OTTAWA and MONCTON – Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association president and CEO Bernard Lord is leaving the organization to become CEO of Moncton-based medical care insurance company Medavie.
Lord, who has served on the board of Medavie for eight years, was the successful candidate in a competitive national search process undertaken to replace the retiring CEO, the company said in the news release. He will continue at CWTA until August 31 and assume his new role effective September 1, 2016.
“We are thrilled that Bernard will become the new CEO of Medavie at this exciting time in our company’s history,” said Medavie chair of…
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TORONTO – The Radio Television Digital News Association of Canada Code of Journalistic Ethics has been the industry standard for broadcast journalism as administered by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) since 1993.
However, a major revision of the Code will officially replace the existing one on July 1, 2016. The RTDNA Canada membership approved the changes at the national meeting held in Toronto in early June, says the RTDNA press release announcing it/
“The revised Code is platform agnostic and RTDNA Canada encourages all practicing journalists to adopt the guiding principles, whether they work in broadcasting or digital…
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BANFF – Okay, how do you know you've got a great tax accountant? Well, it's obvious – she's got a loophole named after her!
Yup, the title "Digital Content Taxation: Levelling the Playing Field with Foreign Competition" didn't announce well as a barn-burning session. However, I wasn't expecting jokes about tax lawyers deducting ExLax as a moving expense either.
There was a principle involved.
Bernard Lord, president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (and former Premier of New Brunswick), has a bee in his bonnet: Foreign digital content providers are not required to register and collect Canadian GST/HST, and thus…
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TORONTO – Rogers-owned OMNI Television has filed an application with the CRTC for a new must-carry, multilingual and multicultural channel to be known as OMNI Regional.
The proposed national channel would be comprised of four feeds: Pacific, Prairies, and East, mirroring OMNI’s local stations in those regions, plus ICI Quebec via a strategic partnership with Montreal ethnic television station International Channel/Canal International (ICI) aimed at French-language ethnic communities in that province.
As part of its proposal, OMNI Television is asking for inclusion in basic TV packages (pursuant to section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act). Current local OMNI stations in Toronto, Edmonton,…
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TORONTO – CBC has committed to increase the number of women directing its scripted television series.
The public broadcaster said that women will make up half or more of all directors or directing 50% or more of all episodes on upcoming seasons of Murdoch Mysteries (Season 10, pictured), Heartland (Season 10), This Life (Season 2), Baroness Von Sketch Show (Season 1), and Workin’ Moms (Season 1).
The pledge comes as CBC and its production partners move to support the goal of Women in View’s 2X More initiative, which brings together media industry leaders in the hopes of doubling the number of women directing scripted media in Canada from the current 17% to 35%…
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BANFF – An 8 a.m. gathering of various hungover and/or jet lagged TV types in the thin mountain air of Banff had lots of potential.
However, when better to kvetch about the challenges and opportunities to Canadian content and culture in the digital age.
So, following a blurry but appreciated 10 minutes of mainlining coffee, we were into it.
The irrepressible Chris Knight, Major Domo at Gusto (recently parceled off to Bell), led off: "Hey look, from my first MIPCOM back in 1998, I've known that our TV product is as good as anybody's. What we have to…
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BANFF – Inside the picturesque Banff Springs Hotel much is being said about monetization strategies for content development and distribution.
And in that context it's fun to recall that titles like Hell On Wheels, Passchendaele, The Revenant, Brokeback Mountain, Fargo, and The Bourne Legacy have all been shot in this fast-changing province of Alberta.
So what better venue?
For Julie Tremblay, president and CEO of Quebecor Media, the key is partnerships, vertically integrated companies, perhaps even more industry consolidation, and direct co-development and co-production with independent creators.
While those may be fighting words for some independent producers, she also admits to two constants:…
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OAKVILLE, ON – Pelmorex Media has appointed Simon Jennings to the newly-created position of chief revenue officer, effective June 27, 2016.
Based in the company's Oakville headquarters, Jennings will oversee the development and implementation of revenue growth strategies on a company-wide basis. He joins Pelmorex from LaPresse Group Sales, and has also held roles at Postmedia Network, Torstar Digital, Olive Media and Yahoo.
“(Jennings) has a tremendous track record and extensive leadership experience having held a number of key positions in the Canadian media industry”, said Pelmorex chair, president and CEO Pierre Morrissette, in the announcement. “He joins Pelmorex Media Inc. at an…
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Joly says 6,000 have responded to early culture consultation
TORONTO – Businesses should invest in the cultural sector – including hiring artists – in order to help the economy grow and open new markets, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly told a business audience Thursday in Toronto.
“Does that mean you need artists, writers and musicians in your business? Well, at the very least you need some people who think like artists, writers and musicians,” Joly told the Economic Club of Canada. Joly urged industry to invest in the cultural sector because not only do companies have the money but also because it…
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VANCOUVER – The McLean Group's Vancouver Film Studios and EveryWhere Studios have teamed up to launch the new Canadian television and film studio 50° North Productions.
The structure of 50° North will allow the company to produce filmed content in Canada using the financial and operational advantages of a single, Canadian-based company, reads Thursday’s news release. The company has development offices in Vancouver and Los Angeles, production facilities in Vancouver, and boats a team of seasoned entertainment industry executives, including veteran line producer Charles Lyall who will lead 50° North's physical production team.
The new partnership expects to announce its first production…
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