OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Broadcasters annual convention will take place in the nation’s capital again this year from November 2-4 at the Westin Hotel Ottawa.
This year’s theme – The World View – “reflects the increasingly global nature of the issues that are affecting the radio and television industries,” says the association.
In addition to plenary and keynote presentations, this year’s 12 concurrent sessions have been divided into four distinct tracks that focus on the latest “hot button” issues. They are, as quoted from the CAB:
Track 1: Trendspotting – Broadcasting 3.0?
Technology and market forecasters share their predictions for the converged future, media pundits discuss audiences that are both generating content and actively engaging with programming, and independent broadcasters talk about making it big – across platforms
Track 2: The business of broadcasting, from “A” to “C”
When you cut through the hype of cyberspace, the media business model has been fundamentally the same for over 300 years: Audiences, Advertising, and Content. Sure, today’s audiences want interactive and on-demand programs, the advertisers want targeted measurement, and the content is made both for and by audiences. But broadcasting still wins the hearts, minds (and pocketbooks) of audiences and advertisers. These sessions explore the business of broadcasting from “A” to “C.
Track 3: Private broadcasters, public expectations
Canada’s private broadcasters are programming to more communities of interest, and advertising to more “vertical” segments than ever before. With major demographic changes predicted for the next few years, can broadcasters in Canada or anywhere else in the world continue to stay relevant to all age groups, ethnic groups, and interest groups? These three sessions explore the faces of diversity in Canada and abroad, and situate broadcasters squarely in the centre of the generation gap and the demographic divide.
Track 4: Broadcasting Regulation – The year ahead
A new S&P/OTA/BDU framework, the new media review, a myriad of other public policy routes that all lead to Ottawa: it’s been an interesting year for Canada’s regulators and policy-makers. New media and planning for the HD transition will drive the 2009 regulatory agenda, and major licence renewal proceedings, for both private and public broadcasting, are imminent. What do the latest CRTC decisions mean for our industry, and what’s the buzz among broadcasters?
Registration is now open. For more information, and to register, go to www.cab-acr.ca.
