TORONTO – Veteran CBC journalist Mary Lou Finlay has decided to retire as of November 30th.
In a note to staff today, vice-president, radio Jane Chalmers called Finlay “one of our most outstanding journalists and hosts. Finlay (left) has co-hosted As It Happens for eight years and spent many more years with the English networks as a respected journalist and host. “She is ready to leave the rigors and intensity of a daily program in order to have the time to develop her own projects,” wrote Chalmers.
“It’s just the right time for me, even though it…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Ken Finkleman’s The Newsroom, which airs on CBC, received an International Emmy award nomination for comedy Monday in Cannes at MIPCOM.
An earlier version of this story said it won an Emmy, but the awards are not presented until next month.
Writer, director and executive producer Finkleman, who produces the show with Jan Peter Meyboom through their company 100 Percent Film & Television Inc., stars as George Findlay, the acerbic and self-absorbed news director. “We are thrilled and honored to be recognized for a second consecutive year by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences”, said Meyboom who was…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Standard Radio today announced the appointment Liz Janik as program manager for its all-Canadian commercial free music channel soon to be available on SIRIUS.
In her new role, Janik will oversee music programming and play a key role in the management and operation of the station.
With over 15 years experience in the broadcasting industry, Janik has had an extensive career in both Canada and the U.S. Most recently, as president of her own consulting company, she provided consulting and research services to the broadcast media, music and internet industries.
As a consultant, Janik has worked with…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – Not every intervention filed with the CRTC over the four new pay TV license applicants were negative. Many were overwhelmingly supportive.
As reported previously, four groups are vying for new must-carry pay TV licenses from the Commission and will face a hearing on October 24th.
The applicants are: Spotlight TV, a bid led by former Alliance Atlantis executive George Burger (backed by Insight Media and now Bell ExpressVu); One from Allarco (backed by the Allard family, the former owners of WIC Broadcasting); another from a division of Quebecor Media for BOOM TV, and a unique…
Continue Reading
MONTREAL – Toronto will host the first-ever Children, Youth & Media Conference on November 10th.
Organized by the Alliance for Children and Television (ACT), the conference is the only one of its kind to bring together Canada’s creators, producers and broadcasters of youth programming. Modeled after Média-Jeunes, a highly coveted gathering the ACT has held in Montreal on four occasions, this new event is devoted to exchange, training and professional development.
Over 200 attendees, including a number of well-known specialists, will explore programming trends and share their views on the needs and interests of young people through workshops, discussions…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – TSN and RDS will now have the right to add a little drama and comedy programming to its schedule thanks to a pair of CRTC decisions rendered Thursday.
The two Bell Globemedia-owned all-sports channels had petitioned the Commission to let them add some beyond-the-niche programming and the request was granted, in part.
While they can air some shows from category 7, “(t)he licensee is required, by condition of licence, to ensure that programming from category 7 comprises no more than 5% of any broadcast week, that all category 7 programming is Canadian, and that all category 7…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – The CRTC Wednesday extended the commentary process on the cable industry’s request to kill the mandatory carriage requirement of local FM radio stations.
As first reported by www.cartt.ca, the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association has asked the CRTC to repeal section 22 of the Broadcast Distribution Regulations which say that Class 1 and 2 cable systems must carry all local FM stations in their market on their cable plant.
The CCTA told the Commission that about 4% of cable subscribers listen to the radio over cable and that its members could better use the plant capacity to…
Continue Reading
I’M NOT THE FIRST HACK to write that CBC Television’s mandate is the reason why it suffers so much in the court of public opinion – and in practice.
It’s mandate, broadly, is to be all things to all Canadians – in both official languages, no less. So, while it airs some hugely popular programming like Hockey Night In Canada and some of the recent mini-series and made-for-TV movies which often attract over a million viewers, it also airs some stuff that so few people watch, like Zed, or the former Opening Night (it once broadcast a live Opera…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – With the Canadian regulatory hurdles all hopped, Sirius Canada has hired on a consumer electronics veteran to carry the ball as president and CEO.
The board of directors of SIRIUS Canada today announced the appointment of former Thomson Electronics Canada president Mark Redmond as president and CEO. For the last several months, Redmond has been working closely with SIRIUS Canada’s senior strategic team preparing for the satellite radio company’s entry into the Canadian marketplace, says today’s press release.
A former Thomson executive for over 17 years, Redmond held many senior positions in Canada, the U.S. and internationally…
Continue Reading
TORONTO – Tuesday evening, the Canadian Media Guild and CBC management finalized the details on a protocol that allows the public broadcaster to return to full service by Tuesday October 11, the day most members will be returning to work.
For that to happen, some maintenance technicians, IT employees and schedulers will be asked to return to work this week to put equipment in working order and to schedule shifts.
As well, some people will return to work to put Hockey Night in Canada to air on Saturday evening. Anyone returning before ratification of the agreement will do so…
Continue Reading
