OTTAWA – There is an easy fix to the ongoing dispute between the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, according to the chair of the CRTC, Konrad von Finckenstein.
In an appearance before the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee, von Finckenstein said Parliament just needs to change the Access to Information Act. The former judge and Competition Bureau chief noted the current dispute hinges on a double exemption contained in section 68.1 of the Act.
This section of the Act says that CBC’s journalistic, programming and creative activities are…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC holds dear four key principles: transparency, predictability, fairness and timeliness. As a public institution, the CRTC has a right to provide the public with the clearest possible picture of how it operates and how they can interact with the commission, said chairman Konrad von Finckenstein today.
In his opening remarks during an appearance in front of the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee, the chair acknowledged the committee is interested in how the CRTC deals with access to information and the broadcasters, von Finckenstein said the commission takes this very seriously.
“Our…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Women in Film & Television – Toronto (WIFT-T) has unveiled the winners of the 2011 Crystal Awards which will be handed out on December 5 at The Ritz-Carlton in Toronto.
Established in 1988, WIFT-T’s annual Crystal Awards promote and celebrate Canadian excellence in screen-based media – film, television and digital media. Winners are nominated by WIFT-T members and selected by an independent jury of past award recipients.
This year’s winners are:
– Creative Excellence Award: Julie Bristow, executive director, studio and unscripted programming; CBC Television. – Mentorship Award: Carol Whiteman, president and CEO, Creative Women Workshops Association producer; The Women…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – CBC Toronto is launching its weekend news into a full service cross-platform offering starting October 15.
Television viewers may tune in to CBC Television for local news coverage on Saturdays and Sundays at 6 pm, and late night at 10:55pm, all with host Nil Koksal. On CBC Radio One 99.1FM, news anchor Kimberly Gale will provide expanded coverage into weekend afternoons on Saturdays from 1pm – 7pm, and Sundays from 1pm – 4pm.
"We're building on our considerable existing strengths to deepen our connection with all of the communities we serve”, said Susan Marjetti, managing director of Toronto and…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – CBC Sports has overhauled its website in an effort to entice more sports fans to visit and to offer advertisers more ways to reach them.
The new site provides breaking news, stats and in-depth analysis across sports leagues including the NHL, CFL, NFL, MLB, with a focus on social media tools and fantasy pools. The new look also offers more integrated advertising opportunities including Pushdown ad unit, in-show product placement, Social TV engagement and branded content opportunities.
“With so many new features on CBCSports.ca, the opportunities for engagement really have multiplied,” said Alan Dark, executive director of CBC’s revenue group, in…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Shaw Media has added to its original content team after adding Andrew Johnson and Barbara Shearer as production executives.
Johnson (right) brings more than 25 years of broadcasting experience, most recently with the CBC News Network where he worked on the documentary series The Passionate Eye and was the commissioning editor of The Lens.
A Gemini award-winning writer, director and producer of factual and reality programming, Shearer has been a production executive at W Network, and recently worked on series…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC has taken the rare step of halting the sale of Vancouver radio station Shore 104 FM to Astral Media Radio, citing a violation of its licence trafficking policy.
Shore 104 FM is is the licensee of CHHR-FM, an English-language commercial radio programming undertaking in Vancouver. According to documents, the private company is owned by a group of broadcast and business veterans that include president Roy Hennessy, David Aisenstat, Sam Feldman, Bob Mackowycz and son Bob Mackowycz Jr., Sean Morrison and TSN’s Michael Landsberg. The station was also being represented in the field by Astral Media Radio Sales, Continue Reading
TORONTO – CBC continues to celebrate its 75 years in broadcasting with a series of events including open house events and Culture Days that kick off this week.
The national celebrations officially get underway in Vancouver, with special kick-off event on September 30 headlined by country music star Johnny Reid that also includes Canadian acts like Stars, The Midway State and The New Pornographers. The concert will air nationally on CBC TV as Midnight Music: A Concert for Culture Days at 12 pm/12:30 NT.
In 32 cities across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada will open its doors starting October 1st to give Canadians a glimpse from…
Continue Reading
CHANGE AT THE VERY top of the CRTC may be only the tip of the iceberg.
It’s been an open secret-slash-assumption for a while that the Conservative government was not keen on extending Konrad von Finckenstein’s stay as CRTC chairman. While the chair had made it known in the summer he would like to stay on for a few more years at least (a shorter, three year term was discussed, according to people with knowledge of the situation), Federal Cabinet has decided a new person will take the reins come January 25, when von Finckenstein’s mandate ends.
On Tuesday, he sent…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Continuing the promise of its five-year strategic plan, CBC said Monday that it will introduce new radio and Internet services for the London and Kitchener-Waterloo areas of Ontario starting next fall.
"We know that our new services in London and Kitchener-Waterloo and enhancements to weekend news in Edmonton, Ottawa, the Maritimes and St. John’s are going to add to an already strong news offering in each of those places," said Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief of CBC News, with responsibility for CBC centres across the country. "This expansion will help to build upon our reputation…
Continue Reading
