BANFF – The Banff World Television Festival is the place to be heard.
Although the pitch sessions, the keynote address and the behind-the-scenes deal making is a major part of the conference, it will not be what we remember most about these past few days in June.
It appears this, the 27th year of the annual conference, is where people went to make substantial announcements.
In a mere few days, we’ve seen the Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women announce the government will ask the CRTC to study the technological changes facing the broadcast industry…
Continue Reading
BANFF – In her speech launching the 2006 Banff International Television Conference on Sunday, Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, announced the government will ask the CRTC to study the technological changes facing the broadcast industry and throws her support behind sustaining our public broadcaster.
“Other nations began to build the policy framework for the new digital world decades ago,” says the Minister. “Unfortunately, Canada did not.”
“Without a doubt,” she adds, “there are challenges.”
“With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of the private sector and the virtual explosion of choice on our…
Continue Reading
BANFF – The CRTC has a new task ahead of it now: predict the future.
During her speech at the Banff World Television Festival today, Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, said the Federal Government will ask the CRTC to study "how continuing technological changes are expected to shape the entire broadcasting industry in the years ahead."
Oda is using Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act, which lets the government request that the CRTC hold hearings or report on issues that fall under the Commission’s jurisdiction.
"With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Jacques Bensimon will helm the National Film Board of Canada through the end of the year.
His term was due to expire on June 17th but the Ministry of Canadian Heritage announced today that his term as Government Film Commissioner and chair of the NFB is being extended for six months.
“For the purposes of continuity at the NFB, I am satisfied with the Ministry’s decision”, Jacques Bensimon said in a release. “In the last few years, the NFB has been able to re-establish the position it once held, and it now needs to shape its future…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Saying it "implies stagnation", the minority Conservative government Tuesday voted against an opposition motion demanding that Cancon, foreign ownership and support for public broadcasting stay off the table in any future trade talks.
The motion, brought forward by the Liberals, which referred to a recent UNESCO convention and was supported by all parties but the ruling Conservatives, said:
“That, in view of the ratification by Canada of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the House insist that the government provide direction to trade negotiators to ensure that domestic cultural rights…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Effective April 3, Anna Gecan becomes vice-president, content at HGTV while Emily Morgan will be the new vice-president, content, Food Network and Fine Living, Alliance Atlantis has announced. Gecan, left, brings 20 years of television leadership and production experience to her new role, most recently as director, original production for HGTV and Food Network. Over the past year, she oversaw the development and commissioning of more than 20 new titles and the production of over 50 titles for the two channels.
During her tenure, both networks achieved record audience gains, and a series she personally…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – On International Woman’s Day, the Canadian Women in Communications honored their award winners and took the wrapper off a brand new look (right) at its annual gala here in Ottawa Wednesday evening.
The evening was the first industry engagement and speaking appearance for new Heritage Minister Bev Oda and new Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and the event drew its usual who’s who of the communications industry.
A former CWC board chair, Minister Oda, before presenting the Trailblazer Award to Sasktel’s Sandy Larson, lauded the CWC’s efforts in promoting leadership among women in…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – The gala evening celebrating women in communications is Wednesday in Ottawa, but Canadian Women in Communications has announced who the award winners will be.
Woman of the Year: Sarah Crawford, vice-president, Public Affairs, CHUM Television, Toronto
Employer of the Year: Alliance Atlantis Communications
Chapter Leader of the Year: Diane Johnson, president, Descriptive Video Works, Vancouver
Trailblazer of the Year: Sandy Larson, manager of customer service and operations, SaskTel and Mayor of Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Mentor of the Year: Cindy Chatwell, acting marketing manager, Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network (APTN), Winnipeg
The CWC Jeanne Sauvé Program winners are: *…
Continue Reading
AS EXPECTED, FORMER BROADCASTER (TVO and CTV) and CRTC Commissioner, Durham (Ont.) MP Bev Oda, was made Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women this morning when new Prime Minister Stephen Harper was sworn in and announced his new cabinet.
What wasn’t expected was former Liberal Industry Minister David Emerson crossing the floor to become a Conservative and remain in cabinet and in power as Minister for International Trade.
Beauce (Que.) MP Maxime Bernier, a former Standard Life vice-president, has been named Industry Minister.
Industry and Heritage both oversee the CRTC, the regulatory arbiter of the Canadian cable,…
Continue Reading
IT IS NOW AS IT WAS in the beginning: If you’re involved in producing programming or commercials in the high definition format, you’re most likely still trying to make video look like film.
But today, almost exactly 16 years after Toronto’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre was on the receiving end of the first major, mainstream HD broadcast seen in Canada – a fight transmitted from Las Vegas pitting Sugar Ray Leonard against Roberto Duran – the momentum in the battle for TV screens here is beginning to favour video.
Producers are becoming accustomed to the idea of originating content on…
Continue Reading
