless data usage

BCE Inc.’s net earnings the fourth quarter grew slightly compared to a year earlier, though its wireless revenue gained by a wider margin largely on increased data usage.

Bell's reported in a press release that revenue rose 2.7 per cent from a year earlier to $5.53 billion. Net earnings were $594 million, up from $593 million in the fourth quarter of 2013.

MTS reports lower Q4 revenue as wholesale wireless declines

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Wednesday reported lower revenue for the fourth quarter of last year, though unlike the year-earlier period, it was profitable.

The company said in a press release that revenue was down less than one per cent from the year before to $404.8 million in the three months ended Dec. 31. It reported net earnings of $24.2 million for the quarter, compared to a loss of $87.9 million a year before.

Bell launches restart feature for Fibe TV customers

BCE Inc. announced Monday that the latest upgrade to the software for its Fibe TV service adds the ability to rewind and restart programs already in progress.

The new Restart feature, which functions even if a user has not previously chosen to record a show, works on “thousands of shows,” the company said in a news release.

Bell claims this is the first time such a service has been available in Canada.

Distributel gets word out on TV service

Distributel Communications Inc. announced on Thursday its new television service, which is available in markets throughout Ontario and Quebec.

The independent Internet service provider had already began offering TV service last year, though it announced in a news release this week the "official launch" of Distributel TV.

Distributel said its service includes more than 90 channels in its base packages, and its rates, which also include Internet service, range from $99.95 to $149.95 a month.

VMedia secures Blue Ant content for cloud-TV service

VMedia Inc. said it has secured its first specialty-TV channels for the cloud-based PVR service it makes available to IPTV customers.

The company said in a news release Thursday that it has reached a deal to include Blue Ant Media Inc.'s Bite, T&E and Cottage Life channels on its cloud PVR, from which programming is available on an on-demand basis for up to seven days after the initial broadcast.

Wearables, OTT, IoT to rise in 2015: IDC

Greater consumer interest in wearable technology, growth in over-the-top (OTT) television subscriptions and greater prominence of the Internet of Things (IoT) are among the top trends in technology expected for next year in Canada, International Data Corp. said Monday.

Bell Aliant FTTH reaches 1 million premises

BCE Inc.’s Bell Aliant division has passed one million homes and businesses with its fibre-to-the-home network, the company said in a press release Friday.

“Customers can continue to expect more as Bell is committed to continue its momentum for broadband and wireless growth with a $2.1-billion investment over the next five years to extend broadband services in the region. Bell's fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) footprint is now the largest in Canada,” the press release said.

What happens to VOD in an OTT world?

The launch of new streaming services from Canada’s biggest TV providers adds yet another option for viewers who want to catch up on or try out a new show, raising the question of whether they will complement — or compete with — existing services like video-on-demand (VOD).

Karen Sheriff to lead Q9 Networks

Q9 Network Inc., a Toronto-based provider of data centre services, said Tuesday that Bell Aliant CEO Karen Sheriff would become its president and CEO as of Jan. 5.

Telus offer could start holiday pricing battle: analyst

Telus Corp. has made the first moves in what could be a competitive fourth quarter as wireless carriers fight for holiday sales, an analyst said Monday.

Phillip Huang, a telecom analyst with Barclays Capital, said in a research note that Telus is the first major mobile provider to offer significant discounts.

Telus lobbies PM Harper on health

Telus Corp. communicated with high-ranking members of the federal government in October, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the company’s health-care operations, according to the lobbying registry.

The Oct. 2 contact was one of only three that Harper had with lobbyists in the entire month, the Lobby Monitor reported Wednesday. Telus executive chairman Darren Entwistle is the company official registered in the lobbying activity, though it does not necessarily mean he communicated directly with Harper. 

Jay Forbes to become MTS chief executive

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Monday that Jay Forbes will replace Pierre Blouin as chief executive.

MTS Classic TV phase-out hastened by CRTC rules

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc.'s first generation of IPTV service was already on the way out, pushed aside by a more technologically advanced alternative the carrier started in 2009, but CRTC requirements for participation in a national alert system might bring about the demise of MTS Classic TV sooner than expected.

BCE accuses condo developer of overcharging for access

BCE Inc. is having more problems with a condominium developer operating in Toronto that it has previously filed complaints about.

