BANFF – In her speech launching the 2006 Banff International Television Conference on Sunday, Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, announced the government will ask the CRTC to study the technological changes facing the broadcast industry and throws her support behind sustaining our public broadcaster.
“Other nations began to build the policy framework for the new digital world decades ago,” says the Minister. “Unfortunately, Canada did not.”
“Without a doubt,” she adds, “there are challenges.”
“With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of the private sector and the virtual explosion of choice on our…
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BANFF – The CRTC has a new task ahead of it now: predict the future.
During her speech at the Banff World Television Festival today, Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, said the Federal Government will ask the CRTC to study "how continuing technological changes are expected to shape the entire broadcasting industry in the years ahead."
Oda is using Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act, which lets the government request that the CRTC hold hearings or report on issues that fall under the Commission’s jurisdiction.
"With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of…
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MONTREAL – Jacques Bensimon will helm the National Film Board of Canada through the end of the year.
His term was due to expire on June 17th but the Ministry of Canadian Heritage announced today that his term as Government Film Commissioner and chair of the NFB is being extended for six months.
“For the purposes of continuity at the NFB, I am satisfied with the Ministry’s decision”, Jacques Bensimon said in a release. “In the last few years, the NFB has been able to re-establish the position it once held, and it now needs to shape its future…
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MONTREAL – Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame announced this week it will hold the 2006 Telecom Laureate Awards on October 16, 2006 at The Carlu in Toronto.
The inaugural induction ceremony in October 2005 honoured nine important individuals who have contributed to the development of telecommunications in Canada, including Alexander Graham Bell, Reginald Fessenden, Terry Matthews and David Colville. The Laureate selection process is a transparent one, beginning with candidate nominations from the public at large and from professionals in the telecom industry.
Nominations are screened for eligibility by a Nominations Committee, this year chaired by Professor Hudson Janisch,…
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OTTAWA – Saying it "implies stagnation", the minority Conservative government Tuesday voted against an opposition motion demanding that Cancon, foreign ownership and support for public broadcasting stay off the table in any future trade talks.
The motion, brought forward by the Liberals, which referred to a recent UNESCO convention and was supported by all parties but the ruling Conservatives, said:
“That, in view of the ratification by Canada of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the House insist that the government provide direction to trade negotiators to ensure that domestic cultural rights…
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TORONTO – The TV-industry-created organization that was set up eight years ago to evangelize on high definition television and the transition to digital will shut down as of August 31, 2006.
The CDTV board decided at a recent meeting "that the work of CDTV as presently mandated is complete and we should wind up the Association effective the end of our fiscal year," said a note to members from CDTV president Michael McEwen.
However, www.cartt.ca was told by a source, it was the competing visions for HDTV in Canada that led to the group’s demise.
CDTV Members included Canadian…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Football League is consolidating its TV and film footage to help preserve its archives.
The CFL is working with TWI Archive, a division of IMG Media, to preserve the game’s heritage and better promote the league around the world. TWI Archive will produce Golden Moment Vignettes, highlight packages of the most memorable on-field moments, to be marketed globally.
“The Canadian Football League takes great pride in the fact that our game has produced some of the greatest moments in professional sport over the course of its rich history,” said Chris McCracken, CFL Senior Director, Broadcast…
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THIS TV POLICY REVIEW will not be an easy thing.
The new Conservative government certainly wants a say. The CBC’s TV licenses are up for renewal at the same time. Private broadcasters are demanding a fee for the carriage of their signals, a way to deal with distant signals, more ad time per hour and since the high definition conversion is under way and very expensive, maybe the right to abandon tower transmission. Televised dramatic programming is resurgent Stateside but there are few new Canadian-made dramas and not enough money in the current system to make enough of them….
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TORONTO – Six important Canadian independent record labels resigned from the Canadian Recording Industry Association last week over the organization’s submission to the CRTC’s Radio Policy Review.
"It is with regret that we have arrived at this juncture, but it has become increasingly clear over the past few months that CRIA’s position on several important music industry issues are not aligned with our best interests as independent recording artists," says the letter.
It was signed by Pegi Cecconi of Anthem Records, Donald Tarleton (Donald K Donald) of Aquarius Records, Michelle Henderson of The Children’s Group, Geoff Kulawick of Linus…
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OTTAWA – Governor-General Michaelle Jean mentioned the Environmental Protection Act, the Federal Accountability Act, the Canada Health Act, the Bank Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Despite much recent rumblings and grumblings on the Broadcasting Act and Telecommunications Act, the short Federal Government Throne Speech on Tuesday didn’t mention either one – or even allude to the industry at all.
For ACTRA, the performers union, this was too much to bear. "We were pleased to hear in the throne speech acknowledgement of the importance of creative expression in a democratic society, but we were hoping that the government would signal…
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