Heritage Committee strikes social media exemption from C-10; moves away from 7 year licence terms

The House of Commons Heritage committee has moved to strike an exemption for content posted on social media sites from regulation in the government’s much-watched update to the Broadcasting Act, known as Bill C-10.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Canadian radio broadcasters ask CRTC for space to compete with streamers

The CRTC needs to do away with restrictive regulations, argue multiple major broadcasters in response to the CRTC’s review on its commercial radio policy framework.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Broadcast Act updates not comprehensive enough: NDP, Conservatives

The Liberal government’s proposed updates to the Broadcasting Act have received sharp criticism from opposition parties, while some advocates for Canadian content makers offered up praise for Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault’s bill, tabled Tuesday as Bill C-10.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Henderson steps down as Music Canada CEO

Music Canada CEO Graham Henderson will step down from the role he’s held for more than 15 years, the organization announced in a Thursday press release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take …

Quebecor launches music streaming service

Quebecor Inc. has launched a music streaming service, QUB musique, focused on Quebec-based artists.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE TRIAL …

Stingray, Music Choice settle U.S. lawsuits

Stingray Group Inc. and Pennsylvania-based music company Music Choice have settled their duelling U.S. lawsuits involving patent infringement. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

Bell and Stingray partner on targeted ads for radio, audio streaming

BCE Inc. and Stingray Group Inc. have launched a targeted advertising platform that allows ads to be placed on their radio stations, audio streaming apps and podcasts. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. …

Telecoms ‘caught off guard’ by allegations piracy promoted at retailers: Super Channel

Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc.’s Super Channel held meetings with “totally surprised” representatives of Canadian telecoms in the weeks before it filed a Federal Court lawsuit against four major retailers, whose employees allegedly peddled the piracy benefits of media boxes they sold in stores.  This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Heritage committee calls for end of ISP safe harbour copyright rules

The House heritage committee says the government should do more to fight piracy, including holding internet service providers “accountable,” and put in place efforts to have streaming services develop and promote Canadian content. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Music orgs suing public establishments to recover royalties

While the Canadian music industry aims to address revenue shortfalls in the face of increasing internet competition, amalgamators of their content rights have been filing lawsuits against public establishments who they allege have been playing their music without a license. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Public music should feature Canadian content, Stingray says

Music in public establishments such as malls, bars and restaurants should be required to include Canadian content, resulting in additional revenue for homegrown artists, Stingray Group Inc. is suggesting. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

Stingray shelves Music Choice buy, citing price ‘disagreement’

Stingray Group Inc. said it is aborting its previously announced unsolicited bid to purchase Pennsylvania-based music company Music Choice, spelling the end of its third attempt to nab the company. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …

CRTC says Stingray can buy Newcap; deal to close this week

Stingray Digital Group Inc.’s move to enter the Canadian radio market has received the approval of the CRTC, as the regulator said Stingray could go ahead with its purchase of the second-largest private radio player in the country. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Stingray names new SVP of advertising sales

Stingray Digital Group Inc. has appointed Ryan Fuss its new senior vice-president of advertising sales, effective Oct 1. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

Canadians spent $8B on digital products last year: StatCan

According to the latest numbers from Statistics Canada, 67 per cent of adult Canadians purchased a digital product, such as a subscription to a streaming service, ebooks or online newspapers, between July 2017 and June 2018. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

CRTC opens consult on Stingray-Newcap, Quebecor-Serdy deals

The CRTC has set Sept. 4 as the deadline for comments in two acquisitions in the broadcasting sector. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

Stingray offers $120M for Music Choice

Stingray Digital Group Inc. is turning from fighting Pennsylvania-based Music Choice to offering to buy the company for $120 million US. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

YouTube Premium, YouTube Music available in Canada

Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube said Monday that its subscription platform YouTube Premium and its YouTube Music service are now available in Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

