Pick-and-pay drives customer satisfaction: J.D. Power

A new J.D. Power survey has found customers who have a skinny-basic TV package with a pick-and-pay option are more satisfied than TV customers with other types of subscriptions.

Satisfaction among skinny-basic customers was 761 on a 1,000-point scale, as compared to 738 among customers with premium service, 708 among those with “a pre-set expanded basic package” and 700 among those with basic cable, J.D. Power said in a press release Thursday.

MTS considered SaskTel merger, Telus and Rogers declined to bid

An information package for Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. shareholders sheds some light on the genesis of the proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of the company by BCE Inc., announced May 2.

According to the 192-page document outlining various terms of the agreement in which shareholders could receive $40 cash per MTS share, it was a week-and-a-half-long process from offer to public announcement.

76% of anglophones multitask while watching TV: MTM

According to a new report, 76 per cent of anglophones used the Internet at the same time as they watched television in 2015.

“While multitasking has grown immensely over time, incidence has slowed over the past year,” MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada said. Only 12 per cent of anglophones reported multitasking in 2001, a number that rose to 66 per cent in 2013 and 74 per cent in 2014.

Remove foreign ownership rules: OECD

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is recommending giving Canada’s economy a boost by removing foreign ownership rules for telecommunications and broadcasting.

Bell Media adding to 4K arsenal

BCE Inc.’s media division is commissioning original, scripted 4K content, the company announced Wednesday.

MTS shareholders to vote on Bell deal

Shareholders in Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. will have their say in the proposed merger with BCE Inc. later this month.

VMedia sets sights on incumbents as it expands outside Ont.

Ontario Internet service and television provider VMedia Inc. will expand to Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta in the next two weeks — a move the company says will see its services become available to about 75 per cent of Canadian households as it aims to compete with Canada’s largest telecom companies.

“It’s a very substantial effort for us, because … we’re still largely a start-up company in many respects,” VMedia co-founder George Burger said in a phone interview Wednesday.

61% of Manitobans disapprove of Bell-MTS deal: Angus-Reid

The sale of Manitoba’s largest telecommunications company is not sitting well with Manitobans, with 61 per cent stating they don’t approve of the deal, while only 21 per cent said it would be good or very good for the province, according to a new Angus Reid poll.

The survey, released Wednesday, also found that disapproval is highest among those who are paying the closest attention to the story.

CRTC within right to ban Super Bowl simsub, lawyers argue

The CRTC has every right to put measures into place banning simultaneous substation for the Super Bowl, according to new documents filed with the Appeal Court.

Bell-MTS deal raised in Manitoba legislature

The proposed $3.9-billion acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. dominated question period in the Manitoba legislature this week, with the opposition NDP peppering the governing Conservatives with questions about their support of the merger for three straight days.

Allarco enters creditor protection

Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., which owns Super Channel, is now in creditor protection, the company announced Thursday.

It said in a press release that “after consideration of all available alternatives… it is initiating a Court-supervised restructuring process under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act… in order to facilitate a restructuring and refinancing of its business operations.”

CBC funding to destroy ‘precarious balance’ in industry: Que. broadcasters

A group of Quebec broadcasters say that unless accountability measures are put in place, the increased funding the federal government has slated for CBC/Radio-Canada will be a “blank cheque” allowing it to “step up its already ferocious competition against private broadcasters.”

Lose focus on CanCon, say think tank authors

Technological changes to the broadcasting and communications landscape require a similar shift in the regulatory environment, according to authors of a pair of new think-tank reports released Wednesday, both of which call for less focus from the CRTC on Canadian content.

Four telecoms singled out for skinny-basic hearing

The CRTC said Tuesday it will hold a hearing on the implementation of skinny basic TV packages, though it only asked four companies — BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron — to appear at the Sept. 7 proceeding.

Since they became available in March, 100,000 Canadians have signed up for the new packages, the commission said in a press release.

EU to impose content quotas, contributions on OTT: report

The European Union is set to put in place rules forcing streaming services to have a minimum of 20 per cent EU content in their catalogues, according to the Financial Times.

The newspaper said Wednesday that a proposal by the European Commission would put over-the-top (OTT) services under the same regulatory regime as traditional broadcasters and require them to contribute to the creation of European content.

CRTC consulting on TV licence categories

The CRTC is accepting feedback on “standard conditions of licence, expectations and encouragements” for new, consolidated TV licencing categories.

CBC News reps outline plans for increased funding at committee

OTTAWA — CBC/Radio-Canada’s English news division is undertaking aggressive “re-engineering” of its newsrooms, CBC News editor-in-chief Jennifer McGuire told the House of Commons standing committee on Canadian Heritage, indicating the public broadcaster plans to stay on that same path.

