OTTAWA – More flexible deal making, predictable and long-term funding for CBC/Radio-Canada and a light hand from the broadcast regulator are key to ensure Canadian content can be successful, achieve scale and make it on the international market, according to a panel of broadcast industry executives at the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time conference.
In the opening panel session called Getting Ahead of Change, Bell Media president Kevin Crull noted that getting international success for Canadian content and the financing of big expensive projects will only come from having a solid domestic market, which is being destabilized by…
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TORONTO – Faced with an increasing number of streaming audio services and mobile radio apps competing for space on the dashboards of modern cars (not like the one on the right!), traditional radio broadcasters need to aggressively promote their AM/FM stations as the first choice for their listeners’ in-car entertainment.
That was the advice of digital radio experts and one automotive technology planner who spoke about the opportunity that the connected car has for radio broadcasters at last week’s Future of Radio & Audio Symposium, organized by the North American Broadcasters Association and held in downtown Toronto’s Glenn…
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OTTAWA – Nearly four in ten Canadian Anglophones now connect their TV to the Internet, a trend that continues to grow, says a new report from Media Technology Monitor (MTM).
The Media Adoption Report for Fall 2014 provides an overview of the latest trends in media technology adoption and use, offering a high-level look at the penetration of technologies, including traditional, Internet and mobile platforms for audio and video. This tracking report also organizes technologies based on their stage of consumer adoption, from innovative, emerging, expanding, maturing and declining technologies.
Highlights from the report include:
– Mobile devices…
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TORONTO – DHX Television has joined Canadian publishers Post Media, Yellow Pages and The Chronicle Herald as the newest members of Canada's Premium Audience Exchange (CPAX).
CPAX bills itself as the premier access point to top tier real time English and French digital inventory in Canada. Established by CBC/Radio-Canada, Rogers and Shaw in 2011, its automated platform delivers scalable reach and granular targeting from one convenient touch-point and now boasts more than 100 premium sites on the exchange. CPAX is powered by Index Exchange, a neutral and transparent exchange layer that enables publishers to sell their ad impressions in real-time.
"Since…
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TORONTO – CBC has integrated its media groups under the banner CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions.
According to the announcement, CBC/Radio-Canada business partners will benefit from the expanded reach of this integrated media group, the only one of its kind whose full-service offering now covers TV (conventional networks and specialty channels), radio, and digital platforms – all in both official languages and right across Canada.
“Combining its media offerings with its proven expertise in business development, product integration, and content marketing/distribution, CBC/Radio-Canada is now be in a position to provide expert consulting that’s in a class by itself across Canada and…
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OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Hubert Lacroix says he wants a challenge.
After his appearance before the Standing Senate Committee on Transportation and Communications as part of its study on the issues facing the public broadcaster, Lacroix said Tuesday that CBC/Radio-Canada has already made “enormous strides in maximizing our resources and streamlining our operations in order to invest in the future”, but it wants, and needs, to do more.
“Don’t shrink us to mediocrity, challenge us to be great”, he said in a statement. “Give us the basic tools to compete in the world and we will shine.”
According to Lacroix, CBC/Radio-Canada's…
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THERE WAS TOO MUCH symbolism to ignore with the choice of London, Ont., as the place where CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais chose to begin dismantling simultaneous substitution and to shift the ground under Canadian TV companies, forcing the vertically integrated behemoths to ask themselves this question: “Why do we need to own media companies?”
Blais spoke in London a week ago to make three announcements, two of which were decisions from the Commission’s Let’s Talk TV hearing held in September 2014.
London is generally acknowledged as the first city in Canada to get cable over 60 years…
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OTTAWA – Prime Time in Ottawa is serving up an opportunity for delegates to dine with some top industry executives.
The new ‘Lunch With’ feature allows registered conference delegates to reserve their spot at a table of eight and break bread with:
– Helen Asimakis, Senior Director, Drama, CBC;
– Wendy Bernfeld, Founder, Managing Director, Rights Stuff;
– Sarah Jane Flynn, Senior Director, Original Factual Production, Shaw Media;
– Tom Hastings, Director, Independent Production, Bell Media;
– John MacDonald, VP Television, Head of Women’s and Family Networks, Corus Entertainment;
– Karen Miller, Vice President, Worldwide Programming Strategy, Acquisitions & Co-Productions, Disney Channels Worldwide; or
– Liz Wise,…
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OTTAWA – Thomas Mulcair, Leader of the Official Opposition and Canada’s New Democrats, will kick off Friends of Canadian Broadcasting’s Leaders’ Series about the CBC on Monday.
The Mulcair interviews, which will be conducted in French followed by English, will take place back-to-back starting at 7:30 PM EST on February 2 in Ottawa. Veteran journalist and former co-host of the CBC’s flagship public affairs program the fifth estate Francine Pelletier will conduct the interviews in French, while Don Newman, former host of Politics, CTV’s Washington correspondent, and CBC TV’s senior parliamentary correspondent, will conduct the interviews in English.
The interviews will…
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TORONTO – Bell Media has promoted Tom Hastings to director, independent production, the company announced Wednesday.
Hastings, pictured, was formerly a production executive in the company’s independent production, drama unit where he was responsible for the development and production of dramatic series that have aired across Bell Media’s channels including CTV, Bravo, Much, Space, and The Movie Network.
In his new role, Hastings will report directly to Corrie Coe, SVP independent production, and lead the development of dramatic productions across the Bell Media suite of channels. He succeeds Trish Williams who is leaving the company to become co-executive producer of CTV’s…
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