Shaw 2013 Annual Report Download - page 16

S
haw
C
ommunications Inc
.
MANA
G
EMENT’
S
DI
SCUSS
I
O
N AND ANALY
S
I
S
August
31
,
2013
access to over
10,000
mov
i
e and TV t
i
tles and ser
i
es.
S
haw D
i
rect cont
i
nues to trans
i
t
i
on t
o
advanced modulation and encoding technology, including MPEG-4, for its programming
allowing it to increase its channel capacity
.
Sate
lli
te Se
rvi
ces
S
atell
i
te
S
erv
i
ces operat
i
ons
i
nclude two pr
i
mary bus
i
nesses,
S
haw Broadcast
S
erv
i
ces an
d
Shaw Tracking
.
S
haw Broadcast
S
erv
i
ces red
i
str
i
butes telev
i
s
i
on and rad
i
os
ig
nals v
i
a satell
i
te to cable
o
perators and other multi-channel system operators in Canada and the U.S., referred to as
a
satellite relay distribution undertaking (“SRDU”), and provides uplink and network managemen
t
serv
i
ces
f
or convent
i
onal and s
p
ec
i
alt
y
broadcasters on a contract bas
i
s.
S
haw Broadcast
S
erv
i
ces currently prov
i
des
S
RDU and s
i
gnal transport serv
i
ces to
approximately 350 distribution undertakings, primarily cable operators, and redistribute
s
a
pp
rox
i
matel
y
45
0
telev
i
s
i
on s
ig
nals and over
100
aud
i
os
ig
nals
i
n both En
g
l
i
sh and French t
o
m
ult
i
-channel system operators.
S
haw Broadcast
S
erv
i
ces also o
ff
ers HIT
S/Q
T and
Q
T Plu
s
(Headend In the Sky/Quick Take), which allow small and medium size cable companies to offer
digi
tal s
ig
nals to subscr
i
bers w
i
th a substant
i
all
y
reduced ca
pi
tal outla
y
. HIT
S/Q
T and
Q
T Plu
s
f
ac
i
l
i
tate
i
ncreased ava
i
lab
i
l
i
ty and penetrat
i
on o
f
d
i
g
i
tal serv
i
ces
i
n
C
anada and add
incremental revenues to Shaw Broadcast Services from the additional services provided t
o
smaller cable com
p
an
i
es.
Shaw Broadcast Services’ uplink and network management services include backhaul (transport
o
fsi
g
nals to the u
p
link site), u
p
link (deliver
y
of si
g
nal to the satellite so that it can be
di
str
i
buted to cable o
p
erators and other d
i
str
i
butors
)
, bandw
i
dth, author
i
zat
i
on and s
ig
nal
m
onitoring. Shaw Broadcast Services currently provides such services to over 130 specialty an
d
p
a
y
broadcasters across Canad
a
,
a
s well as to Canadian
p
a
y
audio
p
roviders
.
S
haw Track
i
n
gp
rov
i
des asset track
i
n
g
and commun
i
cat
i
on serv
i
ces to a
pp
rox
i
matel
y
7
00
companies in the transportation industry in Canada, with over 50,000 vehicles using its
services. Shaw Tracking’s services capture all related information pertaining to an asset (i.e.
locat
i
on,
p
er
f
ormance and
p
roduct
i
v
i
t
y
measures
)
and e
ff
ect
i
vel
yi
nte
g
rate
i
nto a carr
i
er’s
f
lee
t
m
anagement system. Via satellite, cellular and Bluetooth networks, Shaw Tracking provide
s
immediate real time visibility to a company’s fleet and freight. Shaw’s services and solution
s
t
ar
g
et a w
i
de var
i
et
y
o
f
se
g
ments o
f
trans
p
ortat
i
on across
C
anada
.
(
iii) Medi
a
Through a series of transactions in 2010 and 2011, Shaw acquired 100% of the broadcasting
bus
i
ness o
fC
anwest
G
lobal
C
ommun
i
cat
i
ons
C
or
p
.
(“C
anwest”
)i
nclud
i
n
gC
W Investments
C
o
.
(“CW Media”), the company that owned the specialty channels acquired from Alliance Atlantis
Communications Inc. in 2007. The acquisition of Shaw’s Media business included the Globa
l
Telev
i
s
i
on Network
(“G
lobal”
)
and a lead
i
n
gp
ort
f
ol
i
oo
fSp
ec
i
alt
y
serv
i
ces. Technolo
gy is
d
riving change in the Canadian Broadcasting system, transforming content distribution and
viewership. This strategic acquisition allows Shaw to unite broadcasting services and conten
t
w
i
th
i
ts advanced d
i
str
i
but
i
on
p
lat
f
orms to o
ff
er customers stron
g
cho
i
ces
i
nth
i
sra
pi
dl
y
evolving landscape
.
The Canadian television broadcasting market is comprised of a number of English, French, and
t
h
i
rd lan
g
ua
g
e stat
i
ons and serv
i
ces that o
p
erate
i
nd
iff
erent se
g
ments o
f
the market. The
“Conventional” broadcast sector includes government owned public networks, such as the
12