As its TV ad revenue drops, Corus says ad tech is the future

Corus Entertainment Inc. executives emphasized their optimism about future plans in the advertising technology and programmatic ad space as the company reported quarterly results Wednesday that showed its television advertising revenues fell to the tune of four per cent in the first quarter of 2018. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? …

BPF registers to lobby amidst consumer group funding concerns

A few months after the emergence of a proposal asking the CRTC to shift funding away from the Broadcast Participation Fund (BPF), the organization that helps bring consumer interests in front of the commission has filed its first registrations to lobby the regulator and the government. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Size of 600 MHz set-aside, licence areas points of contention

While much of the debate around the upcoming 600 MHz spectrum auction has centered on implementing spectrum set-asides, issues like imposing a spectrum cap and the size of any set-aside, the ability of small providers to participate, and compensation for TV stations are also being hammered out in the lead-up to the action. This content …

Videotron reaches 1M wireless subscribers as it reports Q3 results

Quebecor Inc. said its wireless division has eclipsed one million subscribers since posting higher revenues and profits in its third-quarter earnings 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 …

Potential described video costs ‘exorbitant’: TVA Group

Quebecor Inc.’s TVA Group has requested the modification of a condition of license requiring it to provide a certain amount of described video by Sept. 2019, according to a new Part 1 application. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

Rogers unfazed by Freedom ‘Big Gig’ offer: CEO

Joe Natale isn’t worried about Shaw Communications Inc.’s move to offer its Freedom customers 10 gigabytes for $50, effectively turning away the idea that the move is a game changer in the industry. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting …

CRTC consulting on mandatory carriage renewals

The CRTC will consider mandatory distribution licence renewals for nine television channels when it holds a hearing next year, the regulator said in a Tuesday 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 …

New CEO in at TVA Group after management shuffle

TVA vice-president of programming, France Lauzière, has replaced Julie Tremblay as the president and CEO of Quebecor Inc.’s TVA Group, the company said in an Oct. 13 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 …

Privacy commish issues Equifax advice; Canoe reports breach

The federal privacy commissioner is urging Canadians who are worried about whether their personal information was affected by the Equifax Inc. hack to contact the company directly. 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 …

High interim tariffs, logistics still mire disaggregated system

The CRTC’s goal of fuelling wireline competition by jumpstarting the industry’s rollout of the disaggregated wholesale regime Tuesday will be constrained if interim access fees remain high and if the issue of how small providers will connect to fibre facilities is not addressed, representatives of small providers say. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already …

CRTC to hold Toronto hearing on broadcasting applications

The CRTC said Thursday that it has scheduled a hearing to take place in Toronto on Nov. 27 to consider 11 broadcasting applications. 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 …

CRTC OK’s dropping dual OMNI obligation ahead of Sept. 1 launch

Applications by Shaw Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to allow them to drop duplicate OMNI feeds once the OMNI Regional service begins broadcasting have been approved. 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 …

Small ISPs welcome rollout of disaggregated wholesale regime

The CRTC kickstarted the industry’s move to a disaggregated wholesale wireline regime Tuesday, setting interim rates and giving wholesale fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) access to smaller providers in Ontario and Quebec, a decision that those companies say will allow them to keep pace with bigger competitors and increasing consumer demands. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a …

Videotron latest to announce X1-based IPTV

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron will launch its IPTV service using the X1 platform from Comcast Corp., the company said in a press release 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 …

Strong wireless trend continues with Quebecor Q2

Quebecor Inc. continued the industry trend of steady gains in wireless this past quarter, with Videotron’s mobile phone revenues jumping to almost $150 million in the three months ended June 30. 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 …

Quebecor, Shaw to benefit from 600 MHz set-asides: analysts

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile will be the big winners if Innovation Canada goes ahead with its plans to set aside spectrum for smaller players in the upcoming 600 MHz auction, financial analysts said. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all …

Kodi add-on host prepping for legal battle

A Montreal man connected to a popular repository for Kodi add-ons, who was ordered by the Federal Court to submit to the search and seizure of his property following a claim by a group of telecoms, is fundraising to fight the lawsuit. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here …

Transparency reporting in Canada: still opaque?

