Music rights organization SOCAN last week announced the launch of a national campaign calling on its members, the music industry and the public to urge the Canadian government to support Canada’s creative industries by ruling out any new copyright exceptions that would allow free unauthorized use of copyright-protected works for AI training.
“Canada’s creative industries contribute billions of dollars to our economy each year and support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the sector. As the Government of Canada explores policies that will shape the future of AI, it is essential that…
Continue Reading
Rogers, Bell and Telus have together nabbed over $400 million worth of residual spectrum covering a population of over 10 million Canadians, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) said Friday.
ISED launched the process to sell the spectrum that went unsold in previous auctions.
Telus secured 103 licences worth approximately $317.6 million to cover a population of 5,854,027 people. The licences are all in the 3.8 GHz band and cover areas including Vancouver, Edmonton, Kamloops, Kelowna, Victoria, and Prince George.
“Importantly, this spectrum will complement TELUS’ existing holdings to support emerging 5G applications that our team is progressing and…
Continue Reading
CBC/Radio-Canada on Monday announced Claude Galipeau, the national public broadcaster’s executive vice president of corporate development, has been elected as the new president of the Public Media Alliance (PMA), a global association of public service media organizations.
Galipeau is taking over as PMA president from Paul Thompson, CEO and editor-in-chief of Radio New Zealand, who did not stand for re-election but will remain on the PMA board. Thompson had served as president since 2016.
“At a time of great instability and uncertainty, international collaboration among public service media organisations is more…
Continue Reading
Social media driving engagement
By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – With Canadian audiences viewing a plethora of content, a major focus for Canadian creators is to get their programming noticed, according to producers on a panel addressing discoverability at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA’s) Prime Time annual conference in Ottawa on Jan. 30.
“Discoverability is an ongoing challenge, especially in this industry with so much content out there,” said Mark Montefiore, founder and CEO of New Metric Media. “How do you stand out in this ecosystem?”
His company is a producer of Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story, a Canadian comedy television…
Continue Reading
By Christopher Guly
OTTAWA – As the CRTC brings foreign streamers under regulation via the Online Streaming Act, Bell’s Heated Rivalry is being viewed as an example of exportable Canadian programming that can thrive with enough investment in the Canadian broadcasting system.
The producers and two cast members of Bell Media’s Crave series along with Mark Carney – a first-ever appearance by a prime minister at a Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Prime Time event – were the highlight Friday that shone a bright light on the six-episode TV series that has become a red-hot global phenomenon.
After walking a special red…
Continue Reading
Telus and RingCentral, a provider of AI-powered business communications solutions, announced Tuesday they are expanding their longtime partnership to bring advanced AI capabilities to the Telus Business Connect cloud-based communication platform.
“Businesses are looking for technology that works as hard as they do,” Katherine Emberly, senior vice president and president of small and medium business at Telus, said in a press release. “By integrating RingCentral’s advanced AI capabilities into Business Connect, we’re giving our customers a competitive edge, elevating every customer interaction while freeing up their teams to focus on growing their business and…
Continue Reading
Michele Austin has been named president and managing director of the Canadian affiliate of the Motion Picture Association (MPA-C), effective January 19.
Austin will succeed Wendy Noss, who will leave the trade group after leading it for 15 years. She will lead strategic advocacy across the country on all priority issues, including copyright law, production incentives, digital media policy, and content protection, said a Thursday press release announcing her appointment.
“Michele’s deep knowledge of Canada’s policy landscape and political dynamics will make her a powerful voice for our member studios and our creative community,” Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the…
Continue Reading
By Ahmad Hathout
CBC has appointed Douglas Smith as its executive vice-president, effective February 2.
Smith most recently worked at Paramount as senior vice-president of streaming and content licensing since January 2023, “where he was instrument in orchestrating the Canadian launches of Paramount+ and Pluto TV,” a Thursday press release said. Prior to that, he was senior vice-president of client relations at Paramount Global.
“He combines rigorous business discipline with a strong ability to navigate teams through periods of industry disruption,” the release added.
“Doug has an extensive track record in the media industry and a deep understanding of the Canadian ecosystem and…
Continue Reading
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced Wednesday the appointment of Magalie Boutin as its new director of communications and public affairs, effective Jan. 1.
She succeeds Lily Robert, who recently announced her retirement after an 18-year career with the NFB.
Boutin previously served as the organization’s head of media relations, starting in 2018, and as co-director of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), from 2022 to 2024.
“I’m very pleased to welcome Magalie Boutin to this leadership role,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, government film commissioner and chairperson of the NFB, in a…
Continue Reading
The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) received a record number of complaints from telecom and TV customers this past fiscal year, with billing problems continuing to be the leading complaint issue, according to the CCTS’s annual report published early Wednesday.
Between Aug. 1, 2024 and July 31, 2025, the CCTS accepted 23,647 complaints from customers across Canada. This represents a 17 per cent increase from the previous year and is the highest number of complaints accepted in the CCTS’s history.
The top 10 issues raised across all service types were: incorrect charge for…
Continue Reading
