News, video games, VR should be eligible for CanCon funding: Rogers

Rogers Communications Inc. is proposing a tax credit-based federal program to support Canadian content of all types and on all platforms.

Rescind digital media exemption order: ACTRA

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) is asking the government to rescind the digital media exemption order (DMEO) as part of its review of Canadian content in a digital age.

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

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

CMPA asks for CanCon contributions from OTT, ISPs

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) is asking the federal government to “modernize” and require both over-the-top (OTT) services and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to contribute to the CanCon system.

Obhrai would leave fate of CBC up to Canadians as CPC leader

Unlike his fellow candidates for leadership of the Conservative Party, Alberta MP Deepak Obhrai said he won’t wade into the debate about the future of CBC/Radio-Canada.

“Why are politicians getting to decide what will happen to the CBC?” Obhrai said in a Thursday press release. “The CBC is funded by Canadian taxpayers; therefore Canadians should decide the future of the corporation.”

Netflix tells gov’t it plays positive role in Canadian productions

Canada is one of Netflix Inc.’s top three locations for original productions, and while the company doesn’t play a part in the official Canadian content system, the dollars invested in productions classified as CanCon serve to “multiply the impact of public support,” according to a submission from the company to Canadian Heritage’s sweeping cultural review.

Dismantle ‘bloated’ CBC, says CPC candidate Leitch

Conservative Party leadership candidate and Ontario MP Kellie Leitch said she has put CBC/Radio-Canada “on notice” and that if selected to lead her party and form government, she would dismantle the country’s public broadcaster.

MLS viewership hits record with Toronto-Montreal game

Tuesday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) game between the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC was Canada’s most-watched MLS game ever, BCE Inc. said in a press release.

The game, part of the league’s Eastern Conference Championship, was broadcast on Bell’s TSN and RDS channels. It drew an average audience of one million, while 3.6 million watched some part of the game, Bell said.

Anglophones spend two thirds of time on Netflix on TV content: MTM

Anglophone viewers of Netflix Inc.’s over-the-top (OTT) service now spend 67 per cent of their time on the platform watching TV shows and 33 per cent watching movies and other content, MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, reported Wednesday.

In comparison, three years ago, viewers’ time on Netflix was evenly split between TV and movies. 

Bernier would streamline CBC’s mandate, remove ads as CPC leader

OTTAWA — Conservative MP Maxime Bernier said Wednesday that if he is selected as the next leader of the federal Conservative Party and the next Canadian prime minister, he would move to make changes to CBC/Radio-Canada that would keep it from competing with the private sector.

Judge sides with Bell in dispute over VMedia OTT service

VMedia Inc. is permanently prohibited from broadcasting BCE Inc.’s CTV channels on its over-the-top skinny basic service, an Ontario Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday.

CMPA appoints Erin Finlay as chief legal officer

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has appointed Erin Finlay as its new chief legal officer to provide legal advice and strategic direction.

Her areas of expertise include entertainment litigation, policy development, privacy, copyright, intellectual property and risk management, a Tuesday press release said.

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

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

Amazon taking original series worldwide

Amazon.com Inc. will be bringing its new automotive-based reality show, The Grand Tour, to more than 200 countries next month, the company announced this week.

In a video and post on the company website featuring the stars of the show, best-known from the popular British show Top Gear, the company said the new show premieres in the U.K., U.S., Germany, Austria and Japan Friday, before being available in other regions.

Videotron offering full pick-and-pay

Quebecor Inc.’s Videotron said in a press release Thursday it’s now making all of its TV channels available on a pick-and-pay basis.

The move means the company is “fully meeting the new CRTC requirements that take effect on December 1,” it noted.

Industry association for CanCon exports formed

An industry association representing Canadian distributors and exporters of TV and digital content has been formed, with the intention of helping develop content at home and export it abroad.  

The Canadian Association of Content Exporters – Association canadienne des exportateurs de contenu (CACE-ACEC) announced its formation and founding members in a Wednesday press release.

Netflix now on SaskTel set-top box

Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corp. said Thursday that subscribers of its infiNET maxTV set-top box will now have access to Netflix Inc.’s over-the-top service (OTT). 

