Karen Wirsig of the Canadian Media Guild (Letter to the Editor, January 30, 2007) makes several arguments that are self-serving and wrong.
1. It is untrue that the CTF was funded with money taken away from CBC/Radio-Canada. When the CTF was created, Telefilm Canada’s broadcast equity-investment fund was rolled into the new joint public-private entity. No new public money was allocated to independent production.
2. Wirsig complains that broadcasters do not qualify for CTF money to produce their own shows. It’s true, they don’t. But this does not leave broadcasters "in a serious bind," as she says. In fact,…
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VANCOUVER – CBC Television and Thunderbird Films today announced that production is underway in Vancouver on The Quality of Life – A Dominic Da Vinci Movie.
The special two-hour television movie follows the popular Dominic Da Vinci franchise (Da Vinci’s Inquest, Da Vinci City Hall) and picks up where City Hall left off. The Quality of Life will air during the fall 2007 season on CBC Television and in 2008 on Showcase.
"Dominic Da Vinci has become a true Canadian icon, and we jumped at the chance to bring him back to television audiences,” said Kirstine Layfield, executive director…
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OTTAWA – The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union has asked the new CRTC chairman, Konrad von Finckentstein, to launch hearings into the Canadian media landscape.
CEP says it represents approximately 25,000 members in the media, and that ownership concentration has reached exceptionally high levels requiring a public analysis.
"Thirty years ago the Commission was going to look into the issue, but that hearing was cancelled. Nothing has been done since," said Peter Murdoch, vice-president media, in the press release. "As a result, today we have significantly higher concentration of ownership. And given approximately $4 billion worth of transactions waiting…
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CALGARY – Shaw Communications has again rejected the arguments made by those who support the Canadian Television Fund and its aims.
Today the company "categorically rejected" a suggestion made by former Shaw executive Richard Stursberg, who is now CBC TV’s executive vice-president, that withholding payments to the fund will "unravel" the Canadian broadcasting system.
"It is unconstructive and misleading. The CBC is the biggest recipient of CTF monies. Canadians deserve a fair and independent accounting of how billions of dollars that they paid out in taxes and fees were spent by the CTF and the CBC," said Jim Shaw,…
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GATINEAU – Quebecor Media’s Sun TV has asked the Commission for permission to build transmitters in both London and Ottawa.
The move would dramatically expand the channel’s coverage area, making it a basic cable must carry across most of the province- and Sun TV would then be far more competitive in the lucrative Southern Ontario TV market.
Expect the existing broadcasters in the region, from CTV to Global to the CBC to Rogers to CTS to whomever ends up owning the A-Channels (London, Wingham, Barrie and Ottawa) after the CTV-CHUM purchase, to vehemently oppose any further market additions, just…
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IN THE DR SEUSS CLASSIC How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the Grinch is robbed of his revenge when the good burghers of Whoville preserve their Christmas spirit and retain their celebrations despite having been robbed of their gifts and sustenance.
In the modern Canadian retelling, the Grinch is not Jim Carrey but Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw, who started sledding off with the Canadian content money our regs say he’s obliged to pay, just before Christmas – and has since encountered fewer effective voices preserving its spirit than there are moguls on a ski run.
Instead, while Mr. Shaw…
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TORONTO – Terry Snazel, vice-president technology at Bell ExpressVu, was this year’s CSUA Outstanding Service Award winner.
In making the presentation at the association’s recent annual conference held last week in Toronto, Corus Entertainment’s Gordon Lee, vice-chair of CSUA said: “Persistent and provocative perhaps, but always inquisitive and always on the leading edge of the technical assessment of the issues. Terry has shared his experiences with his peers and we have all learned from him. Terry you have made a difference in CSUA and you have made a difference in the Canadian broadcasting industry.”
Snazel began his career in…
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TORONTO – Canadian Women in Communications have announced the winners of its CWC Annual Awards for 2006.
Four Canadian women and one communications-industry employer are recognized annually for their contributions to the Canadian communications industry.
“Celebrating the achievements of women is one of CWC’s most important and rewarding tasks,” said Stephanie MacKendrick, CWC president, in the press release. CWC holds an Annual Awards Gala in Ottawa that celebrates the achievements of women, and those who support their advancement in the Canadian communications industry.
Participants in the awards presentation program will include: Minister of Industry, the Hon. Maxime Bernier, Minister…
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CALGARY – In case anyone was wondering whether or not Shaw Communications was prepared to soften its stance on paying into the Canadian Television Fund, a press release this afternoon put any such thoughts to rest.
"Shaw Communications today announced its conclusion that the Canadian Television Fund ("CTF") is simply the wrong way to support the production and exhibition of high quality Canadian programming," says the release.
"The CTF is broken and cannot be fixed" said Jim Shaw, CEO. "Our customers pay for the CTF through their taxes and subscription fees. We would prefer to return the money to…
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IT’S STARTING TO LOOK like this year could be the final one for the Canadian Television Fund in its current form.
With two of its four largest contributors (#1 Shaw Communications and #4 Videotron) adamant that they will forward $0 to the CTF – and with a Heritage Minister in Bev Oda who may be sympathetic towards their complaints – at the very least, upheaval is a certainty.
Oda, who on Monday renewed her government’s $100 million annual commitment to the fund, met with representatives of the four primary private sector contributors: Rogers Communications’ vice-chair Phil Lind, Bell…
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