TORONTO – As the country readies for the start of another hockey season, Canada’s sports broadcasters have announced their NHL schedules.
CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada announced an 109-game schedule starting with preseason play on September 24th, and regular season play on October 6, 2011, the NHL’s opening day of the 2011-12 season.
Its schedule also includes the 59th NHL All-Star Game on January 28 and 29 from Ottawa; Hockey Day in Canada from Prince Edward Island on February 11; and the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs and final.
TSN and TSN2 announced its combined 151-game NHL on TSN broadcast schedule. A total…
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A MONTH FROM TODAY, Canadian Cable Systems Alliance members, their supporters and suppliers will gather at the Fairmont Tremblant in Mont Tremblant Quebec for Connect 2011, its yearly conference and annual general meeting.
The gathering will begin Sunday with a board meeting and CCSA members-only sessions, followed by an evening President’s Reception for all attendees.
After breakfast on Monday, September 19, Rob McCann of Clearcable Networks will host a technical session “to talk about recent development relevant to independent operators,” said CCSA president and CEO Alyson Townsend.
After that will be the popular trade show (last year’s, held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is pictured below)…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CBC has received permission from the CRTC to continue broadcasting its analog over-the-air television signals in 22 markets for another full year.
The Commission said Tuesday that the national broadcaster now has until August 31, 2012 to “find solutions” for viewers who may lose access to its over-the-air signals after the transition to digital television.
The CBC operates 25 local stations in mandatory markets whose over-the-air transmitters will be converted to digital in time to meet this year’s August 31st deadline. It also operates 22 analog transmitters that rebroadcast its stations’ signals into other communities that are also considered…
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OTTAWA – The CRTC has approved a trio of new specialty channels, including a five-year license for Shaw Television to operate Shaw Media Sports, a national, English-language service that has been licensed as a Category C service.
Shaw is the latest media company to apply and receive permission to operate a sports channel, since the CRTC opened up competition in the mainstream sports segment. Rogers, CBC and MLSE have previously applied to the regulator and been approved to launch their respective sports channels, but one wonders what big name sports rights are left for another new sports channel to acquire.
Category…
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TORONTO – Trevor J. Walton has been appointed executive director, commissioned and scripted programming, for CBC English Services, effective immediately, the company announced today.
"His breadth of experience, in Canada, the United States and the U.K., covers a wide range of production, international co-production and talent and creative development, including multi-platform environments. This is an excellent fit with our current strategic plan, Everyone, Every Way, which is all about delivering great Canadian content across all of our platforms," says Kirstine Stewart, executive vice-president, CBC English Services.
Walton began his career in England, and worked most recently as head of co-productions for…
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GATINEAU – Back in June of 2007 when CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein was just about five months on the job, the Commission denied CTVglobemedia’s request to keep the Citytv stations as part of the company’s purchase of CHUM Limited.
Since CTVgm (now Bell Media) already owned CFTO-TV in Toronto along with existing stations competing in Citytv’s other markets, the Regulator held firm to its one broadcast station per market policy of the same language, disallowing that portion of the sale. Weeks later, Rogers Communications stepped forward to buy the Citytv stations.
When it issued its decision then, the…
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TORONTO – The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has unveiled the nominations for the 26th annual Gemini Awards, with Canadian premium pay channels HBO Canada, The Movie Network and Movie Central dominating the annual prizes for the best in Canadian television.
The HBO Canada series Call Me Fitz was the most-nominated show in the comedy category followed by TMN/Movie Central’s Living in Your Car which grabbed 10 nominations. The CTV/CBS series Flashpoint, whose future in the U.S. remains uncertain, lead the drama nominations. Flashpoint faces off against The Borgias, Endgame, Skins and The Tudors. Call Me Fitz was…
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TORONTO – A cut in funding to the CBC could have a significant impact on its five-year plan and damage the economic spinoffs that the national broadcaster provides, according to the Canadian Media Guild (CMG).
The CMG, which represents about 6,000 media workers including 4,500 at the CBC, was responding to comments made by Heritage Minister James Moore on the CBC radio show Q earlier this month. Minister Moore said that CBC must be “part of the strategic review and find 5%” of its funding to offer up as a cut in 2012. He also said that the government is…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – More and more Canadians are subscribing to broadband Internet and wireless services, while TV and radio are still the most popular devices for accessing content, according to the CRTC’s latest Communications Monitoring Report.
The report, released Thursday, provides an annual overview of the Canadian telecommunications and broadcasting industries. By the end of 2010, approximately 9 million Canadian households subscribed to broadband Internet services, an increase of 9.2% over 2009, and the number of Canadians subscribing to wireless services grew by 8.5% to 25.8 million.
“It is encouraging to see Canadians taking up broadband Internet and wireless services…
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CANCON’S RULES AND regulations are much like a series of bandages slapped onto the television industry – one here to cover a scrape, another there as salve on a slash. It’s almost impossible to rip any away from this complex patchwork without damaging a broadcast arm or independent production limb.
The tales of woe – accompanied by an orchestra of tiny violins – come from both the broadcast and the creative side of the industry, and the TV doctors have differing opinions on which medicine is the cure for our ailing Cancon system. So what’s the spoonful of sugar…
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