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Working from home binge: OTT viewing up during the pandemic
Media | 07/28/2020 6:08 pm EDT
A quarter of anglophone Canadian over-the-top (OTT) service subscribers opted in to a new platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, while a majority of subscribers increased their usage, according to a new survey from Media Technology Monitor (MTM), a project of...
Broadcaster pushes for new multilingual channel as COVID lobbying continues
Media | 07/14/2020 3:33 pm EDT
An Ontario-based ethnic broadcaster lobbying the government for funding to create a multilingual news channel to help Canadians access health information says it’s too early...
Networks coping, but future traffic impossible to predict
Media | 03/25/2020 5:48 pm EDT
Experts say Canada’s telecommunications networks are currently handling a...
BTLR on telecom: a Q&A with Janet Yale
Media | 02/14/2020 5:31 pm EST
In a phone interview with Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel chair Janet Yale,...
Allarco’s Super Channel asked to justify its license renewal before the CRTC
Media | 11/06/2019 11:28 am EST
GATINEAU — Either Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc. is an essential part of...
OECD seeks unified tax regime for web giants
telecom | 10/10/2019 5:49 pm EDT
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development will host a public consultation next month on its proposed “unified approach” to the taxation of the world’s biggest tech companies. A document released by the...
CBSA moving data to Amazon cloud amid security concerns
telecom | 08/13/2019 6:52 pm EDT
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is seeking assistance in moving certain data on Amazon.com Inc.’s cloud services, just as the e-commerce giant comes under scrutiny after a hack of its servers leaked millions of personal data records at an American bank.
Late...
CRTC commissioning report about market impact of online BDUs
Media | 08/09/2019 6:40 pm EDT
The CRTC wants to know more about the potential for the Canadian...
OPC to consult ‘shortly’ on data transiting through foreign countries
telecom | 04/05/2019 1:13 pm EDT
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner considers personal data of Canadians...
Gov’t criticized by tech companies on cloud strategy for sensitive data
telecom | 04/03/2019 1:17 pm EDT
In the lead-up to a meeting with Amazon.com Inc., the government was...
Few internet giants weighed in to BTLR, submission list shows
telecom | 03/08/2019 4:13 pm EST
The panel in charge of reviewing the broadcasting and telecom acts received...
OTT video revenues comparable to conventional TV in 2017: CMR
telecom | 02/27/2019 7:23 pm EST
Internet-based video services generated enough revenue in Canada in 2017 to rival the total revenues of private and CBC conventional television stations combined, according to the CRTC’s...
Online discoverability a challenge for books, magazines, BTLR hears
Media | 02/25/2019 2:31 pm EST
Organizations representing Canadian publishers are flagging the difficulty...
TekSavvy launches IPTV service
Media | 02/01/2019 5:11 pm EST
TekSavvy Solutions Inc. is now offering IPTV in Chatham, Ont., and the service will become available in...
Big telecoms fight calls for an ‘ISP tax’, pitch new OTT rules
telecom | 01/16/2019 5:55 pm EST
Some of Canada’s biggest telecom companies rejected calls to force ISPs...
CBC calls for site-blocking provisions for ‘manipulated content’
Media | 01/11/2019 4:09 pm EST
CBC/Radio-Canada wants the federal government to grant the CRTC the ability to issue orders requiring ISPs to block websites sharing “manipulated content, including news,”...
ITAC pitching new ‘matchmaking’ innovation hub to gov’t
telecom | 01/09/2019 6:15 pm EST
Andre Leduc recalls introducing Microsoft Inc. Canada president Kevin...
English Canadian subs to OTT jumps to 65%: MTM
Media | 12/06/2018 1:17 pm EST
The number of English-speaking adults in Canada subscribing to over-the-top streaming services continues...
Cost of TV service driving cord-cutting: Angus Reid
Media | 10/18/2018 6:18 pm EDT
A new report from the Angus Reid Institute indicates that the cost of services is the main driver behind...
Canada waiting on other countries for new digital tax rules: Morneau
Media | 10/12/2018 5:23 pm EDT
Canada has been “pushing hard” to speed up development of a plan for...
