RTDNA Canada has announced the winners of its Best National and Canadian Local News Awards. Best National TV Newscast was captured by Global National with Dawna Friesen, while CTV’s W5 was named Best News Information Program. CBC’s The House won Best News Information Program in the Audio category. Local News winners included Saskatoon’s CKOM, which won Best Radio Newscast (Small/Medium Market), while Winnipeg’s CJOB claimed the honour in the Large Market category. CTV Atlantic won Best TV Newscast (Small/Medium), with CBC Vancouver at 6 winning the Large Market prize.
The CRTC is calling on telecom service providers to inform customers that the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) can help resolve issues, and that the Wireless Code protects Canadians when they buy or lease a cellphone. The commission says it will launch a public consultation in the coming weeks to build on these protections, focused on ensuring information is clear and consistent, making it easier to compare offers and switch services or providers. The CRTC also plans to consult in future on combining the Wireless Code, Internet Code and TV Service Provider Code. The CRTC says it’s concerned with recent trends suggesting Canadians may not be benefiting from the full protections of those codes.
Cogeco has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31. Revenue remained stable at $768.7 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased by 5.5% to $371.2 million. American telecom revenue decreased by 2.3% in constant currency, mainly due to subscriber base declines, especially for entry-level services, and a higher proportion of customers subscribing to internet-only services. Revenue in media activities decreased by 10.1% as competitive dynamics in the radio advertising market remain challenging. Canadian telecommunications’ revenue increased by 0.8%, mostly driven by the cumulative effect of high-speed internet service additions over the past year, including from network expansion projects, as well as the Niagara Regional Broadband Network acquisition completed in February.
TVA Group has reported consolidated financial results for the third quarter of 2024, including $112,416,000 in revenues, a 5.2% decrease compared with Q3 2023. It reported $9,520,000 in adjusted EBITDA in the Broadcasting segment, a $4,936,000 unfavourable variance resulting mainly from lower revenues and recognition in the third quarter of a retroactive charge for the new digital services tax, partially offset by lower operating expenses in connection with the reorganization plan announced in November 2023. It reported $3,285,000 in adjusted EBITDA in the Film Production & Audiovisual Services segment (MELS), a $2,616,000 favourable variance primarily due to higher volume of soundstage and equipment rental activities, with major productions filming at its studios.
Bell Canada has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ziply Fiber, the leading fibre internet provider in the U.S. Pacific Northwest for approximately C$5.0 billion cash and the assumption of outstanding net debt of approximately C$2.0 billion to be rolled over at transaction close, representing a transaction value of approximately C$7.0 billion. Bell says the transaction enhances its growth profile and strategic position by giving it a foothold in the large, under-penetrated U.S. fibre market, while increasing its scale, diversifying its operating footprint and unlocking significant growth opportunities. Ziply Fiber’s focus on network technology and innovation has resulted in steady expansion of its footprint since 2020, with over 1.3 million fibre locations across four U.S. states and plans to reach more than three million locations in the next four years. Upon closing, Bell will be poised to expand its fibre footprint to over 12 million locations across North America by the end of 2028, reinforcing its position as the third-largest fibre internet provider on the continent.
Eastlink has confirmed its purchase of Sunwire’s home internet, TV and phone services. Based in Sudbury, Sunwire has operated for over 15 years in all areas of telecommunications including voice & phone infrastructures, network engineering, software development, cybersecurity & IT and structured cabling. Originally founded as a software development firm, it achieved early success by developing SolSwitch – a customizable and scalable cloud communications platform. Eastlink says the acquisition deepens its commitment to Northern Ontario where it’s invested over $180M over the past decade to connect hundreds of communities with high speed internet and other advanced communications services powered by the company’s fibre network.
The Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) and Bell Media have announced RONA and its agency Sid Lee as the winners of its 2024 Inclusivity, Diversity, and Equity in Advertising (IDEA) Competition. This year’s focus was on gender equity, with the winner awarded $1 million worth of inventory on Bell Media platforms. In the winning concept, RONA aims to address the imbalance, lack of awareness, and limited encouragement regarding opportunities in the trades for women.