Without an Edward Snowden-like scandal, exposing inappropriate government access of citizens’ personal information, the current landscape may be as good as it gets for transparency reporting in Canada, a privacy expert says. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Videotron-Freedom spectrum sale complete

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has closed its spectrum sale to Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile, the company announced Monday. 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. …

Péladeau criticizes CRTC for TVA licence changes

Quebecor Inc. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau is chastising the CRTC for its May 15 decision involving changes to the broadcasting licences of Quebecor’s TVA for increasing the company’s “regulatory burden” by imposing new 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 …

Videotron facing patent infringement claim from TiVo

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is being sued for patent infringement by TiVo Inc. and one of its subsidiaries, on a claim that the Canadian telecom is unlawfully using its intellectual property after failing to renew licences that expired at the end of 2016. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

ISED approves Videotron spectrum transfer to Freedom

Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) has approved the transfer of spectrum licences from Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to Shaw Communications Inc.’s Freedom Mobile. 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 …

Shaw, Quebecor OMNI applications expedited

The deadline for interventions in a pair of Part 1 applications to the CRTC from Shaw Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc. has been changed from July 31 to July 14. 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 …

STB data measurement complex task, group says

Activity by a working group tasked with studying the implementation of an audience measurement system via set-top boxes is slow, but steady, TV providers told the CRTC, with user privacy coming to bear as a top concern for those involved. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot …

CCSA leads lobbying after Hill visit

Last month’s deluge of Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) members on Parliament Hill for the group’s third annual lobby day pushed the organization to the top of the telecom lobbying list for the second month this year, logging 49 communication reports in May. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in …

Spectrum buy to improve Shaw network, but benefits will take time: analysts

Shaw Communications Inc. announced Tuesday that it has purchased 700MHz and 2500MHz spectrum from Quebecor Inc. for $430 million, in what Shaw described as  “a significant milestone towards improving network coverage and quality across Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.” This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, …

‘Alternative video’ services more satisfying than pay TV: study

Non-traditional TV subscribers, such as those who use over-the-top (OTT) services, are more satisfied than those with traditional pay-TV subscriptions, a new J.D. Power survey suggested. 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 …

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 …

Telecoms pooh-pooh affordability fund

Establishing a dedicated fund to tackle service affordability for low-income Canadians as part of the CRTC’s basic telecom services objective is not the right way to handle the issue, according to the majority of service providers who responded to an application to review and vary the regulator’s December decision. This content is available to wirereport.ca …

Quebecor has tools to combat Bell fibre push: Pruneau

Jean-Francois Pruneau, Quebecor Inc.’s senior vice-president and chief financial officer, told an investor’s conference Thursday that his company’s quad-play strategy in Quebec will limit the impact of BCE Inc.’s recently-announced fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) build out in Montreal. This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers Already a subscriber? Sign in here LOGIN Forgot password? Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and …

Terrebonne asks CRTC for help with access agreement

Another Canadian municipality is turning to the CRTC after failing to agree on a municipal access agreement with telecoms. 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 …

Koodo, Virgin Mobile tops in wireless purchase satisfaction: study

Wireless customers are taking advantage of an improved online experience and increasingly making purchases over the Internet, according to the results of a study released 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 …

Quebec union ‘disappointed’ budgets didn’t address taxation imbalance

A Quebec union representing communications sector employees said it is disappointed with both the federal and provincial budgets, saying that in “both cases, no action has been taken to counter tax avoidance and unfair competition” by foreign digital companies like Netflix Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Facebook Inc.

Quebecor revenue, profits up in Q4

Quebecor Inc. reported $3.88 billion in revenue in the fourth quarter of 2015, up 7.5 per cent or $271.8 million from a year earlier.

It also reported a net loss of $22.5 million in the three-month period ending December 2015, a decline that was less than the $50.3 million it suffered in the comparable quarter last year. 