Netflix takes original series to U.S. TV

Netflix Inc. has teamed up with Univision Communications Inc. in its first deal to bring original programming from the company’s over-the-top (OTT) service to traditional TV in the United States.

Liberal MPs, staff create ‘think tank’ for digital issues

OTTAWA — It wasn’t a hard sell for David Graham to recruit Liberal colleagues for a new Parliament Hill research body.

“[I said] ‘I want to talk about digital issues. Who’s with me?’” Graham, Liberal MP for Laurentides-Labelle, recalled during an interview. “There’s an immense interest, so it wasn’t difficult at all to get started.”

Story-driven, visually complex ads best for TV: ThinkTV

Industry association ThinkTV has released a new study that says story-driven, visually complex and brand-focused advertisements are better-suited to television than other platforms.

ThinkTV, an organization that promotes TV advertising, commissioned Toronto-based research company Brainsights to measure the responses of Canadians as they watched TV content, user-generated content and ads. Half of the 600 respondents watched on a TV screen, 150 on a laptop and 150 on a mobile device.

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.

AT&T to acquire Canadian video-streaming platform

AT&T Inc. announced Monday its plan to acquire Toronto-based Quickplay Media Inc., a video-streaming platform provider, to support its incoming DirecTV streaming offers.

SaskTel announces capital investment plan

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Monday it was making a more-than-$1.4-billion capital investment over the next five years to upgrade its systems and networks.

Of that investment, $331 million is allotted for the 2016-2017 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2017), the company said in a press release.

CRTC to launch consultation on skinny basic rollout

The CRTC will issue a notice of consultation on how telecom companies carried out its skinny basic TV package rules later this month.

Spokeswoman Patricia Valladao said in an email Friday the commission had asked TV providers, as part of a broadcast licence review process launched last month, to answer a number of questions about skinny basic.

The CRTC will launch a consultation on those responses before the end of May, she confirmed.

Mobile service gives Quebecor Q1 revenue boost

Quebecor Inc. reported a five-per-cent increase to revenue in the first quarter of 2016, bringing in $975.4 million compared to $929 million the same period a year earlier.

According to quarterly earnings released Thursday, the company also turned a profit of $354.7 million, which according to adjusted figures was up 4.6 per cent in the three months ending March 31, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Charter-Time Warner deal gets FCC approval

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted its approval to the merger of Charter Communications Inc., Time Warner Cable Inc. and Bright House Networks LLC, the regulator said in a press release Friday.

Shaw offering credit to Fort McMurray evacuees

Shaw Communications Inc. customers in Fort McMurray and other wildfire-affected areas in the region are getting a one-month service credit, the company announced in a Saturday press release.

The credit, retroactive to the city’s mandatory evacuation date of May 3, will ensure all affected customers continue to have access to Shaw Go WiFi, FreeRange TV” and their Shaw domain email accounts, “without needing to worry about their account’s status,” the release said.

SaskTel embarking on review in wake of Bell-MTS deal

Faced with the prospect of becoming “an island in Western Canada” at the conclusion of the proposed Manitoba Telcom Services Inc. sale, Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. is launching a review, according to media reports.

Heritage’s CanCon review could take a decade to play out, panel hears

OTTAWA — The results of the sweeping review of Canadian content in a digital age announced by Heritage Canada last week could take 10 years to materialize, University of Ottawa law professor Jeremy deBeer said Thursday during a panel discussion at the New Developments in Communications Law and Policy conference.

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

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

OTA revenues continue to fall: CRTC

Private conventional TV station revenues fell another 2.6 per cent in 2015, continuing a five-year downward trend, according to new data released Wednesday by the CRTC.

The 93 over-the-air (OTA) stations brought in $1.76 billion in the year ending Aug. 31, 2015, down from $1.8 billion in 2014, said the CRTC’s annual report on conventional television stations’ financial results, adding that total revenues have fallen 17.9 per cent ($381.9 million) between 2011 and 2015.

Bell Media buys Gusto TV

BCE Inc.’s media division has acquired Canadian rights to Gusto Worldwide Media’s Gusto brand in Canada, including its food and cooking channel.

Bell Media reps face grilling on MTS at House committee

OTTAWA — Parliamentarians hoping for answers to outstanding questions about Monday’s news that BCE Inc. had struck a deal to acquire Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. were left disappointed when representatives from Bell’s media division appeared on Parliament Hill Tuesday morning.