Blue Ant sells 4 shows to Discovery Communications

Blue Ant Media Inc. has sold four reality shows to Discovery Communications Inc., which will be broadcast on Discovery’s channels airing in the United States and Latin America.

Blue Ant said in a Monday press release the announcement involves over "55 hours of content from its expanding catalogue of premium lifestyle and factual entertainment series.”

Media companies looking to MCNs to reach younger audiences

Multi-channel networks (MCNs) have carved out a space in the online video ecosystem in recent years, leading traditional broadcasters to move into MCNs as a relatively low-risk way to reach younger demographics — though there is some question about the ability to monetize such investments.

Gen X leads tablet adoption: MTM

Canadian anglophones between the ages of 35 and 49 are, more than other generations, drawn to tablets and TV-enhancing technologies, according to a Media Technology Monitor (MTM) report released Tuesday. 

In its second report in a series on technology adoption by generation, MTM, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada, found that nearly two-thirds of “Generation X” own tablets.

Corus launches History OTT service

Corus Entertainment Inc. has launched History Vault, a subscription over-the-top (OTT) service featuring programming from its History channel.

The service, which costs $5.49 a month, “features hundreds of hours of content within the [History] library, including series, documentaries, and specials,” Corus said in a Thursday press release.

Any CanCon ISP tax should consider ‘economic consequences’: CNOC lawyer

TORONTO — The heritage ministry and the CRTC should engage in a more balanced discussion on what to do about taxes in support of cultural content, as both seem to be moving in different directions, the crowd on the final day of the Canadian ISP Summit in Toronto heard Wednesday.

Create new government agency for CanCon: report

The creation of a new federal agency to handle government funding for Canadian content could help the heritage minister’s goal of boosting exports of domestic cultural products, according to a report sponsored by Rogers Communications Inc.

Could telecom be next after new airline foreign ownership rules?

Industry watchers said last week’s announcement by the federal government that it was loosening foreign ownership rules for Canadian airlines probably isn’t indicative of a coming shift for other protected industries like telecommunications—but they’re not willing to completely rule it out.

Cord-cutting accelerates despite skinny basic: Boon Dog

The introduction of skinny-basic TV package offerings doesn’t seem to have slowed down the trend toward cord-cutting in Canada, according to subscriber number data reported by Canada’s publicly traded telecoms.

In a Monday press release issued ahead of the upcoming release of its quarterly report, Boon Dog Professional Services said the companies lost 13 per cent more TV subscribers in the past six months than in the equivalent period last year.

Telus launches 4K Netflix set-top viewing

Telus Corp. announced Monday that is making Netflix Inc.’s app available on its Optik 4K set-top box, allowing subscribers to stream Netflix in 4K resolution.

“4K is the ultimate way to immerse yourself in your favourite TV shows and introducing hundreds of hours of top-tier 4K Netflix programming is a huge step forward in the evolution of Optik TV,” Blair Miller, Telus’ vice-president of content, said in Monday’s press release.

Telus Q3 continues industry-wide trend of strong wireless

Telus Corp. reported strong wireless revenues and subscriber additions Friday, as data helped propel overall revenues up to $3.23 billion.   

For the three months ended September 30, the company’s overall revenues were slightly higher, with a 2.6 per cent increase, than the $3.15 billion it earned in the same quarter last year. Net income, however, was down slightly by 2.7 per cent to $355 million against the comparable period last year.

Family Channel advertising OK ‘clearly positive’: Canaccord

DHX Media Ltd. announced Thursday it received approval from the CRTC to allow broadcast advertising on its specialty Family channel, a move that one analyst describes as “clearly positive,” but not a “game changer.” 

U.S. operations boost Q4 for Cogeco

Cogeco Inc. saw a 3.2-per-cent increase in revenue to hit $572 million for the final quarter of fiscal 2016, the company reported Wednesday.

Bell announces 1M+ Crave TV subs, Fibe on Apple TV

BCE Inc. reported Thursday that its over-the-top (OTT) product Crave TV has surpassed one million subscribers, as it announced its Internet protocol TV (IPTV) service Fibe TV is getting distribution through Apple Inc.’s TV service.