Péladeau confirms he won’t bring change to Quebecor

After analyst speculation about whether Quebecor Inc.’s returning CEO would affect the strategic direction of the company, Pierre Karl Péladeau confirmed on a conference call Wednesday that his return won’t alter Quebecor’s plans.   

“With the last 16 years, we’ve been following the same strategy…in the combination of content and distribution,” Péladeau said on the call with analysts reporting the company’s fourth quarter earnings.

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.

Investor concerns about changes at Quebecor ‘overdone’: Huang

Some investors are worried about potential disruptions at Quebecor Inc. following the return of former CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau to the company, though such concern is overblown, said Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang.

Péladeau’s return to Quebecor shouldn’t affect business: analysts

The man who led Quebecor Inc. for 14 years but left to join provincial politics will return as head of the company Thursday, though despite the change in leadership, analysts expect business to continue as usual.

Effective immediately, Pierre Karl Péladeau will return to the company his father founded in 1965 and he headed from 1999 to 2013. National Bank Financial analyst Adam Shine said in a research note that “Mr. Péladeau is back. Figuratively, we’re not sure he ever really left.”

Videotron introduces flat-rate roaming

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is introducing a new service for customers to avoid bill shock when roaming internationally.

The Daily Traveller Pass will allow customers to pay a flat fee — at $6 per day travelling in the United States or $10 per day in more than 100 other countries — to relieve “phone bill surprise,” a Wednesday press release said.

Don’t divorce handset, service pricing: wireless providers

GATINEAU, Que. — Changing the rules so that the cost of a wireless device is divorced from a monthly service payment on a customer’s bill would take a considerable amount of work to implement, a CRTC panel heard Tuesday as the regulator continued its review of the three-year-old Wireless Code.

Anne Vivien new Quebecor EVP of music development

Quebecor Inc. said Monday music creation will be a key focus for the company going forward, as it announced the appointment of a new executive vice-president of music development, Anne Vivien.

“Already a big music industry player, Quebecor Media is committed to building growth by making new music creation a core priority,” the company said in a press release.

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.”

Build voice and data support at same time in NG911 system: Freedom

GATINEAU, Que. — There are unique considerations for wireless carriers when contemplating the switch to next-generation 911 (NG911) services, a CRTC panel was told on the penultimate day of a public hearing on improvements to the 911 network, including the fact they can offer more services for 911 users more quickly.

Court dismisses dispute over hydro pole pricing

A panel of Ontario Divisional Court judges has dismissed an application from a group of telecom companies disputing the Ontario Energy Board’s handling of setting new rates for attaching communications equipment to hydro poles in Ottawa.

In a Dec. 14 decision, judges Anne Molloy, Michael Dambrot and Michael Varpio sided with the Ontario Energy Board and Hydro Ottawa, which last year raised its pole attachment rate from the 2005 price of $22.35 per pole per year to $53. The new rates came into effect on Jan. 1.

‘Virtually impossible’ to quantify damage from set-top boxes: telecoms

BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron are asking a federal court judge to dismiss an appeal of an injunction banning sales of “pre-loaded” set-top boxes.

Skinny basic best practices not enough to ‘scare’ BDUs: PIAC

The best practices for TV service providers offering skinny-basic cable packages announced by the CRTC Monday don’t amount to much more than lip service, with no real consequences for providers who don’t align themselves with the regulator’s preferred behaviour, according to a consumer advocate.

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.

Telecom services bolster Quebecor’s Q3

Quebecor Inc.’s telecommunications services boosted its third quarter, as it posted an $8.3-million loss, the company said in its quarterly financial report Thursday.

Quebecor announces job cuts, magazine closures

Quebecor Inc. said Wednesday it was making cuts to its media division to “maintain its lead in news and content production and keep focusing on its flagship brands.”

In a press release, the company said it was reducing its Quebecor Media Group workforce by 220 positions, or nearly eight per cent, and cutting 125 TVA Group jobs, consisting mainly of “managers, professionals and administrative support staff, in order to bring staffing levels in line with the organization's changes and reduce operating costs.”

