OTTAWA – Canada’s screen-based production industry grew from $5 billion to $5.5 billion between the fiscal years of 2010/11, according to a new report.
The report, Profile 2011: An Economic Report on the Screen-Based Production Industry in Canada, is an annual economic report published by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) in collaboration with the Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec (APFTQ), and the Department of Canadian Heritage. It provides a statistical overview of the three main screen-based production sectors in Canada – Canadian independent production (including television and theatrical), foreign location and service production, and broadcaster…
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OTTAWA – Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore on Tuesday delivered a hearty endorsement of the industry his ministry oversees as well as the CBC during his appearance at the International Institute of Communications Canadian conference.
During his breakfast speech, Moore dipped into history to show how far the Canadian cultural sector has come, from a pipsqueak in the 1950s, scrambling for an identity, to a robust $46 billion annual industry now boasting over 630,000 employees, many of whom “do it for the love of the craft.” Those figures are “three times the size of the Canadian insurance industry and twice…
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WHILE WE’VE YET TO hear back from the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Bell Canada or Telus – and Industry Canada hasn’t yet responded to our request for a better answer to our original question, Canada’s two largest cable companies have responded to our plea that our country come up with a plan to get broadband Internet access to low-income families.
As we reported, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission along with many cable companies and other contributors, have devised a program to offer broadband connectivity to low-income families for…
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READERS MIGHT HAVE sensed with my column Thursday that I am taking the issue of getting broadband to low-income families very seriously. I called the fact that we have nothing in Canada to help the poor get broadband in their homes embarrassing, especially when compared to the ambitious and comprehensive Connect 2 Compete program that was launched in the United States this week by the Federal Communications Commission, numerous cable companies and other firms.
Then, reporter Peter Nowak reports today that Canada is the ONLY country in the G8 with no assistance…
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TORONTO – Canada’s professional performers union said that it is hopeful that the new Conservative cabinet will “seize on the potential of Canadian cultural industries” as they focus on building the digital economy.
“We congratulate Minister Moore on his reappointment as Minister of Heritage and welcome Minister Paradis to his new Industry portfolio,” said ACTRA national president Ferne Downey, in a statement. “It’s a new day, we’ve got a new government and we’re keen to start working with both Ministers on the shared files that directly impact our cultural industries.”
ACTRA called on both Ministers to work together on delivering new copyright legislation…
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OTTAWA – Granted, it’s just another in the thousands of oft-ignored parliamentary committee reports, but a new one released today by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage wants the CRTC to hold a public hearing about whether or not the likes of Netflix, Google TV, Apple TV, etc., should be contributing funds to the Canadian television industry.
The report, “Impacts Of Private Television Ownership Changes And The Move Towards New Viewing Platforms,” was informed by five fall 2010 meeting days which heard from 21 witnesses representing Canadian media companies (big and small), carriers, producers, Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Those in charge of the digital television transition have dropped the ball in informing Canadians on the impacts of the change to DTV, said some MPs during The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage meeting this Monday.
The Department of Canadian Heritage, which has taken the lead on the digital TV transition file, has set up a web site (www.digitaltelevision.info.gc.ca and www.televisionnumerique.info.gc.ca) and a toll-free number that are supposed to provide Canadians with information on how the transition may affect them.
Despite these initial efforts, committee members questioned why a broad public awareness campaign has yet to…
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OTTAWA – The government must take different steps to inform and support disabled Canadians in advance of this summer’s transition to digital television, says Media Access Canada (MAC).
In an appearance before the Canadian Heritage Parliamentary Committee, the group said that with the Canadian broadcasting system still not fully accessible, efforts to educate Canadians with disabilities must extend beyond mere public service announcements.
“Imagine a deaf senior-citizen, living alone and on a fixed income who turns on her television September 1st only to receive no signal”, said MAC executive director Beverley Milligan. “She may believe the television is broken and will…
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OTTAWA – While the massively confused usage-based billing issue gets all the attention these days, another media issue that will affect tens of thousands more Canadians than UBB is still receiving scant notice: the transition from analog over-the-air TV to digital.
Granted, most Canadians won’t notice a thing come September 1 of this year as most of us are plugged into a cable, satellite or telco TV subscription. When the analog TV transmitters are turned off in the mandatory markets, it will be a non-issue as our carriers will continue carrying and distributing as before.
But for the 900,000 estimated households…
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OTTAWA – With nothing happening in the marketplace to inform Canadians that they will no longer be able to get an off-air TV signal without some new digital gear come August 31, 2011, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has called CRTC officials to appear before it on Monday.
Executive director of broadcasting, Scott Hutton, ED policy development and research Namir Anani and senior general counsel John Keogh are scheduled to appear.
Canadian broadcasters have been told by the CRTC to get cracking on letting Canadians know that for most of them, their analog TVs with rabbit ears will receive nothing…
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