Creator community shares deep concerns about “devastating effects” of decisions
OTTAWA – Canada’s independent producers, performers and directors have petitioned Heritage Minister Joly to either set aside, or refer back, the CRTC’s group licence renewal decisions for large television broadcasters released last month.
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) submitted a joint petition to the Minister Thursday, underscoring their shared concerns about the Commission’s decision to lower the amount that Bell Media, Rogers Media and Corus Entertainment must spend on Programs of National Interest…
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TORONTO – The Writers Guild of Canada is appealing to Cabinet to reject the CRTC’s “potentially disastrous” broadcast policy changes and licence renewals announced last month.
WGC said Tuesday that that the Commission’s decision to reduce Bell Media’s and Corus Entertainment’s minimum spending requirements on programs of national interest (PNI) have “created deep concern in the Canadian screenwriting community” because they cut private broadcaster funding to Canadian programs by 40% which the Guild says could lead to over $200 million in reduced broadcaster spending on Canadian shows over a five-year licence term.
“We appeal to Heritage Minister Mélanie…
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GATINEAU – In an email to staff this morning, the CRTC’s vice-chair, telecommunications Peter Menzies announced he is resigning as of July 15th, 2017.
After a career in publishing, Menzies was appointed as a part-time CRTC commissioner in 2007, and would later become the full-time Alberta/NWT commissioner. He was appointed vice-chair telecom in 2013. His term was only to officially expire in June 2018 and Menzies has told staff he is leaving to pursue another opportunity, which he has not yet named.
“Seventeen commissioners, four chairpersons, four vice chairs, six ministers, 50 (appearing) public hearings, billions of dollars distributed and fought…
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HAMILTON – It’s clear broadband is essential to economic prosperity, quality of life and community development but there is little consensus around what the definition of broadband should be, says Jason Lowe, vice-president of Clearcable Networks.
The CRTC has set its sights on establishing a baseline of universal broadband service across the country that will set criteria for government funding for network infrastructure.
The regulator has defined broadband as 50 Mbps download by 10 Mbps upload and called for every Canadian to have wired and wireless access and unlimited usage. But Lowe told last week’s Clearcable Summit in Hamilton that…
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OTTAWA – Aboriginal broadcaster Wawatay Native Communications Society wants the CRTC’s recent Aboriginal radio licences decision to be overturned, and that it be granted the FM licences for the Ottawa and Toronto markets instead.
The Commission's June 14 decision awarded the broadcasting licences in those markets to First Peoples Radio Inc., an affiliate of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), for stations at 95.7 FM in Ottawa and 106.5 FM in Toronto.
But Wawatay said in a statement that it is the only broadcaster to have “consulted and received consent from Chiefs of Ontario and all representative Indigenous nations” for those licences.
"We have a letter…
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WYOMING, ON – Connecting Windsor-Essex (CW-E) has officially joined the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) initiative.
CW-E, which began in 1994 as an information technology project, represents broader public sector organizations in the Windsor-Essex area of Ontario.
“Ultra-high speed Internet connectivity is vital to quality of life in our communities and our region’s public sector institutions are important partners as we work to connect everyone who calls our region home,” said SWIFT board chair Gerry Marshall, in the news release. “SWIFT owes its success to the leadership and support of our members and we are grateful to receive the support…
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MONTREAL – Lawyer and former CRTC commissioner Suzanne Lamarre has been named to the Board of Directors of Société de télédiffusion du Québec.
Branded as Télé-Québec, the French-language educational broadcaster also appointed three other new Board members and reappointed two others.
Lamarre joined the law firm of Therrien Couture earlier this year, as Cartt.ca reported.
www.telequebec.tv
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Rights, diversity and the need for a strong, sustainable Canadian production sector
LAST WEEK, HUNDREDS OF independent producers, broadcast executives, government officials and countless other industry stakeholders made their annual pilgrimage to the heart of the Rocky Mountains for the Banff World Media Festival.
Although this year’s conference was similar to previous years in many ways – projects were pitched, deals were made, and drinks flowed freely – this year’s event felt different. Over the course of the conference there seemed to be a collective realization that the future of our industry, which has been endlessly discussed at Banff for years,…
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GATINEAU – As Cartt.ca reported, Judith LaRocque has been appointed acting chair of the CRTC for the next four months effective immediately, Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed Monday.
LaRocque (pictured) recently filled in at the Commission as acting vice-chair of broadcasting from November 2016 to May 2017. In addition to "extensive experience in the broadcasting field", she has been Secretary to the Governor General, Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris.
This interim appointment will ensure the continuous and efficient operation of the CRTC, reads the news release, which also thanked former…
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GATINEAU – Outgoing CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais told Commission staff Friday that he did not seek to renew his term because his work there is done.
“I haven’t applied because I’ve done what I set out to do five years ago: to put the CRTC back on the path of building trust with Canadians and developing a world-class communication system with Canadians at its centre”, he said in a speech Friday morning.
Blais added that he kept a figurine of Merlin, the wizard featured in Arthurian legend, in his office for inspiration and to help him to stay focused on his vision.
“When…
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