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.

TVA Group posts smaller loss, buoyed by hockey

TVA Group Inc. reported a smaller net loss in the third quarter compared to the previous year, as revenues were lifted by the World Cup of Hockey event this fall. 

In the three-month period ended Sept. 30, the Quebecor Inc. subsidiary reported a net loss of $32.5 million, compared to a loss of $36.4 million in the same period a year earlier.

AT&T, Time Warner deal shows VI trending in opposite directions: analyst

A potential merger between AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Cable Inc. highlights a move by United States-based companies toward vertical integration, just as developments in Canada suggest the opposite is happening north of the border, according to an analyst.

“While the U.S. is becoming more vertically integrated, Canada is moving in the other direction,” Jeff Fan, an analyst at Scotiabank, said in a note Monday.

CRTC’s lowering of HSA rates means small ISPs ‘free to innovate’: CNOC

The CRTC has set revised interim wholesale rates for high-speed access (HSA) services, criticizing large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for proposing “unreasonable” rates that were too high, in a move small ISPs say leaves them “free to innovate.”

Bell asks for injunction against VMedia OTT service

BCE Inc. is asking the Ontario Superior Court to grant an interim and permanent injunction to stop VMedia Inc. from delivering Bell's CTV channels on its over-the-top (OTT) service.

Shaw best-positioned carrier, regardless of Liberal policy: Barclays

Shaw Communications Inc. is “the one player in the industry who is very well positioned” regardless of the direction the Liberal government takes on wireless policy, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday.

Class action targets automatic service price adjustment

Lawyers are asking a Quebec court to allow a class action lawsuit against companies that they allege are violating the province’s consumer protection laws by requiring customers to take the initiative to cancel services after fixed promotional periods.

Quebecor in ‘no rush’ to get rid of 700MHz spectrum: Pruneau

Quebecor Inc.’s chief financial officer Jean-François Pruneau said Thursday the company is content to wait to sell the 700 MHz spectrum it picked up in 2014 and never deployed, given its value continues to grow with time.

CRTC skinny basic hearing ‘premature,’ telecoms say

As the CRTC is set to look into the implementation of its skinny basic TV package rules by industry, telecoms are arguing the proceeding is largely premature, given that the commission’s skinny basic regime still hasn’t been fully implemented.

Bell’s Wholesale Code appeal, conditions of licence ask face stiff opposition

BCE Inc. has “unclean hands” in its effort to have the Wholesale Code overturned by the federal Appeal Court while simultaneously applying to have removed certain conditions of licence imposed on vertically integrated entities in 2013 by the CRTC during the ongoing licence renewal process, lawyers argued in court documents responding to Bell’s appeal.

CRTC allowing off-tariff GSM agreements, for now

The CRTC has determined that a hands-off approach to regulating roaming rates on GSM networks until it approves a final set of guidelines would not put smaller carriers in a negotiating disadvantage with larger ones.

The regulator drew that conclusion in a decision on Friday, stating that negotiations on GSM roaming pricing are optional and if a smaller carrier does not agree with the terms, “ it can use a Commission-approved default tariff that contains rates, terms, and conditions that are just and reasonable.”

Federal gov’t facing second legal battle over wireless wipeout

The Canadian government could end up fighting a war on two fronts over the previous government’s drive to have four national wireless carriers.

According to a notice on the Global Affairs Canada website, on June 6 the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes registered an arbitration request from Egyptian telecom company Global Telecom Holdings S.A.E. (GTH) that “concerns GTH’s investment in Wind Mobile, over the period of 2008-2014.”

Hockey heartache helps push TVA Group to $5.7M loss

A poor showing by the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens helped to usher in a $5.7 million net loss for TVA Group Inc., the broadcasting and magazine publishing arm of Quebecor Inc.

According to a report on its second quarter earnings, TVA Group said it brought in $144.2 million in revenue by the end of the three months ending June 30, compared to $159.4 million the same quarter a year earlier. The $5.7 million loss was higher than the $2.6 million it lost in the same quarter of last year.

