As CBC’s funding increases, will it have to change course?

Following last fall’s election, the government is set to boost CBC/Radio-Canada's funding, but when that will happen and under what conditions is unclear. It also remains to be seen whether the public broadcaster will continue the long-term plan it began under the former Conservative government.

The new Liberal government plans to hold a consultation prior to making additional funding available, though it’s not disclosing when it will happen, how comprehensive that consultation will be or how it might affect CBC’s current plans.

Bell to bring iHeartRadio to Canada

BCE Inc. announced Wednesday it has signed a partnership deal with iHeartMedia Inc. in order to bring iHeartRadio, the free digital radio and music streaming service based in the U.S., to Canada this year.

It said in a press release that iHeartRadio will provide customers “instant access to the live radio feature,” and will showcase content from Bell’s broadcast and digital-only radio stations across mobile, auto dashes, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles and wearables.  

TV ads most influential among Canadians: survey

In a survey of Canadian adults, 57 per cent said they are most likely to notice an advertisement while watching TV, compared to 13 per cent who said they were most likely to do so while listening to the radio and only two per cent who said they were likely to do so watching video content on a mobile device, according to a new survey conducted by Thinktv Inc. that was released Wednesday.

Shaw provides better public WiFi for premium plans

Shaw Communications Inc. announced Wednesday that all customers who are subscribed to its Internet 30, or any broadband Internet plan above that, will have access to download speeds six times faster when connected to any of the 75,000 Shaw Go WiFi hotspot across Western Canada.

Tablet shipments to be down 8.1% this year: IDC

Global tablet shipments will be down 8.1 per cent for 2015 overall, though tablets with detachable keyboards are expected to see strong growth for this year and in 2016, according to International Data Corp.

The technology research company said in a press release Tuesday that tablet shipments will total 211.3 million this year.

Google launches YouTube Kids in Canada

Google Inc. announced Wednesday it is launching in Canada its YouTube app for children. 

It said in a blogpost that the YouTube Kids app will be a “safer version of YouTube, a family-friendly place for kids to explore their imagination and curiosity.” It added that parents and kids will be able to browse through channels and playlists that are separated into four categories: shows, music, learning and explore.

Apple Music available on Android

Apple Inc. has made its music-streaming app available for Android devices.

The Apple Music website now includes a link, that takes users to the Google Play store, to download what it calls a "beta" version of the app for Google Inc.'s Android operating system.

Apple Pay coming to Canada, with Amex

Apple Inc.'s mobile payment system is coming to Canada but will be, at least initially, limited to holders of credit cards from American Express Co.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, during a conference call Tuesday to discuss the company's fourth-quarter earnings, announced that Apple Pay would be in Canada and Australia this year for American Express customers, and Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong would follow next year.

Apple Pay is currently operational only in the United States and United Kingdom.

Most francophones consume some English media: survey

Most French-speaking Canadians watch some English television and film, and most of those do so at least once a week, according to a newly released survey.

CBC/Radio-Canada's Media Technology Monitor said in a report released Thursday that 60 per cent of francophones in Canada reported viewing English TV or film, and 66 per cent of those who said they consumed English content did so on a weekly basis.

Are apps the future of TV?

In the past 18 months, Ottawa-based TV app-maker You.i TV has grown from 20 employees to 130, and the company expects that kind of expansion to continue in the next year, according to Matt Nelson, You.i TV’s director of marketing.

Netflix raises price $1 per month

Netflix Inc. has raised pricing for new Canadian customers signing up for its standard package by $1, to $9.99 a month, according to its website.

The increase applies to the package that includes high-definition content and allows the same account to be viewed on two screens simultaneously. A basic package with no HD content and that can only be viewed on one device at a time remains $7.99 a month, while the premium package that includes 4K content and usage of up to four devices at a time is still $11.99.

Rogers dives into 4K video, gigabit Internet

Rogers Communications Inc. on Monday announced it is moving forward with two different kinds of technology — 4K video and gigabit-speed Internet — though one commentator says the success of either of these initiatives is uncertain.

Rogers CEO Guy Laurence said during a live-streamed press conference from Rogers Centre in Toronto — home of the Blue Jays baseball team — that 40 per cent of television sets sold in Canada this holiday season will be 4K.

"This is going to be a 4K Christmas," Laurence said.

Desjardins releases mobile payments for small business

Financial services cooperative Desjardins Group announced on Wednesday new applications to allow small business, self-employed workers and "merchants on the go" to collect card payments with portable tools.

