Media conglomerate Postmedia announced Thursday it is partnering with content and marketing company Contend to launch Postmedia Studios, which they say will leverage the new funding ecosystem brought by the Online Streaming Act to bring Canadian stories to film, television and short-form formats.
The companies said they already have a slate of original programming created by Canadians in the works, and all intellectual property will be created, owned and produced by Canadians.
“This includes film, television, and short-form formats that delve into compelling real-life stories and memorable historical events that have shaped the nation,” a press release said. “These productions will…
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By Connie Thiessen
Corus Entertainment says it’s continuing to take steps to better manage its liabilities, announcing Monday it has once again amended its credit agreement in the face of more than $1 billion in outstanding debt.
The company says with its bank group, led by RBC Capital Markets and TD Securities, its maximum total debt to cash flow ratio has been increased to 4.75 through to mid-October, with ability for the company to request advances under the revolving facility to a certain limit.
The agreement also includes requirements to use any excess cash to repay outstanding balances on the revolving facility and terms related to the use of proceeds…
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By Howard Law, author of Canada vs. California, and MediaPolicy.ca
Earlier this month Cartt published “C-11, CRTC, and destabilizing market-driven CanCon,” an opinion piece from Len St-Aubin.
Two years ago St-Aubin and I volleyed back and forth on the merits of the Online Streaming Act as it passed the House of Commons. I suppose the two grumpy old men are back at it again: St-Aubin’s recent column is an indictment of the current regulatory state of affairs and here I am responding.
For the sake of brevity and avoiding repetitious debate, I will…
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Telefilm Canada announced Tuesday Universal Language from writer and director Matthew Rankin and producer Sylvain Corbeil has been selected to represent Canada in the nomination process for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, to be held on March 2, 2025.
Produced by Corbeil’s Metafilms, Universal Language is co-written by Rankin, Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi and is being distributed in Canada by Maison 4:3. International sales are handled by Oscilloscope Laboratories.
The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 10….
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Telus said Thursday it is participating in a U.S. Department of Commerce initiative to support the development and deployment of trustworthy and safe artificial intelligence.
The U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium, announced in February, will “unite AI creators and users, academics, government and industry researchers, and civil society organizations in support of the development and deployment of safe and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI),” a Commerce Department press release said.
Telus will be joining more than 280 artificial intelligence stakeholders in the initiative.
“At TELUS, we are determined to harness the power of technology to create a better future,” Pamela…
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CBC on Wednesday announced the streaming and broadcast premiere dates for its fall 2024 lineup of new and returning programming on CBC Gem and CBC TV, including more than 20 original series and specials from Canadian creators, producers and storytellers.
Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024, award-winning Anishinaabe author Tanya Talaga’s docuseries The Knowing will premiere Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem. Produced by Makwa Creative in association with CBC, the four-part series is adapted from Talaga’s book of the…
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By Ahmad Hathout
Media company Blue Ant’s request to reduce its obligations to programs of national interest (PNI) from 13.5 to five per cent of annual revenues is “unprecedented” and would spell the loss of an important contribution to the content production system, creatives are saying in submission published Tuesday.
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) said in an opposing submission to Blue Ant’s July request that the Toronto-based company’s PNI spending is essential to independent productions and the expression of diversity of Canadian and indigenous talent.
“Blue Ant’s historical PNI report is a testimony of the broadcaster’s important…
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Recent news headlines illustrate that emergencies can strike with little warning and alarming regularity, highlighting the need in Canada for advanced public safety communication networks.
The Role of Ericsson
Ericsson, a global leader in telecommunications, has significantly contributed to the standardization of wireless communications. The company’s 70-year presence in Canada underscores its commitment to providing innovative solutions that cater to the unique needs of the Canadian landscape, particularly in being a major contributor to R&D in Canada, but also in enabling communications infrastructure in the country. Ericsson will collaborate with major wireless service providers, as well as myriad stakeholders to innovate…
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By Connie Thiessen
Corus Entertainment has filed a complaint with the CRTC, alleging Rogers’ undue disadvantage in the wake of its merger last year with Shaw Communications, is leading it to engage “in predatory behaviour, enabled by dominant size and scale, to foreclose on potential competition.”
The Part 1 application, published in redacted form on the CRTC website on Monday, focuses specifically on Rogers move to offer the ad-supported version of Disney+ to existing Ignite TV customers, which Corus says is part of an effort to lure subscribers away from its Disney-themed specialty channels. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Rogers has “actively favoured Disney+ over Corus’ Disney-themed channels when subscribers attempt to search for content;…
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Rogers busines rep says it wouldn’t have entered into a major licensing deal if representations were not accurate
By Ahmad Hathout
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) allegedly failed to disclose to Rogers that the U.S.-based producer of television programming had an outstanding two-year non-compete agreement with previous rights holder Bell before the cable giant signed a multi-year deal for those rights in June, a new court filing reveals.
The non-competition covenant, in effect, would have prevented WBD from engaging a competing service – in this case, Rogers – on the supply of its programming for the two-year period, per the shareholder agreement. Rogers…
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