Our information ecosystem is in trouble. Here’s how we can fix it. Part II
By Tessa Sproule
FROM THE MID-90s until September 2001, the web was largely a ‘nice to have’ for most legacy media organizations. When it came to infrastructure spending, faced with a decision to invest in a new suite of cameras for the field or a robust server farm, investing in the tools of creation would win every time.
I had been working within the CBC’s first web efforts since 1996. At CBC.ca, we had managed traffic in the thousands, occasionally hundreds of thousands. In the days after September…
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WINNIPEG — All Access 2020, On Screen Manitoba’s media production industry forum, is running from January 13 to 15 and includes top-level executives, directors and creators among its list of featured speakers.
“The focus is on Canadian content at All Access 2020,” says On Screen Manitoba executive director and event producer, Nicole Matiation. “Some 100 national and local industry professionals will speak along with several presenters from Europe, who will discuss coproduction opportunities.”
All Access 2020 offers two programming streams: one for the English-language market and one for the French-language market. Each stream provides panels, interviews and case studies on key…
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TORONTO — Canadian comedy icon Catherine O’Hara will be honoured by fellow Canadian performers when she is presented with the 2020 ACTRA National Award of Excellence on Saturday, April 18 during a special ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
The ACTRA National Award of Excellence recognizes an ACTRA member’s career achievements and contribution to their fellow performers and Canada’s entertainment industry.
“Canadian actors are thrilled to honour our colleague, the multi-talented Catherine O’Hara, for her outstanding contribution to Canada’s entertainment industry,” said ACTRA’s national president, David Sparrow, in the news release. “From our beloved Canadian comedy series SCTV,…
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OTTAWA – Following the Liberal government’s election win in October, Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has filed new subjects of discussion in its federal lobby files which aim to hold the new government accountable on election promises to tax foreign digital services.
The advocacy group seeks “equal enforcement of the Broadcasting Act” and the “application of the Broadcasting Act to non-traditional media,” according to the December 10 registration under Jacob Homel, a member of the organization.
“Everything from taxes to collecting HST to being liable for what is published on a social media platform – that’s a euphemism for applying the…
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TORONTO – There’s some star power behind this new series coming to CBC Gem February 14.
Featuring Snoop Dogg as the voice of “the Archive,” and with producer Boi-1da (Drake, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna) overseeing the music, world-renowned choreographer Tanisha Scott (Cardi B, Rihanna) leading performance direction, and acclaimed sci-fi writer Joseph Mallozzi as showrunner, Utopia Falls seems like it will be a must-watch show. It will be available on Hulu, Stateside.
“Imagine a world with no past – only a future. Without a history, we are all equal… or are we?” says the press release announcing the new show.
In partnership with…
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By Tessa Sproule
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. OUR WORLD WAS REELING. We were drawn to our TVs, showing horrible scenes from Ground Zero in New York. Expert ‘talking heads’ gasped, nodded and filled the 24 hour news channels; car radios provided updates from political leaders as the ‘War On Terror’ began to take shape (“I can hear you!” U.S. President George W. Bush shouted into a megaphone, to a crowd gathered on the pile. “The rest of the world hears you! And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon!”); newspapers printed…
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LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND — CBC/Radio-Canada will be livestreaming events from the Youth Olympic Games taking place in Lausanne, Switzerland, starting later this week.
Running from January 9-22, the event brings together almost 1,900 competitors, aged 15 to 18, from 79 countries, including 78 talented young Canadians.
As the official broadcaster in Canada, CBC/Radio-Canada will provide daily coverage of the competitions via the free CBC Gem streaming service as well as cbcsports.ca, radio-canada.ca/sports and the CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports apps.
In addition to live streams of the events, daily coverage will include real-time updates from reporter Devin Heroux, who will…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – In leaving behind environmental activism to enter federal politics, new Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault will now be responsible for combating online hate speech; helping to develop a new set of online rights; expanding the CBC’s news coverage; and ensuring that web giants contribute to making, and carry Canadian content.
In the ministerial mandate letter he received from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which was released on Dec. 13 Guilbeault is tasked with creating “new regulations for social media platforms, starting with a requirement that all platforms remove illegal content, including hate speech, within 24 hours or…
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OTTAWA — The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) announced the first speakers lined up for the Prime Time 2020 conference to be held January 29-31 in Ottawa.
The speakers who have been announced include:
Soumya Sriraman — Founding President & CEO, BritBox
Craig Engler — General Manager, Shudder
Catherine Tait — President & CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada
Amal Baggar — Vice-President, Scripted Programming, NBCUniversal International Studios
Madeline Buxton — Culture & Trends Manager, YouTube
Nataline Rodrigues — Director of Original Programming, Rogers Media
Christa Dickenson — Executive Director, Telefilm Canada
Andrew Peterson — Head of Content Partnerships, Canada, YouTube
Valerie Creighton —…
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MISSISSAUGA, ON — Canadian Music Week has announced the members of its CMW 2020 co-chair committee, representing a wide range of music, media and entertainment industry players.
The CMW 2020 co-chair committee includes:
Adam Countryman — Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
Gil Moore — Owner/Founder, Metalworks Studios
Helen Murphy — CEO, Anthem Entertainment
Iain Taylor — President & CEO, Cadence Music Group
Jackie Dean — COO, Music Canada
Jake Gold — President & CEO, The Management Trust Ltd.
Kwende Kefentse — Cultural Industries Development Officer, City of Ottawa
Lisa Logutenkow — VP Canada, The Orchard
Lisa Zbitnew — Owner/Operator, The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Margaret McGuffin — Executive Director, Music Publishers Canada
…
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