Shaw gets naming rights to Ottawa Convention Centre

Shaw Communications Inc. has reached a sponsorship deal with the operators of the Ottawa Convention Centre, resulting in the venue being renamed the Shaw Centre, effective immediately.

Shaw said in a press release that the arrangement is for 10 years. No financial terms were disclosed. The facility is owned by the Ontario government.

"The Shaw Centre reflects our commitment to strengthening our presence with our customers, communities, regulatory and government stakeholders in the nation's capital," Shaw CEO Brad Shaw said in the release.

CBS launches OTT video service

CBS Corp. is the latest U.S. media company to say it will start providing consumers with an online option for accessing video content without the need to subscribe to a television service.

The company said in a press release Thursday that CBS All Access is available immediately to U.S. residents for $5.99 US a month. The service is accessible through CBS.com and the CBS app for devices running on Apple Inc.'s iOS or Google Inc.'s Android. Other connected devices will be announced in the coming months, CBS said.

Eastlink launches wireless TV

Eastlink announced a wireless TV service Thursday that will allow customers to use the company’s Maestro DVRs wirelessly on up to six different TVs.

The company said in a news release the DVRs will record up to six programs at once to be watched from anywhere in the home as well as allowing customers to order their own list of channels and pause live TV.

Netflix subscriber growth slower than forecast

Netflix Inc. said Wednesday that subscriber growth in both the United States and internationally was less than it expected in the third quarter.

"We added about a million new members in the U.S., ending Q3 with 37.22 million members, with lower net additions than our forecast and versus the prior year," Netflix said in a letter to shareholders.

It added that it saw an additional two million members internationally to bring that number to 15.84 million members, also less than forecast.

EU countries could be next for regulator-Netflix conflict

When CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais faced off against Netflix Inc. in September, his ordering of the U.S.-based streaming service to give the CRTC information it had previously refused to provide added fuel to a debate about whether the CRTC can — or whether it should — regulate online video services.

Sonja Chong appointed to CBC board

Sonja Chong has been named a part-time member of the board of directors for CBC/Radio-Canada.

Heritage Minister Shelly Glover announced Chong's appointment Monday in a press release that also said Chong would serve at term of five years.

Jacob Glick to join Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc. said Tuesday that Jacob Glick will start work next month in the newly created position of chief corporate affairs officer.

Previously, Glick headed Google Inc.'s global public policy and government relations team, and before that took on the same responsibilities specific to Canada, Rogers said in a press release.

TSN mobile app available for Telus Optik customers

Customers of Telus Corp.’s Optik TV service can now access content from BCE Inc.’s TSN channels mobile devices, Telus said Friday.

“TSN's five national feeds are now available through Optik on the go,” the company said in a press release.

Blue Ant to make 4K programming

Independent broadcaster Blue Ant Media Inc. will make 200 hours of 4K, or ultra high-definition, “nature and wildlife” content each year, the company said in a press release Wednesday.

“Over 150 hours of the first year’s slate is currently in production and will be available beginning spring 2015,” Blue Ant said, adding that the programming will be developed “through a combination of in-house production and partnerships with key global content creators.”

VOD figures pad overall TV viewership numbers: TVB

The Television Bureau of Canada has released what it says are the first statistics on viewership of broadcast distributors’ video-on-demand (VOD) platforms, which show an additional four to nine per cent of viewers use VOD to watch TV series.

Mulcair denounces Glover statements on Netflix regulation

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Tom Mulcair on Wednesday denounced Heritage Minister Shelly Glover's statements that ruled out regulation for online video services such as Netflix and YouTube, which were made while a CRTC hearing considering the future of television was ongoing.

Mulcair did not say what his position on the regulation of online video was when asked by The Wire Report after an NDP caucus meeting on Parliament Hill.

Péladeau would put Quebecor shares in blind trust if leader: reports

Quebecor Inc.'s controlling shareholder Pierre Karl Péladeau said he'll put his holdings in the company in a blind trust if he becomes leader of the sovereigntist Parti Québécois (PQ), reports indicated Wednesday.

However, he called a motion to ban members of the provincial legislature like him from owning a controlling stake in media companies "outrageous," different articles indicated.

