TORONTO – Cable giants south of the border (Comcast and Time Warner) are pushing their TV Everywhere concept hard and Canadians, according to new data from Solutions Research Group, like the idea, even though Canadian cablers haven’t yet launched anything (but one is close).
Nearly 7-in-10 Canadian TV viewers say being able to access their cable channels on the web or mobile is an “excellent” (26%) or “good” (41%) idea, says SRG, with a younger demographic liking it even more.
Among the key findings of SRG’s Digital Life Canada research:* Web TV may be an important tool to stay…
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OTTAWA – Over-the-air broadcasters serving markets of less than 1 million people can now apply for a share of approximately $100 million from the new Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) which came in to effect Tuesday.
Both private broadcasters and CBC/Radio-Canada television stations can access the LPIF, which is funded by cable and satellite companies who must contribute 1.5% of their gross broadcasting-related revenues from the 2008-2009 broadcast year.
The Fund, administrated by McCay, Duff and Company Management Ltd., will be disbursed over the 2009-2010 broadcast year. One-third of the total funding will be divided equally amongst stations in specific Francophone…
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TORONTO – Happy 25th Birthday TSN.
The self proclaimed “Canada’s Sports Leader” is marking the event with a cross-country promotional tour, the launch of e-store TSNShop.ca, the release of a coffee table book called TSN 25 Years, a TSN25 micro-site on TSN.ca, and the debut of a revamped on-air look for its flagship daily show Sportscentre.
So what’s changed since the station launched from its modest facilities in Don Mills, ON back on September 1, 1984?
“Pretty much everything”, laughs president Phil King in an interview with Cartt.ca.
King, a chartered accountant by trade, started with TSN in 1989 in its programming…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU – The CRTC says that the CBC breached provisions of the TV regulations and a condition of licence when it broadcast controversial New Year’s Eve special Bye Bye 2008 on its French-language network.
The Commission said it concurs with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council’s (CBSC) analysis of the complaints and its conclusions, and determined that certain segments of the program violated the television broadcasting regulations, which prohibit the broadcast of abusive comments; breached the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Equitable Portrayal Code concerning the portrayal of visible minorities; and failed to meet the high-standard provision of the Broadcasting Act…
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HAMILTON, ON – The Canadian Centre for Investigative Reporting (CCIR) has been given charitable status, making it the first media organization of its kind to receive this designation.
The CCIR aims to produce thoroughly researched reporting in the public interest in print, television, radio and web formats.
Reporters such as Economist correspondent Daniel Sanger, long-time CBC producer Bruce Livesey and the former Queen’s Park bureau chief for TV Ontario, Susanna Kelley are frequent contributors to the site.
www.canadiancentreinvestigates.org
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TORONTO – CBC Radio’s new iPhone application is enjoying “tremendous success” and has soared from the top 100 overall on iTunes to #3 in its category.
In the first four days since launch, the app was downloaded more than 15,000 times with downloads increasing by 90% each day on average. It is also currently holds the #1 spot in the ‘news’ category on iTunes
Available over 3G or wi-fi, the free app allows users to listen to CBC Radio One, Radio 2 and Radio 3 on the go, with 19 different live stream options and over 60 of…
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TORONTO – CBC Radio listeners can now use their iPhone or iPod Touch to listen while on the go.
Available over 3G or wi-fi, the new application is free for listeners who wish to hear CBC Radio One, Radio 2 or Radio 3, and offers 19 different live stream options plus more than 60 of CBC’s most popular programs on-demand. Listeners can also browse CBC.ca content while listening to audio.
To install the application or for further information, visit www.cbc.ca/mobile/iphone or the iTunes app store.
www.cbc.ca
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VICTORIA – The employees of CHEK TV have come up with a plan to save their station from closing at the end of the month – they’re going to buy it themselves.
Approximately 40 current employees have raised more than $500,000 in a bid to own a 25% share in a company that will try to buy the Victoria-based station from current owner Canwest Global. If successful, the employees will sit on the board of directors at the new company, which will operate the station. The balance will be held by three local investors.
“And we foresee ourselves making a profit…
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OTTAWA-GATINEAU and MONTREAL – The CRTC has given the go ahead for two new English language FM stations and a French language community FM radio station to serve the areas of Ottawa and Gatineau.
The Commission also approved, with some changes, applications by Astral Media Radio and Torres Media Ottawa for the allocation of the 99.7 MHz and 101.9 MHz frequencies, respectively, and the application by Radio de la communauté francophone d’Ottawa (RCFO) for the French community station. Corus Radio’s application for a local news and information station was denied.
Astral and Torres originally received approval for the two English stations back in…
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TORONTO – Calling it "a closely guarded secret plan," Friends of Canadian Broadcasting says the CBC wants to relocate The National from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weeknights.
According to the watchdog group, “(t)his would reduce the reach and influence of Canada’s most important news program and compromise the CBC’s mandate,” reads a press release.
FCB says the Corp “may fill the 10 o’clock slot “with entertainment programming, possibly of non-Canadian origin,” adds the release.
"Funding cuts may have left the CBC struggling to make ends meet, but only someone who does not understand or care about the CBC’s public broadcasting…
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