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.

Sports now make up 50% of top 10 grossing channels: CRTC

Sportsnet One and TVA Sports are, for the first time, in the top 10 highest-grossing TV channels, according to the CRTC’s latest stats on Canadian programming—and of those top 10, five are sports channels.

The commission released its 2015 financial results for specialty, pay, pay-per-view (PPV) and video-on-demand (VOD) television services on Thursday.

Broadcast licence renewal hearing set for November

The CRTC said Wednesday it will hold a public hearing to renew broadcast licences held by large ownership groups, including Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., Corus Entertainment Inc. and Quebecor Inc. this fall.

CRTC ‘rebalances’ TV system funds; up to $90M available for local news

The CRTC has established new funding for local television news in a decision on its local and community TV hearing, though advocates expressed concern that the changes won’t happen quickly enough for some stations.

In a summary of the decision, issued Wednesday afternoon, the CRTC said independent stations will be able to tap into a $23.1-million Independent Local News Fund (ILNF), while new flexibility could make available up to $66.9 million for stations operated by vertically-integrated companies.

Club Illico announces 4K production

Another Canadian company is joining the ultra-high-definition field, with Quebecor Inc. announcing its media division was producing its first 4K show.

Videotron’s over-the-top (OTT) service Club Illico said in a Tuesday press release that new police series Victor Lessard, based on books by author Martin Michaud, would premiere in the winter of 2017 in 4K.

CRTC launches review of zero-rating, sponsored data

Net neutrality advocates welcomed the CRTC’s launch of a new consultation on “differential pricing practices” for both wireline and wireless data plans Wednesday, a process that will see a public hearing kick off on Oct. 31.

Tamir Israel, a lawyer with the Samuel-Gloshko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, said in a phone interview that having “this broader review that’s going to put in place a more-principled framework and look beyond ad-hoc scenarios that have come up so far is a good step.”

Big-box wireless customers ‘high risk’: study

Consumers who shop at big-box stores are more likely to purchase unlocked phones and are more likely to switch wireless providers, according to results of a study released Thursday.

No charging after cancellation, CRTC reminds service providers

The CRTC issued a clarification Thursday reminding telecommunications service providers that they can’t charge for services once they’ve been cancelled.

“Furthermore, service providers must offer individuals and small business customers a refund upon cancellation, based on the number of days remaining in the billing cycle, if the service fees are billed in advance,” the commission said in a press release.

Péladeau steps down as PQ leader

Pierre Karl Péladeau announced Monday he is resigning as the leader of Quebec’s Parti Québécois, citing family reasons.

Quebecor Inc. said in a press release following the announcement that it wouldn’t be commenting on the resignation.

Koodo leads in customer-service satisfaction: study

Millennial wireless customers are pushing the trend to online, self-serve options for customer service, according to a new J.D. Power study released Thursday.

TVA shuts down business channel

TVA Group Inc., the broadcasting and magazine publishing division of Quebecor Inc., announced Tuesday its Argent channel, a business and financial specialty service, will go off the air as of April 30.

TVA said in a press release that it requested that the CRTC revoke its broadcasting licence.

Sugar Mobile model threatens facilities-based competition: Telus, Quebecor

Allowing Sugar Mobile to continue roaming on Rogers Communications Inc.’s network would be a “backdoor means” to mandated mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) access, and “a recipe to destroy any appetite for facilities-based competition,” Telus Corp. said.

CRTC tells Videotron it can drop Avis de recherche

The CRTC decided Thursday Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron no longer has to distribute ADR.TV, known as Avis de recherche, and that Videotron did not give itself an undue preference by dropping the channel while continuing to distribute the Quebecor-owned Le Canal Nouvelles (LCN). 

TVA Group posts Q4 revenue increase

TVA Group Inc., the broadcasting and magazine publishing arm of Quebecor Inc., reported a 147 per cent rise in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2015, bringing in $16.8 million compared to $6.8 million during the same period a year earlier.

