OTTAWA – Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Mélanie Joly has named a dozen representatives from the Canadian arts and culture sectors as her expert advisory group to assist during her extensive review of Canada’s cultural policies.
Minister Joly said Tuesday that the group (which is almost Royal Commission-like, to us…) was selected on the basis of their personal experience, expertise and ability to generate and inspire innovative ideas, and will “provide advice and ongoing feedback” as she seeks input from Canadians on how best to strengthen the creation, discovery and export of Canadian content in a digital world….
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Office culture needs repair
WITH BOTH THE 2016 NBA and NHL drafts happening this week, sports fans know that among all the “mock drafts” and other analyses about the brand new about-to-be-pros, there are a smattering of additional stories which speculate what the draft will look like next year, in 2017, despite the fact anything can happen in a year and the pure conjecture involved to write a piece like that relies on a great many moving parts falling into place – and not a small amount of gossip and guesswork.
So it is in that spirit I’m going to look…
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GATINEAU and TORONTO – The federal government has relieved Raj Shoan of his duties as CRTC commissioner for Ontario. This is believed to be the first time a commissioner’s appointment was rescinded mid-term.
The Order-in-Council says the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Mélanie Joly, wrote to Shoan “informing him that certain of his actions brought to her attention called into question his capacity to continue serving as a Commissioner of the CRTC, providing him with information regarding these concerns including the documentation upon which they were based, and inviting him to make any representations that he wished…
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BANFF – Canada has a long history of playing catch-up when it comes to setting policy for electronic media, starting with radio in the early part of last century and then with conventional television and cable TV through the 1950s, 60s and 70s. We can’t afford that any more.
The U.S. generally pushed the envelope in launching new media, Canadians adopted the technology and governments here played regulatory catch-up, often preferring early monopolies in radio or TV over competition in the marketplace.
“By first delaying the introduction of television, and then delaying the introduction of competing services, government policy almost guaranteed…
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TORONTO – Ontario CRTC Commissioner Raj Shoan got his day in court Tuesday in his attempt to quash a finding of workplace harassment levelled against him last year.
That complaint, brought by former executive director of communications Amanda Cliff against Shoan over seven different email threads sent over seven months in 2014, was investigated by an outside third party firm hired by the CRTC. After conducting multiple interviews with Commission staff, commissioners and chairman Jean-Pierre Blais (and uncovering a workplace seemingly in turmoil, with plenty of blame to go around, if you read the report, as…
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DEMORESTVILLE, ON – Broadcast industry veteran, former CRTC director-general, and community advocate Peter Fleming passed away June 15 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 66.
Fleming spent close to 25 years at the CRTC between 1973-1997, holding a variety of positions including director-general of radio and television broadcast policy. He went on to become a consultant to the broadcasting industry, helping various television and radio companies in Canada in preparing applications, policy positions and presentations to the broadcast regulator. Early on his consulting career, he helped the Government of South Africa to develop its post-apartheid broadcast legislation.
Fleming also served on the…
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SAINT JOHN – After more than 180 nominations and some 28,000 votes cast across the country, the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) has announced the winners of the 2016 Tuned-in Canada: The CCSA Awards.
The annual contest bills itself as a national celebration of excellence in communications service delivery, community-mindedness, and community channel content development.
This year’s winners in each category were determined by the most votes received, and, by the most votes received per capita subscribers. With CCSA made up of various sized members, the organization said that this system levels the playing field for all. In the event that an entry won…
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BANFF – Okay, how do you know you've got a great tax accountant? Well, it's obvious – she's got a loophole named after her!
Yup, the title "Digital Content Taxation: Levelling the Playing Field with Foreign Competition" didn't announce well as a barn-burning session. However, I wasn't expecting jokes about tax lawyers deducting ExLax as a moving expense either.
There was a principle involved.
Bernard Lord, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (and former Premier of New Brunswick), has a bee in his bonnet: Foreign digital content providers are not required to register and collect Canadian GST/HST, and thus…
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BANFF – It is difficult to resist the evident charm and good intentions of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.
However, here at the 2016 Banff World Media Festival, some of the old saws we've been hearing in her patterned speeches these last many months are getting old. Here was our Minister, at the prestigious kick-off Opening Keynote of our annual Banff mind-meld, simply churning out bromides.
Yes, she is threatening to change everything about the system – but the narrative has become more cautious, perhaps even bewildered, ever since.
Yes, again, her 10,000 replies to the initial consultation (a…
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Joly says 6,000 have responded to early culture consultation
TORONTO – Businesses should invest in the cultural sector – including hiring artists – in order to help the economy grow and open new markets, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly told a business audience Thursday in Toronto.
“Does that mean you need artists, writers and musicians in your business? Well, at the very least you need some people who think like artists, writers and musicians,” Joly told the Economic Club of Canada. Joly urged industry to invest in the cultural sector because not only do companies have the money but also because it…
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