GENERAL:
Alan Burns and Associates, in partnership with Strategic Solutions Research, are releasing results of a new national study of women’s media consumption starting this week. What Women Want 2017 looks at trends in women’s attitudes toward and perceptions of radio over the last five years. The Burns/Strategic Solutions study will be released in four parts in a series of weekly webinars beginning today (Feb. 16). Register for the free 30-minute webinars by clicking here.
Bell’s acquisition of MTS (Manitoba Telecom Services) has received final regulatory approvals from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the Competition Bureau, with the transaction set to close on March 17. Bell expects to realize cost savings of $100 million annually from the MTS integration through reduced wireless roaming and network sharing, volume purchasing advantages and other operational efficiencies. To enact the deal, BCE Inc. had to reach agreement with the Competition Bureau to sell six retail stores, 24,700 subscribers and 40 MHz of spectrum to Xplornet, based on the bureau’s finding the merger would result in the removal of a strong regional competitor that was effective in constraining the pricing of Bell, Rogers and TELUS products. The divestiture to Xplornet will establish a new entrant in the Manitoba mobile wireless market. Bell will also provide Xplornet with key services including expedited access to Bell’s towers in Manitoba for five years. Additionally, Bell has committed to selling a significant number of its MTS subscribers and approximately one-third of its MTS dealer locations to TELUS.
Chinese multinational Huawei Technologies has chosen Polytechnique Montréal to establish its Research Chair in Future Wireless Technologies. Members of the Future Wireless Chair will explore topics including the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G networks, interconnectivity, microwave sciences and radiofrequency. The new chair will receive $5 million over five years, more than half of which will come from Huawei, with the remainder invested by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The FuWiC Chair will be held by internationally known professor Ke Wu, recognized for his research and achievements in the fields of radiofrequency, microwave and millimetre-wave engineering.
The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer has found trust in traditional media has fallen five points to 57 per cent, the steepest decline since 2012, followed by social media (41 percent), which dropped three points. By contrast, online-only media (51 percent) received the biggest bump in trust at five points. Trust in media is at all-time low in 17 countries, while trust levels in government dropped in 14 markets and is the least trusted institution in half of the 28 countries surveyed. While trust in CEOs is at an all-time low (25 per cent), Canadian businesses are still the most trusted in the world aside from those in Sweden.
Standardbred Canada is calling for Canadian entries for the 2017 International Media Awards competition, a component of the World Trotting Conference to be held in Charlottetown, PEI this August. Competition will be held in nine categories including best television program or documentary (broadcast or online), best social media and best video or film advertisement. The entry deadline is March 10.
The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance has opened nominations for Tuned-in Canada: The CCSA Awards 2017. Nominations are being accepted until March 3 in the categories of best community channel programming, best on-camera community channel personality, best customer service story and best community building story. Following a shortlisting process, Canadians will be able to vote for their local favorite. The winners will be announced May 12.
