TV wholesale code finalized, takes effect in January

The CRTC on Thursday released a final version of its anticipated wholesale code governing the business relationships between TV-service providers and channel operators, which, among other things, bans provisions that would prevent a particular channel from being offered on a stand-alone basis or as part of a package that customers can create themselves.

The rules, which take effect on Jan. 22, will also ban so-called penetration-based rate cards (PBRCs) that require service providers to compensate channel operators when certain thresholds for advertising revenue are not met.

File sharing down due to popularity of OTT: Sandvine

The proportion of Internet traffic taken up by peer-to-peer file sharing is down in Canada due to the ongoing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) services, according to Sandvine Inc., a network management provider.

It said in a blog post Thursday that Netflix Inc. continues to be the leading OTT service in Canada, accounting for 34 per cent of download traffic during peak evening hours, up from 13.5 per cent four years ago.

CRTC releases final rules for national news channels

The CRTC on Wednesday released its finalized conditions for national news channels that will be applied to all future licences for such services.

Astral wins ad deal with Ottawa airport

BCE Inc.'s Astral Out of Home division for public advertising displays said Wednesday it has received an eight-year contract to provide digital advertising at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.

It said this marks its fifth deal with a Canadian airport, and the Ottawa airport will be the first in Canada to have 100 per cent digital advertising after the infrastructure is installed, the company said in a press release.

Trudeau promises $150M in new CBC funding

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that he would provide $150 million in new annual funding for CBC/Radio-Canada if the Liberals win the federal election in October.

That will reverse cuts made to CBC by the Conservative government and go “even further to ensure that our national broadcaster is able to fulfill its mandate — promoting Canadian culture, identity, bilingualism and minority voices across the country,” a party press release said.

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.

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.

Blue Ant launches new 4K content at MIPCOM conference

Blue Ant Media Inc. announced Tuesday that its international division will launch new 4K titles in the nature, wildlife and documentary categories at MIPCOM, a global entertainment content conference.

Blue Ant said in the press release that along with the new 4K content, it will also release new and returning content in high-definition (HD) quality in the factual entertainment category.

Cogeco upgrades 15 TV stations to HD

Cogeco Cable Inc. announced Monday it has converted 15 local TV stations, part of its TVCogeco division, to high-definition (HD) quality.

Cogeco said in a press release that the $5 million investment in upgrading the stations across Quebec took five years and now allows customers to watch HD content on both Channel 555 and Cogeco's on-demand service on Channel 602.

CRTC asks Shaw to justify genre change for BC News 1

The CRTC has asked Shaw Communications Inc. to provide justification for why it should officially be relieved of requirements that its BC News 1 channel provide regional news.

Shaw recently filed applications requesting that the "nature of service definition" of several specialty channels be changed to allow for more flexibility.

BBC to launch OTT service in North America

The BBC says it is planning to launch an over-the-top (OTT) video subscription service in North America next year.

“Next year, we’re launching a new OTT video service in America, offering BBC fans programs they wouldn’t otherwise get, showcasing British actors, our program makers and celebrating our culture,” BBC director Tony Hall said Thursday at the Royal Television Society Convention in Cambridge, England, according to an email from network spokeswoman Christine Black on Friday.

Public broadcasters being ‘boiled to death’: Lacroix

CBC/Radio-Canada CEO Hubert Lacroix, speaking at an international conference, said public broadcasters should speak out about how dropping revenues are affecting them.

Public broadcasters in countries such as Australia, France and Canada are dealing with shrinking resources, he said in a Sept. 10 speech at the Public Broadcasters International Conference in Germany.

NHL Network broadcasting licence revoked

The CRTC on Thursday granted BCE Inc.'s request that the regulator revoke the broadcasting licence for the NHL Network.

BCE's Bell Media division had licensed the rights to the NHL Network in Canada, which operated as a Category B specialty channel. A letter from Bell to the CRTC, dated Aug. 21, said the channel was slated to cease operations on Aug. 31.

