By Connie Thiessen
Independent ethnic community television producers have launched the “This Show is Made with Zero Support from the Government” campaign, saying third-language programming is in jeopardy without more funding.
A number of shows broadcast on Rogers Sports & Media multicultural broadcaster OMNI TV began airing the public service announcements last week, which warn viewers that without support, multicultural voices could start disappearing from the airwaves, urging their audiences to contact their local Member of Parliament.
The producers say advertising revenues are insufficient to maintain quality programming and the campaign has been launched out of frustration with government inaction.
“Politicians and government…
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By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA — The federal NDP has asked Matthew Boswell, the commissioner of competition, to review an agreement between The Mobile Shop, a division of Loblaws Inc. and Glentel, which is jointly owned by Rogers and Bell, following a letter the head of Quebecor sent to the federal industry minister calling the deal “anti-competitive.”
“If this agreement is not opposed, it will result in reduced competition and choice for consumers,” wrote federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Brian Masse, the party’s critic for innovation, science and industry in their May 22 letter to Boswell.
“Canadians need more competition, not less,”…
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The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), which represents 2,500 English-language screenwriters across Canada, announced Wednesday its members have ratified a new three-year independent production agreement (IPA) with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).
The WGC and the CMPA earlier this month announced they had agreed on terms for the new IPA, but it still needed ratification by WGC members.
Coming into effect May 22, the new collective agreement sets the terms, conditions, and rates for writers, story editors and story consultants until Jan. 31, 2027.
“As part of the newly…
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By Oliver Kane, a media consultant based in Toronto, who was a former Corus employee for a little more than eight years before leaving in September 2023
On May 6, the CRTC published an update on the phased implementation of bill C-11. While I can appreciate that, in their words, “the changes needed to implement the modernized Broadcasting Act are substantial and complex, with many interconnected issues to be addressed,” this glacial roll out is completely out of touch with the current challenges affecting the industry.
Phase 2 includes an update of no less than 10 consultations expected to take place…
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The Canadian Telecommunications Association (CTA), a national organization representing Canadian telecom service providers, is calling on the federal government to amend Canada’s Criminal Code to include harsher penalties for acts of vandalism or theft of critical telecom network equipment.
While it welcomes proposed changes to the Criminal Code under the government’s new foreign interference legislation — Bill C-70, tabled in the House of Commons on May 6 — which would impose new offences for sabotaging “essential infrastructure” including information and communication technology infrastructure, the CTA said in a press release Monday…
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YouTube Canada on Monday announced Lindsay Doyle is the video-sharing platform’s new head of government affairs and public policy in Canada, effective immediately.
Doyle was previously the manager of government affairs and public policy for Google Canada, before taking a year of parental leave. YouTube and Google are both owned by Alphabet Inc.
Based in Ottawa, Doyle is taking over the role formerly held by Jeanette Patell, who is now the director of government affairs and public policy for Google Canada. Doyle was selected as Patell’s replacement after an extensive internal and external recruitment process,…
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Telefilm Canada announced Friday it is supporting 24 film festivals under its Medium to Large-Scale Festivals Program for a funding total of $1.3 million in the first round of decisions.
The program “provides financial support to long-established medium to large-scale Canadian film festivals that help promote Canadian films and talent and stimulate demand for our multiscreen content,” says a Telefilm press release announcing the funding.
Through its support for film festivals across the country, Telefilm remains committed to equity, diversity and inclusion to foster an industry that is representative of all…
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The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) jointly announced Tuesday the successful negotiation of an agreement in principle on the terms for a new three-year independent production agreement.
The CMPA-WGC Independent Production Agreement establishes the terms, conditions and rates for writers, story editors and story consultants, a joint announcement says.
“We are pleased to have reached a fair agreement with the CMPA that will protect the livelihoods of our screenwriter members and maintain stability in the Canadian film and television industry,” Victoria Shen, executive director of the…
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By Connie Thiessen
Numeris has announced the release of its Hybrid Linear TV measurement service for its video clients, developed in partnership with Kantar Media.
Enhanced Television Audience Measurement (TAM) incorporates Return Path Data (Big Data) from Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) to TAM data (Panel data). Numeris says the approach addresses the fragmented TV landscape while reinforcing audience behaviours already reported under TAM.
The audience measurement agency says the hybrid method will provide more granularity and better accuracy, offering audience stability, program-level audience estimates for niche or spill stations, and a better understanding of the complete broadcast TV landscape by reporting data from U.S….
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By Doug Barrett, adjunct professor in the Arts, Media & Entertainment MBA program at the Schulich School of Business
This is the third piece examining the current debate on the definition of Canadian content.
In the first I examined the different legal foundations of the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO) system and the CRTC system
In the second I argued that the CRTC should require CAVCO certification for all programs benefiting from “public purpose” money available because of CRTC regulation or other subsidies.
In this piece I look at the appropriate role of the CRTC content certification…
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