Bell wireless data revenue jumps 24%

BCE Inc. on Thursday reported higher revenue and profit numbers for the third quarter as it added subscribers to its its wireless, Internet and TV businesses and saw a jump in mobile-data revenue.

The company said in a press release that overall revenue was up 1.9 per cent from a year earlier to $5.2 billion in the quarter, which ended Sept. 30. Net earnings were $600 million, up from $343 million in the third quarter of 2013.

Telus quarterly revenue tops $3B for first time

Telus Corp. on Thursday reported quarterly revenue that topped $3 billion for the first time.

MTS financial numbers down despite more subs

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Wednesday reported lower third-quarter earnings and revenue, despite adding subscribers to its main retail categories.

The company said in a press release that its revenue in the quarter was down 1.5 per cent from a year earlier to $402.4 million. MTS attributed the decline largely to falling revenue in its Allstream phone services for businesses, as well as lower voice and wholesale revenue in its wireless division.

Net earnings came in at $36.5 million, down from $42 million a year earlier.

Mary Ann Turcke to head Bell Media sales

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media said Monday that Mary Ann Turcke was appointed group president of its media sales division for local TV and radio.

BCE completes acquisition of Bell Aliant

BCE Inc. said Monday that its acquisition of Bell Aliant Inc. is complete.

It said that on Friday, it gained control through compulsory acquisition of the last 12 million shares of Bell Aliant that had not been tendered.

Wireless data, faster Internet driving consumer spending: CRTC

Canadian telecom service providers got more money from their customers last year largely as a result of increased wireless data usage and demand for faster Internet, the CRTC said Thursday.

Overall spending on communications services in Canada rose 3.2 per cent in 2013, increasing to $191 per household each month from $185 in 2012, the CRTC said in its annual Communications Monitoring Report, the full version of which it released Thursday.

MTS opens new network monitoring facility

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. has opened a new Winnipeg facility for monitoring and managing its network infrastructure, the company said in a press release Thursday.

The Manitoba Network Operations Centre will also “act as a hub for innovation, knowledge and communications for MTS’s network operations personnel,” it said, adding that about 50 staff will work on the site.

The facility will monitor network components including cellular sites, backbone fibre networks and routers, servers and firewalls, it said.

VOD figures pad overall TV viewership numbers: TVB

The Television Bureau of Canada has released what it says are the first statistics on viewership of broadcast distributors’ video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, which show an additional four to nine per cent of viewers use VOD to watch TV series.

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.

OTN sponsors Greek sports channel for distribution

Odyssey Television Network Inc., which operates channels in Canada with Greek-oriented programming, is sponsoring a sports channel from Greece to be authorized for distribution in Canada.

OTN's application was posted to the CRTC's website on Thursday. It said Sport Plus, the channel it is sponsoring, is a 24-hour sports channel based in Greece that conducts all of its programming in the Greek language.

Its letter of application said initial talks with various broadcast distributors have indicated an interest in carrying such a service in Canada.

Sun News wins one, loses one in CRTC arbitration

The CRTC on Thursday awarded Quebecor Inc.'s Sun News Network a victory in one of two arbitration cases involving its carriage with broadcaster distributors, though it sided with the service provider in another.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Local TV needs another revenue stream: Bell

GATINEAU, Que. — BCE Inc. executives asked the CRTC Wednesday to put in place a “local specialty” model for local television stations, which it said are no longer financially sustainable.

“The economics of an advertising-only revenue stream can no longer pay for the costs,” Bell Media president Kevin Crull told the CRTC during the third day of its two-week Let’s Talk TV hearings into the future of television.

Comwave applies to provide TV service in Ontario

A Toronto-based provider of Internet and phone service is looking to enter Ontario's television-distribution market, according documents on the CRTC's website.

Comwave Networks Inc. has applied for a broadcast distribution licence in several of the province's markets, including areas in and surrounding Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kitchener, Windsor and London, the CRTC said on its website Wednesday. It is one of the applications the commission will consider at a hearing in Gatineau, Que., on Oct. 28.

CRTC gives public another chance for TV comment

The CRTC is giving the public another chance to make its views known in the review of the national television industry through an online forum, and it has also narrowed down its priorities for discussion to four general areas.

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.