Telecom services bolster Quebecor’s Q3

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

CRTC suspends closed-captioning targets

The CRTC has granted a group testing alternative methods of closed captioning English-language television a reprieve in having to hit accuracy targets.

In a notice on its website Wednesday, the commission said it would suspend until Aug. 31, 2019, the requirement that captioning on live programming have a 95-per-cent accuracy rate.

CRTC issues TV licence-renewal outline

The CRTC has issued a “working document” to guide discussion in the upcoming public hearing on the renewal of television licences by large ownership groups.

“The inclusion of specific proposals in the working document should not be seen as an indication that the Commission has made up its mind on any issue or that it prefers one option over another,” the CRTC cautioned in a notice on its website Wednesday.

Michel Bissonnette named as Lalande’s replacement

CBC/Radio-Canada announced that Michel Bissonnette would be taking over as executive vice-president of French services at Radio-Canada.

Super Bowl appeal to go ahead, but court says no stay

Federal Court has granted BCE Inc. leave to appeal the CRTC’s decision not to allow simultaneous substitution for the Super Bowl, though it declined to delay the implementation of the decision until the court process wrapped up.

CRTC launches proceeding on VOIS CCTS membership termination

The CRTC is giving VOIS Inc. an opportunity to defend itself after its membership in the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS) was terminated this summer.   

TVA Group posts smaller loss, buoyed by hockey

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

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

CRTC approves CincoMas for distribution

A BCE Inc. application to sponsor a Spanish-language channel has been approved, the CRTC said Friday.

In a notice posted to its website, the CRTC said CincoMas, described as a 24-hour general interest service, received the OK to be added to the list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution. The channel “originates from Spain and its target audience will be anyone who has a connection to or interest in Spain,” the CRTC said.

MTS asking to exempt ‘graphic’ channel from TV packaging rules

Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. is asking the CRTC to exempt a television service from being offered in a package to meet the commission’s basic TV mandate later this year.

Trudeau responds to CIPF concern

Even though the CRTC is an arms-length organization, there is “a lot this government can do directly to support artists and creators across this country,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday, in response to a question about the CRTC’s recent changes to the certified independent production fund (CIPF) framework.

Groupe V Media launches complaint about music shuffle

Groupe V Media Inc. has filed a complaint with the CRTC over BCE Inc.’s removal of Groupe V Media’s French-language music channels from its cheapest pre-assembled cable TV packages.

According to the Part 1 application posted to the commission’s website Wednesday, Bell informed Groupe V that its MusiMax and MusiquePlus were moving from Bon to Meilleur packages in Quebec and that they were being removed from the legacy package’s En Famille theme pack and would be offered a la carte in Ontario in Quebec.

For the first time in 10 years, broadcast sector revenues fall: CRTC

The broadcasting sector saw its first overall revenue decrease in the previous decade last year, while traditional TV viewership among youth continued to fall, according to numbers reported by the CRTC Monday.

CBC execs talk digital shift, competition at Heritage committee

OTTAWA — CBC/Radio-Canada has prioritized a shift to digital platforms to reach all Canadians, but ensuring they are able to access those platforms isn’t part of the public broadcaster’s mandate, CBC representatives told parliamentarians Tuesday.

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

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

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

Bell moves Showtime to OTT platform

BCE Inc.’s over-the-top (OTT) service CraveTV will be the new launching pad for Showtime programming in Canada, the company announced Monday.

In a press release, Crave said new and returning shows will debut on the OTT platform the same time as they air on television in the U.S., beginning with The Affair on Nov. 20, so that “subscribers can look forward to new SHOWTIME programming on the service every single week.”

Millennials spend 30 hours a week online: MTM

Anglophone millennials spend more than 30 hours a week on the Internet, and about four-fifths of that generation watch TV online, according the latest report from Media Technology Monitor, a project of CBC/Radio-Canada.

The report, released Thursday, surveyed media technology adoption among the millennial generation, or those between 18 and 34 years old. It found that more than a quarter opted to watch TV content exclusively online and not pay for a TV service.

Horror-focused OTT service launches in Canada

Shudder, an over-the-top (OTT) service focusing on the horror genre, has launched in Canada, a year after it became available in the United States.

According to a press release, the AMC Networks Inc.-owned Shudder is “the only streaming service in Canada dedicated to serving both casual and hardcore fans of high-quality horror and suspenseful entertainment.”