CMF extends application deadline for digital funding

The Canadian Media Fund said Thursday it has extended the deadline to apply for the Canada–Wallonia Digital Media Incentive for Multiplatform Projects until Oct. 15.

CMF spokesman Pierre Campeau said in an email that the initial deadline was Sept. 1.

Altice buys Cablevision for $17.7B US

Altice SA, a France-based telecom and cable company, announced Thursday it has acquired Cablevision Systems Corp. for $17.7 billion US, making it the fourth largest cable operator in the U.S. market.

Altice said in a press release that after buying Cablevision and its acquisition of Suddenlink Communications earlier this year, it will serve 4.6 million customers in 20 states and noted that both companies will benefit from the national platform as well as “additional international operational expertise.”

CRTC to review local, community-TV regulations

The CRTC is asking whether maintaining a physical presence in an area is necessary to produce local programming and whether community-access TV is still relevant as part a proceeding on local and community television it announced Monday.

The regulator said it will review its policies on local and community-TV programming, and hold a public hearing on the matter early in the new year.

You.i TV gets $15M in funding

You.i TV, an Ottawa-based company making software for video applications, said Monday it has secured $15 million in funding, led by Los Angeles-based private-equity group Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors LP.

Tyson Parker to run music relations at Bell Media

Tyson Parker has been named head of artist and music industry relations at BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division, the company said Monday.

Production sector must understand telecom: new CMPA boss

As the telecommunications and media industries continue to converge, the production sector must pay more attention to what were traditionally considered telecom issues, according to Reynolds Mastin, the new CEO of the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA).

Telus among first to use new Ericsson TV interface

Ericsson AB announced on Thursday that its cloud-based TV platform, MediaFirst, is now commercially available to operators and content providers, noting that Telus Corp. will be utilizing the service to enhance service for its TV subscribers.

CMPA signs agreement with Producers Guild of America

The Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) has signed an affiliation agreement with the Producers Guild of America that it said would lead to more opportunities for co-productions involving the two countries.

The agreement “sets guidelines for mutual cooperation and information exchange between the two organizations and marks an important step in strengthening working relationships between Canada and the United States,” said the CMPA in a press release Thursday.

Shaw says national news-channel plans on hold

Shaw Communications Inc. has put on hold plans to establish a national news channel in the wake of changes in the television regulatory environment over the last year, a company official said Thursday.

New version of Apple TV will include Siri

The newest version of Apple Inc.’s Apple TV will include its voice-recognition program, Siri, which users can access to search for content across apps, the company said Wednesday.

Finney gets VP role at Bell Media, among other changes

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division announced Wednesday it has appointed Mark Finney to the newly created position of vice-president of strategic sales, and several other changes in the executive ranks were announced internally.

Where federal parties stand on telecom, media issues

Telecommunications and media have not been prominent issues in this year's federal election campaign, taking a backseat to things such as the Mike Duffy trial, the deficit and Syrian refugees.

The Wire Report has made repeated attempts to talk with the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP about their stances toward telecom and media, but has been largely ignored.

However, here is a look at statements, documents and publicly disclosed initiatives of the three major parties that are indicative of the positions they hold on telecom and media, or have at least held recently.

Bell gets 3 non-Canadian services approved

The CRTC approved Wednesday three applications from BCE Inc. to include various non-Canadian programming to the existing list of non-Canadian programming services and stations.

Quebecor Media buys shares from CDPQ

Quebecor Inc. announced Wednesday that its Quebecor Media unit has bought 28.6 per cent of the stake in that division held by for Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).

It said in a press release that Quebecor Media purchased about 7.3 million common shares of Quebecor Media from CDPQ for $500 million. The shares were then cancelled. CDPQ is left with an 18.93 per cent interest in Quebecor Media, the company said.

Verizon planning mobile video streaming service: report

Verizon Communications Inc. plans to launch a free ad-supported mobile streaming service, the New York Times reported online Tuesday.

The article said the launch would be announced this week, and that the service will be available to all users, even those who are not Verizon mobile customers. The article, which featured interviews with Verizon officials, said that the company is targeting this service to 18- to 34 year-olds, who Marni Walden, president of product innovation at Verizon, said watch content on mobile first 70 per cent of the time.

