Regional telcos apply to beef up IPTV services with VOD

South-western Ontario telecommunications providers Bruce Telecom and Wightman Telecom Ltd. have applied to the CRTC to add video-on-demand to their IPTV services. The applications were among 40 released by the regulator Friday, which also included a request from Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. for a Category 2 specialty service called Baseball TV. As Canadian Communications Reports reported last week, Bruce and Wightman are two of eight regional telcos in the area extending from London and Kitchener northwest to Lake Huron who are sharing the cost of wholesale content delivered from Toronto to offer over their own IPTV networks. Bruce has been offering IPTV to its customers in the Saugeen Shores region (Port Elgin, Tiverton, Kincardine, Southampton and Paisley) since February 1. Although its service is already robust with 180-channels and 22 in high-definition, the regional telco is clearly wasting no time bringing its service on par with the likes of competitor Bell ExpressVu. "The applicant proposes to offer programming that will consist primarily of feature films but may also include other types of programming such as drama and comedy, animated television programs and films and general entertainment and human interest," reads the application notice. Likewise, Wightman, which serves the communities of Clifford, Teeswater, Mildmay, Neustadt, Gorrie and Ayton, is seeking "to provide a digital English-language general interest service featuring programming that will consist of feature films but may include programming from all content categories." More baseball from Rogers Already as the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Rogers Centre (aka. Skydome), it makes sense that communications conglomerate Rogers would add a baseball channel to its collection of assets. In its application for Category 2 specialty service Baseball TV, Rogers states that "the programming will provide a service devoted to the coverage of baseball. Programming will consist of in-depth analysis and coverage of all aspects of baseball from the professional major leagues to minor and amateur teams." Rogers also requests a condition of licence that would enable the service to broadcast live baseball games up to a maximum of 10% of its programming schedule. 37 more applications The remaining applications on the docket cover a broad spectrum of broadcasting services. The first 11, for instance, are for the following radio stations in the Ottawa-Gatineau region: Réél-Radio: a licence to operate a French-language FM community-based campus radio service; Radio de la communauté francophone d'Ottawa: for a licence to operate a French-language FM Type B community radio programming undertaking; Fiston Kalambay Mutombo: for a licence to operate a French-language FM Christian music service; Instant Information Services Incorporated: to increase the wattage of its English-language FM commercial tourist radio programming undertaking, and fro a licence to offer a similar service in French; Corus Radio Company: for a licence to operate an English-language FM spoken word/news talk programming undertaking'; Christian Hit Radio Inc.: for a licence to operate an English-language FM talk format religious radio programming undertaking in Ottawa; Ottawa Media Inc.: for a licence to operate an English-language FM commercial radio programming undertaking dedicated to adult album alternative music; Astral Media Radio Inc.: for a licence to operate an English-language FM soft adult music radio programming undertaking; Frank Torres: for a licence to operate an English-language FM blues music station and; Mark Steven Maheu: for a licence to operate an English-language FM pop alternative music radio programming undertaking. The application schedule also includes requests for new television licenses such as: RDL Média inc.'s application to operate a national French-language Category 2 specialty television programming undertaking to be known as Radical Télé, which will be devoted to non-traditional sports; Real Productions request to operate a national English-language Category 2 pay television programming undertaking to be known as Northern Peaks that will be dedicated to significant Canadian adult content; and Telelatino Network Inc.‘s application to operate a national English-language ethnic Category 2 specialty television service to be known as Eurolatino Television, which will consist of general interest programming devoted to Canadians whose origins are Hispanic and/or Italian. The Deadline for submission of interventions or comments is April 18, 2008. The commission will hold a public hearing commencing in Gatineau on May 13 2008.

Regional telcos apply to beef up IPTV services with VOD

News | 03/17/2008 3:03 pm EDT

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