QUEBEC – Quebec’s culture minister Luc Fortin is calling on the federal government to review, and perhaps override, parts of the CRTC's recent licence renewals for large French language TV groups.
In a statement earlier this week, Fortin said that the Commission’s decision to remove certain conditions of license, citing the example of Corus-owned Series+, allows that broadcaster to opt out of its obligation to spend $1.5 million annually on original French-language dramas.
Fortin added that the new policies may also encourage ownership groups to simply dub English-Canadian programs for their French-language specialty channels, rather than invest in the production of original French-language Canadian…
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MONTREAL – The Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) is accusing the CRTC of “systemic and overt racism and a colonial mentality” and wants the Governor General, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Canadian Heritage to investigate.
CMAC describes itself as a non-profit organization comprised of academics, legal advisors, policy consultants and community media practitioners working towards equitable representation and access for underrepresented communities within the broadcasting system, including the CRTC.
In a letter dated April 24, CMAC called for action “to ensure the CRTC supports racial equity and the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples”. It referenced its recent…
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TORONTO – The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has set its 2017-2018 program budget at $349.7 million, some $21 million less than last year’s budget.
The CMF program budget is supported by revenue estimates for the coming year based on contributions from the Government of Canada; Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors; and recoupment and repayment revenues from funded productions. The program budget reflects a stable contribution from the Government of Canada and an expected decline in Broadcast Distribution Undertakings’ contributions to the CMF for the year to come.
“We understand that a program budget decrease of 5.8 per cent will have…
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OTTAWA – While some might say that a review of the Broadcasting Act and Telecom Act has more or less already begun with Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s “everything is on the table” consultations on Canadian Content in a Digital World, the federal government’s 2017 budget, released Wednesday, confirmed that a more formal review will begin this year.
While Minister Joly and the federal government have not given any formal indications on where her consultation will lead when it comes to new law or policies (so far, just a detailed summary of her cross-country consultations has been released), the budget…
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TORONTO – The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) has chosen Canadian actor, humanitarian and activist Tina Keeper as its 2017 ACTRA National Woman of the Year.
The award is bestowed annually on an ACTRA member who uses her passion to support her fellow female ACTRA members and women within the audiovisual industry as a whole. Keeper (pictured) joins past recipients Shirley Douglas, Tantoo Cardinal, Sandi Ross, Mary Walsh, Jean Freeman, Amanda Tapping and Catherine Joell MacKinnon.
An active member of Canada's film and television industry for over 30 years, Keeper is well-known for her role as RCMP officer…
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Minister Joly says "timing was right"
GATINEAU, QC – Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly is sharing some of the input she received during her recent consultations on Canadian Content in a Digital World.
Based on feedback collected by Ipsos via the online portal, in-person events, social media discussions and mail and e-mail submissions, What We Heard Across Canada: Canadian Culture in a Digital World, released Tuesday, identified the following eight key themes and messages heard during the consultation:
– Showcasing Canada’s cultural sector: increased support for production of Canadian content as well as sustained efforts on marketing and communication will help underscore…
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OTTAWA – After securing a global Netflix streaming deal for its new original show, Wow! Unlimited Media’s CEO Michael Hirsh says opportunities abound for Canadian content.
Wow! Unlimited Media (formerly Rainmaker) scored its big win earlier this month when it announced that Netflix would stream Castlevania, the first proprietary production from its subsidiary Frederator Studios. The program, a mature-rated animation project, is written by best-selling author and comic book legend Warren Ellis.
The original Netflix series, which is to debut in 2017, is a dark medieval fantasy that follows the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, trying to…
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OTTAWA – It’s been argued that Canadian cultural content won’t earn greater success unless it’s gets seen by a wider, and global, audience. The federal government believes that and is working on such strategy. Melanie Joly, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, highlighted some efforts that could bear fruit in the near future at an Ottawa conference on Thursday.
In a Q&A style appearance at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA) annual Prime Time in Ottawa event, she noted that money from Budget 2016 is already being used to open up doors for Canada’s cultural and creative industries. Last February, the…
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SHANGHAI, CHINA – Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly talked up Canada’s creative industries during a working trip to China this week.
She also took part in the launch of a Canadian cultural and creative industry advisory group in Shanghai, designed to set the stage for future discussions on how best to expand the reach of Canadian artists and cultural industries internationally and help emerging Canadian creative businesses enter the Chinese market.
“Our Government understands the importance of giving Canadian creators and cultural entrepreneurs every chance to seize opportunities provided by international markets and audiences, and we see tremendous opportunity in China”,…
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OTTAWA – Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly has confirmed her attendance at Prime Time in Ottawa (PTiO) next month where she will sit down for a one-on-one conversation with CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin.
The conversation, which comes on the heels of Minister Joly’s sweeping ‘Canadian Content in a Digital World’ consultations, is scheduled as the afternoon keynote address on Thursday, February 2. The 22nd edition of PTiO will take place February 1 to 3 at The Westin.
“I very much look forward to the conversation with Minister Joly, to learn more about what she heard in her discussions with…
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