GATINEAU — Canada’s minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault, and France’s minister of culture, Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, signed a new film and television co-production agreement during a videoconference today.
Canada and France are frequent co-production partners, having co-produced almost 100 projects between 2015 and 2020.
The new agreement replaces the two co-production agreements currently in force, which were signed in 1983, covering cinematographic works and television works, respectively. Today’s agreement covers all audiovisual works, whether they are intended for distribution in cinemas, on television or through on-demand media platforms, says a Canadian Heritage press release.
“To be recognized as a co-production under this…
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OTTAWA – The federal government today launched a consultation on the modernization of the Copyright Act, specifically addressing developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).
The consultation, launched by Innovation, Science and Industry and Canadian Heritage, touches on topics including text and data mining, authorship and ownership of works created by AI, and infringement and liability regarding AI, according to a press release.
Canadians are invited to read the full consultation paper, published by the government today, and to submit comments on it by September 17, 2021.
This consultation builds on reports from the 2019…
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TORONTO — Following its annual members’ meeting, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) today announced the appointment of Jason Badal, Sanae Takahashi and Chantale Coulombe to its board of directors.
Badal is currently director of the multinational merchants segment at Shopify and prior to that was head of business affairs and development at Rogers Media (before it was called Rogers Sports and Media) and Sportsnet. Before that, he was director of business and legal affairs at Score Media, before it was acquired by Rogers Media.
Now retired, Takahashi is an experienced strategic planner and marketing professional with 20 years of executive experience…
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YELLOWKNIFE — The Canadian government announced Tuesday more than $1.9 million in funding is being provided over two years to three Indigenous organizations in the Northwest Territories to support the production and broadcasting of culturally relevant radio and television programming in the North.
Under the Northern Aboriginal Broadcasting component of the Ministry of Canadian Heritage’s Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program, the funding is being directed to the Inuvialuit Communications Society, Native Communications Society of the N.W.T. and Norman Wells Land Corporation.
The Inuvialuit Communications Society (ICS) is receiving $380,820 to support its 2021-2023 broadcast production season, while the Native Communications…
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OTTAWA – The federal government today released what it is calling the “guiding principles” to pave the way for “international consensus among countries, the private sector and civil society organizations” when it comes to diversity of online content.
“Exposure to diverse content can contribute to a healthier public discourse and greater social inclusion, while also countering disinformation and increasing people’s ability to participate in democratic processes,” reads the press release from the office of Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage and which quotes his counterparts from France, Germany, and Finland, as well as Jason Kee of Google Canada and Tessa…
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Bill passes second reading as Senate rises for the summer
By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – The path to adoption of the legislation to modernize the Broadcasting Act is very narrow, featuring roadblocks and tight turns, but the Minister of Canadian Heritage, according to the Globe and Mail still seems to be confident it will pass, despite the fact the Senate’s Transportation and Communications Committee has no meetings scheduled.
“We would appeal to senators to work diligently. This is a very important piece of legislation,” Mr. Guilbeault told the newspaper. “The more time passes, the more we’re delaying the entry into force…
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OTTAWA – Bill C-10, the legislation to modernize the Broadcasting Act, passed the first reading in the Senate on Tuesday, June 22nd.
Then the debate on second reading started on Wednesday afternoon. Senate administration added a new motion that very same morning.
The Bill was introduced by Senator Dennis Dawson, seemingly on behalf of the Government as he read a speech supporting the Bill and answering questions from other Senators, some of them strongly opposing the Bill. “We were not expecting to get to second reading as of today and now that we are sitting next week, I hope we can…
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If it doesn’t pass and there’s no election, it will continue in the fall
By Bill Roberts
AT MOMENTS HE LOOKED a bit like that deer in the proverbial headlights.
Minister Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, was in virtual conversation with Prem Gill, CEO of Creative B.C. on Thursday at the virtual Banff World Media Fest.
It was also somewhat of a hot seat.
“Look, I’ve been minister for 20 months and 18 of those were under Covid… it’s been a steep learning curve,” shared Guilbeault as he acknowledged his baptism by flamethrower at the Ministry.
And with Bill C-10, “we’ve had 120 amendments…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – In a meeting hastily scheduled Wednesday afternoon for Wednesday afternoon and evening, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage held a four hour meeting on Bill C-10 with almost no notice. Yes, FOUR hours.
We looked at the committee’s web page at 2:30 this afternoon and found no meetings scheduled. It was set for 4:30, then 4:45 and when the chair of the committee, Liberal MP Scott Simms, appeared at 4:51, he seemed a little peeved (as were we). He said that he tries to give as much notice before meetings, but said the whips of the…
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CAB says Bill C-10 delays creating “domino effect” pushing back promised legislation to help news outlets
TORONTO and OTTAWA — News Media Canada, representing hundreds of print and digital news outlets in every province and territory, today issued an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling on the federal government to act immediately on its commitment to support local journalists.
The letter, signed by News Media Canada chair Jamie Irving, was published today by news organizations across the country, including The Toronto Star, The Toronto Sun, The Hamilton Spectator, The National Post, Le Journal de Montréal, The Edmonton Journal and…
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