Search Results for: cbc

Radio / Television News

Media Guild forms local at Alliance Atlantis

TORONTO – Employees in the operations area of Alliance Atlantis have voted to form a local of the Canadian Media Guild, the company announced. A majority of the approximately 100 eligible employees voted in a secret ballot held by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, electing the guild to represent them in collective bargaining with the company. The guild applied for certification at Alliance Atlantis in July 2005. Alliance Atlantis said it expects to meet with the guild “in the near future” to begin establishing a collective agreement. The guild most recently was involved in a long lockout with the… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

COMMENTARY: Ratings spoils go to announcer-based radio

By Laurel Hyatt “Long live jocks,” Pete Townshend would sing if he knew how important announcers still were to radio. The latest BBM ratings imply that stations with strong on-air personalities are still on top, while those that step back and let the music speak for itself are finding themselves with less of a voice. The top two stations for share of hours tuned (adults 12 and over) for survey 4 of 2005 in Toronto (read: the media centre of Canada) were… drumroll please… CHUM FM, with 9.1 (double digits are unheard of these days in Tranna) and CHFI… Continue Reading

Cable / Telecom News

Rogers launches SVOD in NB

MONCTON, NB – Rogers Cable is launching subscription video on demand in New Brunswick, after rolling out in larger cities. Digital customers in Moncton, Fredericton, Bathurst, Edmundston, Miramichi, and Saint John will now have access to more than 70 movies and television series. The Movie Network On Demand will be available on channel 308 at no additional charge to customers who currently subscribe to The Movie Network. Viewers can choose to watch a movie or program at any time with the ability to pause, rewind, and fast-forward the show, just like with a VCR or DVD player. "The Movie… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

UPDATE: FALL BBM: The numbers are in

THANKS TO THE LOCKOUT, CBC Radio took it on the chin in a few markets this fall (but then also saw its ratings rise in a couple of places). But enough from us, click through (thanks to David Bray, sr. vice-president of Hennessy & Bray Communications) for a ratings overview from each of: TORONTOMONTREAL CALGARY EDMONTON WINNIPEG VANCOUVER OTTAWA-GATINEAU
As well, for the first time in memory, BBM has made public top-line data from these and many other smaller markets. Click… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Excluded again, Green demands debate change

HALIFAX – The Green Party of Canada wants to take the responsibility for the federal leaders’ debate out of the hands of broadcasters and turn it over to “a suitable public, non-partisan agency such as Elections Canada,” said party leader Jim Harris today in Halifax. Harris made the comment while announcing a series of items that the Green Party is launching over the coming days after “a deluge of phone calls and e-mails to party offices made it clear that Canadians of all political stripes firmly oppose the idea that five corporate executives can predetermine who Canadians should hear… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

TV nets announce December and January TV debates

OTTAWA – The four major party leaders will take to the airwaves four times during the federal election campaign, Canada’s broadcasters announced Wednesday. This will no doubt mean the Green Party will once again pursue action at the CRTC level (It complained as loudly as it could during the last election campaign when it was refused inclusion in the debates. As long as it remains seatless in the House of Commons, said the broadcasters during the last campaign, it stays on the outside looking in). The new debate format will feature an increase in the number of Leaders debates… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

CBC puts off airing political mini-series’

MONTREAL – With a federal election campaign under way, the CBC has decided to delay the air dates of two major mini-series’, lest they have some kind of impact on the process. “In January 2006, CBC’s English- and French-language channels respectively were scheduled to broadcast TV series inspired by the lives of two major figures who have had a significant impact on Canada’s recent history: Tommy Douglas and René Lévesque,” reads the press release. “Due to the premature triggering of the federal election campaign, which will last until January 23, 2006, CBC and Radio-Canada have decided to postpone the… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

Live concerts mark SIRIUS Canada launch

TORONTO – Two live concerts next week in Toronto and Montreal will celebrate the launch SIRIUS Canada. The concerts, on December 6th in Toronto, and December 7th in Montreal will be simulcast live throughout North America and feature well known and emerging Canadian artists. SIRIUS Live in Toronto, to be broadcast live from the Mod Club on CBC Radio3 (SIRIUS channel 94) and Iceberg (SIRIUS channel 95) will feature new Canadian recording artist Feist, singer songwriter Kathleen Edwards, The Trews, and Juno award winner Ron Sexsmith. The Montreal follow-up will be broadcast live from the Spectrum on Bande à… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

The TUESDAY INTERVEW: Talking transition with Bill Roberts, president and CEO, VisionTV

YEARS BACK, IT WAS EASY to pick on VisionTV. Its programs were old, appearing only on the specialty channel in their second or third (or fourth!) window. Much of its original “Mosaic” programming looked and sounded terrible – and violated the channel’s Canadian content requirements, it turns out, causing CRTC sanctions. Preachers and traditional religion dominated the channel. However, when current president and CEO Bill Roberts (left) came on board in 2000, he set out to drastically alter VisionTV. More original, interesting, programming – about faith and spirituality and not necessarily organized… Continue Reading

Radio / Television News

3.168 million take in Grey Cup

TORONTO – It may have been a boring first half, football-wise, but what with Fergie and The Black-Eyed Peas bounding around at halftime, followed with a barn-burning second half, CBC’s broadcast of the 93rd Grey Cup Championship attracted a national average audience of 3.168 million viewers. Audiences peaked at over 3.7 million between 9 and 9:30 p.m. ET. An average of 2.764 million watched the entire broadcast (including the pre-game player introductions and post-game interviews) from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Edmonton edged Montreal 38-35 in overtime, the first OT game in 44 years. Continue Reading