The CRTC has dismissed a complaint by Ebox against Bell Media, but says Bell does have an obligation to offer its television channels to distributors at commercially reasonable terms. In its complaint, Ebox alleged that Bell Media was providing its programming to Videotron, Shaw, Rogers and Cogeco in the service areas where Ebox was preparing to launch, while refusing to provide its services to Ebox. Read the full decision here.
BCE Inc. announced a 5.2 per cent common share dividend increase to $3.02 per year, following results for Q4 and full-year 2017. BCE reported net earnings of $617 million and adjusted net earnings of $684 million, up 2.5 per cent. Bell welcomed more than 1.26 million new broadband wireless, TV and Internet customers in 2017, and 235,000 in the fourth quarter. BCE also wrote down the value of some Bell Media specialty TV channels and radio stations by $82 million, which was attributed to ongoing audience decline and a soft advertising market.
Canadian Music Week (CMW) and Friends of Steve Young will once again salute Steve with the Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year Award in Honour of Steve Young. This is the 10th annual award recognizing Canada’s outstanding young broadcasters. Anyone in the industry can nominate any worthy broadcaster that meets the award criteria. Deadline for entries is Mar. 12 at midnight ET.
The National Association of Broadcasters is launching Broadcast Innovation Stories, a new campaign to highlight cutting-edge technological advancements in the broadcast television and radio industries. The campaign features 10 video profiles focusing on people in the broadcasting industry working on innovative technologies that provide programming to viewers and listeners in unique ways. The first video in the series on KING-TV Seattle’s production of the first virtual reality mini-documentary in local news, is available here.
Quebecor founder Pierre Péladeau’s name will grace the amphitheatre at the Fondation du centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montreal after a $15 million donation to the foundation’s Donnons-nous le meilleur de la santé capital fundraising campaign. The landmark donation is the largest philanthropic commitment made since the foundation was created in 1998.
NAIT Radio and Television program alumni are being asked to touch base with NAIT’s Alumni Office as the RTA program gets set to celebrate its 50th anniversary. A 50-year reunion is set to take place May 12 in Edmonton. From 1968 to 2018, NAIT’s RTA program has boasted over 2,000 graduates.