CIPF criticism ‘misleading,’ Blais tells committee

OTTAWA — CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais defended the rationale and timing of the regulator’s controversial decision to change the eligibility requirements to access certified independent production funds (CIPFs) in face of pointed questions from members of Parliament Thursday morning.

CRTC not twiddling thumbs as industry changes: Blais

OTTAWA — On the same day that a new report was released arguing the CRTC’s role and authority should be reduced in response to technological change, CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais defended the relevance of the commission in the digital age in front of a Parliamentary committee.

Shaw Media carries Corus to 99% revenue increase in Q4

Corus Entertainment Inc. reported Wednesday a 99 per cent increase in revenues for the fourth quarter, despite a decline in radio revenues.

The three-month period, which ended August 31, saw Corus close with total revenues for both television and radio of $384.4 million, compared to $193.5 million in the same period last year, before it bought Shaw Communications Inc.’s media division. Profit was up 90 per cent to $105.3 million for both segments, from $55.4 million compared to last year.

Corus adds Cooking to channel menu

Corus Entertainment Inc. is adding to its culinary line up with the Cooking Channel, a new 24-hour, food-focused network launching in Canada on Dec. 12.

The Cooking Channel — which will be a rebrand of Corus’ W Movies offering — comes from the same creators as the Food Network, Corus said in a Wednesday press release, and was first launched in the United States by the Scripps Network in 2010.

Some concern about delay in Natale start date: analysts

It could be mid-2017 before former Telus Corp. head Joe Natale takes over as CEO at Rogers Communications Inc., according to financial analysts, some of whom said Tuesday that the delay could have negative effects on the company.

PBS to distribute TFO content to U.S. teachers

Ontario’s French-language public broadcaster has teamed up with an American partner to distribute its educational programs in the United States, Groupe Média TFO said in a press release Monday.

Broadband TV partners with Univision

Canadian multi-platform network (MPN) BroadbandTV Corp. (BBTV) has signed a deal to manage the Hispanic content of Univision Communications Inc.

The Vancouver-based media company will provide the management services for Univision’s fan-uploaded content as well as managing its 16 YouTube channels, according to a Tuesday press release.

Rogers profit down 53% after Shomi write-down

Rogers Communications Inc. reported increased third-quarter revenues but lower net profits, in light of cutting its over-the-top (OTT) service Shomi last month.

VMedia pulls CTV from OTT service as ‘sign of good faith’

VMedia Inc. said in a court document it has removed BCE Inc.’s CTV channels from its over-the-top (OTT) skinny basic service pending the resolution of a legal dispute between the two companies, as a “sign of good faith.”

SuperBowl simsub ban shouldn’t be delayed, AG says

BCE Inc. hasn’t demonstrated enough evidence that a court should postpone the implementation of the CRTC’s decision to eliminate simultaneous substitution for the National Football League's (NFL) Super Bowl, and the evidence it has provided is “limited to bald and speculative assertions,” the attorney general is arguing.

Improve Internet access to help news media, committee hears

OTTAWA — Raising the level of broadband Internet service for Canadians would go far in levelling the playing field for both media producers and consumers, a House of Commons committee heard Thursday, as it continued its study of the media and local communities.

Bell asks for injunction against VMedia OTT service

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

TV discoverability hinges on word of mouth, ads: MTM

Canadians rely mostly on word-of-mouth and paid advertising to find TV new shows, according to a new Media Technology Monitor report.

In its latest release published Tuesday, the CBC/Radio-Canada research project said it found that 38 per cent of Canadians said finding new TV content was easy, with 27 per cent primarily looking to recommendations from friends and 17 per cent getting their info from radio and TV commercials.

CPC backbencher tables CBC-privatization bill

A Conservative Party leadership candidate has tabled legislation with the aim of privatizing CBC/Radio-Canada.

On Thursday, Saskatchewan MP Brad Trost introduced a private member’s bill, C-308, “to provide for the incorporation” of the country’s public broadcaster.

The proposed legislation would create one million shares in the CBC that would be controlled by a designated minister and then be made available for public offering.

