By Connie Thiessen
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has confirmed the appointment of Marie-Philippe Bouchard as CBC/Radio-Canada’s next president and CEO.
Appointed for a five-year term, effective Jan. 3, Bouchard’s appointment had been widely rumoured since last week when Quebec media outlets, including Radio-Canada, reported she was in line for the job.
Bouchard has served as President and CEO of francophone public broadcaster TV5 Québec Canada since 2016, overseeing the TV5 Unis channels and platforms, in addition to presiding over TV5 Numérique, TV5MONDE’s partner in establishing international French-language platform TV5MONDEPlus.
Prior to joining TV5, Bouchard held management and executive positions at CBC/Radio-Canada in legal services, strategic planning, regulatory affairs, and digital services, most recently as Director…
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By Connie Thiessen
The office of Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge says a decision has yet to be finalized on who will succeed CBC/Radio-Canada President Catherine Tait.
Several Quebec media outlets, including Radio-Canada reported this week that TV5 Québec Canada CEO Marie-Philippe Bouchard, will replace Tait in January, citing unnamed sources.
In an email to Cartt’s sister publication Broadcast Dialogue, Canadian Heritage said a candidate has yet been confirmed for the position.
The department said formal steps that must take place before a candidate is selected have not yet been completed. For reasons of cabinet confidentiality, appointment decisions are not disclosed until formalized…
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By Ahmad Hathout
A Senate bill to impose a nationwide framework regulating advertising for sports betting could reduce those ads at a time when the provinces are still navigating the nascent market and as broadcasters are desperately grasping for any advertising dollars they can get, the head of a major broadcasting group told senators on the Transport and Communications committee Wednesday night.
Bill S-269 would task the minister of Canadian Heritage to consult various government departments to create a national framework “with a view to restricting the use of such advertising, limiting the scope or location … or…
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Media conglomerate Postmedia announced Thursday it is partnering with content and marketing company Contend to launch Postmedia Studios, which they say will leverage the new funding ecosystem brought by the Online Streaming Act to bring Canadian stories to film, television and short-form formats.
The companies said they already have a slate of original programming created by Canadians in the works, and all intellectual property will be created, owned and produced by Canadians.
“This includes film, television, and short-form formats that delve into compelling real-life stories and memorable historical events that have shaped the nation,” a press release said. “These productions will…
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By Howard Law, author of Canada vs. California, and MediaPolicy.ca
Earlier this month Cartt published “C-11, CRTC, and destabilizing market-driven CanCon,” an opinion piece from Len St-Aubin.
Two years ago St-Aubin and I volleyed back and forth on the merits of the Online Streaming Act as it passed the House of Commons. I suppose the two grumpy old men are back at it again: St-Aubin’s recent column is an indictment of the current regulatory state of affairs and here I am responding.
For the sake of brevity and avoiding repetitious debate, I will…
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Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced Tuesday the appointment of Drew Olsen as vice chair and CEO of the Copyright Board of Canada for a five-year term, starting Aug. 26.
In this position, Olsen will lead the work of the Copyright Board as well as supervise and direct board staff. He succeeds Nathalie Théberge, who was recently appointed as the CRTC’s vice chair of broadcasting for a five-year term that began in April.
Olsen is currently associate director general of the audiovisual branch at Canadian Heritage. While at the department, he has held other leadership…
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The Canada Media Fund (CMF) last week announced a new chair and the appointment of a new director to its board.
Michael Schmalz has been elected as chair of the board, succeeding outgoing chair Alain Cousineau, who left the board of directors after an 11-year tenure.
Appointed as a CMF board director by the Department of Canadian Heritage in 2017, Schmalz resides in London, Ont., is fully bilingual, and brings more than 17 years of experience in the digital media industry, with a focus on gaming innovation.
René Guimond has been appointed…
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The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has entered into a new collective agreement with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), having received approval last week from the Governor General in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The new NFB-PIPSC agreement is retroactive to July 1, 2022 and will expire June 30, 2026. The previous four-year agreement expired June 30, 2022.
The agreement covers all employees of the NFB in the Administrative and Foreign Service Category and the Scientific and Professional Category.
The terms of the new agreement include wage increases…
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By Ahmad Hathout
A new bill that would force the CRTC to “consult” with the provincial governments on matters affecting French-speaking markets is drawing concern from regulatory authorities both in its legal terminology and the precedent it could set for a tribunal freshly saddled with increased responsibilities.
The private member’s bill C-354, which passed second reading in the House and is in the committee stage, would amend the CRTC Act to add to section 12 a paragraph that would require it to “consult with the Government of Quebec or the governments of the other provinces, as the case…
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By Howard Law, author of Canada vs. California, and MediaPolicy.ca
Last week the CRTC released its anticipated “Phase One” ruling on the implementation of the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-11. The headline was the $200 million price tag put on Canadian content contributions assessed by the commission on large foreign online audio and audio-visual streamers operating in Canada.
Following the commission’s decision, many industry players and public policy commentators were quick to declare victory or disaster, something we can expect in a regulatory drama that never quits.
This drama is chronicled in my book, Canada vs California: How…
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