OTTAWA – Canadian Media Production Association past-president Norm Bolen focused the final presentation at Prime Time in Ottawa 2013 on the presence – or lack – of Canadian feature films on Canadian TV. It's the theme underpinning the application he and a team of production industry heavyweights will present to the CRTC on April 23 in support of Starlight, The Canadian Movie Channel.
It's a subject many convention delegates have heard and debated numerous times before, spanning decades for some. On the event's first day, Starlight backers and veteran production executives Robert Lantos and Victor Loewy slammed…
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OTTAWA – Jean-Pierre Blais, chair of the CRTC, challenged Canada’s independent producers to think unconventionally when it comes to promoting their creations, reaching audiences and attracting new advertising revenue.
In a keynote to the Canadian Media Production Association’s annual Prime Time event in Ottawa on Friday, Blais highlighted a quote from the late Thomas Bata, the former head of the Bata shoe empire, to indicate how Canadian content creators should be viewing the world in which their businesses operate. “Executives should be people with a sense of urgency, a demand for excellence and a healthy discontent with the way things…
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OTTAWA – Robert Lantos, noted filmmaker and one of the men behind a new Canadian film channel application now before the CRTC, squared off against Pam Dinsmore, vice-president, regulatory at Rogers Communications during a session at Prime Time on the challenges of the Canadian feature film industry.
Their exchange likely provided a good preview of what people can expect when Starlight and Rogers appear before the CRTC for its 9(1)(h) hearing in April. Starlight has asked for carriage on all Canadian BDUs with a must-pay wholesale fee for consumers of $0.45 per month.
Lantos noted that Canada, in his view, is…
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OTTAWA – Despite the promise of cheaper and more widespread 4G services, Canadian cellphone customers are unlikely to see any real benefit from the 700 MHz auction to be held later this year says consumer rights group the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). Industry Minister Christian Paradis officially outlined on Thursday the final regulations for the eagerly awaited spectrum auction.
While Paradis ensured “at least four providers in every region can acquire spectrum in the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction,” PIAC claims there have been no substantive changes to the upcoming auction rules to…
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TORONTO – Following its recent launch of new mobile apps for smartphones, Sportsnet announced that it has also revamped its website, Sportsnet.ca, using leading-edge technology to provide fans with better functionality and access to the site from their smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops.
Designed from a fan’s point-of-view, Sportsnet said in its announcement that sportsnet.ca is the first sports website in Canada to use responsive design, an approach that delivers content that is visually consistent regardless of the platform. The technology automatically detects the visitor’s screen size and orientation and changes the layout accordingly. The…
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MAGOG, QC – Omer Girard, one of the founding fathers of Canadian cable television, died Saturday at his home in Magog, Que.
A remarkable entrepreneur in Canada’s telecommunications industry who made a name for himself in the 1960s and ’70s with his epic battle for open access to telecom infrastructure was 92.
In 1957, Girard founded Transvision Magog, one of the most storied cable companies in Canadian history. Between 1960 and 1967, he launched five other cable businesses and cofounded the Canadian Cable Television Association, of which he became president in 1968. However, Girard stood out as the one who would…
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TORONTO – Join CTAM Canada on April 17, 2013 for the association’s annual Night at the Ballpark. Watch the Toronto Blue Jays take on the Chicago White Sox from the Summit Suite at the Rogers Centre. More details will be released in the coming days so stay tuned on how to register for this event. Space will be limited. www.ctam.ca
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HALIFAX – Canadian music fans from coast to coast can enjoy live coverage of the 25th annual East Coast Music Awards thanks to the event’s new title sponsor, Eastlink.
Eastlink will present the Chronicle Herald East Coast Music Awards Gala from Halifax on its local programming channel, Eastlink TV, this Sunday, March 10.
As part of a three-year deal with the East Coast Music Association, Eastlink will also showcase East Coast Music Week, March 6-10, live in HD, OnDemand and on Eastlink's new TV anywhere platform, Eastlink To Go. It will provide Atlantic Canadian…
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TORONTO and NEW YORK – Rogers Communications has signed a multi-year HD content deal with AMC so it can continue providing its digital cable customers with full access to AMC's original series line up including hits – Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.
"We are pleased to have renewed an agreement with AMC that ensures our customers can continue to enjoy all the premium programing in the AMC line-up. We're always focused on delivering the best content across all screens while keeping prices down," said David Purdy, Senior Vice President, Content, Rogers…
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OTTAWA – Recycle My Cell, a national recycling program for mobile phones and accessories, announced today the winners of the third annual Recycle My Cell Student Challenge. Held again in partnership with Waste Reduction Week in Canada, the challenge saw Canadian students from kindergarten to post-secondary collecting as many old wireless devices as possible, including cell phones, smartphones, wireless PDAs, pagers, accessories and cell phone batteries.
The Challenge took place from October 15 to November 15, 2012, with 131 schools across Canada participating. A total of 4,260 cell phones were collected through the…
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