Federal Court orders ban on ‘Mr. Blamo’ Kodi add-on software
Media | 10/03/2018 6:04 pm EDT
Nearly a dozen content producers have obtained a court order banning set-top box software developed by an individual in Canada that allows users to watch their content for free, according to court documents. The Sept. 24 decision by the Federal Court ordered Samuel Horkoff, a developer of Kodi add-on software, to stop developing, maintaining, updating, hosting, distributing or promoting applications that allowed users to access unlicensed content. The decision also forbids Horkoff from operating websites or making the plaintiffs’ works available on the internet, effectively banning his...
New NAFTA allows Super Bowl simsub ahead of SCC review
Media | 10/01/2018 7:18 pm EDT
The new trade pact forged by Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to replace the...
Amazon introduces Fire TV DVR for over-the-air-channels
telecom | 09/21/2018 2:12 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. is launching a DVR that will work with a digital antenna to...
Facebook makes Watch video service available world-wide
Media | 08/30/2018 4:33 pm EDT
In a blog post on Wednesday, Facebook Inc. announced the global launch of...
TV dominates OTT in viewership: industry group
Media | 07/25/2018 5:12 pm EDT
Despite the impact over-the-top (OTT) streaming services have had on the television market for sometime in Canada, a new report by Think TV suggests that linear is still dominating those services. The report said that,...
Smart speaker adoption rate at 8% in Canada: MTM
telecom | 07/13/2018 2:12 pm EDT
Eight per cent of Canadians own a smart speaker, which is about in line with adoption of other early...
We have no obligation to offer paper bills: telecoms
telecom | 07/10/2018 4:54 pm EDT
There is no legal or regulatory obligation on telecoms to offer paper bills, BCE Inc. said in a filing to the CRTC, responding to an application asking the regulator to ensure companies must provide a paper bill to customers who...
OTT co-productions trending up: study
Media | 06/26/2018 12:41 pm EDT
Domestic and international content producers and over-the-top (OTT) services are continuing to partner...
Live TV streaming services opportunity for Corus, CEO says
Media | 06/13/2018 5:30 pm EDT
U.S.-based video services like Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube TV and Amazon.com...
‘Unprecedented’ international cooperation in data scandal investigation: Angus
telecom | 05/03/2018 5:27 pm EDT
OTTAWA — The House of Commons ethics committee spoke to a British MP on Thursday, to compare notes of investigative findings relating to an ongoing data scandal involving...
Amazon to quadruple Vancouver workforce
Media | 04/30/2018 5:34 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. will add 3,000 new employees in Vancouver, B.C., the company said in a press release on...
CBS All Access launches early in Canada
Media | 04/23/2018 1:28 pm EDT
CBS Corp.’s All Access streaming service is now available in Canada, the company said in a press...
Hey Siri, 39% of Canadians are talking to their electronics: MTM
telecom | 04/19/2018 6:14 pm EDT
Virtual assistants are beginning to take hold in Canada, with almost 40 per...
Corus plans TV ad tech test next month
Media | 04/05/2018 6:29 pm EDT
Corus Entertainment Inc. is “accelerating” its transformation into a more data-centric company, its...
FairPlay regime ineffective, counter to Telecom Act: opponents
Media | 04/05/2018 4:39 pm EDT
A proposal to implement a website-blocking system to fight piracy has drawn opposition from academics and advocacy groups in Canada, as well as input from international players and unusually high engagement from the public.
Nearly 10,000 total comments, the vast majority...
CRTC asks digital giants for info, promises confidentiality
Media | 02/05/2018 2:02 pm EST
As part of its government-ordered proceeding on future content distribution models, the CRTC is asking a number of companies — including Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Netflix Inc. — for information...
Can telecoms cut through the blockchain hype?
telecom | 01/19/2018 3:38 pm EST
The federal government said Friday it is “experimenting” with blockchain technology to create a...
CIRA partners with Amazon on community investment program
telecom | 01/09/2018 3:34 pm EST
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) said in a press release Monday that projects funded as part of its Community Investment Program will now have access to Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon...