Rogers Radio teams with YouTube

Rogers Communications Inc. said Friday that its radio division will team with Google Inc.'s YouTube for a weekly show that will look at the hottest trends in music, fashion, entertainment and gaming.

Rogers said in a press release that this marks YouTube's first partnership with radio operations in Canada.

Corus launches Disney Channel, expands Cartoon Network distribution

Corus Entertainment Inc. said Thursday in two press releases it has launched the Disney Channel and expanded the distribution of its Cartoon Network.

Disney Channel is now available in 10 million households through TV services offered by BCE Inc., Cogeco Cable Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc., and Telus Corp., among others, it said.

Data costs limit mobile-video consumption: Ericsson

A new report from Ericsson AB shows that while people are increasingly consuming video on mobile devices, the cost of data limits many from taking advantage of what the technology makes possible.

The report released Thursday from Ericsson's ConsumerLab division — based on research involving more than 22,500 people in 20 countries including Canada and the United States — said there has been a 71 per cent increase in the number of people viewing video on smartphones since 2011.

Blue Ant International sells content to Scripps, A&E

Blue Ant Media Inc. said in a press release Thursday that its distribution arm has sold more than 75 hours of programming to U.S. channels.

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. bought rights to an “array of series,” the company said. That includes Rebel Without a Kitchen, a show about a travelling food truck, and home improvement shows Lake Guys and Lake Docks & Decks.

MTS seen as acquisition target for Bell

A stock market analyst has speculated that an acquisition of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. by BCE Inc. is likely next year.

A research note Wednesday from TD Securities analyst Vince Valentini said that with MTS set to sell off its Allstream division in the coming months, “we believe that the stage will be set for a sale of the remaining Manitoba operations to one of the larger telcos in Canada by mid-2016.”

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.

Netflix cuts ties with major movie group, focuses on exclusive content

Netflix Inc. will not renew its licencing agreement with Epix — a joint venture by Paramount Pictures Corp., Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. — because it wants to focus on exclusive content, chief content officer Ted Sarandos said in a blog post Sunday.

He said that means some high profile movies, such as Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Transformers: Age of Extinction, will not be available on Netflix’ U.S. service after September.

CMF provided $365.5B in funding last year

The Canadian Media Fund (CMF) said Monday that it provided $365.5 billion in funding for television and digital-media productions last year.

That's up from $354.5 billion that it reported spending in the previous year's annual report.

The CMF said in a press release Monday that money spent in the 2014-15 fiscal year, which ended in March, triggered $1.3 billion in activity in the Canadian video-production industry, up 11.3 per cent from the year before.

Bell announces Amazing Race exclusive for Fibe customers

BCE Inc. said Monday that Fibe TV customers will have exclusive access to a spinoff series of The Amazing Race Canada.

It said in a press release that The Amazing Race Canada Auditions will be available, starting Sept. 2, on-demand on Channel 1 for Fibe TV customers, on what's known as TV1, formerly Bell Local. The show will be found in the community folders for Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City, as well as a to-be-launched community folder for Ottawa later on, Bell said. The content will also be available on the Fibe TV app, the company said.

Blue Ant seeks CanCon quota reduction

Blue Ant Media Inc. has asked the CRTC to require less Canadian content on its Cottage Life specialty channel for the remainder of its contract that expires in three years.

Blue Ant said in its application, which appeared on the CRTC's website Monday, that its licence mandates Cottage Life to have at least 80 per cent Canadian content during a broadcast day, and at least 50 per cent in the evening. It asked that the daily requirement be reduced to 50 per cent, with no change asked for in the evening quota.

Net-neutrality advocates cry foul over Videotron music service

MONTREAL — Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron is giving itself an undue preference with a new service that allows its mobile customers to listen to music streaming without it counting against their data caps, net neutrality advocates say.

