TORONTO – The CBC’s Jennifer Stewart has been appointed director of acquisitions, network programming, CBC Television, effective immediately.
Stewart (right) joined CBC in 1998 as a sales executive for Canada, and soon after became manager of broadcast sales for Australia, Canada and New Zealand. She was named acting director during a period of review of all business practices for international sales, and in 2001 was made director of international co-productions, sales and acquisitions, reporting jointly to business development and network programming.
"Program acquisitions is a very important source of programming for CBC Television’s schedule," said Kirstine…
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TORONTO – The CBC announced today it hired Fred Fuchs as executive director, arts and entertainment programming. Fuchs (right) is a 25-year veteran of the entertainment industry and has many successful film and television productions to his credit, including the classic children’s series Faerie Tale Theatre, the feature films Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Virgin Suicides, the Emmy-nominated mini-series The Odyssey and Moby Dick, and the CBC-TV animated series What It’s Like Being Alone.
Over the past five years, Fuchs established himself in the Canadian independent production community and his recent projects north of the border…
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TORONTO – Effective April 3, Anna Gecan becomes vice-president, content at HGTV while Emily Morgan will be the new vice-president, content, Food Network and Fine Living, Alliance Atlantis has announced. Gecan, left, brings 20 years of television leadership and production experience to her new role, most recently as director, original production for HGTV and Food Network. Over the past year, she oversaw the development and commissioning of more than 20 new titles and the production of over 50 titles for the two channels.
During her tenure, both networks achieved record audience gains, and a series she personally…
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MONTREAL – The Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada (SCRC) and CBC/Radio-Canada management announced today the signing of an agreement in principle for renewing the collective agreement with the SCRC’s 1,500 members in Quebec and Moncton, N.B.
The SCRC bargaining committee will recommend the agreement’s terms of settlement to union members as early as Saturday. No further details can be disclosed at this time, as the two sides agreed to keep the terms of the deal out of the media prior to voting.
"The parties are very satisfied with the way the bargaining process was conducted and concluded. Discussions were…
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OTTAWA – Soon-to-be spun-off satellite operator Telesat posted record highs in revenue and earnings in 2005, the company reported Friday.
Bell Canada Enterprises, which owns Telesat, announced last month it plans to do an initial public offering on the satellite subsidiary some time in 2006, as previously reported.
Telesat’s 2005 consolidated operating revenue of $474.7 million represented a 31.1% increase over 2004. The company posted net earnings applicable to common shares of $88.9 million, 6.6% higher than the previous record of $83.4 million set in 2004.
Cash flow from operating activities came in at $203.9 million for the year compared…
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TORONTO – CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch said Thursday that if we, as Canadians, want to have a good public broadcaster, it needs better a better, stable funding model.
In a speech to the Empire Club in Toronto, Rabinovitch said he welcomed any governmental review of the CBC’s mandate (as has been alluded to by the new Conservative government) and said one is coming anyway by the end of 2006 when the Corp. faces the CRTC during its license renewal hearing.
The CEO says the broadcaster’s vision is to be "(t)he undisputed champion of compelling Canadian programming," and…
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AS AN UNABASHED OLYMPICS FAN and a Winter Olympic nut (two-man luge, anyone?) I knew what I wanted during Torino 2006: The Samsung a920.
That was the little navy blue handset that Bell Canada’s beavers, Frank and Gordon talked soooo much about during their many, many, many appearances during the Olympics last month. So, I begg, er, asked the nice folks at Bell if I could test one during the Olympics. Happily, they obliged.
In a deal with the CBC, Bell was offering the Corp.’s live feed of the Olympics on the handset, as well as numerous pre-packaged features…
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OTTAWA – The New Democratic Party today released a four-point plan for "broadcast sovereignty".
The four points are:
* Change the governance structure of CBC board of directors — ending the patronage appointment process and giving the board the power to hire or fire the CEO, who is currently appointed by the Prime Minister. * Ensure stable long term funding to expand regional programming. * Maintain clear limits on foreign ownership of Canadian airwaves. * Restore the obligation of Canadian broadcasters to promote home-grown drama.
NDP Heritage Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay) said in the release that Prime Minister…
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TORONTO – The gala evening celebrating women in communications is Wednesday in Ottawa, but Canadian Women in Communications has announced who the award winners will be.
Woman of the Year: Sarah Crawford, vice-president, Public Affairs, CHUM Television, Toronto
Employer of the Year: Alliance Atlantis Communications
Chapter Leader of the Year: Diane Johnson, president, Descriptive Video Works, Vancouver
Trailblazer of the Year: Sandy Larson, manager of customer service and operations, SaskTel and Mayor of Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Mentor of the Year: Cindy Chatwell, acting marketing manager, Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network (APTN), Winnipeg
The CWC Jeanne Sauvé Program winners are: *…
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NEW YORK – After having spent close to five years building Leafs TV and Raptors TV into viable digital channels, executive producer and vice-president programming John Shannon is leaving for a much bigger build.
It was announced Friday he has been appointed to the new position of senior vice president, broadcasting for the National Hockey League.
Shannon (right) will work with NHL national and local rightsholders on all aspects of the production of game telecasts including opportunities to capitalize on new and emerging broadcast enhancements and the launch of the NHL Network in the United States.
Shannon has been involved…
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