VMedia fighting to keep CTV, CTV2 on OTT service

VMedia Inc. is asking an Ontario court to step in and declare that its recently launched over-the-top (OTT) streaming television service is not infringing copyright, as claimed by BCE Inc., which wants the provider to remove its CTV and CTV Two networks from its service.

In an application filed Monday with the Ontario Superior Court, the Toronto-based independent provider argued that its live-TV streaming service for customers with Roku Inc. devices is permitted under the Copyright Act.

CraveTV profitability still uncertain after Shomi exit: Desjardins

While CraveTV should have an easier time competing in the over-the-top (OTT) space now that Shomi will cease operation, Netflix Inc.’s offering still leaves doubt about the profitability of BCE Inc.’s service, says a Desjardins analyst.

NDP’s Nantel digging for CanCon consult details

The department of Canadian Heritage will have to disclose who sat down with Minister Mélanie Joly as she fleshed out the consultation plan for her Canadian content review, following a query by NDP MP Pierre Nantel.

“I just want to make sure that these consultations are going to be fruitful because there’s no coming back,” Nantel, co-chair of the House’s Canadian Heritage committee and his party’s heritage critic, said in a phone interview.

CBC ‘past the disruption stage’ of strategic plan: Lacroix

CBC/Radio-Canada CEO Hubert Lacroix said during the public broadcaster’s annual meeting in Moncton, N.B., that “27 months after launching our 2020 strategy, we are past the disruption stage.”

Shomi had 900,000 subs, company says

As Shomi shuts down, experts point to strong competition in OTT

Shomi, the joint Rogers Communications Inc. and Shaw Communications Inc. over-the-top (OTT) video service, will shut down on Nov. 30, the service announced Monday afternoon, in a move some industry experts said wasn’t completely out of the blue.

Consultation on specialty, pay channel regulation opens

The CRTC is consulting on whether it should merge the rules for specialty and pay channels into a single set of regulations.

It said in a notice of consultation Monday that having two distinct designations for the channels is “no longer particularly meaningful” in today’s regulatory context and asked for comment on a set of proposed rules for both types of channels.

New CBC board appointment process coming: Joly

The federal government will unveil a new consultation process for appointing members to the CBC/Radio-Canada board of directors “in the next few weeks,” Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly said Wednesday.

According to a transcript of her response to a question by NDP MP Pierre Nantel in the House of Commons, the new process “is open and transparent in order to maintain the independence of the corporation’s board members,” Joly said.

Canadian content finding home internationally via OTT: report

Canadian content producers who find audiences internationally are benefitting from over-the-top (OTT) services, according to a report examining the impact of OTT platforms on global video production.

The report, published Tuesday by the Boston Consulting Group, noted that “English content travels comparatively easily across borders,” leaving Canadian and U.K. producers in a good position to “further monetize their libraries by selling content abroad in first- and second-run windows.”

Bell asks for stay of Super Bowl simsub decision in new appeal

BCE Inc. has filed a new motion petitioning the Federal Court of Appeal to hear its case against the CRTC decision banning simultaneous substitution during the Super Bowl.

In a notice of motion filed in Toronto on Monday, Bell repeated its argument that the CRTC went outside of its jurisdiction and that it doesn’t have the authority to  “make orders that have retrospective effect or interfere with vested contractual rights.”

Data consumption, competitive pressures headline investor conference

Canada’s biggest telcos told investors Wednesday that they are seeing growth in wireless data usage on the first of a two-day conference hosted by CIBC World Markets.

CRTC tells CACTUS community-TV decision based on input from all

Jeffrey Elliott takes over as Interactive Ontario chair

Jeffrey Elliott, TableRock Media CEO, is the new chairman of Interactive Ontario, the association announced Tuesday.

Elliott, a long-time member of the board of directors, was elected to the position to replace outgoing chairman Peter Miller, according to a press release from Interactive Ontario, a trade association for the digital content industry.

Low skinny basic take-up result of content-hungry consumers: Cope

Adoption of skinny-basic television has been low because consumers demand more content, BCE Inc. president and CEO George Cope told an investors’ conference on Tuesday.

