Search Results for: Canadian Heritage

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

DISCOVERABILITY: “I really urge you to think outside of the box”

Heritage Minister says culture spending can lead to economic growth TORONTO – The federal government is turning its attention to overhauling the laws and regulations governing the cultural sector in Canada because it sees creativity as the driving force behind innovation, which will drive the growth of the Canadian economy, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly told delegates at the CRTC and NFB’s Discoverability Summit in Toronto on Tuesday. While noting that the government has promised a $1.9 billion investment in arts and culture over the next five years – the first G7 country to make such an investment,… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Shortlist announced for Tuned-in Canada: The CCSA Awards

SAINT JOHN, NB – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) has announced the shortlisted nominees for their Tuned-in Canada awards – a national celebration of excellence in communications service delivery, community-mindedness, and community channel content development. “We received a record number of nominations this year, many from our member companies – but many others from their customers across the country,” said Alyson Townsend, CCSA president and CEO. “That level of support really shows that Canada’s local cable and telecommunications companies are a valued part of our country’s communications ecosystem.” “The nominations this year highlighted amazing local television content, introduced us to… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Why we now have to decide whether or not we can keep a Canadian rights market

OTTAWA – Can Canada maintain a rights market of its own for cultural content in the face of rampant and rapid technological change? If so, how? Should we? At what costs? What would any new rules say? These very difficult, complex questions, along with Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly’s recent announcement that our aged legislation covering Canadian content rules will soon be getting an overhaul, were front and centre during the first morning of the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Biennial conference into new developments in communications law and policy at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. For example,… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CBC/Radio-Canada “optimistic about the future and eager to work on new ideas”, says Lacroix

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… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

HERITAGE COMMITTEE: Bell explains why local news needs help, now

OTTAWA – The local news business, while still attracting eyeballs, has ceased working from a financial perspective, Bell Canada told a Parliamentary committee on Tuesday. Echoing its appearance in front of the CRTC earlier this year, the company argued in front of MPs that creating a fund dedicated to local news programming would definitely help counteract falling advertising revenue. Speaking at the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Wendy Freeman, president at CTV News, noted that 2011 advertising revenue from private Canadian conventional TV stations has declined by $325 million, $91 million at Bell Media… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Caribbean’s OCTV joins Clearcable’s Canadian CDN

HAMILTON and NEW YORK – Clearcable Networks has added One Caribbean Television (OCTV) to its Content Distribution Network (CDN). OCTV carries daily news and weather, sports, travel, lifestyle and entertainment programming about the Caribbean and its people.  Now in its tenth year, OCTV is currently available on cable systems throughout the Caribbean and in many major U.S. cities.  “Clearcable is pleased to be able to extend more diverse content to more consumers by bringing OCTV to the Canadian market,” said Clearcable president Rob McCann, in Wednesday’s news release. “Adding OCTV extends our commitment to delivering more choice to subscribers in Canada.” “Our partnership… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Cogeco CEO says Canada suffers from risk-averse investment deficit

Feds must study past report to lead the future, according to Audet TORONTO – The Canadian financial markets suffer a bias against risk, which has led to an unfortunate under-investment in innovation, Cogeco Inc. CEO Louis Audet told the Canadian Club today at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto. In a wide-ranging speech that touched upon a wide number of things, Audet tied them all to the problems he believes are afflicting Canada and its economy. He noted many of the developed economies around the world are now facing stagnant growth rates – but noted that as Canadians, we have the… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News, Radio / Television News

Federal government kicks off sweeping culture review

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… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Heritage Minister Joly to open Banff World Media Festival

BANFF – Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Mélanie Joly will deliver a keynote presentation on Sunday June 12, 2016 to open the 37th annual Banff World Media Festival. "I am pleased to be taking part in my first Banff World Media Festival as Minister of Canadian Heritage," said Minister Joly, in a statement. "I am eager to share my vision for the future of Canadian arts and culture with industry leaders. It will be a time for productive discussions about the new realities of Canada's content industry." The Banff World Media Festival is recognized globally as a business market for… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Feds pump additional $34.5M into rural broadband program

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ON – The Federal Government has announced plans to extend its rural broadband initiative Connecting Canadians to include an additional 65,000 households. Innovation, Science and Economic Development minister Navdeep Bains said Friday from Niagara-on-the-Lake that 23 Internet service providers across Canada are receiving approximately $34.5 million to increase broadband Internet access for more than 65,000 households in rural areas across Canada. "Helping to extend high-speed Internet across the country is one of the most important infrastructure investments the Government of Canada can make to help unlock the tremendous potential of our country's northern and rural regions”, said Minister Bains, in the… Continue Reading