TORONTO – The recent cutbacks and sharp shift in focus for the Canadian Association of Broadcasters is something that should be re-thought, say its independent broadcast members.
Readers will recall that the group recently cut its size in half and retrenched its focus so that it will be much less involved with the CRTC and spend far more time and resources lobbying government MPs directly instead.
That’s not to say the smaller members don’t recognize some change is required. “I think it’s important to recognize that the CAB leadership had every good intention of being responsible and changing with…
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TORONTO – Ron Suter has been named executive vice-president/general manager, Canada, NBC Universal Television Distribution and executive vice-president, Universal Studios Canada, the company announced today.
Suter, who is based in Toronto, will continue to oversee all Canadian television operations for NBC Universal Television Distribution and represent Universal Studios as a national leader for both the studio and parent company General Electric. He is responsible for licensing all of NBC Universal’s theatrical and television programming in all media for English and French Canada.
"Ron has done a tremendous job leading our Canadian sales team for many years now," said Barry Wallach,…
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OTTAWA – Peter Charbonneau has been appointed to the Board of Directors of CBC/Radio-Canada.
Charbonneau has been one of three general partners at Skypoint Capital Corporation since 2001, where he is responsible for the placement and management of various funds, according to the press release. Prior to this, he was executive vice president of March Networks Corporation, and held several senior positions with Newbridge Networks Corporation.
"Mr. Charbonneau brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to CBC/Radio-Canada," said James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, in the announcement. "I am confident that the…
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OTTAWA – New Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Minister James Moore didn’t wait long to get his hands dirty.
On the job for less than a month, his ministry today announced the federal government has referred back for reconsideration and re-hearing, the August 26th decisions by the CRTC to award new radio station licenses in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
The decision, as reported by Cartt.ca, licensed two new English-language commercial FM radio stations to serve the area and some complained that both licenses were going to English-language broadcasters. Under orders from the Minister today, the Commission now has to squeeze…
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HAMILTON – Mountain Cablevision has won the phone business of the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, providing the schools in the area and the board’s main offices with their cable telephony service.
Mountain Cablevision will be responsible for providing service to 115 schools, plus the board’s main offices, which equates to over 600 phone lines in total. The switch meant the school board has been able to save a significant amount on expenditures for their phone service, says the press release.
"Not only does this project provide us with real cost savings, it also lays the foundation for the future…
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OTTAWA – James Moore is the new Minister of Canadian Heritage.
A former broadcaster (he was a radio host and reporter in Vancouver and Prince George, B.C.) Moore was elected MP for the Port Moody-Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam in 2000 at the age of 24.
He has served in a couple junior roles in cabinet since the Conservatives came to power in 2006 – as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, and also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics.
This summer he was appointed Secretary of State…
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OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper, fresh off his election win and larger minority government, will announce a new cabinet today in Ottawa, according to several sources.
Online and televised reports say Industry Minister Jim Prentice is being reassigned to Environment and Tony Clement, the current Minister of Health, is headed to the Industry portfolio, which of course oversees the telecom space along with the Department of Canadian Heritage.
It’s not known if Heritage Minister Josee Verner will keep her job, but rumours during the election campaign had her pegged as a minister who may also be reassigned.
Watch…
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KUUJJUAQ, QC – Canadian satellite company Telesat and the Kativik Regional Government (KRG) announced an agreement today that will let a growing number of native communities across Northern Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba have access to a full range of IP broadband services.
The KRG signed the agreement on behalf of the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN) which was established in 2005 by the KRG, Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s K-Net and the Keewatin Tribal Council, says the press release.
The long-term agreement for multiple C-band transponders on Telesat’s Anik F3 satellite follows a commitment the Government of Canada made last year…
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TORONTO – The 2nd annual Insight Entertainment Industries Summit will run October 22-23 at St. Andrew’s Club and Conference Centre in Toronto.
The event is aimed at senior executives and counsels from the film, television, new media, gaming, music and print media industries who are involved in content creation, development or distribution.
The keynote luncheon address will be given by Namir Anani, executive director of Policy Development and Research at the CRTC.
The conference program co-chairs are Alan Sawyer, principal consultant, Two Solitudes Consulting, and Susan Abramovitch, partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson, LLP.
Topics include issues facing each content genre,…
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TORONTO – Canadian actors, writers, musicians and others rallied on Wednesday in Toronto’s Simcoe Park, next to the CBC Broadcast Center, to encourage Canadians to vote for culture on October 14.
“Today we’re showing all parties that culture lives in Canada,” said screenwriter and Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) President Rebecca Schechter (Little Mosque, ‘Da Kink in my Hair). “We’re here to let all Canadians know that they can vote with their hearts and their heads in this election – by voting culture.”
Among those in attendance were songwriter/singer Melanie Doane, screenwriter Suzette Couture, playwright Linda Griffiths, singer Tabby…
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