Corus releases two kids’ TV-everywhere apps

Corus Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it is launching the YTVGo and NickGO TV-everywhere apps, which will be available to subscribers of its YTV and Nickelodeon channels.

“These apps give kids and families access to live YTV and Nickelodeon network streams along with an extensive offering of their favourite on-demand episodes,” the company said in a press release Tuesday.

Canada will lag U.S. on mobile video: Huang

Canada will trail the United States in the rollout of mobile-oriented video services for a variety of reasons, Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang said in a research note Monday.

Big Three reluctant to finance smartphone purchases

Executives from BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Telus Corp. said Tuesday they are not interested in offering the type of smartphone leasing or financing plans that are increasingly available to customers in the U.S., though they’re willing to consider the option if others move that way.

“If the market changes, we’ll change with the market,” Bell CEO George Cope said during the Bank of Montreal media and telecom conference from Toronto. “We’ll see how it evolves.”

Smartphones owned by 73% of anglo Canadians: MTM

Smartphone penetration among anglophone Canadians was at 73 per cent this spring, according to a new report by Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

MTM said in a report Tuesday that the proportion of anglos with smartphones has grown from 69 per cent in 2014, 66 per cent in 2013 and was as low as 10 per cent in 2008.

The report showed that 86 per cent of anglophone Canadians report owning a cellphone of some kind, which was unchanged from the previous two years.

CBS to live-stream first regular-season NFL game

CBS Corp.’s sports division said Tuesday that next month it will live-stream a regular-season National Football League game for the first time.

Major tech companies form new-media consortium

Seven technology companies announced on Tuesday a new alliance to develop next-generation media formats, codecs and technologies to meet demand for better video, audio, imagery and streaming quality across all platforms and devices.

Amazon adds download option for Prime customers

Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Video members in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Austria will now be able to download movies and TV shows for easy offline viewing at no additional cost, the company said in a press release Tuesday.

Amazon said that its over-the-top subscription streaming service will be the first ever to offer the option to download videos for both Apple Inc.’s iOS and Google Inc.’s Android platforms.

Smartphone shipments growth to slow, tablets to decline further: IDC

New reports from International Data Corp. indicate that smartphone shipments will still grow but slow down from its previous expectations, while tablet shipments are expected to decline further than previously thought this year.

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. 

Instagram users more tech savvy: MTM

A new report released Monday from Media Technology Monitor (MTM) says 85 per cent of Canadian users of Facebook Inc.’s photo and video-sharing app, Instagram, are younger than 50 and most are prone to owning new technology.

Internet transaction volume to rise 60% by 2018: Juniper

Worldwide transactions using devices connected to the Internet will reach 125 billion annually in volume by 2018, a gain of 60 per cent over what's expected this year, Juniper Research Ltd. said Monday.

Juniper said in a press release that some of the factors that will drive this growth will be more access to WiFi or 4G mobile signals on public transportation, the continued transition to more digital versions of products that were previously bought on CDs or DVDs, and the rise in subscription streaming services.

Telus launches Business Connect in Quebec

Telus Corp. said Monday that it has launched in Quebec a service called Business Connect, an advanced cloud-communications business service, in partnership with RingCentral Inc.

It said in a press release that the service was launched to help small businesses that do not use traditional phone services but rely more on smartphones as primary means of voice communications.

Braille smartwatch in development to give blind another option

A South Korean company is aiming to provide blind people with the first-ever braille-display smartwatch this year, and a representative from the Canadian Institute for the Blind (CNIB) says it provides an opportunity for many to improve their quality of life.

Quadruple screening on rise in English Canada: MTM

A report released Wednesday shows that 27 per cent of anglophone Canadians surveyed have four different screens that connect to the Internet — a computer, smartphone, tablet and television.

The study, from CBC/Radio-Canada's Media Technology Monitor, said that proportion is up from three per cent three years ago.

Canadian company plans niche OTT channels

Toronto-based TableRock Media announced on Tuesday plans to launch niche Internet-based video channels for worldwide distribution, starting next year.

The company said in a press release that it would create channels dedicated to topics including guitars, aviation and motorcycles, which it described as "billion-dollar industries that attract a large consumer base within their categories."

It said it would offer a mix of original and acquired programming on these channels, including documentaries, films and hosted series.

Bell mobile-TV opponents call it OTT service