Experts say approval of Bell’s MTS acquisition likely

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

CraveTV gained 100,000 subs after launching as standalone

BCE Inc.’s CraveTV streaming service gained more than 100,000 “direct to consumer” subscribers in 90 days after launching as a stand-alone service in January, the company said in its quarterly results Thursday.

Mandarin-language channel approved for distribution

The CRTC said in a decision Thursday that it has added Charming China Entertainment to its list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution in Canada.

Bell revenues, profits up in Q1

BCE Inc. reported a 0.6 per cent increase in revenues, rising to $5.27 billion in its first quarter of 2016 compared to the same three-month period a year earlier.

The company said in a press release Thursday that reflected a 1.3 per cent “year-over-year increase in total service revenues driven by solid wireless, wireline residential and media growth.”

CBC’s Olympics coverage to include virtual reality

CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage of the summer Olympics in Brazil will incorporate some virtual reality content.

The broadcaster said in a press release Wednesday that “it will provide viewers with both a 360-degree motion-sensitive stream as well as an immersive virtual reality stream for use with compatible headset technology.”

Charter-Time Warner merger moves ahead, with conditions

The U.S. Department of Justice has given its approval for a pair of Charter Communications Inc. acquisitions, which, according to a Monday press release, would create the second-largest cable company in the country.

Sweeping government review to include CRTC, Broadcast Act, CanCon

Industry insiders and observers are calling Canadian Heritage’s impending study of Canadian content in the digital age — which could potentially affect CBC/Radio-Canada, legislation like the broadcasting, telecom and CRTC acts, and Canadian content rules for TV and radio — long overdue.

CRTC starts renewal process for TV provider licences

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

Simsub legal action not premature: Bell, NFL

Lawyers for BCE Inc. and the National Football League (NFL) fired back at the claim their legal action against the CRTC’s simultaneous substitution decision is premature in new legal documents filed with the Appeal Court.

Rogers to launch IPTV by end of the year

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

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

ATN to launch new OTT service

CRTC revokes unused Shaw licences

The CRTC granted Tuesday Shaw Communications Inc.’s request to revoke broadcasting licences for Fox Sports World Canada and Global Reality Channel.

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.

Obama backs FCC set-top box proposal

U.S. President Barack Obama is weighing in on his country’s debate over increasing competition to benefit consumers.

On Friday, Obama announced “that his administration is calling on the FCC to open up set-top-cable boxes to competition,” said a White House blog post.

Customers say skinny basic not worthwhile: study

More than 66,000 Canadians have signed up for a skinny-basic TV package since its rollout on March 1, according to the CRTC.

In a Friday press release, the regulator said a third of those who signed up also took advantage of pick-and-pay channels and theme packs.

Corus sells rights for ‘classic’ Nickelodeon series to Netflix

Corus Entertainment Inc., which holds to the Canadian rights to Viacom Inc.’s Nickelodeon content, said it has sold the digital streaming rights for a number of shows to Netflix Inc.’s Canadian division.

Shaw posts 3% revenue rise in Q2

Shaw Communications Inc. reported Thursday a three-per-cent rise in revenue to $1.15 billion in its second quarter, up from $1.12 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Cogeco revenue up 8.2% on growth in U.S.

Cogeco Communications Inc. reported a $42.1 million, or 8.3 per cent, increase in revenue in its second quarter, which totaled $551.5 million in the three-month period ending Feb.29.

Entertainment One denies ITV acquisition deal

Entertainment One Ltd. said Thursday in a statement that though there has been “press speculation regarding a potential offer” by U.K.-based TV broadcaster ITV PLC to buy the company, “no approach has been received by eOne.”

Entertainment One is a Canadian company with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, U.K., France and Australia, among others, that focuses on the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content.

As streaming services grow, is TV-everywhere still relevant?

When companies launched TV-everywhere products a few years ago, they did so as part of an effort to compete with then-new streaming services — but now that many of those same companies have their own subscription OTT products, TV everywhere seems to be stuck in something of a holding pattern.

Despite companies continuing to push TV-everywhere products, people aren’t using them any more than when they were first introduced. And while awareness of individual platforms remains steady, the general idea of TV everywhere is falling off the radar.

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL to stream on Twitter, Canadian OTT rights still up for grabs

The National Football League (NFL) announced Tuesday a new deal with Twitter Inc. to stream NFL games on the social media platform, and though Canadians won’t have access, whether they’ll be able to watch through Rogers Communication Inc.'s Sportsnet Now OTT service instead still hasn’t been determined.

Both Rogers and the NFL confirmed the deal in which Twitter will live-stream 10 NFL games over the 2016 season won’t apply to Canada.

QVC can’t be distributed in Canada: CRTC

The CRTC denied Monday an application by VMedia Inc. to add the U.S. TV shopping service QVC to the list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution.