Rogers sells out ads for first week of NHL season

Rogers Communications Inc. has sold out advertising for the opening week of the NHL hockey season, which begins Wednesday, Rogers spokeswoman Jennifer Kett said in an email.

“For NHL opening week alone, we’ve closed more than 25 integrated sponsorships and counting, and Rogers Hometown Hockey activations are fully sold out with great partners like Scotiabank, Dodge, McDonald's, Samsung, and Xbox,” she said, adding there is “increased interest from corporate Canada.”

Fraser institute calls for deregulation of broadcasting

The conventional broadcasting sector should be deregulated, a move that should include the elimination of Canadian content rules, preponderance rules and foreign ownership restrictions, Fraser Institute senior fellow Steven Globerman said.

Rogers launches second-screen hockey app

Rogers Communications Inc. announced it is releasing a new hockey app that will give customers access to new camera angles and additional content like interviews and analysis.

“Exclusive to Rogers’ customers, and it is the ultimate second-screen experience,” said Rogers Media president Keith Pelley at the launch event in Toronto on Monday. “It allows our customers to select replays, to pick camera angles, to be the producer, to be the director.”

The benefits of being ruled by the CRTC

In the past, an aspiring broadcast distributor had no choice but to go to the CRTC and get a licence before they launched their cable or satellite business. Now, in theory at least, they can bypass the entire process by launching an over-the-top (OTT) TV service.

While they would have more flexibility and freedom from regulation, such as Canadian content contributions and quotas, they also wouldn’t benefit from the rules that benefit licensed service providers, such as guaranteed access to content.

BCE says most Aliant common shares tendered

BCE Inc. and Bell Aliant Inc. said Friday that a vast majority of the common shares of the latter have been tendered to the former, and that the whole deal should be completed on or around the end of this month.

The companies said in joint press release that as of Thursday, which was the deadline for the offer on publicly traded common shares of Bell Aliant not yet owned by BCE, more than 90 per cent of stock sought had been tendered.

Shaw offers TSN, Sportsnet TV-everywhere apps

Shaw Communications Inc. said Thursday its customers can now access TV-everywhere products for BCE Inc.’s TSN and Rogers Communication Inc.’s Sportsnet specialty channels.

OTN sponsors Greek sports channel for distribution

Odyssey Television Network Inc., which operates channels in Canada with Greek-oriented programming, is sponsoring a sports channel from Greece to be authorized for distribution in Canada.

OTN's application was posted to the CRTC's website on Thursday. It said Sport Plus, the channel it is sponsoring, is a 24-hour sports channel based in Greece that conducts all of its programming in the Greek language.

Its letter of application said initial talks with various broadcast distributors have indicated an interest in carrying such a service in Canada.

Netflix gets 4 Adam Sandler movies exclusively

Netflix Inc. said Thursday it has reached a deal to premiere four movies that will star and be produced by comedic actor Adam Sandler.

Sun News wins one, loses one in CRTC arbitration

The CRTC on Thursday awarded Quebecor Inc.'s Sun News Network a victory in one of two arbitration cases involving its carriage with broadcaster distributors, though it sided with the service provider in another.

Cineplex refuses to show movies in conjunction with Netflix

Cineplex Inc. says it will not show movies at the same time they are made available by Netflix Inc.

Bell Media invests in Hubub discussion website

BCE Inc.'s Bell Media said Wednesday it has invested $5 million in cash in Hubub Inc., and made commitments for millions of dollars more, to develop and promote the company's website and application that facilitates online discussions.

Bell Media said in a press release the investment has given it an equity stake in Hubub and the exclusive rights to monetize the company's service in Canada.

Stingray ditches Galaxie brand, launches new app

Stingray Digital Group Inc. is getting rid of its Galaxie brand for audio channels on subscription-TV services, putting all its services under the Stingray brand, and launching a new streaming app, the company said in a press release Tuesday.

Stingray said the move will allow it to group all its services in a single brand, including Stingray Music, Stingray Concerts and Stingray Music Videos.

Netflix announces first original movie

Netflix Inc. said Tuesday it would have its first original movie next summer.

It said in a press release that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: The Green Legend will premiere on Netflix simultaneously with showings in Imax theatres around the world on Aug. 28 next year. The movie is the next chapter in the Ang Lee martial arts series.

