OTTAWA – A top media union is endorsing the recommendations in yesterday’s Senate report on news media, particularly those calling for tighter controls on concentration of ownership, and moves to shore up the CBC.
The Communications, Energy, and Paperworkers Union of Canada is urging the federal government to act on the recommendations immediately.
The report said that media concentration of ownership has reached “very high levels.” CEP goes farther, saying that in the lower B.C. mainland, New Brunswick, and parts of Quebec and Newfoundland, concentration has reached “dangerous” levels.
“The notion put forward by the Senate report released…
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TORONTO – Five Canadian media outlets have won journalism awards from the Radio-Television News Directors Association International.
The 2006 Edward R. Murrow awards honour excellence in electronic journalism.
The Canadian winners are:
• Radio Small-Market Spot News Coverage: VOCM Radio, St. Johns, NF, VOCM News • Radio Network/Syndication Service Feature – Hard News: CBC National Radio News, Toronto, “This is How They Teach AIDS Awareness in Thailand” • Television Large-Market News Series: CTV British Columbia – CIVT-TV, Vancouver, “Crystal Meth” • Website: CP24, Toronto, pulse24.com • Television Small-Market News Documentary: CTV Atlantic – CJCH-TV, Halifax, NS, “Sentimental Journey”
“It…
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GATINEAU – Bell Canada has applied to the CRTC to be allowed to carry one or both of Canada’s satellite radio subscription services on its cable BDUs serving parts of Ontario and Quebec.
Bell has two regional Class 1 digital licences, serving Toronto, Hamilton/Niagara, Oshawa, Kitchener, London, Windsor, Ottawa, and the surrounding areas, and one serving Montreal, Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Quebec City, and the surrounding areas. The Ontario BDU will roll out starting in Toronto later this year, while the Quebec service is already operating in parts of Montreal, the company said in its application. Bell wants to be able…
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TORONTO – After a bit of an outcry, and some complaints on Parliament Hill, the CBC and the Canadian Media Guild announced Wednesday that the company’s design department, originally slated for closure, will be around at least until May of 2007.
"This delay has been implemented, in part, to permit the Guild the opportunity to explore potential alternatives and to conduct a financial feasibility study on a possible employee co-operative or other alternatives to compete for future business at the CBC and other broadcasters," says the Guild. The delay will also apply to the disposal of associated props, sets,…
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BANFF – The Banff World Television Festival is the place to be heard.
Although the pitch sessions, the keynote address and the behind-the-scenes deal making is a major part of the conference, it will not be what we remember most about these past few days in June.
It appears this, the 27th year of the annual conference, is where people went to make substantial announcements.
In a mere few days, we’ve seen the Bev Oda, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women announce the government will ask the CRTC to study the technological changes facing the broadcast industry…
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TORONTO – TSN announced today that it has locked up most of the major Canadian curling rights until 2014.
The Bell Globemedia-owned sports channel and the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) today announced a six-year broadcast and multimedia deal, providing TSN with exclusive broadcast and online Canadian rights to Season of Champions events each year, "making TSN the one and only home of curling in Canada," says the release.
The deal shuts out CBC beginning in 2008, which has been the home of the final rounds of bonspiels like the Brier and the Tournament of Hearts, well, forever.
(The move…
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TORONTO – CBC Television announced this week it has hired David Scapillati as its new general manager of media sales and marketing.
In this position, Scapillati will oversee the Media Sales and Marketing team, "and will hold a key strategic and leadership role within CBC Television," said a memo from CBC TV EVP Richard Stursberg.
"Dave has a superb track record as a dynamic senior marketing and sales executive with a strong reputation for leading change, building successful brands and growing profitable sales," said Stursberg.
In his previous position as senior vice-president of brand and marketing for Prime Restaurants…
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BANFF – Canadian industry execs filling the halls at the Banff World Television Festival told Cartt.ca they welcome CRTC review of conventional television and the request from the Heritage Minister Beverley Oda to study the technological changes facing the broadcast industry.
“We want a little freedom,” says Phil Lind, vice-chairman, Rogers Communications.
“We have been shackled to death with regulation over the years, and we want to break out of that somehow. We’ve got to realize that people just don’t really understand all of these arcane rules and regulations that have been developed in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s,…
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THE WORLD CUP IS THE most popular sporting event on the globe. Certain ethnic sections in towns and cities across Canada shut down during their games. Monday in Toronto’s Little Italy, everything ground to a standstill for the Italians’ World Cup opener against Ghana.
People there happily took to the streets after the 2-0 win by Italy. Against Ghana. In the opening round. Similar sights could be seen in the Portuguese section of town during its opener – and just wait until Brazil starts play.
As a TV rights holder, how could you not show every minute of every…
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BANFF – The rolling stone found its way home…to Martin Scorsese.
Scorses’s nearly-four-hour documentary on Bob Dylan "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" picked up the Grand Prize and the prize for Arts Documentary at the 27th Banff World Television Awards Monday night.
The film was produced by Thirteen/WNET New York, Grey Water Park Productions, Spitfire Pictures, Cappa/DeFina Productions in co-production with Vulcan Productions and BBC/Arena, NHK. The American broadcaster is PBS.
Special Jury Prize winners include Y in Vyborg by Of Course My Films Ltd. in association with YLE-Finnish Broadcasting Company; and The Rise and Fall of the Russian Oligarchs, produced…
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