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Council of Europe looks to revive stalled broadcast IP talks

While all eyes were on the Canadian government this week and whether it would actually table new copyright legislation, which is likely to include ratification of the World Intellectual Property Organization's copyright treaty, a group of European nations contemplated renewing talks on a portion of the stalled WIPO broadcast treaty in an effort to combat signal piracy.  

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Bell gets interim approval on wholesale local voice tariff

Competitive telecommunications service providers will soon only have to pay wholesale rates to offer local residential telephony using Bell Canada and Bell Aliant's network rather than retail rates.  

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Commission to hear case for free HD network

The CRTC today set February 11, 2008 for the hearing to consider HDTV Networks Inc.'s application for licence to operate an English-language high definition (HD) over-the-air (OTA) television service with transmitters in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Halifax. HDTV, which is headed by renowned Canadian entrepreneur John Bitove, proposes to be Canada's first free national HD, OTA network. "Canadians deserve the latest innovative technology in television programming which they will be able to access from us for free," said Bitove in a press release today. "The HD format is the new generation of broadcasting and we are keen to deliver the benefits that only HD technology provides – vivid colour and sharp clarity – to enhance everyone's TV-watching experience."
To read the Canadian Communications Reports story from last January detailing HDTV's decision apply for a licence, click here.

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Copyright bill will not be introduced until 2008

Ending days of back-and-forth speculation, Industry Minister Jim Prentice officially delayed tabling proposed amendments to the Canadian Copyright Act in Parliament until 2008. Prentice's press secretary advised this morning that the bill would not be introduced today or tomorrow, the final two days until the House of Commons breaks for the holidays.

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Neotech Capital names new chairman

Mark Bruneau has been appointed chairman of the board at venture capital firm Neotech Capital. Bruneau is a senior fellow with global strategy consultancy The Monitor Company, as well as chairman of digital signage company M'Pact TV. From 2004 to 2007 he served as executive VP and chief strategy officer at Bell Canada Enterprises, and prior to that he was founder and CEO of global strategy and management consulting firm Adventis. Bruneau also serves on the board of the Boston Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, NeuroScience Canada, Centaur Theatre, and Carrefour Arc-en-Ciel. "Mark's experience and understanding of all IT related businesses will be a strong enabler for us," said Daniel Robichaud, president of Neotech Capital. "His expertise will contribute to the growth and success of Neotech Capital as a business incubator and prosperity engine for Canada for years to come." Montreal-based Neotech invests in web-based businesses, online media, Internet infrastructure and hosted applications.

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BELL FUND PICK: Discover your roots with Who Do You Think You Are?

Who Do You Think You Are? is a 13 part documentary series on the CBC exploring the genealogy of 13 famous Canadians including Don Cherry, Shaun Majunder, Mary Walsh and Chantal Kreviazuk. Each half hour episode retraces the family roots of a celebrity.

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SimulScribe brings consumer unified messaging to Canada

SimulScribe Inc. launched its voicemail-to-text solution today in Canada, bringing unified messaging to the Canadian masses. Available on 95% of Canadian wireline and wireless networks, the service allows consumers to have their voicemail converted to text and then sent to them either in an email or SMS, eliminating the need to check multiple voicemail boxes.

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TV still the dominant destination for news: poll

Television is by far Canadians' number one source for general and breaking news according to survey results released today by the Information Technology Association of Canada (ITAC). The National Media Choice and Trust Poll also revealed that all traditional media – TV, radio and newspapers – are seen as more accurate and unbiased than online news sites.

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Canadians not shopping online for holiday gifts at work: survey

Results from a Business Software Alliance (BSA) survey reveal that Canadians are less likely to shop online at work during the holiday rush than their American counterparts. But retailers will be happy to hear that the number of Canadians who won't do any Internet shopping has decreased dramatically over the past year, dropping from 39% in 2006 to 24% this year.

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CTV programming now on iTunes

Programming from CTV and its specialty channels The Comedy Network and MTV is now available from the Apple iTunes Store in Canada. Programs include Corner Gas, Robson Arms and Degrassi: The Next Generation from CTV, South Park, The Sarah Silverman Program and Drawn Together from The Comedy Network, and The Hills from MTV. "More platforms ultimately means more viewers," said Susanne Boyce, president, creative, content and channels, CTV Inc. "Following our initiatives in Broadband and VOD, this content on iTunes raises awareness of these great Canadian series and specialty properties to different audiences. Additionally, it allows CTV viewers to play catch up as well, delivering CTV content on their own terms."

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