OTTAWA – After Canada’s major English-language performers’ union and a community TV association testified before the Heritage Standing Committee about Canadian TV content rules, a specialty broadcaster raised concerns about getting carriage for the content once it’s made.
Wednesday’s testimony will help form part of the committee’s study on the evolution of the television industry in Canada and its impact on local communities, which launched March 25 and will conclude next week with a return visit by CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein.
Actors union ACTRA led off by reiterating many of the points it raised during its appearance on…
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TORONTO – When we talked to David Purdy about two weeks ago, Rogers still hadn’t quite settled on a brand name for the broadband video portal it will launch this year.
It probably won’t be called the “Purdy Portal” as CRTC commissioners dubbed it back in March during the Regulator’s New Media Hearing. We’re betting the name of the company founder will be in there somewhere, but the impromptu working title is an apt one for now since Purdy, RCI’s vice-president of video product management (yes, he’s in charge of video distribution across all platforms), has been the…
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OTTAWA and TORONTO – The CBC could cut even more jobs, now that federal government has it to participate in its strategic review program which asks government departments to identify up to 5% of spending that may be cut.
The CBC informed staff on Friday that the public broadcaster will have to take part in the program this year, and president Hubert Lacroix encouraged employees to “hang in there”.
“The objective of the strategic review is to evaluate all of our program and spending activities to identify the lowest priorities in terms of carrying out our mandate,” Lacroix said Friday in…
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GATINEAU – While CRTC commissioners, Canadian politicians and the usual industry suspects try to figure out how best to alter the regulation of the Canadian TV business, the electronic media world around us continues on its merry path of explosive growth.
Lost a little on this side of the border, amid the swirl of chatter on issues like fee for carriage, the viability of local content, whether or not conventional broadcasters can survive a battered economy, and if television stations can really sell for a buck, was the announcement that Disney is spending US$100 million to take a…
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HE HAS A PAIR OF BlackBerrys on his desk, but his iPhone is what’s tucked in his jacket pocket. It goes with him always and everywhere.
He was first elected as MP in 2000, at the age of 24, in his Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam, B.C. riding, but his official bio lists the former radio and TV reporter/commentator’s occupation as “broadcaster.”
He’s mentioned every now and then as a candidate for much higher office that the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
And while his cabinet colleagues struggle with the multi-billion dollar requests from the likes of car companies…
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GATINEAU – James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, talked up the pending arrival of the new Canada Media Fund at the annual convention of the Association des producteurs de films et de television du Quebec (APFTQ).
"Technology has changed how we create, obtain, and enjoy film and television productions," Minister Moore said in his address on Tuesday. "Many producers have found new ways of reaching audiences in recent years. The industry must continue moving in this direction. The key to its success remains innovation. With this in mind, we recently announced the creation of the…
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TORONTO and MONTREAL – Look Communications is selling its spectrum and broadcast license for $80 million in cash to Bell Canada and Rogers Communications, through their joint venture Inukshuk Wireless Partnership.
Under the agreement, Inukshuk will buy Look’s 92 MHz of contiguous licensed spectrum in Ontario and Quebec covering approximately 18 million people and 1.8 billion MHz/Pops, plus its mobile broadcast license which has been renewed by the CRTC through August 2011.
"We have long believed that our assets held value given the promise of mobile broadband. That promise is becoming a reality for Canadian businesses and consumers, both of…
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TORONTO – The new agreement between ACTRA, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) and l’Association des producteurs de films et de télévision du Québec (APFTQ) was brokered quickly and ahead of schedule, and should bring “stability to the industry”.
Performers and independent producers have reached tentative terms for renewal of their independent production agreement, which would give performers a rate increase of 2% each year for three years. The balance of the other terms and conditions remain unchanged.
The agreement covers the engagement of performers on all film, television and new media production in Canada, except for British…
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TORONTO and MONTREAL – Struggling Look Communications recorded losses across the board for its second quarter of fiscal 2009 ended February 28, 2009.
Service and sales revenue from continuing operations for the quarter was $3.3 million, compared to $4.4 million for the same quarter last year, while LBITDA (loss from continuing operations before interest expenses, income taxes, depreciation and amortization) was $2.4 million, a $1.3 million year-over-year decrease.
In the press release announcing its financial results, the company said that it was “very pleased” with Industry Canada’s position with respect to the 2500-2690 MHz band plan.
Look’s 92 MHz of…
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GATINEAU – Bell Canada says it has continued to develop an interesting way for the conventional broadcast industry to go digital, but it is bumping up against stiff opposition by those broadcasters to its so-called (and perhaps mis-named) FreeSat proposal.
In a nutshell, Bell is offering broadcasters the ability to distribute their local signals digitally, via satellite, covering their entire traditional over-the-air contours, without upgrading a single transmitter. And beyond paying about $450 for the required dish, set top box and installation, FreeSat would not cost the tens of thousands of OTA-only consumers a monthly subscription fee to Bell TV,…
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