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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OTTAWA and COPENHAGEN — Canadian satellite operator Telesat and Denmark’s Cobham SATCOM announced today an agreement to deploy Cobham SATCOM 3-axis TRACKER 4000 terminals for Telesat’s Lightspeed low-Earth orbit (LEO) landing station network.
Under the terms of the agreement, “Cobham SATCOM will manufacture, integrate, and install advanced Ka-band tracking antennas at Telesat’s sites throughout the world, and provide long-term logistics and maintenance support,” reads a press release.
Cobham SATCOM’s radome-protected antennas “will provide accurate tracking in the most adverse weather conditions, ensuring high availability and throughput for carrier-grade performance,” the release says.
“Cobham SATCOM’s innovative antenna technology delivers robust, resilient and…
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OTTAWA — The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) today announced more details for its virtual Prime Time event, which gets underway Wednesday, Feb. 2.
The conference’s opening reception will be held online at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on Feb. 2 and will feature comedy from Debra DiGiovanni, appearances by Mark Critch (This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Son of a Critch) and Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs), and trivia from the cast of Amazon Prime Video’s LOL Canada.
On Thursday, Feb. 3 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT, CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin will moderate a virtual session…
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