EXPECT CRTC COMMISSIONERS to take the finest of fine-tooth combs to the sale of Alliance Atlantis, because this is far from a straightforward buy. Control, as always, is key and the demise of Craig Media is still somewhat fresh.
However, this creative deal was something CanWest had to do. Two opposing forces faced the company as 2006 turned into 2007.
The first is that ever since the summer announcement by Bell Globemedia to purchase CHUM Ltd., CanWest CEO Leonard Asper knew – and told Cartt.ca – that he must make the next merger move or forever remain a distant, weakening,…
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TORONTO – Unsurprisingly, two of Canada’s media unions said today they oppose the deal announced yesterday to sell Alliance Atlantis to a partnership of U.S. investment banker Goldman Sachs and Canadian broadcaster CanWest Global Communications.
The Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union, Canada’s largest media union plans to mount a "vigorous" fight to stop the CanWest/Goldman Sachs purchase of Alliance Atlantis.
"This is the thin edge of the wedge to the ceding of Canadian cultural institutions to American investment. We are demanding that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission and Heritage Minister Bev Oda order public hearings into this proposed…
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SAN FRANCISCO – If you’re at all involved in the communications field, you’re at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Cartt.ca has its CE editor there this week, for example.
But not Apple. It annually hosts Macworld at the same time as CES, kind of thumbing its nose at the other industry heavyweights who these days are trying hard to emulate Apple’s design, functionality and "cool" factor, especially when it comes to portable music players.
Today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs used his Macworld keynote speech to make official two new products that most industry observers were sure…
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GATINEAU – Until the federal government makes up its mind on who it wants to lead the CRTC, vice-chair broadcasting Michel Arpin has been appointed acting chairperson, secretary general Diane Rhéaume announced today in an e-mail to staff.
"Pursuant to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act, the Commission may authorize one of the vice-chairs to assume the duties of chairperson in the event of a vacancy in that office. Mr. Arpin will therefore serve as acting chairperson until such time as the Government of Canada names a successor for Charles Dalfen," said a release.
Dalfen’s term expired at…
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TORONTO – After months of contract negotiations, actors union ACTRA went on strike Monday in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with the rest of the country to come soon.
However, the union is not striking in British Columbia, where it is covered by another agreement.
And, side agreements with individual producers have also been worked out to keep actors working on shows currently in production. So, no one is really picketing.
"ACTRA’s has refused a wage increase of more than double of that agreed to by the Writers Guild of Canada and three and four times greater than agreements negotiated…
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FINAL SUBMISSIONS TO THE CRTC on its conventional television policy review were due in yesterday.
Cartt.ca managed to get our hands on eight submissions (unfortunately, none of the companies serving the Francophone market responded to our e-mails), which were filed by parties Wednesday in response to what they were asked – or what others were asked – during the seven-day oral presentations that began on November 27th.
(Ed note: Thank goodness broadcasting vice-chair Michel Arpin – who looks as though he’ll be the Commission’s Interim Chair for the time being as the PMO explores more candidates to replace departing…
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TORONTO – Negotiations between ACTRA and producers broke down last night "after producers tabled an outrageous pay offer and demanded free Internet rights," says a release put out by the actors’ union,
No new negotiations are scheduled and ACTRA is in a strike position in most of Canada starting in January 2007.
The CFTPA has yet to say anything publicly on this new development.
"I very much regret that Canadian producers have decided to provoke a dispute in which they will be the principal victims," said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator. "But given the conduct of…
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NOW THAT MY TWO-AND-a-half year old daughter has outgrown her predilection towards throwing things at our living room television (think keys and golf balls, not stuffed animals), I decided my Christmas gift to the family (okay, to me) would be a new television.
I want my HDTV.
Last month though, CTAM Canada published a piece of research which said, in essence, that Canadian consumers are not getting enough information on how to get the best high definition experience and too often are leaving the stores without a digital cable or satellite receiver, which is the best way (and…
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TORONTO – Look for CanWest Global’s Australian divestiture to pick up speed.
Alliance Atlantis Communications announced Wednesday morning that it is officially on the market, meaning the usual suspects like Corus Entertainment, Astral Media, CanWest Global and maybe Rogers Communications and Quebecor Media will soon be kicking tires and checking service records – if they haven’t already.
Bell Globemedia is about to start trying to digest CHUM Ltd. and is probably not going to be in the running, especially since it would probably run afoul of competition rules if it tried to grab both CHUM and Alliance Atlantis.
With…
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TIMMINS-JAMES BAY MP Charlie Angus didn’t even flinch when I said he seemed to be the self-appointed rabble-rouser on the Standing Committee for Canadian Heritage.
Reading through the transcripts of some of the meetings reveals Mr. Angus as one of the committee members who consistently pushes his fellow members – or whomever appears in front of the committee. Seems he likes that role.
Then last week, just before Christmas, his office released a missive where Angus critiqued the three "worst performing ministers" in the Conservative cabinet: Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, Defense Minister Gordon O’Connor and Heritage and Status of…
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