Quebecor PPV service allowed English programming

Companies associated with Quebecor Inc. were given the go-ahead on Tuesday to add English programming to its French-language pay-per-view service, Canal Indigo.

CRTC to remove Netflix, Google input from Talk TV process

The CRTC said Monday it will remove all evidence presented by Netflix Inc. and Google Inc., including oral and written presentations, from the Let’s Talk TV process, following the companies’ refusal to provide the CRTC with information the regulator had requested.

“A company’s refusal to comply with requests and orders duly made at a public hearing is a serious matter,” it said in separate letters to Netflix and Google.

Government blamed for CRTC predicament on Netflix

The federal government’s pursuit of a consumer-driven broadcasting policy instead of a more comprehensive digital strategy has left the CRTC in a difficult position when it comes to regulating Internet video services, says at least one telecom expert.

Parents watch less television, spend more time online: MTM

Anglophone parents whose children still live at home watch less television but spend more time on the Internet, according to a new report from Media Technology Monitor.

Households with children are slightly more likely than the overall angolophone audience to have access to television, with 74 per cent having some sort of digital TV access compared with 71 per cent of the general English-speaking population, according to the report by MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

C.D. Howe warns against pick-and-pay TV

The C.D. Howe Institute released a report on Thursday that said the CRTC's proposal to mandate pick-and-pay television is "deeply misguided" and would be "irrelevant at best" and "harmful at worst."

The report argued that with increasing competition to TV service providers from alternatives, such as the video streaming offered by Netflix Inc., making a profit from channel bundling will become difficult and market forces themselves will force the conditions for more choice for consumers.

Shaw CFO Steve Willson to retire

Shaw Communications Inc. said Wednesday that Steve Wilson, its executive vice-president of corporate development and chief financial officer, will retire next year.

It said in a press release that Wilson, who has been the company’s CFO for a decade, would stay on for the rest of the year in a “transitional phase.”

CRTC in tough spot after Netflix refuses to disclose: experts

Experts say that while CRTC must somehow respond to the refusal of Netflix Inc. to give the commission information it had been ordered to provide by CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais during a hearing last week, the government's stated refusal to tax and regulate online-video services cannot be ignored.

Netflix refuses to provide info to CRTC

Netflix Inc. will not produce some of the information CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais ordered from it last week.

“While Netflix has responded to a number of the CRTC's requests, we are not in a position to produce the confidential and competitively sensitive information ordered by the commission due to ongoing confidentiality concerns,” Netflix spokeswoman Anne Marie Squeo said in an email Monday evening.

Commish dissents on CRTC’s undue-preference decision

The CRTC has dismissed an undue-preference complaint against BCE Inc. filed by a company that plans to launch an over-the-top (OTT) TV service, though the decision was not unanimous.

Shaw applies for news channel broadcasting licence

Shaw Communications Inc. has applied to the CRTC for a broadcasting licence for a new national all-news channel.

The company said in a press release Monday that the channel would “feature a national newsfeed bookended by local news segments tailored specifically for each of the markets it serves.”

It will use “next-generation technology” and offer a “continuous data feed of hyper-local headlines and community events,” Shaw said, adding that the local news feeds will be available for up to 28 communities.

Boynton, Stoneham find jobs after Rogers

John Boynton and Shelagh Stoneham, two Rogers Communications Inc. executives who left in the wake of its corporate overhaul this year, have both found other jobs.

Boynton, formerly the chief marketing officer at Rogers, is now the chief marketing officer for Canada at Aimia Inc., a customer loyalty company that owns and operates the Aeroplan loyalty program, Aimia said in a press release earlier this month.

Blais threatens to revoke Netflix’ exemption order

GATINEAU, Que. — During the sometimes-contentious appearance by Netflix Inc. on the last day the CRTC’s two-week hearings on the future of television, CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais repeatedly ordered the U.S. streaming company to provide information to the commission, and at one point threatened to revoke Netflix’ digital-media exemption order if it does not comply.

Ethnic broadcasters urge CRTC to maintain buy-through requirement

GATINEAU, Que. — Asian Television Network International Ltd. was one of a number of ethnic broadcasters with Category A third-language channels who on Thursday urged the CRTC, as part of the regulator’s two-week hearing on the future of television, to maintain its buy-through requirement for those channels.