Former Bell employee accused of insider trading

The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), Quebec’s financial market regulator, said Thursday that it has uncovered an illegal insider-trading scheme involving a former BCE Inc. employee that allowed this individual, along with some family and friends, to realize profits of more than $1 million since 2012.

Corus channels permitted to end CBC affiliation

Two Corus Entertainment Inc. television stations in Ontario have been permitted by the CRTC to disaffiliate themselves from CBC/Radio-Canada and instead operate with programming provided by BCE Inc.'s CTV network, starting Aug. 31.

TV station revenues, profits down in 2014: StatsCan

Canadian television stations saw a decline in revenues and an even sharper drop in profits last year, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.

The federal agency said in online news release that revenue declined 0.7 per cent to $7.57 billion in 2014. Profits before interest and taxes were down 22 per cent to $836.8 million, it said.

Statistics Canada said this sector's operating expenses increased 3.2 per cent last year to a total of $6.7 billion. Most of that — $4.8 billion — was spent on programming, which was up 5.3 per cent from the year before.

DHX snags 6 broadcasters for new show

DHX Media Inc. announced Wednesday it has signed six broadcasters globally to air a new BBC-commissioned TV show called Twirlywoos.

CBS, Cablevision carriage agreement features streaming

CBS Corp. and Cablevision Systems Corp. announced on Tuesday that CBS All Access and Showtime streaming services will be delivered to Cablevision’s Optimum Online customers as part of a multi-platform carriage agreement.

Bell Media shakes up executive ranks

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media division has undergone a number of changes to its executive ranks, with four individuals leaving and one new one coming in.

The company confirmed in an email Tuesday that Phil King, president of CTV, sports and entertainment programming, has left. Also gone are: Adam Ashton, senior vice-president of English television and business operations; Chris Gordon, president of radio and local TV; and Charles Benoit, president of television and radio in Quebec. No explanation was provided for their departures.

Oil decline could affect Shaw, Telus: analyst

The plunge in oil prices could end up hurting telecommunications service providers like Shaw Communications Inc. and Telus Corp., which have a high proportion of their business operations in Alberta, according to a Bay Street analyst.

Gerry Vanderpost joins Distributel as CFO

Distributel Communications Ltd. on Thursday announced that it has hired Gerry Vanderpost as its chief financial officer.

Vanderpost had been vice-president of financial at Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc., and joined Distributel earlier this month, the company said in a press release.

As OTA leaves 600 MHz, stations set for ‘difficult transition’: expert

Industry Canada will repurpose the 600 MHz spectrum band for mobile use and collaborate with the United States on the move, which means at least some over-the-air (OTA) television stations will have to find new frequencies if they want to continue broadcasting.

One question is how many of those stations will actually make the switch, Gregory Taylor, an assistant professor of mass communications at the University of Calgary, said in a phone interview.

CBC sued for using U.S. YouTube video of storm: report

CBC/Radio-Canada is being sued by a resident of Buffalo, N.Y., for allegedly using a video he posted on YouTube without his permission, according to a report from the Canadian Press.

An article appearing online Thursday said the suit from Alfonzo Cutaia accused CBC of obtaining the video from Time Warner Inc.'s CNN, which is also named in the suit, and putting it on CBC's website with a CBC logo. Cutaia said CBC also uploaded the video to Yahoo Inc.'s Screen website, according to the report.

Vertical integration helps Canadian TV sector transition: analyst

The tendency of major players in Canada's television industry to be involved in both content and distribution is helping the sector deal better with issues such as cord cutting and a declining advertising market, according to an investment analyst.

Jeff Fan, a telecom analyst with Scotia Capital, in a research note issued this week contrasted the Canadian industry with the situation in the United States, where just one major TV-service provider, Comcast Corp., also owns TV stations.

Canadian OTT startup looks to take on the world

An emerging Canadian provider of over-the-top (OTT) video content hopes that reaching viewers around the world, and particularly those with very specific interests, translates into keys to success in the fast-changing television market.

