"Citizen journalists" don't follow same high standards as pros, says RTDNA
OTTAWA – The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) told the Heritage Committee Tuesday that there has to be a way to deliver more local news to communities, and one that doesn’t necessarily require the major broadcasters to fund the endeavour.
Speaking at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, RTDNA president Ian Koenigsfest said regardless of whether it’s media concentration or a shrinking diversity of voices that have led to less local news in communities, it’s imperative that more be delivered to them.
“Local news isn’t only about…
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TORONTO – The public broadcaster’s ongoing transformation in the way it serves Canadians hasn’t been easy, but “the need for a Canadian public space” is more important than ever, according to CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Hubert Lacroix.
In an address to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto on Thursday, Lacroix talked up the Corp’s recent successes as a result of its strategic plan 2020: A Space For Us All, including the 15 million Canadians that use its digital sites for news and information, a number that has increased by 3 million in the last year, and its new podcast series…
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Looks like everything Cancon is on the table
OTTAWA – Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Mélanie Joly has instigated public consultations into the feds’ support of Canada’s cultural and creative industries that could result in sweeping changes to Canadian content rules and regulations.
The Department of Canadian Heritage said Saturday that it, along with the help of an expert advisory group, will lead public, stakeholder and online consultations beginning this summer to strengthen Canadian content creation, discovery and export in a digital world. The consultations will encompass information and entertainment content as presented in television, radio, film, digital…
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TORONTO – The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has set its 2016-2017 program budget at $371.2 million, down $4 million from last year’s budget, and has also revised its program guidelines.
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.
“The changes to the 2016-2017 guidelines are…
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Digital strategy, broadband for urban poor, not addressed
OTTAWA – After years of neglect, outright disdain and budget cuts from the previous government, CBC/Radio-Canada is getting what some consider a much needed infusion of cash. The Liberals’ Budget 2016 is injecting $675 million over the next five years into the national public broadcaster.
The money – $75 million this fiscal year and $150 million in each of the four subsequent years – will be used “to disseminate and support world-class Canadian content and to provide Canadians with better access to programs and services in the digital era,” said the budget.
Critical to…
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OTTAWA – The Westin Hotel will play host to over 600 people from feature film, television, interactive media, broadcasting and telecommunications industries during the Canadian Media Production Association’s Prime Time conference, beginning Thursday morning.
CMPA CEO Reynolds Mastin kicks things off at breakfast, followed by morning keynoter John Penney, Chief Strategy Officer, Starz.
Other notable speakers over the next two days include Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly, the CBC’s Heather Conway, Shaw Media’s Barbara Williams, Bell Media’s Tracey Pearce, DHX Media’s Steven Denure, Freemantle Media’s Jens Richter, Shaftsbury’s Christina Jennings, and many others.
Sessions on advertising, branding, partnerships, international success stories,…
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OTTAWA – The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) is looking for a new executive director as Jean Malavoy departs from that role.
Since joining the CRFC in 2013, Malavoy led the development of a new Youth on Air! program, helped to support the major associations serving the sector, increased the amount that individual radio stations could access for Canadian Content Development projects, and pioneered a way for stations to partner on larger initiatives, reads the news release.
"Jean came to the CRFC at a pivotal time," said CRFC president Roger Ouellette, in the release. "We have grown into a source of…
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OTTAWA – The newly minted ministers of Prime Minister Trudeau’s first cabinet received their ministerial mandate letters this week, detailing his expectations and their priorities.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Singh Bains’ letter said that his “overarching goal will be to help Canadian businesses grow, innovate and export so that they can create good quality jobs and wealth for Canadians”.
His top priorities, as they pertain to the Canadian communications industry, include:
– Improve the quality of publicly available data in Canada. This will require working with Statistics Canada, the President of the Treasury Board and other departments…
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OTTAWA – Two names in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new 30-member cabinet will be of particular interest to Canada’s communication industry.
The role of Industry Minister has vanished, as the PM opted to mesh the ministries of science and technology and Industry Canada under the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Navdeep Singh Bains (Mississauga-Malton, ON) was named minister of that portfolio.
After entering federal politics in 2004 as MP for Mississauga–Brampton South, Bains served as parliamentary secretary to the PM and a Liberal critic for various portfolios. He is Certified Management Accountant, holds an MBA with a specialization in finance,…
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PEOPLE ARE ALREADY CALLING Justin Trudeau our first “selfie” Prime Minister. Images of him on the campaign trail – and the day after the election – mugging with various Canadians who have one arm outstretched and the other around our PM-to-be number in the hundreds of thousands. He’ll apparently even click it for you, if you like.
Of course, those snapshots are then uploaded to the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other sharing platform to display to followers around the country and the world. Just Google “Justin Trudeau selfie”.
Invariably, those images ride…
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