LAVAL – “There’s so much discussion of flexibility that you’d think we were at a yoga club,” cracked CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais during day one of the license renewal hearing for Canada’s French-language TV broadcasters.
The broadcasters, as is their wont, called for more flexibility and reduced quotas for Canadian programming – and both Quebecor Media and Groupe V Média took shots at the national public broadcaster, even though it’s not part of the hearing.
“We’re worried about the fact that Radio-Canada continues to stray from its mandate to adopt a resolutely commercial approach,” said TVA president Julie Tremblay (pictured), in…
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TORONTO – CBC and Radio-Canada viewers may have noticed a new promo spot airing Monday in honour of the 20th anniversary of World Television Day, the UN’s celebration of the global cultural impact of television.
The video, available here, is the Canada-specific version of one shown by broadcasters across Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Australia on Monday. Produced by CBC & Radio‐Canada Media Solutions, the spot highlights that 128,000 people in Canada help create the TV programs that reach 97% of the Canadian population. Viewers, who watch for an average of 3h 54min every day, watch 130 million hours…
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TORONTO – Tickets are now on sale for next month’s CTAM Canada Broadcaster Forum.
Scheduled for December 1 starting at 1:00 PM at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, the fourth annual event will focus on Innovation in the Pay TV ecosystem and offer five distinct sessions including exclusive, Canadian-specific market research, two moderated panels of industry leaders, and a Q&A between Cartt.ca editor and publisher Greg O’Brien and CBC’s EVP English Services Heather Conway. A networking reception will follow the event.
Session #1: Technology & Television Innovation – “The requirement to stay relevant”
Industry professional Norm Lem…
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PHOENIX – Legendary Canadian cable pioneer Israel “Sruki” Switzer died at his home in Phoenix late Wednesday afternoon of a heart attack. He was 87.
Switzer, while perhaps not as well known as some other pioneers, had his fingerprints all over the development of cable and telecom networks built across this country and around the world. Respected as a visionary among those whom he helped build these networks, as well as something of a maverick (and a speech he made in 2010 certainly confirms that), Switzer also earned some fame as the…
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OTTAWA – CPAC’s new weekly international affairs program hosted by veteran journalist and ex-CBCer Alison Smith (pictured) is set to debut on Sunday.
With contributions from the field and expert analysis, Perspective with Alison Smith will break down the most relevant global issues of the day to better understand Canada’s role in the world – and how the world sees us.
The show will premier November 20 at 10:30 AM ET/7:30 AM PT, with encore presentations at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT and 8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT. Like all CPAC programming, Perspective with Alison Smith will be available commercial-free and in…
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ST. JOHN’S – Eastlink has confirmed that it will jump in to the mobile phone market in Newfoundland and Labrador starting next year.
According to a CBC News report, Eastlink said Monday that it was preparing to launch LTE service in St. John's sometime in 2017, with service in additional communities in the province expected to follow.
The Halifax-based company has sent notice to the City of St. John's that it will build an LTE wireless antenna system on top of the Beothuk Building in the city. The notice was heard at council on Monday night.
"We are not like other cellphone…
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TORONTO – CBC is throwing its support behind underrepresented Canadian creators with a new $7.5 million fund called the CBC Breaking Barriers Film Fund.
The fund will help finance English-language feature film projects that are written or directed by Canadian women, Indigenous persons, visible minorities and persons with a disability who have had at least one feature-length film showcased at a recognized film festival.
To qualify for the CBC Breaking Barriers Film Fund, projects must be in a fictional genre, have an existing first draft script, and not yet be in production. Eligible applicants are invited to apply for funding of either…
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TORONTO – CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries has unveiled a brand partnership campaign with The Salvation Army that will see the organization’s message of giving written in to the series’ holiday special next month.
‘Once Upon a Murdoch Christmas’ will see Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) and Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) find their jobs at risk as they investigate a series of brazen robberies targeting Toronto’s wealthiest businessmen just days before Christmas. The standalone two-hour special will premiere Monday, December 12 at 8:00 PM (8:30NT) with an encore broadcast on Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25, at 5:00 PM (5:30NT) on CBC.
The special will include a…
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TORONTO – CBC is cracking down on podcast app-makers, claiming that making an app that pulls down public RSS feeds is a "commercial use" and therefore a violation of its copyrights.
According to a post on Boing Boing, the public broadcaster has taken the stance that making a tool that allows someone to load a public URL without permission is a violation of copyright law.
“It is an absolutely insane idea, and as legally ignorant as one can imagine”, reads the post. “It's shocking that a letter of such dangerous stupidity was sent on CBC letterhead, signed by someone who apparently…
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TORONTO – Two unions representing employees at CBC/Radio-Canada used the 80th anniversary of the first public radio broadcast in Canada to call for increased “federal government supports” to strengthen the public broadcaster for future generations.
The Corporation was launched on November 2, 1936 to ensure Canadians had access to news and programming that reflected the country's values, aspirations and interests. In a joint statement Wednesday, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) and Syndicat des Communications de Radio-Canada (SCRC) issued the following demands to the Feds:
– a new non-partisan process for selecting CBC/Radio-Canada president and board, in place prior to the end…
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