OTTAWA – Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism Pablo Rodriguez has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at Prime Time in Ottawa (PTiO) later this month.
Scheduled for January 30 – February 1, 2019 at the Westin Ottawa, PTiO is a national conference for some 600 of Canada’s most prominent business leaders from the feature film, television, interactive media, broadcasting and telecommunications industries.
Including a series of keynote speakers, plenary panels, breakout sessions and roundtables, the 2019 conference will grapple with the important issues currently facing the screen-based content industry.
www.primetimeinottawa.ca
Continue Reading
CASSELMAN, ON – Christmas came early for non-profit community radio broadcaster Radio communautaire Cornwall-Alexandria which received $253,104 in government funding to expand the reach of its antenna.
The funding is part of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018–2023: Investing in our Future that was unveiled in March by Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie Minister Mélanie Joly. The plan supports official-language minority communities and promotes Canada’s two official languages.
"I am proud of our government's support for Francophone communities in this country”, said Glengarry–Prescott–Russell MP Francis Drouin, on behalf of Minister Joly, in Tuesday’s news release. “By…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Given the breadth of witnesses and many proposals that have been put before the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology over the last number of months, Copyright Board CEO Nathalie Théberge says the review and potential impact of the proposals will take time to assess.
“There will be a transition period, during which all players involved, including the Copyright Board and the parties that appear before it, will need to adapt and change their practices, behaviours, and, to some extent, their organizational culture,” she said, speaking about potential Act changes before the committee in Ottawa on Wednesday.
She…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Without the regulatory framework that has existed for the last number decades, the Canadian feature film industry would not be what it is today, according to Emily Harris, President of Canadian Association of Film Distributors and Exporters (CAFDE).
Harris was speaking before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa on Thursday, and noted that it is CAFDE’s members that tirelessly work to bring the work of actors to the forefront of audiences. The committee is studying remuneration models for artists and creative industries.
While Canadian creatives are celebrated the world over, Harris noted that of the almost $1…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez is inviting participants from Canada’s creative industries to join him on trade mission to Latin America in February.
In a statement Monday, Canadian Heritage said that the entrepreneurs selected to take part in the mission will be able to explore potential business opportunities in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina and build a network of key buyers, suppliers and contacts.
The initiative, part of the Creative Export Strategy, will help to strengthen Canada's commercial, cultural and diplomatic relations with Latin America through activities that include a business matching program, information sessions and networking events. Delegates will also meet…
Continue Reading
Claiming racism, harassment, wrongful dismissal and punitive damages
TORONTO – Former CRTC commissioner Raj Shoan has filed a motion against the attorney general of Canada, the CRTC, Minister Mélanie Joly, the Governor-in-Council and various individuals, including former Commission chair Jean-Pierre Blais, for the sum of $8.4 million.
The 65-page statement of claim, filed with the Ontario Superior Court October 31st, retells much of the conflict between Shoan, who was hired as the CRTC’s Ontario Commissioner in June 2013, and various others including Blais, the chairman of the CRTC at the time, and former Heritage Ministers Shelly Glover and Joly.
Shoan was accused…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – A consensus may be emerging which says while we need to change the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts, that can be done only as long as those changes don’t involve any playing in my sandbox.
We had this feeling when the Privacy Commissioner appeared and said, essentially: We’re doing fine but please give us more enforcement powers inside the communications business
Then today (Tuesday) when the CRTC appeared in front of the Senate Committee studying change into the two Acts on Tuesday morning, the same thing happened. Senator Rosa Galvez asked “If your situation is the…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Divergent opinions on whether a movie and television producer should be credited as an author on their productions took centre stage at the latest Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage which is discussing remuneration models for artists and creative industries in relation to the Copyright Act review.
Speaking on behalf of the Writers Guild of Canada on Tuesday, which represents more than 2,000 English-language writers working in film, television, radio and digital media production, director of policy Neal McDougall pointed out that both scripts and productions resulting from scripts are separate entities under…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – While most witnesses have insisted the Broadcasting Act is woefully out of date and the sky is falling on the industry, the Senate Committee on Transport and Communications reviewing that piece of legislation as well as the Telecommunications Act heard last week the Broadcasting Act actually works just fine, and the broadcasting system is relatively healthy.
On Wednesday, October 17, Marc Raboy, Beaverbrook professor emeritus in ethics, media and communications at McGill University and Gregory Taylor, assistant professor at the department of communication, media and film, University of Calgary, told a far different story than the appointed politicians…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Despite having more than 100 film and television credits to his name, in addition to stage appearances across North America, ACTRA president David Sparrow knows the struggles of an artist’s life all too well.
“That comparatively successful career does not necessarily make me a household name, or financially stable. This is a tough business,” Sparrow said Tuesday morning to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage which gathered again in Ottawa to further discuss remuneration models for Canadian artists in the Canadian Copyright Act. Among those presenting were representatives from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists…
Continue Reading