Amazon releases online video production suite
Media | 11/27/2017 6:49 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc. announced multiple pieces of Amazon Web Service-based (AWS) video publishing software,...
Amazon releases the Echo smart speaker line in Canada
telecom | 11/15/2017 3:46 pm EST
On Wednesday, Amazon.com Inc. made a move to introduce its intelligent personal assistant Alexa into this...
Amazon Fire TV stick launches in Canada
telecom | 11/07/2017 1:48 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc. is making available its Fire TV Stick Basic Edition plug-in streaming device available...
Creative Canada ‘cultural policy, not tax policy’: Joly
Media | 11/02/2017 9:39 pm EDT
OTTAWA — Opposition MPs continued their criticism of Heritage Minister...
How big a threat are OTT sports services?
Media | 10/10/2017 5:55 pm EDT
Sports remains one of the last bastions of defence for traditional TV against a wave of over-the-top...
Future reviews to determine much of DigiCanCon strategy: experts
Media | 09/28/2017 11:25 am EDT
OTTAWA — While the response to the long-awaited results of Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s Canadian content consultation included praise for some elements — such as a $500 million deal for Netflix Inc. to spend on content in Canada — many also pointed out that...
Amazon adds Alexa to music app
Media | 09/26/2017 1:22 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. is making its voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant Alexa available on its...
MHz Choice launches in Canada
Media | 09/20/2017 2:58 pm EDT
Streaming service MHz Choice, which exclusively features international productions, is now available in...
Gov’t can help reap benefits of smart city data, conference hears
telecom | 09/19/2017 5:27 pm EDT
The provincial governments should get cities together and collaborate on...
Canadian cities interested in hosting 2nd Amazon HQ
Media | 09/07/2017 4:54 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. issued a request for proposals Thursday for North American cities interested in...
Major boxing fight shows PPV target for piracy
Media | 08/28/2017 5:39 pm EDT
Nearly three million viewers around the world watched the much-anticipated boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor Saturday through 239 illegally redistributed streams, shows new data from digital platform security company Irdeto.
“Piracy is still a...
Telecom, broadcasting lobbying hits July lag
Media | 08/16/2017 3:41 pm EDT
July lobbying activity was affected by the expected summer slowdown that comes with Parliament not...
Disney going it alone with planned streaming services
Media | 08/09/2017 5:17 pm EDT
Walt Disney Co. will end its partnership with Netflix Inc. and launch two of its own separate...
FCC’s net neutrality changes could affect Canada, some experts say
telecom | 07/12/2017 4:37 pm EDT
On Wednesday, major internet and tech companies teamed up to rally against...
AI could help grow Canadian content: CMF
Media | 07/12/2017 4:30 pm EDT
The acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) could contribute to the discovery and growth of Canadian content, according to a mid-year trend report by the Canada Media Fund (CMF). “The progress of AI could support this...
‘Battle for the Net’ coming Wednesday
Media | 07/10/2017 2:23 pm EDT
Major internet-based companies and organizations are preparing to participate in a Wednesday campaign...
TMN Go to offer downloads
Media | 06/29/2017 3:58 pm EDT
TMN Go, the TV-everywhere service from BCE Inc.’s media division, will begin allowing viewers to download content for offline viewing.
The service will be available to...
U.S. NAFTA consult targets CanCon, copyright, data rules
Media | 06/27/2017 4:11 pm EDT
American companies and organizations took aim at Canadian cultural...
CCSA leads lobbying after Hill visit
Media | 06/26/2017 2:55 pm EDT
Last month’s deluge of Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) members on Parliament Hill for the...
200 to join Amazon’s Toronto office
telecom | 06/21/2017 12:27 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. is poised to expand its Canadian workforce by 200 positions, the Ontario government announced Tuesday.
In a press release, the province said the company, which already employs 600 people at its Toronto office, will recruit more people, “including...
