The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is condemning an assault on a CTV News photographer Friday. CTV Ottawa cameraman Chris Scott was punched multiple times outside an Ottawa court where tow truck driver Mohamed Haj-Saleh was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in connection with a fatal Nov. 2015 crash in Nepean. CTV reported that the incident escalated from cameramen receiving threats from the driver’s supporters on their way into court, to assault when Haj-Saleh’s mother was taken away on a stretcher following the sentencing. It’s not clear whether charges will be laid against Scott’s attackers. Read more here.
LISTEN: On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, Lenore Gibson, Chair of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB). Gibson, who doubles as Senior Regulatory Counsel for Bell, covers the CAB’s current lobbying efforts on behalf of commercial radio and television broadcasters, and the organization’s designs on establishing a greater presence in Ottawa, among other issues facing Canada’s private broadcasters.
Rogers Q3 results revealed that it attracted 1 million wireless subscribers to its Rogers Infinite unlimited data plans, with the customer adoption rate three times the pace anticipated, leading to a 2% decrease in Wireless service revenue due to the loss of overage charges. Wireless added 103,000 postpaid net additions. Internet revenue growth of 7% was reported with the addition of 41,000 Internet nets. Rogers also reported that its Ignite TV subscriber base grew by over 40% sequentially with Cable revenue increasing by 1% in the quarter. Media revenue decreased by 1% this quarter, primarily as a result of the sale of the company’s publishing business earlier this year and lower Toronto Blue Jays revenue, partially offset by higher Today’s Shopping Choice and Sportsnet revenue. Excluding the impact of the publishing business sale, Media revenue would have increased by 2% in Q3. Overall, the company reported a total revenue decrease of 1%.
Corus reported consolidated revenues for Q4 of $377.5 million, down slightly compared to $379.1 million in the prior year. On a consolidated basis, advertising revenues increased 3%, while subscriber revenues decreased 4% and merchandising, distribution and other revenues decreased 11% from the prior year. Q4 revenue was flat in Television and decreased in Radio by 2%, compared to the prior year. For the year ended Aug. 31, 2019, consolidated revenues amounted to $1,687.5 million, up 2% from $1,647.3 million in the prior year. On a consolidated basis, ad revenue increased 6%, while subscriber revenue decreased 2%, attributable to the divestiture of TLN in the current year, the shutdown of the Sundance Channel in the second quarter of the prior year, and retroactive adjustments that occurred upon renewal of large distribution agreements in the prior year. For the year, revenue increased by 3% in Television and decreased 4% in Radio. The decline in Radio ad revenue in the quarter and year was driven primarily by the continued lower demand from the automotive category, as well as a Q4 decline in the retail category, partially offset by improvements in the entertainment category. Corus also cited ongoing economic pressures in Alberta and ratings challenges in those markets, as well as Toronto.
Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. says a decision to eliminate low margin, non-core business resulted in a revenue decrease to $61.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2019, compared to $142M in 2018. The majority of the annual decrease ($69.6M) was related to the company’s decision to not renew its production agreement for The Man in the High Castle. The Vancouver-based company says the series generated significant revenues, but profit margins were small and management decided to re-direct resources to the creation of owned IP programming and other core operations. The remainder of the year-end decrease was related to a large budget proprietary television series for ABC Network, completed and delivered by the Company in fiscal 2018. There was no comparable series completed in fiscal 2019 which resulted in a revenue decrease of $21.6 million. Those were partially offset by growth in both the animation and factual divisions.
Netflix Q3 earnings saw revenue up 31.1% year-over-year for the quarter. Total global paid memberships reached 158.33 million, up from 151.56 million in Q2, and up 22% over the same quarter in 2018. Net additions hit 6.77 million with the streaming giant anticipating another 7.6 million net ads in Q4. Netflix also revealed that in the first four weeks following the July 4 debut of sci-fi drama Stranger Things, 64 million subscriber households streamed the third season. The streamer also reported strong viewer numbers for crime drama Unbelievable (32 million in first month), thriller Secret Obsession (40 million in first four weeks) and Tall Girl (streamed by 41 million in first month).
The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business (ROB) has named outgoing Bell CEO George Cope its Corporate Citizen of the Year. BCE Director and Air Canada CEO Calin Rovinescu was also named Strategist of the Year in the publication’s annual CEO of the Year award feature. Cope has served as President and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada and as a BCE Director since 2008. He’s set to retire in January. Rovinescu has served as President and CEO of Air Canada since 2009 and been a BCE Director since 2016. The other top leaders honoured by ROB were Dani Reiss, President and CEO, Canada Goose (Global Visionary of the Year), Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO, Lightspeed (Innovator of the Year) and Susan Senecal, CEO, A&W Food Services of Canada (New CEO of the Year).
Duncan Stewart, Director, TMT Research, Deloitte Canada will be the opening speaker at the Ontario Association of Broadcasters’ (OAB) CONNECTION 2019 Conference. Stewart, co-author of Deloitte’s annual Tech, Media and Telecom Predictions report, will present selected prediction topics for the broadcast industry and offer a sneak peek at some 2020 predictions. Find the full Nov. 7 speakers lineup here.
Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) Annual Leadership Excellence Awards are open for nominations until Dec. 14. WCT Awards include Woman of the Year and Company of the Year. More info here.
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