The CRTC said that “if authorized, QVC would be carrying on a broadcasting undertaking in whole or in part in Canada,” which would require a licence. It cannot issue broadcasting licences to non-Canadians, it said.

Bell selling unlimited access to on-demand movies

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

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

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

Corus closes Shaw Media deal, announces new exec slate

Corus Entertainment Inc. has closed its $2.65-billion acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division and appointed a team of executive vice-presidents for the combined company.

Barbara Williams, formerly president of Shaw Media, is now chief revenue officer at Corus and will “oversee all strategic and operational aspects of generating audience growth and engagement across Corus’ platforms,” the company said in a press release Friday.

Exec cites ‘tipping point’ in customer demand as Sportsnet goes OTT

Rogers Communications Inc. will begin offering its Sportsnet channels without a TV subscription for $24.99 per month, the company announced Thursday.

Scott Moore, president of Sportsnet and NHL properties at Rogers, said in a phone interview that the company chose to do so because “this is what a certain segment of our consumer base is asking for. You would have to have your head in the sand over the last three to five years if you weren’t paying attention to the way people consume video content.”

Juno Awards to be broadcast in 4K

Sunday's Juno Awards ceremony will be broadcast in 4K, BCE Inc. announced Thursday, with the company calling it the first music awards show in North America to be broadcast in the ultra-high-definition format.

Fibe TV customers with a 4K television and receiver can fully experience the live 4K broadcast airing on CTV at 7 p.m., the company said in a press release.

Cogeco launches business-specific TV bundles

Cogeco Inc. is now offering TV packages aimed at business customers.

In a Tuesday press release, the company said the new channel bundles were "specifically designed for small and medium-sized businesses and larger enterprises in Ontario and Quebec."

The packages feature 10 or 20 channels in Ontario and either 10, 15 or 20 channels in Quebec with offerings to fit specific industries, such as bars and restaurants, retail, hotels and others.

What inroads will virtual reality make in TV, communications?

This week is a long-awaited one for virtual reality enthusiasts, as Facebook Inc. starts to ship its Oculus Rift headset to people who pre-ordered their $599 US devices as far in advance as early January.

While in the short term, VR technology is likely to make its biggest inroads among gamers, television and video conferencing could start taking place in virtual reality, too.

Rogers launching 4K versions of Sportsnet channels

Rogers Communications Inc. will make two dedicated 4K sports channels available this week, the company announced Monday.

Sportsnet 4K and Sportsnet ONE 4K will be available as of April 1, the day before the first ultra-high definition broadcast of a Major League Baseball game featuring the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, Rogers said in a press release.

Deirdre Brennan joins Corus Kids as VP of content

Corus Entertainment Inc. announced Wednesday it has appointed Deirdre Brennan as the new vice-president of content for its Corus Kids division.

It said in a press release that Brennan will “oversee all content aspects of the Corus kids portfolio,” including YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon, Teletoon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD in Canada.

Calls for CBC funding to be used for in-house, independent production

Following the release of the first Liberal budget, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) said funding for CBC/Radio-Canada should be used for producing in-house content, while the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) said it expects a large chunk of it to be used to support content made by Canadian independent producers. 

CRTC approves Shaw-Corus deal, with no tangible benefits

The CRTC has approved the acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division by Corus Entertainment Inc., and decided not to require Corus to pay any tangible benefits, a contribution which could have amounted to $265 million had the regulator decided otherwise.

The commission said in a press release Wednesday afternoon that both Shaw and Corus have “been effectively controlled by the same person, Mr. JR Shaw,” since Corus was founded in 1999.

TV subscription rate down to 77%: MTM

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

Rural broadband, CBC funding in 2016 federal budget

In its first budget, the new Liberal government is continuing the previous Conservative government’s practice of setting aside funds for broadband service in underserved areas, cyber security and research frameworks, according to the financial plan released Tuesday, but isn’t shedding much light on its own telecommunications strategy.

Budget documents highlighted a five-year investment of $500 million, starting with $6 million in 2016-17, for a new program to “extend and enhance broadband service in rural and remote communities.”

CRTC closes PIAC undue preference complaint against Shomi

The CRTC said in a letter Tuesday it closed the “moot” Part 1 complaint by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) against Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.’s Shomi, which argued the companies were giving themselves an undue preference by tying the subscription service to an affiliated Internet service provider or TV provider.

CRTC tells CCTS to step up enforcement, ‘naming and shaming’

In addition to expanding the mandate of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) Thursday to include TV service, the CRTC told the organization to make more use of enforcement tools at its disposal, including “naming and shaming.”

