OTTAWA – With many Canadians concerned about the economy, environment, and our troops overseas, you’d think culture would not be on the radar in the federal election, but the parties have made promises that could affect broadcasting.
The Conservatives have vowed to change the make-up of the CRTC commissioners to better reflect the regions and francophones. Leader Stephen Harper said the chair position would alternate between English speakers and French speakers, the vice-chair positions (in broadcasting and telecom) would be split with one anglophone and one francophone, at least one-quarter of the commissioners would be French-speaking and would be…
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MONT TREMBLANT – Seven CRTC commissioners made the trip to Mont Tremblant this week to attend the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual general meeting and conference.
Besides keynote speaker Michel Arpin, who is vice-chair, broadcasting, and telecom vice-chair Leonard Katz, commissioners Rita Cugini, Timothy Denton, Suzanne Lamarre, Marc Patrone and Louise Poirier were all on hand – as was executive director, broadcasting, Scott Hutton.
“As a matter of fact we have quorum to make decisions,” joked Arpin in his speech to delegates.
He addressed a number of issues but didn’t say too much that was new in his 20-plus…
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OTTAWA/GATINEAU – Tickets for the October 29th Telecom Laureate Awards Gala at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa/Gatineau are now on sale.
The 2008 Telecom laureates who will be honoured are: Jim Balsillie (RIM); Mike Lazaridis (RIM); Carol Stephenson (Stentor, Lucent, Richard Ivey School of Business); David Golden (Telesat Canada); The late David Simmonds and his sons, Robert Simmonds, Gordon Simmonds and Donald Simmonds (Clearnet, Lenbrook Communications).
The 2008 Special Recognition Award winner is the Western government telephone companies and their successor companies for 100 years of service: Manitoba Telephone System (MTS Allstream) – Pierre Blouin, CEO; Alberta…
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MONT TREMBLANT – Attendees were very pleased with the new trade show format at the 2008 Canadian Cable Systems Alliance.
The group tweaked its annual general meeting, renaming it Connect 2008 – The Summit for Independent Communications, rescheduling some of the traditional events and re-formatting the trade show. Feedback was very positive on Monday from some of the 250-plus attendees we talked to here at the Fairmont Hotel.
Here are a few of the things we saw and heard on Sunday and Monday.
************ Rogers Communications is now a member of the CCSA. Both the Alliance and the largest…
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OTTAWA – CRTC Chair Konrad von Finckenstein will deliver the keynote address of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters annual convention on Tuesday, November 4 at the Westin Hotel.
The speech (we hope it will be as good as last year’s…) will take place only a few days after the expected release of the Commission’s decision in the Specialty and Pay/BDU/Conventional TV regulatory framework hearing.
To register for the CAB conference or for more on the program, click here.
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OTTAWA – Statistics Canada’s release yesterday of radio listenership data that’s a year old is the final one it will compile, the government’s numbers arm said.
This release (some of which we’ve quoted below for old time’s sake…) was based on a survey of Canadians aged 12 and older. The radio project of the Culture Statistics Program was a joint endeavour of the CRTC, the Department of Canadian Heritage, and Statistics Canada. The basic radio listening data are provided by BBM Canada.
The last television viewing data were released on March 31, 2006, for the fall of 2004.
Radio…
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TORONTO – Count CBC and The Score in the camp that doesn’t mind if Rogers ever carries TSN2.
The two broadcasters say TSN doesn’t have the regulatory authority to launch the new channel in the way it has been pitched and launched. (While the early launch was a struggle over money and channel placement, the larger carriers are bringing TSN2 aboard.)
TSN2 launched earlier this month – a re-named and bulked up version of the TSN Alternate feed, as Cartt.ca has reported. While TSN Alternate was fired up only when the sports service had conflicts with live…
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GATINEAU – The CRTC today approved two new category two digital specialty service licenses for YTV.
YTV OneWorld is to be a national, English-language channel that would offer programming from around the world targeting children aged 6 to 17 and their families, says the Commission release. The schedule would include programs devoted to entertainment, humour, travel, games and science and technology.
The second license is called YTV POW and despite the name, the digi-net will offer programming from international markets featuring the latest trends in non-violent action, adventure, superheroes, comedy adventure and interactivity. Plus, the service would reach an…
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MONT TREMBLANT – The Canadian Cable Systems Alliance annual conference begins this Sunday at the Fairmont Hotel at the base of the very green ski hill.
The15th annual Summit for Independent Communications is called CONNECT 2008 and will begin for members Sunday morning, September 21st, 2008 at the Fairmont Hotel at Mont Tremblant.
CCSA added its first ever “Presenting Conference Sponsors” this year, who are: Astral Media and Corus Entertainment.
While Sunday will be geared to members only, there will be an evening president’s reception open to all attendees.
Monday will see the annual tabletop trade show, presented by…
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IN THE SPACE OF a few days last week, I had the chance to listen to a pair of conventional broadcasters expound on the future of their industry and what they must do to adapt.
From what I heard, the points of view of the two men were pretty dissimilar and boiled down to two questions: 1. Do we try some new things? Or, 2. Do we keep plugging away at more of the same?
The first was outgoing Rogers Broadcasting president Rael Merson, the subject of this week’s Tuesday Interview.
The future of broadcasting, he said, is…
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