Copyright Act review shifts gears to radio, TV

The ongoing review of the Copyright Act will begin focusing on the music, radio, television and film sectors next month. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

Stingray to move into radio with NewCap parent buy

Stingray Digital Group Inc. will enter the radio business with the purchase of Newfoundland Capital Corporation Ltd. (NCC), the second-largest private radio player in the country, it said in a Wednesday release. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

CRTC denies ‘self-serving’ Sirius XM fund proposal

The CRTC has denied a proposal by Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. to create a new fund for its discretionary tangible benefits, directing most of the money to existing funds and a smaller portion to the Broadcast Participation Fund (BPF). This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

iHeartRadio files for bankruptcy in U.S.

The owner of iHeartRadio Media Inc., the company that aggregates radio content through its app, has filed for bankruptcy in the United States, though the Canadian telecom that brought it north of the border says its radio operations won’t be affected. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

CRTC asks digital giants for info, promises confidentiality

As part of its government-ordered proceeding on future content distribution models, the CRTC is asking a number of companies — including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Netflix Inc. — for information about their digital media broadcasting revenues, subscribers and viewing in Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN …

SOCAN expects higher annual revenues for 2017

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is estimating that it has broken its performing rights revenue record, according to its preliminary financial results for 2017 released on Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

End of 2017 saw Stingray, Birch Hill reinvigorate lobby efforts

Stingray Digital Group Inc. and Birch Hill Equity Partners ramped up their lobbying in December, with both submitting their first communications reports for the year in the last weeks of 2017. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital …

CRTC OKs ownership change for two Ont. radio stations

The CRTC has approved the acquisition of two Ontario radio stations by Byrnes Communications Inc. from Vista Radio Ltd. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …

Samsung to unlock FM chip in new smartphones

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. will unlock FM chips in its newer smartphones, according to a press release issued Tuesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …

Stingray buys concert streaming service

Stingray Digital Group Inc. has purchased the New York-based streaming service Quello Concerts in a move it said makes it the “the leading distributor of Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) concerts in the world.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

Need to be proactive, can’t be reactive on radio trends: Bell, Rogers

TORONTO — If there’s one thing radio players can do to be successful in an industry that has faced new competition in recent years, it is to start putting more time and energy into discovering how audiences will consume radio, especially on digital, in the future, according to representatives from some of Canada’s largest broadcasters. …

International market becoming key for music publishers: panel

OTTAWA — Markets outside of Canada are increasingly important for music publishers, a breakfast panel hosted by the Pearson Centre on Tuesday morning heard as participants discussed issues like copyright, tariffs and the new digital reality from an international perspective. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

Amazon Fire TV stick launches in Canada

Amazon.com Inc. is making available its Fire TV Stick Basic Edition plug-in streaming device available worldwide, including in Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …

Music Choice patents under review in dispute with Stingray

Stingray Digital Group Inc. is challenging the validity of patents held by Pennsylvania-based Music Choice as part of a wider conflict between the two parties. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a …

Narrow the ‘value gap,’ Music Canada tells gov’t

Music Canada is asking the government to address the disparity between the value of creative content and the revenues that are generated from it. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …

SiriusXM streaming service adds 75 channels

Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. has added 75 new channels to its SiriusXM Streaming service, it said Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire …

SOCAN appeals decision in making-available-right case

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has filed an appeal in Federal Court arguing that a Copyright Board decision that established the making available right under the Copyright Act applies to downloads erred in neglecting to apply rates on those royalties. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Amazon adds Alexa to music app

Amazon.com Inc. is making its voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant Alexa available on its Amazon Music app in some countries. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. …

Canadian cities interested in hosting 2nd Amazon HQ

Amazon.com Inc. issued a request for proposals Thursday for North American cities interested in hosting its second headquarters, and some of Canada’s biggest cities are planning to throw their hat into the ring. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media …

Smartphone streaming flat from last year: MTM

More than half of anglophones who own smartphones use the devices to stream audio content, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