The CRTC said it believes that “promoting and monitoring compliance are necessary first steps in enforcement… it is not clear how much effort the CCTS has put into these activities or into enforcement, but at this point it would appear to be insufficient.”

Marketers to spend 3.5% less on TV in 2016: ACA study

The portion of advertising budgets dedicated to TV is expected to fall 3.5 per cent in 2016, as Canadian marketing companies plan to allocate more of their budgets to advertising on digital platforms, according to a new study released Thursday by the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) in collaboration with Nielsen Co.

Radio-Canada still mulling options for Montreal headquarters

CBC/Radio-Canada said in a French-language press release Tuesday that it hasn’t decided on the future of its Montreal headquarters.

It said it is currently studying its options, which include selling the building and moving to an outside location or into a new one built on the same site, or renovating the existing structure.

Radio-Canada said it issued the release in response to “various opinions” that have been expressed on the subject recently. 

Telecoms’ TV customer losses up five-fold in 2015

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

Simsub order should wait until after court challenge, says Bell

The CRTC shouldn't be moving forward with its plan to end simultaneous substitution of the Super Bowl next year until related court challenges are settled, according to BCE Inc.

CRTC extends TV renewal application deadline

The CRTC announced Thursday it is extending the deadline to submit applications for TV licence renewals that will expire in 2017 to April 18.

It said that the commission received requests from BCE Inc., Corus Entertainment Inc., Quebecor Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., and Group V Media Inc., to extend the deadline “in order to provide more fulsome answers to the questions asked.”

Corus votes in favour of Shaw Media acquisition

Corus Entertainment Inc. announced Wednesday it has voted in favour of acquiring Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division at a shareholders' meeting in Toronto.

“Corus’ shareholders have spoken, voting in favour of this transformational acquisition,” Doug Murphy, CEO of Corus, said in the press release. “This endorsement is a critical step forward in bringing these two great companies together to create a landing integrated media and content company.”

Peter Grant reappointed broadcasting arbitrator

Elections Canada announced Monday that Peter Grant has been reappointed as broadcasting arbitrator.

It said in a press release that the reappointment was made “by a unanimous decision of the parties represented in the House of Commons.”

Grant, a communications lawyer with McCarty Tetrault, has acted as the broadcasting arbitrator since 1993, the release said.

The broadcasting arbitrator is responsible for allocating air time that Canadian broadcasters provide during a general election to political parties, the release added.

Catalyst opposition unlikely to affect Shaw Media sale: analyst

The pressure Catalyst Capital Group Inc. has been applying on Corus Entertainment Inc. shareholders to vote down a proposal to purchase the media division of Shaw Communications Inc. isn't likely to have an effect on the remaining steps in the acquisition process.

"If the shareholders vote yes, it is what it is. The deal's going to be exactly as stipulated," Aravinda Galappatthige, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity, said in a phone interview Monday.

NFL intervenes in CRTC SimSub proceeding

The National Football League (NFL) is repeating its opposition to the CRTC's plan to end simultaneous substitution of the Super Bowl next year.

CRTC says BC News 1 doesn’t have to broadcast news

The CRTC Thursday gave Shaw Communications Inc.’s BC News 1 channel more flexibility in the kind of programming it can broadcast than the company had asked for.

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). 

Shaw partners with Bell to offer CraveTV discount

Shaw Communications Inc. has partnered with BCE Inc. to provide Bell’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, CraveTV, at a discount to its cable and satellite customers.

The companies said in a joint press release that “greatly expands the distribution reach of CraveTV and enhances the value of television services available to Shaw customers.”

Bell expands TMN to West

BCE Inc.’s media division announced Tuesday it has expanded The Movie Network (TMN) and TMN Encore to Western Canada.

CRTC says Blue Ant can’t reduce CanCon

The CRTC denied Blue Ant Media Inc.’s application to reduce its Canadian programming requirement for its Cottage Life specialty channel from 80 per cent to 50 per cent for the broadcast day.

Stingray signs deal with du in UAE

Stingray Digital Group Inc. said Monday in a press release that it has signed an agreement with EITC’s du, a provider of mobile, Internet, cable and IPTV services in the United Arab Emirates, to provide Stingray Music and Stingray Concerts to du customers.  

Lisa Doganieri, spokeswoman for Stingray, said in an email that Stingray Music’s TV and mobile app will both be available for free as part of a du customer’s TV subscription.

Bloomberg TV Canada joins Videotron lineup

Bloomberg TV Canada is now available to Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron subscribers, the channel's broadcast distributor announced Tuesday.

As skinny basic arrives, experts doubt consumer appeal

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

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