CRTC renews licence for Stingray’s music channels

The CRTC renewed the licence for Stingray Digital Group Inc.’s music TV channels, though it imposed a shorter licence term, citing Stingray’s past non-compliance with its licence conditions.

Bell sells stake in Globe and Mail

BCE Inc. said Friday that it has sold its 15 per cent stake in the Globe and Mail newspaper.

It said in a press release it has sold its newspaper stake to Woodbridge Co. Ltd., an investment company run by the Thomson family, which is the majority owner of the Globe.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Apple television service delayed: report

Apple Inc.'s plans to offer live Internet-based television to residents of the United States have been delayed, said a report from Bloomberg on Friday.

An article said sources have indicated talks are progressing slowly between Apple and broadcasters such as CBC Corp. and 21st Century Fox Inc. Price was reported to be a stumbling block as Apple seeks to provide a service for $40 US a month, about half the average cable bill in the United States. 

Sesame Street signs 5-year partnership with HBO

Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization, announced Thursday that its famous children's series Sesame Street will air its next five seasons on Time Warner Cable Inc.’s HBO.

The company said in a press release that it will be producing twice as much more content for the show than it has done for previous seasons and noted that during its five-year term with Time Warner, it will air on HBO GO, HBO On Demand and HBO Now, the company’s new Internet-only streaming service.

More small BDUs sanctioned with CRTC denial

The CRTC has given two more companies permission to provide television services to small audiences, even though it has technically denied their applications for licences.

Bell says non-refundable monthly payments are OK

BCE Inc. says in a filing with the CRTC that it is not violating regulations by requiring customers to pay for various services by the month in advance and not providing partial refunds if subscriptions are ended before the paid-for period is finished.

Uniserve confirms plans for IPTV service

Uniserve Communications Corp. on Wednesday made note of a decision from the CRTC last month that set the stage for it and Atop Broadband Corp. to provide television-distribution services in British Columbia under a new exemption order for companies with less than 20,000 subscribers.

OUTtv accuses Bell of undue preference

OUTtv Network Inc. has accused BCE Inc. of an undue preference toward its company in a complaint that appeared on the CRTC's website Wednesday.

Cord-cutting accelerated in first half of 2015: report

A report from Boon Dog Professional Services Inc. released Wednesday said Canada's publicly traded TV-service providers lost six times as many subscribers in the first half of 2015 than in the same period a year earlier.

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.

Videotron 4K box seen as cord-cutting prevention

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron announced Tuesday it will be releasing an ultra-high-definition (UHD) set-top-box for its customers, making it the first Canadian telecom provider to commercially release such technology.

Videotron said in a press release that the set-top-box processing speed will be 12 times faster than what is currently available in the market, allowing customers to navigate through content choices four times faster, record eight shows simultaneously, and store about 320 hours of standard HD content or 115 hours of UHD content.

Friends says CBC refuses its anti-Harper ads

The advocacy group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting says CBC/Radio-Canada is refusing to air TV advertisements critical of Prime Minister Stephen Harper for cuts to CBC.

The group said in a press release that the ads in question have been accepted for broadcast, starting this week, on channels owned by BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc.

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.

Netflix customers should voluntarily pay sales tax: report

Canadian customers of Netflix Inc. are theoretically obliged to pay sales taxes on this service, even though Netflix does not collect the tax up front, the Toronto Star quoted a federal official as saying.

"In such cases, Canadian consumers are required to self-assess the amount of tax they owe to the Canada Revenue Agency,” a Finance Canada spokesperson, who did not want to be named, is quoted as saying in an article posted online Monday.

NFL granted status in Bell simsub case

The Federal Court of Appeal has approved the National Football League as an intervener in the appeal BCE Inc. has made against the CRTC's decision to ban simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl, starting in 2017.

An entry that appeared on court's website Monday indicated that the NFL would be permitted to submit evidence in this case.

Data revenue bolsters Telus numbers

Telus Corp. on Friday reported a 5.1 per cent year-to-year revenue gain in its second quarter, boosted by more data-generated cash from both its wireless and wireline operations.

Bell mobile-TV opponents call it OTT service