By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – On Family Day Monday in Ontario, Carol Off (above) was in her CBC office boxing up books and other tangible memories of her time as host of CBC Radio One’s As It Happens (AIH).
On Friday, her CBC family, with help from some past AIH guests – including Margaret Atwood and Romeo Dallaire – will pay tribute to Off on her final day after spending nearly 16 years at the helm of the public broadcaster’s must-listen-to weeknight current events radio program.
She will miss accumulating more intangible memories from interviews with people who touched or angered…
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VANCOUVER — Ahead of Pink Shirt Day tomorrow, Telus Communications today announced the premiere of its first short animated children’s film, Skookum and Chums, which explores the importance of inclusivity and anti-bullying.
Produced with the support of Telus, the 11-minute animated film (pictured above) features Skookum, a flying turtle, who takes their animal friends on a trip into a magical forest.
“As a proud member of the Huron-Wendake Nation, filmmaker Fred Di Blasio took inspiration from his Indigenous heritage and identifies with the turtle as a bringer of insight and wisdom to children,” explains a Telus press release.
This short film “is…
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OTTAWA – The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today heard from several witnesses who warned that if the proposed merger between Rogers and Shaw were to go through, there would be serious consequences for local news in Canada.
The witnesses who appeared before the committee today included representatives from the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS), the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, Open Media and Quebecor Media Inc.
Witnesses from the CRTC (Scott Hutton, chief of consumer, research and communications and Daniel Pye, director of television programming) were also…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – Although Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, was introduced on Feb. 2, it had not yet been debated in the House of Commons – that is how the House works.
The first debate happens at the second reading, which happened today.
The tone of the exchanges and the positions of different party representatives can give us a sense of where this bill is going and whether we will repeat the parliamentary process of C-10, the previous version of the legislation to update the Broadcasting Act, that led to the demise of the bill even if the…
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TORONTO — Crave and production company New Metric Media announced today Hulu will be the exclusive streaming home of the debut season of the new Letterkenny spin-off series Shoresy in the United States.
The six-episode, half-hour comedy is created and written by Jared Keeso (above, standing), who stars in the title role and is also an executive producer for the series.
As previously announced, Shoresy “sees the foul-mouthed, chirp-serving, mother-loving, fan favourite character, Shoresy, join a senior AAA hockey team in Sudbury on a quest to never lose again,” reads a Bell Media press release.
Shoresy is set to premiere this…
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Also urges everyone to keep the C-11 debate “on facts”
By Amanda OYE
MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE Pablo Rodriguez (above, right) wants his daughter to grow up with Canadian music and Canadian productions – and the newly announced Bill C-11 can help ensure this, he said today, during a fireside chat on the final day of the Canadian Media Producers Association’s Prime Time conference.
Rodriguez joined Erin Haskett (above left), president and executive producer at Lark Productions, for a conversation that addressed a range of topics including the importance of Bill C-11 (also known as the Online Streaming Act), and gave…
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GATINEAU – The Government of Canada today announced it is extending its Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF) for Canadian audiovisual production until March 31, 2023.
“While it is encouraging that many productions have already resumed thanks to the Fund’s support, there is still a pressing need for this program, especially as the public health situation continues to evolve,” a Canadian Heritage press release says.
Telefilm Canada, which has been administering the funds since the program was launched in October 2020, “will continue to provide as much as $150 million in compensation until 2023 to production companies whose filming has been interrupted…
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By Denis Carmel
AFTER LISTENING TO TWO ex-ministers of Canadian Heritage, one is struck by what political culture has become and how carefully government must navigate that realm.
The Canadian Media Production Association’s annual gabfest, Prime Time, formerly, Prime Time in Ottawa, tries to feature some entertainment in the form of discussions that could generate other conversations but also educates producers and other members of the audience on the realities of Ottawa and the importance of politics for their collective future.
That is why today we had the privilege of listening to Sheila Copps (above, right), who was the Liberal minister of…
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GATINEAU – The Department of Canadian Heritage announced yesterday it plans to engage a group of experts who will collaborate with stakeholders and Canadians to advise the government on how it can adjust its proposed approach to dealing with harmful content online.
“This work will be carried out in a transparent and expedited manner, and the Minister will propose a revised framework as soon as possible. The Government of Canada is committed to getting this right and to doing so as quickly as possible,” reads a press release issued by Canadian Heritage.
Yesterday’s announcement came at the same time the government released the…
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OTTAWA – The federal government today introduced what it is calling the Online Streaming Act, or Bill C-11, which, while cutting it close, fulfills its promise to reintroduce legislation to amend the Broadcasting Act within its first 100 days.
Bill C-11 is very similar to Bill C-10, which died when the Liberals called an election last August. The main aims are still centred around including online streamers in the act by adding “online undertakings” to its scope, creating an equitable system and providing the CRTC with more powers and flexibility.
The proposed amendments are “about updating our…
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