MONTREAL – Telefilm Canada has renewed its Canada New Media Fund for another year, but has streamlined the process and aligned its application deadlines to close within the fiscal year.
The deadline for Product Assistance applications for the development, production and marketing of Canadian interactive digital cultural content products intended for the general public is May 4, 2009. The deadline for Sectoral Assistance applications that support industry-led events or initiatives benefiting the industry is June 19, 2009.
Guidelines and application forms will be available by April 15, 2009 on the Telefilm website or by clicking here.
Telefilm Canada is a federal…
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OTTAWA – CBC has received approval from the CRTC to use a subsidiary communications multiplex operation (SCMO) channel in Vancouver to launch a Fijian-language radio service called Radio Fiji Mirchi. The Commission said that it is satisfied that approval of CBC’s application, received December 9, 2008, will not have “an undue negative impact on existing local conventional ethnic radio stations”.
It reminded the CBC that approval will be effective when the Department of Industry notifies the Commission that its technical requirements have been met, and that the licensee’s broadcasting certificate has been amended.
Programming broadcast using an SCMO channel…
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OTTAWA – While acknowledging that it is still in “a transition and adaptation period”, the streamlined Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) highlighted its goal to focus on policy and copyright matters in an internal memo to members this week.
The private broadcasters’ lobbying group stressed that it will provide members with strategic analysis, research and information on CRTC and government proceedings in order to assist with members’ respective filings with the CRTC and/or government, rather than spend “Association and member resources discussing and preparing detailed written submissions and appearances in dozens of public proceedings each year.”
“As an illustration…
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TORONTO – As Canadian Music Week (CMW) wound down for another year, Astral Media announced an investment of over $4 million to CMW initiatives through 2014.
The investment will build on “several key initiatives” in conjunction with CMW, such as a series of free songwriters workshops held in 12 cities across Canada. Each day-long workshop allows local musicians to network and learn from industry experts on what it takes to bring a song to radio. The workshops began in the Fall of 2008, with more scheduled for this year.
"Astral Media is offering aspiring musicians an opportunity that hasn’t existed before,…
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BURNABY, BC – Telecom retailer Glentel reported a 31% increase in consolidated sales for their 2008 fiscal year, thanks in part to opening 24 new retail stores across Canada.
Consolidated sales for the year ended December 31, 2008 were $289.3 million compared to $221.6 million for the same period of 2007, the company reported.
Its retail division saw same-store activations of mobile phones and other wireless devices increase 17% to $249 million over the previous year in stores that were open in both 2008 and 2007. New smart phone products, such as the BlackBerry Bold, Samsung Instinct, and Apple iPhone,…
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TORONTO – Globalive Wireless Management Corp. has “officially” received its wireless spectrum licenses from Industry Canada.
The wireless newcomer, which offers the Yak long distance product, VOIP and third-party ISP services, purchased its spectrum at last May’s advanced wireless services spectrum auction for $442 million.
But its licenses were awarded on a provisional basis, after wireless incumbents Rogers Communications and Telus complained that the company’s ownership structure violated the Canadian legislation which says telecom companies must be majority-owned by Canadians. (Parent company Globalive Communications is co-owned by Orascom, a global wireless player based in Egypt with over 77…
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OTTAWA – BCE has asked the federal cabinet to overturn a CRTC decision, saying investment in next-generation communications networks should be encouraged “as a matter of policy”.
At issue is the Commission’s Telecom Decision 2008-117 from December 11, 2008, and its companion order, Telecom Order 2009-111 from March 3, 2009, requiring incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) “to provide speeds for wholesale asymmetric digital subscriber line services that match the speeds made available to their retail Internet service customers”, if a competitor requests it.
The CRTC application was filed by Cybersurf Corporation in June 2008, and was…
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MONTREAL – A tax promoting the production of Canadian content for the Internet “is not needed”, and taxing Internet service providers for this purpose “amounts to taxing Canadian consumers under a false pretext”, said Quebecor Media.
“Canadians are paying enough taxes and it would be unconscionable to further increase the tax burden in the midst of an economic crisis,” said Pierre Karl Peladeau, Quebecor’s president and CEO, in a company statement. “This would be unproductive and, in any event, illegal. If we truly wish to promote the production of original Canadian content, the industry must be freed of the…
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TORONTO – The Canadian Television Fund (CTF) will hand out approximately $285 million to Canadian television producers this year through the broadcaster performance envelope stream.
The funds are earmarked to support English and French programming in the genres of drama, children and youth, variety and performing arts, and documentary. English-language broadcaster envelopes will total $194 million, while $91 million will be allocated to French-language broadcaster envelopes.
The CTF supports the development of Canadian talent, programs, and audiences through financial investment and industry research, and is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and Canada’s broadcasting distribution undertakings.
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TORONTO – New York-based music subscription company Dada Entertainment launched its year-old service in Canada Tuesday, naming former Rogers Wireless exec Christopher Lam as its general manager.
The service, called Dada.net, offers ringtones and wallpapers from artists affiliated with Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and EMI, allowing consumers to personalize their mobile phones.
Lam is Rogers Wireless’ former content and business development manager, and was brought on for his experience in the mobile industry which includes managing large portfolios for ringtones and off-deck strategies, product enhancement, placement and content merchandising, deal negotiations and label relations, said the…
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