Canadians watching more movies online: MTM
Media | 06/19/2017 5:25 pm EDT
More anglophone Canadians are watching movies online, as the popularity of over-the-top (OTT) services continues, according to the latest Media Technology Monitor (MTM) report. The Thursday report by MTM, a project...
Thursday Night Football touches down at Bell Media
Media | 06/07/2017 3:31 pm EDT
BCE Inc.’s properties have scored the broadcast rights to the National Football League’s Thursday Night Football games, Bell Media announced Wednesday. The regular-season games will air on TSN, CTV Two and RDS as of the...
ISED PS Lametti hot property for April lobbying
Media | 05/23/2017 3:30 pm EDT
The parliamentary secretary to the innovation minister was a popular target for lobbyists last month, as...
CBC must collaborate with OTT competition: Lacroix
Media | 05/23/2017 2:34 pm EDT
CBC/Radio-Canada’s president and CEO Hubert Lacroix said the Crown corporation’s competition comes...
Facebook partners with MLB for U.S. live streams
Media | 05/19/2017 5:33 pm EDT
Facebook Inc. will live stream 20 Major League Baseball (MLB) games this season on its social media platform after finalizing a partnership with the league.
The games will air Friday nights, beginning May 19 with a game pitting the Cincinnati Reds against the Colorado...
Verizon streaming deal for NFL game to include Canada
Media | 05/08/2017 10:02 pm EDT
Canadian viewers will get to watch a National Football League (NFL) game that will be played out of London, England, this fall after Verizon Communications Inc. purchased the streaming rights to the game. The one-game...
OTT revenues north of $970M by 2018: Convergence
Media | 04/20/2017 5:27 pm EDT
Annual subscription revenue from over-the-top (OTT) providers is estimated to be inching toward the billion-dollar mark in Canada, according to a new report from Convergence Consulting Group Ltd., which estimated a...
Twitch asks for court order to identify Shaw customer
Media | 04/10/2017 5:52 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc.’s Twitch is asking the Supreme Court of British Columbia to order five companies, including Shaw Communications Inc., to identify a customer Twitch is accusing of “malicious spambot...
Amazon scores NFL deal, Canadian rights still under negotiation
Media | 04/05/2017 9:50 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. has secured the streaming rights to 10 Thursday Night Football games from the National Football League (NFL), according to a Wall Street Journal report. The deal is...
Class-action lawsuit proposed against Amazon over sales tax
Media | 03/27/2017 7:46 pm EDT
A Canadian class-action lawsuit is being filed against Amazon.com Inc. for the collection of sales tax on tax-exempt products, the Consumer Law Group announced Monday. In a press...
NAFTA renegotiation could affect privacy rules on Canadian data: Geist
Media | 03/22/2017 5:24 pm EDT
The upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) could include pressure to change rules requiring some information to stay in Canada, University of Ottawa law professor...
Facebook beefs up lobbying squad
Media | 03/21/2017 3:04 pm EDT
Facebook Inc. is increasing its government relations presence in Ottawa, with three new registrations filed with the lobbying commissioner’s office last month. According to the federal lobbyists’...
YouTube signs exclusive deal for e-sports content
Media | 03/16/2017 7:58 pm EDT
In another deal that highlights the value of e-sports, Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube has signed a multi-year partnership with competitive gaming company FaceIt to be the exclusive hub for its content. FaceIt, creators of the...
Video game streaming revenue to double by 2021: Juniper
Media | 03/14/2017 5:05 pm EDT
Global revenue from streaming e-sports and video game content will nearly double four years from now, according to Juniper Research, which projected total revenues from video game streaming content will increase to $3.5 billion US by 2021, compared to $1.8 billion US in 2017. In a report released Tuesday, Juniper said that while "significant" revenues are expected to come from subscriptions on streaming platforms such as Amazon.com Inc.'s Twitch.tv, advertisers will also win big. It said 90 per cent of e-sports and viewers of "Let’s Play" content...
Google bringing cloud services to Canada
telecom | 03/10/2017 4:50 pm EST
Alphabet Inc. said Thursday it is expanding its cloud platform reach by launching its first Canadian data service in Montreal. The Cloud Platform “consists of a set of physical assets, such as computers and...
