TORONTO – Scott Garvie, SVP business and legal affairs at Shaftesbury, was named the new chair of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) this week by the CMPA board of directors.
He replaces Jamie Brown (Frantic Films) who is stepping down after two successful years as chair.
Garvie has overseen the negotiation and implementation of all development, financing, sales and recoupment arrangements for Shaftesbury since 1994. He serves as executive producer on all of its productions, which are sold in 120 countries worldwide, and currently includes David Shore's new series Houdini & Doyle for Sony Pictures Television, Shaw Media, ITV and Fox;…
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IN THE MIDST OF a busy upfront event last week, I made a comment that was published in an article earlier this week on Cartt.ca which requires some clarification.
Decidedly, at CBC, we are not looking to reduce our ad load. Simply stated, advertising revenue is integral to our business model. As Canada’s public broadcaster, our goal is to offer not only high-quality and creatively ambitious content, but also distinctly Canadian programming and advertising revenues are fundamental to helping us deliver on that promise.
The consultant I referred to is sharing best practices for how…
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TORONTO – Television industry luminary Trina McQueen has been appointed to TVO’s Board of Directors as the new vice-chair for a three year-term through May 2019.
McQueen (pictured) began her career as an on-air journalist before going on to become head of CBC News, founding president of Discovery Channel, and president and COO of CTV Inc. She has served on numerous industry boards including CBC, Telefilm, National Film Board of Canada advisory council, Canadian Journalism Foundation, and the Canadian Television Fund.
In keeping with her major interest in education, McQueen has been a Governor of University of Waterloo, board member at…
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TORONTO – The CBC is looking at cutting back on its ad load, even allowing Canadians to watch hit shows online without commercial interruption, as TV viewers gain more control over the medium.
"We're doing an analysis (of having fewer ads), right now. We have an outside consultant and are looking more closely at that," Sally Catto, general manger of programming at the CBC, told Cartt.ca on Thursday as her network unveiled its 2016-17 fall and winter schedules.
For Catto, despite needing to rely on commercial air-time revenue to supplement the pubcaster’s parliamentary appropriation, CBC must experiment with limiting its…
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TORONTO – A former CBC executive who was dismissed in the wake of the Jian Ghomeshi issue is suing the public broadcaster for more than $700,000.
A National Post report says that Todd Spencer, who was executive director of human resources and industrial relations, filed a lawsuit in Ontario Superior Court that accuses CBC of publicly shaming and “sacrificing” him “to send a message to the Canadian public that the CBC takes matters of workplace harassment seriously.”
In a formal defence, the CBC denies Spencer’s claims and alleges he merely “purported to commence” an investigation, then “deliberately misled” them…
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TORONTO – Anchored by Canadian content, CBC’s 2016–17 television lineup will include 9 new original series and 25 returning titles.
New primetime series include crime-thriller Shoot The Messenger (8×60), focused on the complicated relationships between crime reporters and the police, and miniseries Pure (6×60) about Mennonites who control one of the most efficient drug-trafficking operations in North America. New comedy shows include Kim’s Convenience (13×30) and Workin’ Moms (13×30), while new factual series include This Is High School (6×60), featuring real life at a British Columbia high school, and docu-series True North Calling (7×30), which follows a group of young Canadians as they carve out…
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VANCOUVER and MONTREAL – The heads of three private Québec broadcasters have taken exception to comments made by CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Hubert Lacroix this week that they claim “mischaracterized” their position on the role of the public broadcaster.
Speaking Tuesday at an event at the University of British Columbia about the Corp’s ongoing transformation, Lacroix all but accused some unnamed Canadian private broadcasters of trying to “undermine” public broadcasting to stave off competition.
“Some private broadcasters have suggested that the solution to their declining revenue is to limit what CBC does for Canadians to some sort of "status quo" or…
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The story of a mostly unwanted TV package implemented clumsily and reported on thoughtlessly
MY 80-YEAR OLD MOTHER-IN-LAW now pays $24.99 a month for her cable TV. That’s her monthly price. No other fees. No add-ons except HST. It is the skinny basic package. She’s glad to have it.
She is a Rogers customer in Hamilton who only really wants to watch CHCH and The Weather Network. This package is perfect for her.
How did I secure such a price while apparently all Canadians can’t figure out this new package and are outraged by the additional charges that can be applied that…
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Outlines fresh approach to local news
OTTAWA – The national public broadcaster got a relatively easy ride at the Heritage committee on Thursday. CBC/Radio-Canada was given the opportunity to explain how its recent $675 million increase in funding would affect local news and its operations in general.
During its appearance, the broadcaster noted it is transforming its newsrooms to a multiplatform environment where there will be a single assignment desk for TV, radio and digital. The expectation is that all journalists will have to file for all platforms.
Decisions to shift news operations based on digital first mantra and adopt…
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OTTAWA – The CBC is asking the CRTC to allow it to continue selling ads on its Radio 2 and ICI Musique (formerly Espace musique) properties for another two years.
The CBC’s application, which was filed in March and released by the CRTC this week, asks that the radio services continue to broadcast paid national advertising through August 31, 2018, which is also the end of the services’ licence term.
The Commission first agreed to CBC's request in May 2013 but only for three years. At that time, the CRTC said that any extension beyond August 31, 2016 would require the…
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