OTTAWA – Michel Morin, has been appointed as a CRTC commissioner, announced Bev Oda, minister of Canadian Heritage.
Morin has spent more than 34 years in broadcasting and has been a journalist, economic news editor, leader of a team of journalists, and, most recently, chief editor of television news for both Radio-Canada and the French language news network RDI.
"His career encompasses a broad range of assignments, including program anchor and research assistant in Ottawa; parliamentary correspondent in Québec City; foreign correspondent in Paris; and journalist, desk editor, and chief editor for the past 14 years in Montréal," reads…
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TORONTO – "The best that can be said about this report is that the Task Force has not recommended to scrap the CTF altogether," said ACTRA national executive director Stephen Waddell in a press release.
That, and it "will change the broadcast distribution regulations to ensure cable companies pay regularly into the fund," he said.
Waddell was talking about the CRTC’s Task Force Report on the Canadian Television Fund, released Friday, as reported by Cartt.ca. The task force, led by Commission vice-chair, broadcasting, Michel Arpin, confirmed the need for the fund’s existence, but called for massive changes in how…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – There will be a new way of doing things when it comes to funding home-grown television, if the recommendations from the Task Force Report on The Canadian Television Fund are followed.
Upon first read, the recommendations released today by task force chair Michel Arpin, vice-chair, broadcasting at the CRTC, largely address the complaints made by the primary funding organizations – Canadian cable and satellite companies – which were led by Shaw Communications and Quebecor Media.
While most of the BDUs have serious reservations about how the CTF has worked and is working, Shaw and Quebecor took action this…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – With the Commission’s report on what ails the Canadian Television Fund due out tomorrow afternoon (the CRTC under the new chair sure is speedy these days!) Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw sent a letter to CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein making it quite clear his feelings on the whole matter.
Shaw, and then Videotron, both suspended their payments to the fund this past winter thanks to a number of long-standing complaints. Mr. Shaw said then and since that because the money was coming from Canadians through their cable and satellite companies they should have better…
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OTTAWA – If the level of radio today’s teenagers now listen to stays consistent as they age, the long-term future of radio appears a little bleak.
Numbers released today by Statistics Canada show that overall, Canadians devoted less time listening to their radios as a form of entertainment in 2006 than in previous years (see chart below), especially teenagers and young adults, many of whom appear to be switching to digital music players and online music services.
"On average, Canadians tuned in to their radios for 18.6 hours during ‘measurement week’ in fall 2006, down from 19.1 hours…
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CALGARY – In the face of a chipper AGM report from the Canadian Television Fund, Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw remains displeased over how the CTF is run.
Thanks to a serious amount of pressure put on the Minister for Canadian Heritage, Bev Oda, and the CRTC by Shaw – and then Videotron – when the two companies pulled their funding from the CTF early this year, the Commission created a special panel headed by broadcasting vice-chairman Michel Arpin.
The panel is examining everything about the CTF, top to bottom, front to back and will file its…
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OTTAWA – Canadian Heritage minister Bev Oda said it would be “inappropriate to prejudge its review” of the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) currently underway by the CRTC, in her response earlier this week to a Parliamentary committee’s report on the private-public fund.
The government’s response to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s “The Funding Crisis of the Canadian Television Fund,” offered no opinions on the report’s conclusions.
Oda’s response consisted of a summary of events surrounding the funding crisis resulting when Shaw and Quebecor decided to withdraw their monthly contributions to the CTF. Those payments have since been resumed….
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BANFF – Although the combination of two major regulated TV assets was the talk of the 2007 Banff World Television Festival (Hello, Rogers/Citytv), the focus of the event’s final panel was on the potential impact of unregulated new media vs. the fortunes of old media.
In fact, the first question posed by moderator (and festival CEO) Robert Montgomery during his closing session on the BWTVF green Paper to the diverse collection of opinion leaders was: Will the TV industry collapse in the face of broadband Internet and other unregulated platforms?
The question may sound like a Chicken Little approach…
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BANFF – The Canadian Television Fund, saying it was responding to “a concern” but declining to name whose concern, said it would put off any changes to its bylaws until the CRTC is finished its review of the fund.
Two weeks ago, Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw sent a blistering letter to the CTF saying the fact the organization was planning to alter its bylaws at the same time the CRTC is examining the fund and its operations “flies in the face of common sense.”
Today, buried in a press release of the CTF’s report to stakeholders, the…
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BANFF – Heritage Minister Bev Oda told delegates Sunday afternoon that the government is renewing its contribution to the New Media Fund, earmarking $29 million over two years.
While the $500,000 a year increase over the previous level of funding was less than some were hoping for, Oda’s commitment was well-received.
She noted that last fall’s report from the CRTC on broadcast technology and new media said Canada was beginning to lag behind other countries when it came to new applications and platform development and one of her ministry’s main goals for the media industry is to ensure there…
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