CCR Short Takes

CHUM begins PC broadcasting on iMagic's SoftTV platformChumCity Interactive has authorized the trial airing of broadcast television programming over iMagicTV's SoftTV platform to enable service providers to offer interactive television on subscribers' desktop PCs. iMagicTV plans to expand the trial of its SoftTV product with one of its North American customers. The trial project enables content providers to deliver via the PC (over a service provider's secure, managed network) a choice of high quality programming that fits with their viewers' lifestyles. EastLink prepares to roll out digital cable serviceNova Scotia-based EastLink Cable Ltd has announced it will launch EastLink Digital Cable throughout its Nova Scotia and PEI markets over the next 12 months. EastLink will be offering over 100 channels of TV programming, including pay-per-view options, 30 channels of commercial-free digital music, and a fully customizable interactive channel guide with parental controls. The first launch is scheduled for May 15 in Halifax. Global media, Classic Movies make e-comm, streaming dealGlobal Media Corp, an Internet company that creates revenue generating e-commerce and streaming solutions, has reached an agreement with ClassicMovies.com Inc an e-commerce entertainment company devoted to the worldwide distribution of classic movies and associated merchandise. Global Media has built for ClassicMovies.com a complete entertainment and e-commerce system within an interactive video player and a private label store. Consumers can access complete films and trailers of numerous classic titles as well as purchase these and many others through the online store. Bell-CTV share deal finalizedShareholders of CTV Ltd have tendered 52.9 million common shares of the company's stock to BCE Inc under BCE's offer of $38.50 per share. This represents 99 per cent of the CTV shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis inclusive of the 7 million common shares held by Electrohome Broadcasting Inc. CTV shares acquired under the BCE offer will be transferred to a trustee, pending the CRTC's consideration of the take-over. Cancom sells interest in ROBTv to WIC TelevisionCanadian Satellite Communications Inc (Cancom) has completed the sale of its 24% partnership interest in Report on Business Television (ROBTv), to WIC Television Ltd. for total consideration of $8.5 million. The sale of Cancom's interest in ROBTv complies with a directive given by the CRTC when it approved the merger of Cancom and Star Choice Communications Inc in July 1999. Novus Telecom wants to take on Rogers in VancouverNovus Telecom Group Inc has applied for a licence to offer cable-TV service to condominium and apartment buildings throughout Greater Vancouver, in direct competition with Rogers Cable Inc. Novus wants to bundle cable TV, high-speed Internet access, telephone and other services to residents of condo and apartment buildings. The Vancouver-based company has similar plans for Toronto. Last year, it bought Pacific Place Cable Ltd (PPC) from developer Terry Hui to gain a foothold in downtown Vancouver. Aliant becomes Canadian partner in broadband forumAtlantic Canadian telco Aliant Inc is among the 30 companies that have joined with Nortel Networks Corp to form the Broad-band Content Delivery Forum. The BCDF seeks to break open the high-bandwidth services market. Other partners include AT&T Broadband, Telstra, and Universo Online Ltda. CRTC sets new service standardsThe CRTC is introducing new service standards to help monitor its efficiency in dealing with broadcasting applications. They reflect the aims articulated in the commission's Vision report, to make the CRTC's processes more efficient, responsive and streamlined. The commission will introduce the new service standards in two phases. A first set of service standards was implemented on April 1. More detailed and rigorous standards will be introduced on April 1, 2003. The CRTC will post quarterly and annual reports on its web site outlining its performance in meeting its new service standards. TVA tables bids for Motion InternationalTVA Inc has made a friendly takeover bid for TV production company Motion International Inc, Montreal, in a deal worth up to $125 million. TVA will offer $5.45 a share in cash for Motion, a bid that was immediately supported by Motion's board of directors and controlling shareholder Charles Sirois. The offer will be made through a holding company jointly owned by TVA and Capital Communications, a subsidiary of the giant Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, Canada's largest pension fund. The takeover is expected to close in early May, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals. As part of the transaction, TVA will combine its affiliate TVA International into Motion's international operations, creating the second-largest production house in Canada and a major new player in global content production. The new company will be named TVA International. CanWest 3Q profit up over 1999 resultsCanWest Global Communications Corp, reported second quarter broadcast operating profits of $57 million for the period ending February 29, 2000, a slight improvement from the results achieved in the same period in 1999. Net earnings for the quarter were $24.5 million or $0.16 per share compared with $39.2 million and $0.26 per share last year. Last year's results were affected by a one-time special dividend from the CanWest investment in Ulster TV. Broadcast standards council sets up complaints systemThe Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has formed a national council to respond to public complaints relating to its specialty service members. Previously, all complaints have been dealt with by the CBSC Regional Council in one of the five regions in which the complaint arose. Ten people have been appointed to the National Council, five representing the public and five representing the broadcast industry. The council will sit as a body of seven, consisting of three of the public and three of the broadcaster representatives and with the CBSC's national chair chairing the deliberations. The public members are Meg Hogarth, Catherine Murray, Fo Niemi, Peter O'Neill and Howard Pawley. The industry members are Sarah Crawford, Elizabeth Duffy-MacLean, Jennifer Fong, Al MacKay and Sheldon Teicher. Police bust satellite dealer operation in BarrieThe RCMP Federal Enforcement Section, Toronto North Detachment, assisted by the Barrie ON Police Service, charged four people and one company for allegedly possessing illegal satellite systems. Investigators executed a search warrant in early March at the Global Botanical Corporation Ltd in Barrie, seizing hundreds of satellite systems and components with an estimated value of $250,000. Global Botanical and four men were charged under the Radiocommunications Act and the Criminal Code of Canada. Rogers increases stake in Cogeco to 17%Rogers Communications Inc has bought more shares of Cogeco Inc raising Rogers' stake in the parent of Quebec's second-biggest cable TV company to 17 per cent. Rogers said Wednesday it bought 900,000 subordinate voting shares on the TSE, increasing its stake in Cogeco Inc to more than 2.7 million shares. In addition, Rogers owns 12.7 per cent of Cogeco Cable, the operating cable TV company. At Tuesday's closing price on the Toronto stock market, 900,000 shares would cost $38.7 million. Rogers said it made the latest purchase for investment purposes. Nelvana buys children's book publisherNelvana Ltd has agreed to buy U.S. publisher Klutz for $107 million. Klutz, based in Palo Alto CA, pioneered the concept of packaging instructional books with activity products for children. The company reported revenue of US$41.4 million in 1999. Since 1977, when it first published Juggling For the Complete Klutz, a book with three beanbags attached, Klutz has sold more than 50 million books and related products in 13,500 stores around the world. Klutz's best-selling books include Cat's Cradle, The Face Painting Book, The Nail Art Book and The Braids & Bows Book. Stock market channel debuts on InternetWorkdayTV.com, Toronto, launched April 12, becoming the world's first live wireless Internet TV station offering continuous bell-to-bell coverage of financial markets in streaming audio and video. WorkdayTV.com sells advertisers blocks of programming time, rather than counting the number of hits their advertising receives.

CCR Short Takes

News | 04/13/2000 4:00 am EDT

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