Quarter of online video viewing on mobile: Ooyala

Mobile online video viewing doubled around the world over the last year and accounted for 27 per cent of all online video viewing in this year's second quarter, Ooyala Inc. said in a report released Monday.

The report said mobile's share of online video viewing increased 127 per cent over the last year and has quadrupled over the last two years. Ooyala, an online video management company, said this is because of a combination of faster networks and more advanced mobile devices.

TekSavvy asks CRTC for help to launch TV service

GATINEAU, Que. — Independent ISP TekSavvySolutions Inc. told the CRTC Tuesday it is considering becoming a TV distributor, on the same day that it announced a “partnership” with Hastings Cable Vision Ltd., an eastern Ontario cable provider.

ABC affiliate asks for removal from CRTC authorization list

A Minneapolis-St. Paul ABC affiliate is asking the CRTC to remove it from its list of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution.

An application from Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. (HBI), owner of the channel in question, KSTP-TV, appeared on the commission's website on Tuesday.

A letter from Hubbard, dated Feb. 20, refers to being notified of its inclusion to the list after decision No. 98-17, which was issued by the CRTC in January 1998 and made KSTP and WFTC, also in Minneapolis, eligible for carriage on Canadian satellite services.

Shaw promotes Barbara Williams

Shaw Communications Inc. on Tuesday announced it is promoting Barbara Williams and giving her two new titles.

The company said in a press release that Williams is now president of Shaw Media and executive vice-president of broadcasting. She was previously Shaw Media's senior vice-president of content.

Disney says pick-and-pay hurts TV broadcasters

GATINEAU, Que. —Walt Disney Co. on Monday warned the CRTC against a move toward pick-and-pay television.

Susan Fox, Disney’s vice-president of government relations, told the commission that having broad distribution benefits channels by allowing them to maximize advertising revenues, gives them the certainty necessary for long-term planning and allows them to “redirect consumer marketing and retention expenditures into higher quality and more diversified programs to better serve viewers.”

No tax on Netflix, YouTube: Harper

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday his government is determined not to tax Internet services such as Netflix and YouTube

In a wide-ranging speech in Ottawa to kick off the new parliamentary session, he also mentioned the government's support of a pick-and-pay TV system and a planned ban on extra fees for paper billing.

Telus calls Shomi service undue preference by Rogers, Shaw

GATINEAU, Que. — Telus Corp. says it is “very concerned” Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. are using the beta-test phase of their recently launched over-the-top (OTT) service to give themselves an undue preference.

Rogers VP predicts end of TV broadcasting, as we know it

GATINEAU, Que. — You can’t assume that young people who have never had subscription-TV service will eventually get it, Ken Engelhart, Rogers Communications Inc.’s vice-president of regulatory affairs, told the CRTC on Thursday.

Heidi Rasmussen to manage Pattison radio stations in Winnipeg

The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group on Thursday announced that Heidi Rasmussen has been made general manager of two radio stations in Winnipeg.

It said in a press release that Rasmussen would be responsible for the growth, strategy and day-to-day operations of QX104 and FAB 94.3. The company said Rasmussen was previously the general sales manager at Shaw Communications Inc.'s Global Winnipeg TV station.

New TV service provider approved for Ont., B.C.

Gold Line Telemanagement Inc. has been granted licences to operate broadcast distribution services for markets in Ontario and British Columbia, the CRTC said Thursday.

Postings on commission's website said the company was approved for one application for the Ontario markets of Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton-Niagara, Oshawa, London, Kitchener and Windsor, and another for the B.C. markets for Vancouver and Victoria.

BCE-Astral obligated sale of MusiquePlus approved

The CRTC said Thursday it has approved the last of the divestments BCE Inc. was obliged to make as part of its 2013 buyout of Astral Media Inc., allowing Groupe V Media Inc. to take control of Quebec Category A music channels MusiquePlus and MusiMax in a $22.9-million deal.

The regulator also approved changes to the licences for the channels, allowing the new owners to add comedy, movies and reality television.  

Shelly Glover rules out Internet-TV regulation

Heritage Minister Shelly Glover says the government will not allow new taxes or regulations on Internet-based television services.