In a Friday press release, TVA also reported a $1.5 million loss attributable to shareholders, down from a $4.4 million loss attributable to shareholders in the same period in 2014.

Shaw to keep Wind’s current strategy in place: exec

As it takes ownership of Wind Mobile, Shaw Communications Inc. will continue positioning Wind as a cheaper option compared to the big three national wireless carriers, according to the company’s chief operating officer.

In a wide-ranging phone interview with The Wire Report, Jay Mehr said Shaw plans to keep the same “strategy that Wind has been executing over the course of last year.”

TVA, Bell Media take down illegal sports streaming website

Quebecor Inc.’s TVA division and BCE Inc.’s media subsidiary have shut down a website that was pirating the TVA Sports and RDS sports channels.

The companies said in a press release Friday that they seized computer equipment from those that were operating an illegal streaming site whose pirated streams included content from the two channels.

Videotron to stream 4K sports content

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron announced Thursday it will be offering live sports in 4K quality to its Illico ultra-high-definition set-top-box customers.

The company said in a press release that it will stream 12 games in total – four upcoming Ottawa Senators NHL games and eight Toronto Raptors NBA games.

Videotron said in an email that these are the only games that will stream "for the moment," and will be produced by BCE Inc.’s TSN on channel 910.

CRTC says incumbents can’t change terms in interim roaming rates

The CRTC has told Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc., and Telus Corp. that the terms and conditions in interim tariffs the incumbents filed following the CRTC’s move in May to regulate some roaming rates must be consistent with the agreements in place at the time the decision was made.

Videotron’s MAtv still violating licence conditions: complaint

A group that previously battled MAtv, the community channel operated by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron, is telling the CRTC that MAtv is still violating the conditions of its licence months after a CRTC decision found it in non-compliance.

Quebecor reports big gains in mobile, OTT

Quebecor Inc.'s third-quarter financial report showed the company is seeing strong gains in the areas of mobile service and its over-the-top streaming service, Club Ilico.

The company said in a press release Thursday that revenue for three months ended Sept. 30 was $971.7 million, up 9.5 per cent from a year earlier. That included a gain of six per cent from telecommunications operations, 21.3 per cent from media, and 33.9 per cent from its sports and entertainment activities.

Rogers, Telus on opposing sides of zero-rated music case

An undue-preference complaint against a music streaming service offered by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron has Rogers Communications Inc. arguing that zero-rating the service is a net-neutrality violation, while Telus Corp. is supporting Videotron and saying the service does not harm consumers.

Supreme Court denies Bell appeal against Quebecor

The Supreme Court on Thursday denied BCE Inc.'s appeal of damages it was ordered to pay Quebecor Inc. subsidiaries for the hacking of Bell's satellite-TV service a decade or more ago and the lost revenue that resulted among competing providers of TV service.

The case was dismissed with costs, with the court providing no reason for its decision. Quebecor said in a press release that Bell now owes it $141 million, including interest and expert fees.

CRTC merges complaints against Videotron music service

The CRTC has merged two complaints against a service by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron that exempts some music streaming services from counting against mobile customers’ data caps.

Stingray launches 4K TV channel

Stingray Digital Group Inc. has launched a channel that it says is the first in North America to offer around-the-clock 4K content.

The Stingray Ambiance channel is available through TV service offered by Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron, Stingray said in a press release Thursday.

PIAC launches complaint against Videotron music service

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is asking the CRTC to direct Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron to change the price structure of its new music service, which exempts data consumed through some music streaming apps from data caps.

Videotron “favours its own mobile service by making it more attractive and less expensive to use at the expense of all other [Internet] use and in particular any other non-covered audio content, streamed or otherwise,” PIAC said in a Part 1 complaint filed Tuesday.

Videotron to launch new music service

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron announced Tuesday it will be launching a new music service later this week.

It said in a news release that a service called Unlimited Music will be “a Canadian first in mobile services,” adding that more information will be released at a press conference on Thursday.