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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BUFFALO – American Arab/Muslim channel Bridges TV will soon launch in Canada.
The company announced this week that Rogers Cable will begin carrying it this spring and has also recently transitioned from a premium pay channel in the U.S. to basic cable on several cable and satellite systems there.
The year-old Buffalo, N.Y.-based cable channel was added to the list of eligible satellite services by the Commission in December.
The changes to its carriage and its launch in Canada "comes at a time when Middle Eastern and South Asian communities around the world are in the spotlight," says the company. "Most recently,…
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OTTAWA – In a press conference on Monday, the NDP presented a document it obtained which it says shows the governing Conservatives are pushing ahead with plans to strip foreign ownership limitations on broadcast and telecom companies.
The document will be tabled as Canada’s official position at General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS) discussions which opened in Geneva Monday. It commits Canada to strip foreign ownership limitations in telecom — with profound implications for telephone, cable and ultimately broadcast services. This position also runs counter to present Canadian law, says the NDP.
NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James…
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OTTAWA – The New Democratic Party today released a four-point plan for "broadcast sovereignty".
The four points are:
* Change the governance structure of CBC board of directors — ending the patronage appointment process and giving the board the power to hire or fire the CEO, who is currently appointed by the Prime Minister. * Ensure stable long term funding to expand regional programming. * Maintain clear limits on foreign ownership of Canadian airwaves. * Restore the obligation of Canadian broadcasters to promote home-grown drama.
NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) said in the release that Prime Minister…
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OTTAWA – While CRTC chairman Charles Dalfen said little to surprise independent producers in his annual address at the CFTPA’s national conference, he did hint at something that could delight them.
With CBC up for licence renewal this year, followed by the major private ‘casters, and with handheld digital media starting to shift industry revenue streams, Dalfen told producers “a bigger TV policy review might be timely” and he’s welcoming suggestions.
Any re-think of the TV policy, cursed by almost all stakeholders except broadcasters since it took effect in the fall of 2000, would begin after the review of…
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OTTAWA – Canada’s Telecommunications Hall of Fame today announced the launch of www.telecomhall.ca, the new web site which celebrates Canada’s legacy of success and achievement in the telecommunications industry.
The site pays homage to the technological, scientific, policy, business and entrepreneurial genius of Canada’s telecommunications sector, and honors the inventors and innovators, the business pioneers and builders, the unsung heroes and the success stories of this remarkable and vibrant Canadian industry.
The web site features:
The Hall of Fame Virtual Tour: Explore and discover some of the greatest contributors to Canadian telecommunications. View photos, videos and biographies of…
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AFTER A DOZEN OR SO years of lobbying the Liberal Party power establishment, the Canadian cable, radio, television and telecom industries will have to start over beginning today.
No matter how long this new Conservative minority government lasts (we sorely hope it’s longer than Joe Clark’s eight months in 1979), those at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association, as well as Canada’s large telcos, have brand new friends to make – and influence.
Issues like foreign ownership of telecom and cable companies, or even broadcasters, might get a more friendly hearing under the Conservatives…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Media Guild said Monday it’s worried that culture, and the CBC specifically, is so low on the priority lists of the federal parties.
Only the Conservative and Green parties mention the CBC in their platforms, despite the fact that the public broadcaster faces a license renewal before the end of 2006.
“But there are more questions about the vague position of the front-running Conservatives than answers,” says the Guild release, ominously.
"I recognize that this election campaign has been fought on a handful of core issues. But it is troubling that the future of Canada’s…
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TORONTO – To help mark Human Rights Week, CTV’s Hunt For Justice: The Louise Arbour Story will be screened at the United Nations in New York on Monday. CTV and Galafilm Inc. announced today that Ambassador Allan Rock, Canada’s United Nations representative, Wayne Clarkson, executive director of Telefilm Canada; Hunt for Justice star Wendy Crewson (right) and Louise Arbour, the High Commissioner of Human Rights at the United Nations, will attend the event.
This will be the second pre-broadcast screening for the CTV movie. In October, Bell Globemedia and CTV CEO Ivan Fecan, together with Minister…
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