Glover, the federal minister responsible for the CRTC, said so in a statement sent Monday night that responded to a presentation in the CRTC's Let's Talk TV hearings earlier in the day from Kevin Finnerty, Ontario's assistant deputy minister for tourism, culture and sport. Finnerty suggested that new media broadcasting services be regulated and required to contribute to Canadian content.

Local TV needs another revenue stream: Bell

GATINEAU, Que. — BCE Inc. executives asked the CRTC Wednesday to put in place a “local specialty” model for local television stations, which it said are no longer financially sustainable.

“The economics of an advertising-only revenue stream can no longer pay for the costs,” Bell Media president Kevin Crull told the CRTC during the third day of its two-week Let’s Talk TV hearings into the future of television.

Videotron cites mobile TV as key in LTE launch

Four years after Videotron flipped the switch on a new wireless network, the carrier is launching an LTE network that president and CEO Manon Brouillette says will help the company deliver TV content to its mobile customers.

Videotron, owned by Quebecor Inc., was one of the companies that picked up set-aside spectrum in the 2008 AWS auction, and has been delivering HSPA service to the province of Quebec and the Ottawa region since September 2010.  

Sony cloud TV service to carry Viacom channels

Viacom Inc. and Sony Corp. said Wednesday they have reached a "landmark agreement" that sees at least 22 Viacom channels being carried on Sony's cloud-based TV service when it launches.

The two companies said in a press release this will be the first time U.S. media giant Viacom has allowed its channels to be used on an Internet-based TV service.

Regulating OTT could set ‘dangerous precedent’: Google

GATINEAU, Que. — A move by the CRTC to regulate over-the-top (OTT) video platforms could set a precedent for regulators in other countries, a Google Inc. lawyer told the commission on the first day of its two-week Let’s Talk TV hearing on the future of television services in Canada.

“The extension of conventional broadcasting regulation to online platforms would certainly be a significant impediment to the development of the platforms,” Google Canada counsel Jason Kee told the commission.

Leonard Asper approved for extreme sports channel

A company controlled by former Canwest head Leonard Asper has received approval from the CRTC for an extreme-sports television channel.

HBO Canada puts past seasons online

HBO Canada, which is owned by BCE Inc. and Corus Entertainment Inc., said Thursday it has obtained rights to past season libraries of all currently airing HBO shows.

Broadcast revenue rises as TV subs drop: CRTC

The latest numbers from the CRTC show Canadians are watching more television on more devices, though fewer people are subscribing to TV services and young adults are tuning out.

The broadcasting portion of the CRTC's annual Communications Monitoring Report was released Thursday.

The report showed that revenues for the overall broadcasting industry in 2013 rose by 1.3 per cent to $17.1 billion. However, the proportion of Canadian households with a television subscription of any kind fell to 84.9 per cent from 85.6 per cent a year earlier.

CRTC says ethnic broadcaster lacked Canadian content

The CRTC has ordered Ethnic Channels Group Ltd. (ECG) to file quarterly reports containing its program grids for its specialty services that fall under the CRTC's exemption order for the 2014-2015 broadcast year.

The commission said Thursday ECG's TVI and RBTI channels must broadcast a minimum of 15 per cent Canadian programming each week.

Rogers NHL streaming plan result of OTT shift: analyst

Rogers Communications Inc.'s launch of a hockey streaming product shows the company wants to "build up its OTT [over-the-top] capabilities" as more TV viewers move away from linear television and toward streaming options, RBC Dominion Securities analyst Drew McReynolds said.

Videotron wins right to broadcast channel in digital only

On Wednesday the CRTC approved a move by Quebecor Inc.'s Videotron to drop the analog broadcast of TV channel ICI, an ethnic station from Montreal.

The channel had originally signed a contract with Videotron for digital-only service, yet when the channel was launched it asked to be broadcast in the Montreal region by analog as well and Videotron was compelled to comply by the conditions of its broadcast licence.

Now, the CRTC has amended that licence to exempt Videotron from being compelled to broadcast ICI in analog.

Netflix announces new Facebook feature

Netflix Inc. on Tuesday announced a new recommendation feature that works through Facebook Inc.'s social network.

The provider of online TV services said in a blog that, after viewing a program, users will be asked it they want to recommend what they have just seen to their friends and family. They choose those who are sent recommendations by accessing their friends list from Facebook.