CPC leadership contenders outline views on media, telecom issues
Media | 03/09/2017 9:51 pm EST
On May 27, members of the Conservative Party of Canada will select who will succeed former prime minister Stephen Harper as permanent leader of the party, relieving interim Opposition leader Rona...
Imposing taxes on foreign OTT could bring in $1B: report
Media | 03/09/2017 4:37 pm EST
Taxing foreign digital services such as Facebook Inc., Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime service, Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and Netflix Inc. could provide the federal...
Iristel, EBox, DHX among new lobby registrations
Media | 02/21/2017 9:54 pm EST
The start of the new year was marked by new registrations for new and not-so-new companies and groups in the federal lobbyists’ registry. Iristel Inc. registered to lobby the federal government as of Jan....
Amazon launches new unified communications service
telecom | 02/15/2017 8:39 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc. announced Wednesday a new service that provides video, voice, chat and screen sharing for meetings, called Amazon Chime. The ecommerce giant’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) said in a press release Wednesday that features of the service include noise-cancelling wideband audio, meetings with a single click, a visual list of participants, absentees and those running late, and allowing people to join remotely with mobile support. The service provides mobile and desktop apps and “keeps meetings and chats synchronized across...
Trump raising concerns about Internet traffic passing U.S.: advocates
telecom | 01/30/2017 9:21 pm EST
In November 2016, a group of Internet experts met in Toronto to discuss how to address the issue of Canadian Internet traffic travelling to the United States, which some say raises data privacy...
Canadian tech, telecom community offers support in wake of U.S. travel ban
Media | 01/30/2017 4:08 pm EST
More than 1,700 people representing a variety of tech and telecom companies have signed on to an open letter opposing U.S. President Donald Trump’s weekend executive order blocking entry of...
Cogeco shifting data centre strategy due to Amazon, Microsoft: Audet
Media | 01/12/2017 9:56 pm EST
MONTREAL — Moves by Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft Corp. into the Canadian data centre business won’t compete directly with Cogeco Inc., which is changing its data...
Competition Bureau fines Amazon $1M
Media | 01/11/2017 5:46 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc. must pay a $1-million fine over the pricing practices on its Canadian website following a Competition Bureau investigation. The bureau said in a press release Wednesday that Amazon compared its...
As online video, data transmissions grow, need for CDNs expanding
Media | 01/09/2017 9:18 pm EST
Last month, Amazon.com Inc. announced that its data centre business was expanding into Canada, a move that illustrates what some say is the need for more data points as an increasing amount...
Impact of wholesale rates, pick-and-pay will be felt in 2017: Canaccord
Media | 01/05/2017 10:09 pm EST
The initial pinch of the CRTC’s decisions on two important issues in 2016 — wholesale rates and pick-and-pay — will be felt in the new year, according to Canaccord...
Amazon little threat to Netflix, Crave for now: analyst
Media | 01/05/2017 9:44 pm EST
A tepid launch of Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime video streaming service in Canada doesn’t seem likely to pose a challenge to existing players in the Canadian streaming market — for...
Amazon Prime streaming service officially available in Canada
Media | 12/14/2016 9:08 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon Prime Video has entered the Canadian market, as part of a worldwide launch for the streaming service, the company announced in a press release Wednesday. The...
Amazon expands cloud services in Canada
telecom | 12/09/2016 7:00 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc. has expanded its data centre services into Canada with the introduction of Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Montreal. It is the first AWS in Canada, joining four other regions in North America (in Northern Virginia, Ohio Oregon and Northern California) and 14 others worldwide, according to Amazon. The total number of AWS availability zones is now up to 40 globally. The cloud service can now house customer data in the central region of the country, the e-commerce company said in a Thursday press release. The company claims “tens of thousands of Canadian...
Netflix downloads bad sign for telecoms: Desjardins
Media | 12/02/2016 8:16 pm EST
A move by Netflix Inc. to allow users to download some content for offline viewing is part of a wider push for customers among streaming services, according to a research note from Desjardins Capital Markets....