“Subscriptions for [skinny basic] have probably met our expectations. It’s been fairly low, but that’s because of the desire of the consumer for [enormous amounts] of content now, so it’s really what’s in it,” Cope told Goldman analyst Jiorden Sanchez at the investment bank’s annual Communacopia Conference.

VMedia bringing live-streaming TV to Roku devices

VMedia Inc. has rolled out live TV to Canadian users of Roku Inc.’s devices, Roku said in a press release Friday.

Canadians can “watch up to 20 live TV channels, including Canadian and US networks such as CTV, CBC, Global, ICI, TVA and V” and CBC, NBC, ABC, FOX and PBS, the release said, with all available in high-definition. Roku also said that VMedia has a look back feature, allowing users to catch up on missed shows in the past week.

Wireline competition, pick-and-pay could pressure telecoms in 2017: Canaccord

Certain events leading into 2017 could spell increased pressure on telecommunications companies, but there’s “not much to be excited about” otherwise, according to Canaccord Genuity.

In a note Monday, Canaccord analyst Aravinda Galappatthige said “apart from the fact that the impact of the double cohort should ease,” he does “not see many catalysts that can significantly improve the fundamentals” in the telecom sector.  

Emmy win a knock on CRTC rules: critics

Critics of the CRTC’s recent changes to the certified independent production fund (CIPF) policy pointed to Canadian actress Tatiana Maslany’s victory at the Emmy Awards Sunday night as evidence changes were the wrong move.

CCSA board responds to wrongful dismissal suit

The former CEO of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) could not have been wrongfully dismissed since her employment contract was already up, the board of directors argued in court documents responding to a lawsuit by Alyson Townsend.

Early, authentic engagement key for young audiences, public broadcasters hear

MONTREAL — The key to reaching young viewers is to have content made by them, not just for them, panellists at the Public Broadcasters International conference said Friday.

“The conversation must be young people to young people,” Thomas Sessner, chief digital officer of Germany’s BR, said in response to a question about interacting on social media and authenticity — a word that came up repeatedly at the two-day event focused on reaching millennial audiences.

TV still a go-to for newshounds: MTM

Television is still the dominant way English-speaking Canadians consume news, with 60 per cent tuning in to a news specialty channel, according to a new Media Technology Monitor (MTM) report.

CBC ‘can’t stand still,’ Lacroix says on shift to digital

MONTREAL — As technological change accelerates, CBC/Radio-Canada has to keep pace, according to CEO Hubert Lacroix, who said Thursday “we can’t think of the public broadcaster as one driven by legacy assets.”

“We can’t stand still,” Lacroix said in an interview at the Public Broadcasters International conference, which is being hosted by CBC in Montreal this week. The focus for this year’s two-day event is how public broadcasters can reach the digital generation.

Twitter launches device apps for TV live-streaming

Twitter Inc. has launched apps that allow viewers to access its live-streaming video through Apple Inc.’s Apple TV, Amazon.com Inc.’s Fire TV and Microsoft Corp.’s XBox One.

Rogers’ Laurence says CanCon should be international brand

Rogers Communications Inc. CEO Guy Laurence said the government’s ongoing review of Canadian content in a digital age should lead to more focus on promoting and selling content internationally, among other changes.

CRTC approves A Bola TV for distribution

The CRTC has approved TerraTerra Communications Inc.’s application to distribute a Portuguese-language channel as a non-Canadian programming service.

In a notice posted to its website Wednesday, the regulator said the A Bola TV channel is a “24-hour niche service” offering Portuguese and international news and sports originating from Lisbon, Portugal.

Industry, public disagree on biggest threats to CanCon: Heritage

Members of the public and cultural stakeholders don’t see eye to eye when it comes to identifying the biggest challenges facing the country’s cultural sector, according to info released Tuesday as Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly launched the public consultation phase of a review of Canada’s cultural institutions.

Wireline data caps have no legitimate purpose, Netflix tells FCC

Netflix Inc. argued that data caps are an “unnecessary constraint on advanced telecommunications capability” in a filing with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Portuguese channel approved for distribution

The CRTC has approved the Portuguese-language channel TVI Internacional for distribution in Canada.

The general-interest service from Lisbon, Portugal broadcasts “a range of programming including news, entertainment, dramas, soaps and talk shows,” the commission said in a decision Monday.