Making available right established for downloads, but no rates set

The Copyright Board has ruled that the making available right under the Copyright Act applies to downloads, settling a case that began four years ago, but declined to set a value for the tariff. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

CRTC renews 11 radio stations despite non-compliance

The CRTC has renewed the licences of 11 radio stations after it found them in non-compliance with licence conditions. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …

‘No compromise’ on NAFTA cultural exemptions: ministers

Canada’s heritage and culture ministers are of one mind when it comes to the ongoing renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the need to ensure cultural exemptions remain in the new agreement, Quebec culture minister Luc Fortin said Wednesday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock …

Stingray partners with Via Rail

Stingray Digital Group Inc. will offer free access to its Stingray Music mobile app to Via Rail passengers through a partnership with the Crown corporation. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free …

Stingray Music hits 2M downloads

Stingray Digital Group Inc. said Monday its mobile music-streaming application has surpassed the two-million download mark. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE TRIAL …

32% of anglophones use music streaming services: MTM

The popularity of music streaming platforms among anglophone Canadians has grown over the past year, with 32 per cent reporting using a music streaming service in the past month when surveyed in the spring of 2017. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the …

Videotron offering extra data to Unlimited Music subscribers

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is increasing the data limits of wireless customers affected by the upcoming shutdown of its Unlimited Music service. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe …

Re:Sound application to overturn tariffs denied

The Federal Court has dismissed an application by Re:Sound Music Licensing Co. for a review of tariffs set by the Copyright Board. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to …

Extension request for Unlimited Music shutdown denied

The CRTC said Thursday it won’t give Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron extra time to shut down its Unlimited Music program. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. …

CRTC rejects Toronto area radio expansion, approves SW Ont. station

Two Ontario markets with prospective applications for broadcasting licences can’t sustain any new radio stations, the CRTC said Friday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The …

Videotron ‘author’ of own misfortune: consumer advocates

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron made its bed and now it has to lie in it, according to consumer and digital rights advocates who opposed the company’s request for a delay in complying with the CRTC’s decision rendering its Unlimited Music service was offside. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Big three take aim at Videotron customers

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. are trying to lure customers of Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron with targeted promotions, following a similar offer from Videotron. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or …

Videotron asks for extension on Unlimited Music finale

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is asking the CRTC for more time to comply with the decision killing its Unlimited Music service last month, when it was found to be out of step with the concurrent decision on differential pricing practices that essentially banned zero-rating. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Former Videotron customers returning from Bell: Brouillette

Manon Brouillette, president of Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron, downplayed the effect that BCE Inc.’s recent move to deploy fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) to all of Montreal’s homes and businesses would have on the company Thursday. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news …

Rob Farina given expanded radio role

Rob Farina will take on the role of head of radio content, strategy and iHeartRadio for BCE Inc.’s media division, the company announced in a Thursday press release.

The position, effective May 29, will follow the departure of David Corey, Bell Media’s vice-president of radio programming, who is leaving the company “for a new opportunity in the U.S.,” the release said.

Valery Zamuner appointed VP of mergers and acquisitions at Stingray

Stingray Digital Group Inc. has named Valery Zamuner to the position of senior vice-president of mergers, acquisitions and strategic initiatives, effective May 23.

Canadian music streaming brings in $128M US: report

Canada has become the world’s sixth-largest market for recorded music, according to a new report from the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

The group’s 2017 Global Music Report said digital music revenue made up 63 per cent of the $489.4 million in recorded music revenues in 2016, which increased 18.8 per cent from the previous year, it said in a press release.

Joly sitting down with foreign digital companies

Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly is meeting this week with digital platforms, telling a CBC morning radio show Friday that she was in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont., region Thursday meeting with Alphabet Inc.’s Google Canada and had appointments with Spotify AB and Facebook Inc. that day.