Bell Media ‘comfortable’ with Crave, president tells CRTC
Media | 11/29/2016 11:22 pm EST
GATINEAU, Que. — BCE Inc. has to take both offensive and defensive positions when facing off against international competitors, the company told the CRTC Tuesday, as it took its...
Amazon taking original series worldwide
Media | 11/18/2016 10:02 pm EST
Amazon.com Inc. will be bringing its new automotive-based reality show, The Grand Tour, to more than 200 countries next month, the company announced this week. In a video and post on the company website featuring the stars...
CRTC chair OK with being ‘disruptive showman’
Media | 11/16/2016 11:21 pm EST
OTTAWA — With more than six months left in his term as CRTC chairman, Jean-Pierre Blais isn’t ready to start using the word “legacy” in relation to his term as head of the Canadian regulator, but in a...
Stephen Hampton joins Telus
telecom | 11/15/2016 7:16 pm EST
Telus Corp. has named Stephen Hampton its new senior project manager of government relations. Hampton told The Lobby Monitor in an interview the role would combine government relations and strategic affairs work “with a big focus on Telus Health.” Hampton worked as a consultant at the lobby agency Crestview Strategies for the previous two years where, according to his LinkedIn profile, his clients included Amazon.com Inc. and Facebook Inc....
Internet companies reach out to new U.S. leadership
Media | 11/14/2016 10:37 pm EST
An organization representing four-dozen major online-based companies has reached out to president-elect Donald Trump, congratulating him on his victory while proposing digital policy planks for his administration to consider....
AT&T, Time Warner deal shows VI trending in opposite directions: analyst
Media | 10/24/2016 9:18 pm EDT
A potential merger between AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Cable Inc. highlights a move by United States-based companies toward vertical integration, just as developments in Canada...
Cyberattack cripples sites of major Internet companies
telecom | 10/21/2016 8:03 pm EDT
A Friday morning denial of service (DDoS) attack has taken down or slowed the websites of some of the Internet’s biggest companies, according to reports. The attack targeted Internet...
Amazon launches second music service in U.S.
Media | 10/12/2016 9:54 pm EDT
Amazon.com Inc. has launched a stand-alone music streaming service in the United States. While it has offered music streaming for its Prime customers since 2014, the new Amazon Music Unlimited is available to...
VMedia bringing live-streaming TV to Roku devices
Media | 09/20/2016 6:19 pm EDT
VMedia Inc. has rolled out live TV to Canadian users of Roku Inc.’s devices, Roku said in a press release Friday. Canadians can “watch up to 20 live TV channels, including Canadian and US networks such as...
Twitter launches device apps for TV live-streaming
Media | 09/14/2016 8:13 pm EDT
Twitter Inc. has launched apps that allow viewers to access its live-streaming video through Apple Inc.’s Apple TV, Amazon.com Inc.’s Fire TV and Microsoft Corp.’s XBox One. The Xbox and Apple TV apps...
Bell buys Q9 amidst increasing data centre competition: analysts
telecom | 08/08/2016 9:16 pm EDT
BCE Inc. announced Monday it is buying out its fellow investors in Q9 Networks Inc., a data centre operator in which it currently holds a 35.4-per-cent stake, in a move that analysts...
SVOD revenues to double by 2021: Juniper
Media | 07/19/2016 9:28 pm EDT
Subscription video-on-demand service (SVOD) revenues will double by 2021, as broadcasters and TV network providers look to enter the market amid a trend in cord cutting and shaving, according to a new report. Juniper Research...
Canada ‘falling behind’ countries with Netflix tax: think tank
Media | 07/04/2016 8:05 pm EDT
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says Canada should follow the example of the European Union and countries like New Zealand and Australia in requiring over-the-top (OTT) services to pay taxes in Canada. If Netflix Inc. were to pay a 13-per-cent HST tax, that would amount to “some $62.4 to $90.48 million per year in value-added taxes,” the centre’s June 21 report said. Canada is “missing out on millions of dollars in uncollected income and...