The Ottawa region will be the test site for a new generation of digital television that will give over-the-air broadcasters the option of using part of their channel capacity to offer TV programs and other data services to portable or mobile devices, including laptops and cell phones. Broadcasters and government regulators will likely have an opportunity to see a demonstration of the new technology at work.

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A yet-to-be enforced regulatory policy governing the distribution of independently owned television stations on satellite has come under attack by Canada’s two satellite television companies. Both Bell TV and Shaw Direct have criticized a proposal to review the policy, arguing that proposed changes are premature and will undermine the viability of direct-to-home (DTH) carriers.

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An increasingly diverse customer base, new distribution options, and changing technologies present video game developers with novel opportunities, according to participants at a Toronto conference this week on the interactive entertainment industry. But speakers at GameON Finance 2009 also outlined a host of unprecedented challenges for Canadian game makers.

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New Media BC’s board of directors voted unanimously Tuesday in favour of merging with the Wireless Innovation Network of British Columbia (WINBC). The new association will be called the Digital Media and Wireless Association of BC (DigiBC).

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