Paper billing issue small potatoes for telecom sector: analysts

Much has been made this week about the practice of levying extra fees for the privilege of getting a physical bill for telecommunications services, and some industry watchers are downplaying the issue's importance.

Emergency-alert system cooperation to become mandatory

The CRTC said in a Friday release it is making participation in a national emergency-warning system mandatory for broadcasters.

Cable and satellite providers, radio stations, over-the-air television broadcasters and video-on-demand services must all begin to issue public alerts such as warnings about tornadoes, floods and industrial disasters, as well as Amber Alerts, by March 31, 2015.

Campus, Native and community-based broadcasters will have another year to comply, and must broadcast the warnings by March 31, 2016.

Moore promises to outlaw ‘pay-to-pay’ billing

Hours after a meeting between telecommunications companies and CRTC officials regarding paper-billing charges that failed to end in a result satisfactory to policy-makers, Industry Minister James Moore said via social media he'll solve the issue with legislation.

“Our Government will introduce legislation to end pay-to-pay billing practices for telecom industry #ConsumersFirst,” Moore said on Twitter late Thursday evening.

Conspicuous by its absence in TV review: OTT services

In a little more than a week, the people who make and produce, broadcast and distribute, analyze and report on the Canadian television industry will gather in Gatineau, Que., to spend two weeks talking about its future.

Comwave applies to provide TV service in Ontario

A Toronto-based provider of Internet and phone service is looking to enter Ontario's television-distribution market, according documents on the CRTC's website.

Comwave Networks Inc. has applied for a broadcast distribution licence in several of the province's markets, including areas in and surrounding Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kitchener, Windsor and London, the CRTC said on its website Wednesday. It is one of the applications the commission will consider at a hearing in Gatineau, Que., on Oct. 28.

CRTC denies French channel targeting viewers 50-plus

The CRTC on Tuesday said it has denied an application for a French-language TV channel that would target viewers aged 50 and older.

The applicant was Le Groupe 50+ ltée, which was proposing a specialty Category B service called Canal 50+.

ACTRA ratifies 3-year contract for advertising

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) said Monday its members have ratified a new three-year collective agreement with the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and Institute of Communication Agencies (ICA).

ACTRA said in a press release that the deal received 98.5 per cent approval from members and covers July 1 this year to June 30, 2017.

Shaw lobbying federal officials ahead of CRTC TV review

Shaw Communications Inc. is stepping up its lobbying ahead of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV hearing in September, meeting with various MPs in their ridings as well senior public servants in Ottawa over the last month.

Shaw reported the second-most communications with public office holders in July, the federal lobbyist registry shows, with 11, all on the subject of broadcasting, though some dealt with telecommunications as well. The cable and Internet provider trailed only the Mining Association of Canada, which reported 12 communications.

BCE, Rogers tell CRTC they don’t throttle mobile traffic

In documents submitted to the CRTC this week, BCE Inc. said it does not throttle mobile data traffic, though it’s prepared to if necessary, while Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said it does and there is no contradiction between that and its experiment with mobile-TV plans where the data used does not count against caps.

Watchdog warns pick-and-pay would hurt economy

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting warned Friday that adopting proposals for reform of the television industry such as pick-and-pay, as put forward by the CRTC, could cost the economy tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars.

Rogers’ mobile TV now counts against data cap

Rogers Communications Inc. has changed the pricing of data used by its Anyplace TV app, writing on its website that as of Aug. 18, standard data charges would apply to customers who use the app while on its wireless network.

CRTC gives public another chance for TV comment

The CRTC is giving the public another chance to make its views known in the review of the national television industry through an online forum, and it has also narrowed down its priorities for discussion to four general areas.

Madeline Ziniak stepping down from OMNI

Rogers Communications Inc. said Wednesday that Madeline Ziniak will step down as national vice-president of its OMNI Television network in October.

The company said in a press release that Ziniak is recognized as a "trailblazer" for her role in advancing multilingual TV programing in Canada. It said she will "pursue new opportunities in the ethnic media community" and continue in various roles such as chairwoman of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association.

Eastlink no longer buying Bruce Telecom

Bragg Communications Inc., which operates Eastlink, won’t be buying Bruce Telecom, the Competition Bureau said Friday.

