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

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

Michael O’Brien has been named to the board of directors of Shaw Communications Inc. Formerly, he held a number of senior management positions with Suncor Energy Inc., most recently as executive VP of corporate development.

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

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

UBS withdraws from 2300/3500 MHz spectrum auction
Unique Broadband Systems Inc. (UBS) cites access to enough spectrum through its 51% ownership stake in Look Communications Inc. and an agreement with Microcell Telecommunications Inc. as its reasons for withdrawing from the much anticipated 2300 MHz and 3500 MHz spectrum auction. UBS representative Phil Koven tells Canadian Communications Reports, "UBS feels that with Look’s position in spectrum and the position UBS itself has through its deal with Microcell is enough spectrum for its perceived uses over the short-to-medium term and as a result it is conserving resources for other short-to-medium term priorities."

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

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

Canada’s cable operators added three times more digital subscribers in the third quarter of 2003 than their satellite TV competitors. The figures are a clear sign that the honeymoon is over for satellite TV and that cable is now the preferred choice of most Canadians moving to digital TV. That’s one key finding from the latest research on the digital TV distribution market compiled by Decima Publishing Inc.

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

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

Despite complaints by private English-language conventional television broadcasters that their profit margins dropped below 10% in 2002, the lowest level since 1991, CRTC stats show that losses in market share to over-the-air broadcasters are more than being made up through audience gains to their specialty channels (CCR, June 20/03). In fact, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. is the only English-language broadcaster to see its market share drop, if viewing to both conventional and specialty channels are included, according the Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report, released last month by the CRTC.

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

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

Radio Nord Communications inc. management charges that its striking employees in northern Quebec won’t return to the bargaining table because many are making more money while on strike than on the job. The allegations were leveled by Radio Nord head Pierre Brosseau as the broadcaster prepares to appear before the CRTC on February 16 for the licence renewals of CKRN-TV Rouyn, the Radio-Canada affiliate station it operates; TVA affiliate CFEM-TV Rouyn; and TQS affiliate CFVS-TV, located in Val d’Or with a retransmitter in Rouyn (CCR Update, Jan. 7/04). Radio Nord’s stations in Gatineau, which are not on strike, are also up for licence renewal.

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

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

The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) continues to believe that the addition of two U.S. high-definition (HD) services are needed to boost viewership to the new technology, despite the fact that more and more Canadian broadcasters are beginning to offer HD programming. CCTA acting president Michael Hennessy says that the CRTC should immediately consider the organization’s application to add HDNet and Discovery HD Theatre because they offer high-definition programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He further notes that the impact of adding the two U.S. high-definition channels would be minimal since they are non-competitive with existing Canadian services that could convert to HD programming and that the HD audience size is not significant at this moment.

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

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

Craig Media’s ambitious expansion plans have angered striking television workers who contend that the broadcaster has repeatedly told them it has no money. "We’re shocked to hear that he (owner Drew Craig) has the capital to expand when all we hear from him is that there is no money," striking cameraman Chris Peterson tells Canadian Communications Reports. Peterson is chief steward with Local 1900 of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union (CEP), which was formed at Craig Media’s Edmonton-based A-Channel in September 2001 to press for higher wages and job security. When no progress was made in negotiations over the following two years, the union walked off the job on Sept. 17, 2003.

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

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