By Etan Vlessing
OTTAWA – As Canada hopes to modernize its broadcasting laws via Bill C-10, CBC/Radio-Canada president and CEO Catherine Tait (right) and CMPA president and CEO Reynolds Mastin (left) on Tuesday debated how best to steer U.S. streaming dollars to Canadian content production without forcing local indie producers to give up their intellectual property rights – and Canada its cultural sovereignty.
And the solution both industry execs agreed on after touching on Hollywood scenarios involving France, Lionsgate founder Frank Giustra and I May Destroy You creator Michaela Coel standing up to Netflix was for the Canadian TV industry…
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But captures much of it anyway, and that’s a big problem
By Len St-Aubin
BILL C-10’s GOAL IS TO engage online streamers with Canadian creators in the production of Canadian stories for Canadian and global audiences. To do that, Bill C-10 proposes to modernize the Broadcasting Act by sweeping-in online (internet) audio and video.
The rationale is the impact of growing competition from unregulated internet audio and video on the regulated ‘broadcasting system’, as outlined in the report of the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Policy Review (BTLR) Panel.
The first article in this series showed how Bill C-10 is problematic for Canadian broadcasting,…
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OTTAWA and MONTREAL — Canadian Heritage minister Steven Guilbeault announced in a tweet today the Short-Term Compensation Fund (STCF) for Canadian audiovisual productions has been extended until March 31, 2022 and it will now make up to $100 million in coverage available to the film and TV production industry.
This is a $50 million increase and the full release can be found here.
The STCF was launched in October 2020 as a temporary measure to minimize the consequences of the void created by the lack of insurance coverage for interruptions in filming and the shutdown of productions caused…
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ISO issues call for letters of interest to lead Indigenous identity consultation process
TORONTO — The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) today announced it has disbursed more than $3.8 million in development funding to Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) creators in response to the Covid-19 crisis and the pressing need for equity in Canada’s screen industry.
The funding was awarded through the ISO’s Indigenous Development Program and Solidarity Fund. More than $2.3 million in project and professional development grants were awarded to BIPOC majority-owned companies and $1.4 million to individuals in the 2020 fiscal year.
The Indigenous Development Program supported 89…
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HALIFAX — Wireless and broadband solutions provider Rock Networks announced last week it has acquired Nova Scotia-based wireless Internet service provider Acadian Communications Ltd.
Acadian Communications will become a subsidiary of Rock Networks and will allow the parent company to expand its broadband product portfolio and continue to grow its footprint in Nova Scotia, says the company’s press release.
“This acquisition will also allow Rock Networks to continue in its growth and deliver on its mission of providing essential broadband and wireless solutions to customers all over Canada,” said Joe Hickey, Rock Networks president and CEO, in the release.
Ottawa-based Rock Networks…
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VANCOUVER and SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Telus and Google Cloud announced Tuesday they have signed a 10-year agreement to collaborate on new solutions and services that will support digital transformation within key industries, including communications technology, healthcare, agriculture, security and the connected home.
One of the areas of focus for co-innovation will be on “redefining the way healthcare and agriculture solutions are delivered, increasing collaboration and efficiency between healthcare providers, providing consumers with fresher and healthier food by improving traceability, and enabling business customers to streamline their IT and network operations,” reads the companies’ press release.
The companies will also collaborate on…
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OTTAWA — The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is asking the CRTC again for public disclosure of confidential information submitted by Canadian wireless service providers to the Commission regarding the number of unauthorized mobile telephone number transfers (ports) and SIM swaps that have occurred within their services.
Starting January 11, 2021, wireless service providers (WSPs) have been required by the Commission to file monthly data regarding the occurrences of SIM swapping. (Cartt.ca has written before about the issue of SIM-swap fraud, or wireless number porting fraud.)
A Commission letter on December 22, 2020, required mobile carriers to provide, for…
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TORONTO — Kids entertainment trade publication Kidscreen handed out this year’s Kidscreen Awards today in a virtual ceremony hosted by Canadian actress and comedian Emma Hunter.
Exclusively sponsored by the Canada Media Fund, the 2021 Kidscreen Awards recognized the past year’s best work in children’s television and digital media from around the world, with two panels of industry judges determining the winners in various programming and creative talent categories.
Among the Canadian award winners, Atomic Cartoons’ Molly of Denali animated series was awarded the “best inclusivity” award in the kids programming category. In addition, BGM/Sphere Media and TVOKids won the “best…
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WINNIPEG — On Screen Manitoba announced today the government of Manitoba is allowing the province’s media production industry to resume full operation with physical distancing and other Covid-19 safety measures in place, effective midnight on February 12.
Previously, the provincial government’s most recent public health orders had allowed companies producing television shows or movies to operate only if filming had started before November 12, 2020.
“On Screen Manitoba appreciates the Government of Manitoba’s confidence in our industry. From June through December 2020, the Manitoba media production industry worked safely and responsibly following strict Covid-19 protocols. Our industry looks forward to once…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – Bill C-10 and other forthcoming federal government legislation was top of mind for Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault on Monday when he participated in a question-and-answer session at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA’s) first virtual Prime Time conference.
He explained that in promoting diversity under C-10, which received first reading in the House of Commons last November and would amend the Broadcasting Act, the government will among other things, in a policy directive to the CRTC, ask the regulatory body to “incentivize the role of racialized minorities and Indigenous people in key creative positions”…
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