American cablecos are lamenting their poor lobbying record these days, saying more needs to be done to tell their "good news stories" to various levels of government. It’s a criticism that’s been heard at many a cable convention in this country as well.

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Patrick O’Hara has been named GM of OnTV Hamilton. O’Hara, who was Global Quebec’s first employee in April 1997 and who in 1999 was appointed Quebec GM, will be at OnTV when it begins its re-branding in early 2001. Maureen Rogers, business manager at Global Television Network (Quebec) takes over the GM position vacated by O’Hara. Also at Global, Barry Saunders, who most recently was general sales manager for the Atlantic Region, was promoted to GM of Global’s Atlantic operations.

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Why Shaw thinks it’s winning the broadband deployment race

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Nova Scotia-based Cochran Entertainment Inc was among recipients of controversial grants doled out by Human Resources Development Canada, according to a report released this month by the Auditor General.

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Susan Baldwin has left the world of regulation and broadcast policy for the emerging world of the Internet. The former executive director of broadcasting at the CRTC says she took the position of director of advanced content at Canarie Inc because the Internet is on the leading edge and exploding with opportunities.

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It looks as though New Brunswick’s cable systems are headed for a major overhaul, courtesy of Newfoundland-based Cable Atlantic Inc. On Sept. 18, Rogers Communications Inc reached a deal to acquire 100 per cent of Cable Atlantic. A separate deal with Shaw Communications Inc sees Rogers acquiring other east coast systems, including those formerly owned by Fundy Cable in New Brunswick.

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Some people at the CRTC hearing last Wednesday had trouble believing the cable industry’s argument that capacity problems will limit how many French-language channels they can carry outside of Quebec, particularly during their transition from analog to digital.

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Canada’s broadcasters, producers and other copyright holders are asking for a preliminary inquiry into the operation of upstart JumpTV.com or the creation of a task force that would recommend changes to the Copyright Act.

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The Canadian Cable Television Association plans to deliver its Cable in the Classroom program in a way that taps directly into the government’s desire to have the nation receiving high-speed access by 2004. Industry Canada recently announced the creation of a new National Broadband Task Force that will draft recommendations on how broadband Internet can be delivered to all communities by 2004. The task force’s report is due to government by March 31, 2001.

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Regional Cablesystems Inc and satellite service providers could be among the main beneficiaries of a new federal mandate to bring broadband Internet access to rural and remote communities. With high-speed Internet well on its way to becoming the norm in larger centres, Industry Canada is anxious to ensure that the 15 to 20 per cent of Canadians outside the reach of DSL and cable are not left behind in the nation’s rush to get connected.

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