TSN channel expansion starts Aug. 25

BCE Inc.'s TSN said Monday that it will debut its expanded format of five national broadcast feeds on Aug. 25.

MTS posts lower profit on wireless weakness

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. on Thursday posted slightly lower profits in the second quarter of 2014 from the same period last year, with growth in broadband Internet and Internet protocol TV (IPTV) revenues offset by declines in revenue for wireless and legacy services such as home phones.

The company said in an earnings release that it had a profit of $142.5 million in the quarter on revenues of $403.3 million, down from $147.6 million on $401.5 million in the same period last year.

TV providers divided on set-top ratings system

Canada’s biggest television providers are divided over the future of audience measurement via the next generation of set-top boxes.

As part of their submissions in the CRTC’s ongoing Let’s Talk TV consultation, BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., Quebecor Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. all weighed in on the creation of a new audience measurement system based on set-top box (STB) data.

SaskTel renews PPV licence, independent committee still required

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. was granted a renewal of its licence to operate a national pay-per-view service, the CRTC said Friday, though it was denied a request to eliminate the requirement of using an independent programming committee for decisions related to content considered a "local expression."

SaskTel's licence for the pay-per-view service is expiring Aug. 31, the CRTC said in a posting on its website. Its renewal is in effect until Aug. 31, 2021.

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.

CRTC approves Telus pay-per-view service

The CRTC has approved a licence application by Telus Corp. to operate a pay-per-view service, the commission said Monday.

A letter from Telus to the CRTC to support the application in October last year said the pay-per-view service would be for subscribers of its Optik TV service. It said it had been contracting SaskTel to provide pay-per-view services and, due to growth in its Optik service, it wanted to do this itself.

Cogeco partners with TiVo, ditches IPTV plans

Cogeco Cable Inc. has abandoned a multi-year project to establish an Internet protocol-based TV platform in Canada and will instead launch a service in partnership with TiVo Inc. that its CEO says gives it "all of what we want and more."

The decision to cancel plans for building out an IPTV system for Canada resulted in its third-quarter profit being cut almost in half, the company announced in a press release issued late Wednesday.

Penetration-based pricing biggest barrier to pick-and-pay: analyst

The biggest challenge standing in the way of a pick-and-pay TV system is the current penetration-based rate card regime, Scotia Capital telecom analyst Jeff Fan said in a research note.

David McLennan joins CMF board

Sierra Wireless Inc. chief financial officer David McLennan has been named to the board of the Canadian Media Fund (CMF), a public-private parternship that provides money for Canadian media producers, the group said in a press release Monday.

McLennan has been chief financial officer with Vancouver-based Sierra Wireless Inc. since 2004, according to his biography on the company's website. It said he spent 10 years before that in a variety of senior management positions with BCE Inc.

TV industry at odds on future of over-the-air

BCE Inc. wants to see over-the-air (OTA) transmitters shut down and local stations move to a model it called “local specialty,” under which they would negotiate wholesale fees with cable, IPTV and satellite-TV providers.

Bell asks CRTC to push Cogeco on customer-transfer system

BCE Inc. has asked the CRTC to force Cogeco Cable Inc. to implement an automated system for facilitating the transfer of customers between different telecommunications companies by the start of next year.

Service providers support TV choice, but not to extent suggested

In interventions submitted as part of the CRTC’s review of the future of the television, both BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. said they supported a pick-and-pay television system, though details of their submissions showed they did not favour going as far as the CRTC has suggested.

Telus switches advertising agencies: report

Telus Corp. has ended an 18-year relationship with Taxi, the advertising agency that created marketing campaigns featuring a variety of cute animals including monkeys to hippopotamuses, the Globe and Mail reported on Friday.

The Globe said on its website that, as of Sept. 1, Telus' advertising will be handled by The&Partnership.

Canadian IP traffic to expand 2.4 times by 2018: Cisco

Data transmitted over Internet protocol networks with devices in Canada will be about 2.4 times more in 2018 than what it was last year, according to a new report from Cisco Systems Inc.

Highlights of Canadian figures from Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index show IP traffic in Canada will reach a total of 42.3 exabytes (about 42.3 billion gigabytes) in 2018, compared to 17.4 exabytes in 2013. That represents average annual growth of 19 per cent between now and 2018, Cisco said.

