Statistics Canada says according to its Consumer Price Index, Canadians paid less for telephone services, but more for devices in July. Consumers paid 2.5% less for telephone services in July, compared to June, following an industry-wide shift in the pricing structure of cellular data plans amid intensifying competition among wireless providers. StatsCan says the widespread introduction of unlimited data plans coincided with a reduction in the subsidies for wireless devices, shifting more of the cost of devices to consumers. Consequently, the multipurpose digital devices index, which includes prices for tablets and smartphones, rose 42.5% month over month.
Canadian Heritage has announced an investment of more than $8.7 million over two years in Indigenous languages and cultures in Quebec. Provided through the Aboriginal Peoples’ Program and the Museums Assistance Program, the funding will support 48 community-based projects that include the promotion of Indigenous cultural heritage, including the production and broadcast of culturally relevant radio and television programming in Indigenous languages, as well as the development of mobile web applications. The funding is in addition to the $691,482 provided to support three community-based projects in Montréal, Kahnawake and Gaspé, announced in Nov. 2018 and July 2019.
Videotron has unveiled new entertainment and home management platform Helix. Powered by voice remote, Helix can perform a centralized search and bring up a list of content from multiple sources in a unified catalog from recordings, TV channels, On Demand content or content from online streaming platforms like Club illico or Netflix. Available to Quebecors in both French and English, Videotron says it worked with its teams and partners to teach Helix how to recognize French from Gatineau to Rivière-du-Loup, and Saguenay to Montréal.
Connect to Innovate funding will help bring new or improved high-speed internet access and capacity to the Northern Ontario communities of Dubreuilville, Brunswick House First Nation and Red Rock Indian Band. Connect to Innovate will provide $1.3 million, with $763,308 coming from Bell Canada.
Nahlah Ayed, host and producer of CBC Radio’s Ideas and former CBC foreign correspondent, will be the special guest at the 2019 Jack Webster Awards. Happening Nov. 7 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, the awards recognize excellence in journalism in B.C. Tickets are on sale now here.
The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) Connection 2019 Sales Session will feature Pat Bryson, CEO of Bryson Broadcasting International. Bryson’s Fine Art of Asking Questions will explore the “Buy Cycle” of all prospects. What are the stages they go through? How do you identify them? And how do you sell a prospect in each stage? She will also cover how asking the right questions can help overcome objections and close more sales. Register here. All Sales Session registrations include a ticket to the Awards Luncheon.
Vividata has announced its partnering with market research tech company RealityMine, Ipsos, and digital data collection expert Delvinia, to launch the first passive panel of its kind in Canada. The passive panel collects mobile behavioural data from Canadian consumers with their informed consent. Equipped with RealityMine’s passive metering technology, RealityMeter, the panel will provide insight into mobile search, browsing, app use, ecommerce, and audio/video streaming with real-world location data. Rob Young, SVP at PHD Canada, says passive measurement has the potential to address the struggle to measure the challenge of complex media behaviour, in addition to the prohibitive cost of subscribing to multiple specialized media studies. The panel will offer detailed media and consumer behaviour. Panel data will be integrated with Vividata’s Survey of the Canadian Consumer and an expanding portfolio of specialized studies from Vivintel, including cannabis, esports, ethnicity, and others in development
