VANCOUVER — Thunderbird Entertainment Group announced Friday its Q2 2020 and year-to-date financial results, reporting $14.3 million in revenue for the quarter and $31.3 million in revenue for the six months ended December 31, 2019. These represent increases of $2.7 million and $5.3 million, respectively, over the comparative periods of fiscal 2019.
In its news release, Thunderbird attributed the majority of the revenue increase to growth in its Atomic Cartoons kids and family division.
The company’s consolidated net losses were $1.4 million and $500,000 for the second quarter and first half of 2020, respectively. However, this is an improvement over…
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OTTAWA — According to CBC’s latest Media Technology Monitor (MTM) report the number of English-speaking Canadians who subscribe to streaming services now surpass the number who have traditional pay-TV subscriptions.
“The majority of Anglophones continue to subscribe to paid TV services such as cable, satellite or fibre optic TV. However, for the first time, SVOD subscriptions like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have surpassed paid TV subscriptions. They now sit at 72% and 69%, respectively,” reads the news release.
Cable remains the most common type of TV service subscription in the Anglophone market, serving 33% of Anglophone households, according to the…
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Jennifer McGuire, Fred Mattocks, Doug Broadfoot depart
TORONTO – The CBC’s Barbara Williams, executive vice-president of English services, unveiled a sweeping new strategy for the public broadcaster in a note to staff on Thursday, accompanied by a company-wide town hall to announce and explain the changes.
A number of senior people have new roles, as you’ll read below, and three long-serving CBC veterans, general manager of local services Fred Mattocks, head of news Jennifer McGuire, and senior director, production services, media operations, Doug Broadfoot, are leaving.
“Today is an important day at CBC,” said Williams in her note to staff. “With your…
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By Denis Carmel
OTTAWA – We’re going to have to wait a little longer to learn more about the next steps in the legislative process following the publication of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review (BTLR) panel report.
In its first public meeting after the 2019 election, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage invited representatives of the panel to brief the committee members on its report, which is actually called Canada’s Communications Future: Time to Act, issued on January 29th. Many are also calling it the Yale report.
In its appearance at the committee today, the panel’s chair, Janet Yale and panel…
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MONTREAL — Quebecor today publicized the intervention it filed with the CRTC, asking to appear at the public hearing into CBC/Radio-Canada’s licence renewal in May, where it will argue the public broadcaster needs to be given a clear public service mandate.
In a news release issued Monday, Quebecor says it agrees with the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel report that CBC/Radio-Canada should be “animated by a public purpose and not a commercial one.”
Among the questions Quebecor would like raised during the public hearing are the following:
Is it desirable for the public broadcaster to be driven by a…
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TORONTO — A $35-million class action lawsuit has been filed against Toronto-based reality TV production company Insight Productions. The suit is seeking damages stemming from alleged employment standards violations.
Insight Productions is best known for producing Canadian versions of shows such as Amazing Race, Big Brother and CBC’s Battle of the Blades.
The lawsuit filed in Ontario Court on Friday by law firm Cavalluzzo LLP claims Insight owes hundreds of workers unpaid overtime, vacation pay and holiday premiums because of contracts that did not comply with Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. The suit was filed on behalf of current and former employees…
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By Greg O’Brien
GATINEAU – “Our initial capital budget for this coming year… was about $220 million. We’ve cut $60 million out of that. We’ve laid off people.”
This was part of the response from Eastlink CEO Lee Bragg when asked by CRTC commissioner Christopher MacDonald of the possible impact of a mandated mobile virtual network operator regime. Bragg said the fear of such a decision – coupled with the recent third party internet access decision on the wired side where Bragg says CRTC-set rates are below-cost and which it is fighting on many fronts – pushed the family-owned company…
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TORONTO — The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) announced Wednesday it has appointed industry veteran Michelle van Beusekom to the role of executive director.
Van Beusekom brings more than 25 years of experience in documentary to the national non-profit association. Most recently, she worked as executive director of the National Film Board of Canada’s English program where she led the editorial and creative direction, operations and finances for five production studios across Canada.
“Documentary has never been more popular and it has never been so underfunded. There is no one better than Michelle to advocate for a genre that has brought…
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TORONTO — The Bentway skate trail under Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway will remain open for a longer skating season thanks to a new partnership with CBC Sports.
The announcement was made Wednesday and will mean that instead of closing on February 17 as planned, the 220-metre, figure-eight-shaped skate trail will stay open until March 22.
In celebration of the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, taking place March 16-22, CBC Sports will bring its exclusive coverage of the event to The Bentway. In addition to a musical playlist presented by CBC Music during skate hours, visitors will be able to enjoy…
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TORONTO — CBC is partnering with NBCUniversal International Studios on a new original drama series called Lady Dicks that is currently in pre-production and will begin shooting in Ontario this spring.
The buddy cop drama series (10×60) is produced by Cameron Pictures in association with CBC and NBCUniversal, and stars Meredith MacNeill, left (Baroness von Sketch Show), and Adrienne C. Moore, right (Orange Is The New Black). Critically acclaimed director, Holly Dale (Batwoman, Mary Kills People) will direct the premiere episode.
Co-created by Tassie Cameron (Mary Kills People, Ten Days in the Valley, Rookie Blue, The Robber Bride) and Sherry White…
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