Government hears from all sides in lawful access debate at first parlay

The federal government has held its first meeting with several key players affected by lawful access matters. But finding consensus among parties with disparate aims proved difficult, due to time constraints and differences in philosophy.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Bell Canada assumes total control of Bell West by buying MTS stake

The ever-evolving path of Bell West took another turn last week when Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. announced it is selling its 40% stake in the carrier to its partner Bell Canada. This is the third major change in ownership since the company was formed four years ago.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

New Cabinet features members knowledgeable about telecom concerns

The advent of a new government in Ottawa brings several new Cabinet members who are knowledgeable about the telecom sector and the problems it faces. But the likelihood of an election in the spring negates any real possibility of concrete action on the sector in the short term.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Paris Première TV channel to pull plug in Canada next week; MSNBC Canada could be next Canadian diginet to disappear

European French-language television channel Paris Première will pull out of the Canadian market on December 27, Canadian Communications Reports has learned. The channel, introduced in Canada on digital cable a year and a half ago, has decided to abandon the small but growing digital television market due to low subscriber and viewer numbers, sources say.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

CNM Editorial

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.
 

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

CNM People

Blast Radius has appointed Mario Perez as VP of production, based in Toronto. Perez was formerly the partner and corporate services executive for Microsoft Canada Services and was before that co-founder and chief technology officer for FsXchange (now eFS). He was also the e-business systems integration practice principal for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ management consulting services and held other management positions with companies such as Necho Systems Corp., Coopers & Lybrand Consulting, DELRINA Corp., and SLMsoft.com.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

ZAQ announces relaunch of activities and trading

ZAQ Inc. will resume operations under the terms of a business plan approved by the board of directors this fall. Class A shares of the company resumed trading December 15. Under the terms of the plan, the company will continue providing interactive marketing solutions to its clients and will continue to develop, acquire and market software-based products for interactive marketing. It will also provide software development, enhancement and maintenance services to Information Solutions Analytics Compliance Technologies Inc. (ISAC), which owns approximately 37.7% of ZAQ’s voting shares. In the same media release in which it announced the resumption of trading and business activities, the company also noted that it has recently acquired Nobelia Inc., a Victoriaville QC-based software and services company for $31,000 cash and 152,857 shares of ISAC worth $566,000 held by ZAQ. Some assets held by Nobelia not core to ZAQ’s business will be divested. ISAC has also lent ZAQ $500,000 in working capital to be repaid with market interest rates.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Bill Craig to use interactivity to revamp struggling PrideVision specialty channel

The maverick broadcaster who used the Internet to upend traditional delivery models is now turning his attention to the digital specialty television world with a plan to rejuvenate the ailing PrideVision TV channel. Bill Craig has purchased 90% of the channel from Headline Media Group Inc. for $2.6 million, and hopes to turn its fortunes around by renegotiating existing distribution contracts and introducing new interactivity to help build community loyalty.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

Galaxie to tackle commercial market with IP-based OMT back-end technology

An evolution of its partnership with Canadian Broadcasting Corp. digital music service Galaxie will be one of the first tests for OMT Inc. as it begins implementing the technology assets it purchased from now defunct musicmusicmusic Inc. For less than $500,000, Winnipeg-based OMT has purchased a catalog of 365,000 digital audio tracks and the back-end technology to serve them up, and will now put those assets to work as Galaxie expands beyond the residential market to tackle the commercial sector.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required

ITV to gain popular acceptance when Internet links established: Fortner

Interactive television (ITV) won’t become mainstream until the various links in the chain open the technology up to the broader Internet world, says Ryerson University’s Brad Fortner, a long-time practitioner in the field. At an ITV-themed lunch and learn in Toronto on December 12 organized by the New Media Business Alliance, Fortner broke with fellow panelists Glenn Purkis of satellite TV provider Bell ExpressVu LP and producer Barbara Jones, owner of Sailor Moon Productions, to argue that the true promise of ITV lies in a broadcaster path to multiple-networked devices in the home – a different vision from the gated model set out by Bell ExpressVu’s representative.

This content is available to wirereport.ca subscribers

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

FREE TRIAL

Two weeks free access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Register for free

* Required

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited access to thewirereport.ca and our exlusive newsletters.

Continue

* Required