The bureau said in a press release that it reviewed the proposed acquisition and concluded that had it “proceeded as proposed, it would have likely resulted in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition in the towns of Port Elgin and Paisley, [Ont.], where the two firms are the only providers of wireline telecommunications services.”

Nearly half of Anglo market own tablet: MTM

Almost half of anglophone Canadians aged 18 or older own a tablet, according to a report released Tuesday from Media Technology Monitor.

Tablet penetration has grown to 45 per cent of Anglos from 34 per cent in the same period last year, said the report from MTM, a project of CBC/Radio Canada

TSN channel expansion starts Aug. 25

BCE Inc.'s TSN said Monday that it will debut its expanded format of five national broadcast feeds on Aug. 25.

Channel Zero ownership fight comes to a close with CRTC ruling

The CRTC approved an ownership structure change for three channels owned by independent broadcaster Channel Zero Inc. Friday, and renewed its licences for Category B film channels Movieola and Silver Screen Classics for the next three years.

The decision ends a decade-old disagreement and streamlines Channel Zero’s ownership structure, though which the company holds various stakes in Hamilton local TV station CHCH-DT, the two movie channels, and three adult channels.

Pay-per-view could stick around or go the way of the VHS

In 1985, a Los Angeles Times article explained that U.S. TV providers were planning to compete with “the burgeoning home-video business” that had “savaged” them by launching national pay-per-view (PPV) networks, which the Times explained was a “relatively new technology” allowing viewers to order programs much in the same way as “they buy movie theater tickets--or as they rent videocassettes.”

CRTC approves Starlight licence application

The CRTC has granted a category B broadcasting licence to Starlight, a Canadian movie channel.

The CRTC said the channel would “include Canadian feature films, Canadian feature documentaries, Canadian made-for-TV movies, and programs with or about Canadian creators.”

CRTC asking new questions on mobile-TV and wireless data throttling

The CRTC has issued new interrogatories in its proceeding looking at an undue preference complaint about mobile-TV services, asking BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc. and Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron about their throttling of customers’ wireless service.

Shaw launching new lifestyle channel

Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division will launch a new specialty channel on Sept. 1 that it described as a "contemporary lifestyle network."

The company said in a press release Friday that the channel, named FYI, would have “an adventurous and personalized approach to peoples’ taste, space, look, story, and more. Its off-script format brings viewers a diverse mix of programs exploring lifestyle genres like design and romance, health and wellness, and food and fashion.”

Catherine MacLeod leaving Bell Media

Catherine MacLeod, the senior vice-president of specialty channels and Bell Media production, has resigned from BCE Inc.’s media subsidiary, according to an internal note to staff.

MacLeod’s departure, which the note said was for family reasons, is effective immediately.

Union satisfied with Rogers licence renewal

Unifor said in a press release Thursday it is “very pleased” with the conditions of the CRTC’s renewal of Rogers Communications Inc.’s television broadcasting licences.

CRTC approves Rogers licence renewals

The CRTC said on Thursday it approved a number of licence renewals for stations owned by Rogers Communications Inc. and determined that Rogers qualified for a group-based approach to the licensing of its stations, giving the company more flexibility in its Canadian content spending.

The CRTC also revoked licences for Rogers’ OMNI stations and said that it would issue new licences that would “have the effect of aligning the OMNI stations with a two-year renewal cycle along with other Rogers properties.”

TV providers divided on set-top ratings system

Canada’s biggest television providers are divided over the future of audience measurement via the next generation of set-top boxes.

As part of their submissions in the CRTC’s ongoing Let’s Talk TV consultation, BCE Inc., Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., Quebecor Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. all weighed in on the creation of a new audience measurement system based on set-top box (STB) data.

Bell files another complaint about condo access

BCE Inc. has filed a complaint against Plazacorp Investments Ltd. and Rogers Communications Inc., asking for access to one of Plazacorp’s Toronto condo buildings, a month after the CRTC closed a similar complaint against a different building.

PIAC says up to $600M annually at stake in paper-billing issue

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) says up to $600 million a year is at stake as the CRTC gets set to meet with telecommunications companies to discuss the practice of charging customers to receive paper bills.

John Lawford, PIAC’s executive director, said in a phone interview that PIAC has put together estimates for a report, which will come out in the coming weeks.