MTS squeezes more profit out of less revenue

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Tuesday that its first-quarter earnings were up as expenses declined in the face of lower revenue.

The company’s financial statements indicated it had net income of $41.9 million in the three months ended March 31, up from $30.9 million a year before. Its revenue was $401.5 million for the period, down 1.3 per cent from the previous year. Operating expenses, combined with depreciation and amortization costs, fell to $327.4 million from $343.3 million in the first quarter of 2013.

BCE earnings up as wireless, media divisions boost revenue

BCE Inc. improved its bottom line in this year’s first quarter as wireless data revenue surged and last year’s purchase of Astral Media contributed to its overall revenue.

Revenue was up 3.7 per cent from a year earlier to $5.1 billion, the company said in a press release. Net earnings rose to $615 million from $566 million in last year’s first quarter.

Bell Aliant first-quarter financials dip

Bell Aliant Inc. on Tuesday reported declines in both first-quarter revenue and profit.

The company’s financial records indicated that revenue came in at $675.7 million, down 1.2 per cent from the previous year. Net earnings for the quarter were $76.7 million, down from $89.3 million in the first quarter of 2013.

Sun News gets on Bell, Bell Aliant TV services

Quebecor Inc.’s Sun News Network said Tuesday it has reached agreements for carriage on BCE Inc.’s Bell Fibe and satellite TV service, along with Bell Aliant Inc.’s FibreOP TV.

The terms of the agreements are consistent with the new CRTC framework for Canadian specialty news services that grants the must-offer status to Canada’s national all-news specialty services, Sun News said in a press release.

HBO signs first online-only streaming deal with Amazon

Time Warner Inc.'s HBO pay-TV service has signed a multi-year licensing deal with online retailer Amazon.com Inc. to bring its back catalog of shows, including critically acclaimed hits such as The Sopranos and The Wire, to the Prime Instant Video streaming service, available only in the United States.

MTS to add another location to fibre network

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. said Thursday it will expand its fibre-to-the-home network to Oakbank, Man., about 30 kilometres east of downtown Winnipeg, later this year.

Expanding its MTS FiON network will give residents of Oakbank access this its Ultimate TV service and “ultra fast” Internet service with download speeds of up to 250 Mbps, the company said in a press release.

Since 2010 MTS has brought fibre-to-the-home to parts of Winnipeg and Brandon, as well as 12 smaller communities in Manitoba, the company said.

Canadian TV subs to start rising again in 2015: study

The number of Canadian TV subscribers will fall 0.31 per cent this year, and then begin increasing in 2015 at an average rate of 0.25 per cent annually until 2019, according to a new study by research company Strategy Analytics.

Eric Smith, an analyst in the digital consumer practice of the company, said in a phone interview that this rise will be driven by Internet-protocol TV.  Canadian IPTV services include BCE Inc.’s Bell Fibe TV service and Telus Corp.’s OptikTV.

Telus looking to fill 360 jobs

Telus Corp. said on Twitter Tuesday it is hiring for 360 jobs.

VMedia offers cloudy version of IPTV

George Burger wants to give Canadians a more streamlined television experience, yet analysts say the high-tech Internet-protocol TV offerings from his VMedia Inc. might have limited appeal.

The IPTV service from VMedia now includes a cloud-based PVR, the company announced last week.

Darren Entwistle leaves Telus ‘in good hands’

The man who led Telus Corp.’s evolution from a Western Canada-focused home-phone services provider to what one analyst called “arguably the most successful wireless carrier in North America” is stepping down as CEO.

The company said in a press release Monday that Darren Entwistle will leave his post as president and CEO of Telus on May 8, the date of Telus’ annual general meeting, and be replaced by Joe Natale, who is currently chief commercial officer and executive vice-president.

Bell Aliant reports 50% growth in IPTV revenue

Bell Aliant Inc.’s fourth-quarter earnings report on Tuesday showed it was doing about 50 per cent more business in the area of Internet-protocol television than a year earlier.

Revenue from its IPTV services was up 50.2 per cent to $36.8 million, according to the earnings report, which showed that its IPTV customer base grew 44.8 per cent to 178,083 people.

Does the emergence of Fibe signal the end of satellite TV?

Millions of Canadians still receive their television service from signals beamed to space and back, even as the country’s dominant provider of satellite TV has given many of them a reason to switch to something else.