CBC ‘dimmer star’ in media landscape, conservative event hears

OTTAWA — When talking about CBC/Radio-Canada’s role in the media landscape, the public broadcaster is a “pygmy amongst giants,” and more focus should be aimed at large telecom companies, Dwayne Winseck argued Saturday during a debate about whether to “pull the plug” on the CBC.

75% of anglophones subscribe to TV service: MTM

New data shows that the number of anglophone Canadians with TV subscriptions has continued to fall, reaching 75 per cent in the fall of 2016 — a 14-per-cent decline over the past five years.

That number is down two per cent from a year earlier, according to a report released Tuesday by Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

The report also showed technologies like streaming, wearable devices and 4K are growing.

Marie Ginette Lepage takes SVP role at Stingray

Marie Ginette Lepage is leaving Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to join the team at Stingray Digital Group Inc., Stingray announced.

In a press release, the company said Lepage would take on the role of senior vice-president of global sales and mobile solutions, where she will “lead Stingray’s Canadian and international sales operations, drive revenue growth and business development partnerships, as well as oversee mobile sales and relationships with mobile operators.”

Sprint customers to get Tidal exclusives after acquisition

Sprint Corp. has agreed to acquire a 33-per-cent stake in music streaming service Tidal in an agreement that will see it offer exclusive music content for its customers.

The deal will provide Sprint’s 45 million retail customers with unlimited access to Tidal, as well as exclusive content for existing and new customers, the company said in a press release Monday.

A marketing fund for artists will also be set up as part of the partnership, according to the press release. 

CRTC approves three channels for distribution

The CRTC said Thursday in two decisions it has approved three channels — Stingray Brava, Bestseller and Mult — for distribution in Canada.  

Rob Farina named head of iHeartRadio

BCE Inc. has named Rob Farina head of iHeartRadio, syndication and strategic initiatives at Bell Media Radio.

67% of anglophones stream music: MTM

More than two-thirds of anglophone Canadians use the Internet to listen to streaming audio, a number that rises to more than 90 per cent among students and those under 35, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor (MTM).

Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube is the most popular way to listen to music, according to the report, with 55 per cent of anglophones reporting streaming music on YouTube, compared to 24 per cent who listen to online radio and personalized streaming services, and 25 who said they listened to podcasts.

Artists ask Joly to ‘stand up for creators’

Bernier would streamline CBC’s mandate, remove ads as CPC leader

OTTAWA — Conservative MP Maxime Bernier said Wednesday that if he is selected as the next leader of the federal Conservative Party and the next Canadian prime minister, he would move to make changes to CBC/Radio-Canada that would keep it from competing with the private sector.

MacDonald talks competition for radio, set-top rating system

CRTC commissioner Christopher MacDonald said radio stations must build on their strengths in order to deal with increasing competition in a speech to the Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) conference Thursday.

Videotron goes on defence as differential pricing hearing wraps

GATINEAU, Que. — Those who innovate shouldn’t be penalized because their competitors can’t keep up, the CRTC heard Friday from representatives of the telecom company partially responsible for this week’s public hearing on differential pricing practices.

Zero-rating regime should be similar to ITMP framework: CNOC

GATINEAU — On the first day of the CRTC’s hearing on differential pricing practices, a consortium representing small telecoms asked the CRTC to allow but regulate the practice of zero-rating, though CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais questioned how zero-rated categories would be determined under such a regime.

SoundCloud Go launches in Canada

SoundCloud has opened its subscription service, SoundCloud Go, to Canadian customers, the audio platform announced Wednesday.

In a post on the company’s blog, SoundCloud said the service, which allows listeners to stream music ad-free and access tracks and playlists offline, is available for $9.99, with a 30-day free trial.

SoundCloud Go first launched in the United States in March.

Stingray announces first ‘content distribution partner’

Stingray Digital Group Inc. said Friday it has purchased more than 600 hours of exclusive music and documentary content from EuroArts Music International GmbH, making it Stingray’s first content distribution partner.

Amazon launches second music service in U.S.

Amazon.com Inc. has launched a stand-alone music streaming service in the United States.

Some Corus talk radio stations streaming on Apple Music

Corus Entertainment Inc. is making seven of its news talk radio stations available for free internationally on Apple Inc.’s Apple Music streaming service.

The company said in a Tuesday press release that it is “the first Canadian commercial radio company” available on Apple Music. 

iHeartRadio launches in Canada

iHeartMedia Inc.'s free digital radio and music streaming service is now available in Canada, according to a press release from BCE Inc.’s media division.

The free app, iHeartRadio, is available on a preview basis ahead of its official launch on Oct. 10.

Que. music industry wants CanCon rules for streaming services, ISPs

The Association québécoise de l'industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la video (ADISQ) is asking for regulatory action to help support the music industry as it deals with the shift to streaming music services, including the imposition of new rules for both streaming services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Fresh lawsuit filed in Stingray, Music Choice dispute

Stingray Digital Group Inc. has responded to a patent infringement lawsuit filed by competitor Music Choice and filed its own suit against Music Choice alleging illegal business activities.

In June, Music Choice, a Pennsylvania-based multi-platform video and music network, filed a complaint for patent infringement against the Montreal-based company.

More devices moving Internet usage beyond home computers: Sandvine

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Amazon looking at cheaper music service: report

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need. Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now. FREE TRIAL Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters. Register for free * …

Stingray hires Rick Bergan to head U.S. distribution

Stingray Digital Group Inc. is expanding its management team with the appointment of a head of content distribution in the United States.

Twitter to live-stream out-of-market MLB games

Canadians will be able to watch some Major League Baseball (MLB) games on Twitter Inc.’s social media service.

The company said in a press release Monday that it would live-stream out-of-market games from the MLB and the National Hockey League (NHL) in the United States.

SOCAN purchases Audiam

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) has acquired a New York-based company specializing in tracking data of music released on streaming websites.

Stingray Music reaches 1M downloads

Facebook, AT&T defend differential pricing in CRTC review

Facebook Inc. and AT&T Inc. have waded into the CRTC’s review of differential pricing practices, arguing that the commission should allow carriers to offer zero-rated services and sponsored data.

Advocacy groups take aim at data caps in zero-rating review

Questions around telecoms’ usage of data caps should be at the centre of the CRTC’s proceeding on differential pricing practices, advocacy groups said in interventions, calling for the commission to impose limits on their use.

Data caps are “un-necessary evil,” said the Equitable Internet Coalition, whose members include the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), which asked the CRTC to focus the proceeding on data caps and not differential pricing.

Stingray Digital buys 4K TV channel

Stingray Digital Group Inc. said Wednesday that it has acquired the Festival 4K television channel, which broadcasts live performances, including festivals, concerts and theatre productions, according to the press release.

The Montreal-based music distributer said in a Wednesday press release that Festival 4K, launched in April 2015, has seven million subscribers under contract worldwide.

SOCAN signs on with European rights management group

The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN)  has signed an agreement with a European partner to manage Canadian rights overseas.

In a Friday press release, the French authors’ rights society, Sacem (Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music), said it will be “the first society in Europe assigned to represent the digital rights of a North American music rights organization in pan-European licences.”

Canadian support for CanCon doesn’t extend to online media: poll

The majority of Canadians doesn’t believe that online media, such as Netflix Inc.’s over-the-top (OTT) service or music streaming services like Spotify AB's, should fall under the same Canadian content rules as traditional media outlets, suggest the results of a new public opinion poll.

Smartphone penetration 77% among anglophones: MTM

Modify zero-rated plans to hit net neutrality goals: Sandvine

If communications providers stick to principles of transparency and openness, zero-rated and sponsored data services can stay out of regulatory and consumer trouble, according to a report released Monday by Sandvine Inc.