MONTREAL – After announcing suspension of its monthly payments to the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), Quebecor Media now says it wants to opt out of the CTF entirely and put all money owed by its cable company, Videotron, into a fattened Fonds Quebecor, under its own control, for the support of home-grown productions destined exclusively for broadcast by its own properties.
Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau told a press conference Monday, broadcast live on the company’s all-news channel LCN as well as on its canoe.qc.ca web site, that the proposal is the “best way to ensure the…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications has again rejected the arguments made by those who support the Canadian Television Fund and its aims.
Today the company "categorically rejected" a suggestion made by former Shaw executive Richard Stursberg, who is now CBC TV’s executive vice-president, that withholding payments to the fund will "unravel" the Canadian broadcasting system.
"It is unconstructive and misleading. The CBC is the biggest recipient of CTF monies. Canadians deserve a fair and independent accounting of how billions of dollars that they paid out in taxes and fees were spent by the CTF and the CBC," said Jim Shaw,…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications-owned Star Choice issued a press release this morning entitled " Star Choice Customers Denied NHL Hockey" and said that due to a Rogers Sportsnet court order, the DTH company had to now black out certain hockey games on the sports channel’s regional networks.
"Star Choice had stopped conducting blackouts in an effort to address subscriber frustration and confusion resulting from Sportsnet’s frequent blackouts of NHL games," reads the press release from Star Choice.
"Sportsnet blackouts make it impossible for Star Choice subscribers to see games of the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Edmonton…
Continue Reading
IN THE DR SEUSS CLASSIC How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the Grinch is robbed of his revenge when the good burghers of Whoville preserve their Christmas spirit and retain their celebrations despite having been robbed of their gifts and sustenance.
In the modern Canadian retelling, the Grinch is not Jim Carrey but Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw, who started sledding off with the Canadian content money our regs say he’s obliged to pay, just before Christmas – and has since encountered fewer effective voices preserving its spirit than there are moguls on a ski run.
Instead, while Mr. Shaw…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – In case anyone was wondering whether or not Shaw Communications was prepared to soften its stance on paying into the Canadian Television Fund, a press release this afternoon put any such thoughts to rest.
"Shaw Communications today announced its conclusion that the Canadian Television Fund ("CTF") is simply the wrong way to support the production and exhibition of high quality Canadian programming," says the release.
"The CTF is broken and cannot be fixed" said Jim Shaw, CEO. "Our customers pay for the CTF through their taxes and subscription fees. We would prefer to return the money to…
Continue Reading
WITH THE UNCERTAINTY surrounding the Canadian Television Fund, thanks to the fact Shaw Communications and Videotron have pulled their funding, it’s interesting to note the success of Vancouver producer and distributor Thunderbird Films.
Their suite at the recent NATPE trade show was overflowing with guests and clients there to see the company flog popular fare like Da Vinci’s Inquest, Intelligence, Cold Squad, DeGrassi: The Next Generation, and Stone Undercover.
While the interview was done prior to the CTF mess really hitting the fan (and the Thunderbird executives declined comment on it after the interview), Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw…
Continue Reading
CALGARY – Shaw Communications has asked the CRTC to add USA Network to the list of eligible satellite services for distribution by Canadian BDUs.
Seen in 90 million homes, the cable channel is the number one basic cable network in the United States, "is a unique service that will significantly increase the entertainment value for Shaw customers, and add exciting new programming to the Canadian broadcasting system," says the press release.
[Ed note: USA Network carries shows like Coach, JAG and Walker Texas Ranger in the mornings, movies in the afternoon and programs such as the Law & Orders,…
Continue Reading
IT’S STARTING TO LOOK like this year could be the final one for the Canadian Television Fund in its current form.
With two of its four largest contributors (#1 Shaw Communications and #4 Videotron) adamant that they will forward $0 to the CTF – and with a Heritage Minister in Bev Oda who may be sympathetic towards their complaints – at the very least, upheaval is a certainty.
Oda, who on Monday renewed her government’s $100 million annual commitment to the fund, met with representatives of the four primary private sector contributors: Rogers Communications’ vice-chair Phil Lind, Bell…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – NDP Heritage critic Charlie Angus read from Cartt.ca today in the House of Commons while calling for hearings into the future of the Canadian Television Fund.
The emergency hearings will happen soon after a motion to launch them passed the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage today.
During Question Period this afternoon, Angus suggested that Heritage Minister Bev Oda was colluding with the cable industry to kill the fund after reading our Analysis piece on the CTF this morning which keyed off an interview with Shaw Communications senior vice-president Ken Stein, who described the meeting to Cartt.ca.
Oda…
Continue Reading
OTTAWA – In a letter to the editor of the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, Telus vice-president, wireless, broadband and content policy, Michael Hennessy, called out Quebecor for what he sees as a double standard.
As a member of the Canadian wireless industry, past president of the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association and an ex-director of the Canadian Television Fund, Hennessy said he was "both shocked and troubled," about decisions made by Shaw and Videotron to withhold their CRTC-mandated contributions to the Canadian Television Fund.
"While it is disturbing that such unilateral action could jeopardize thousands of jobs and scores of projects…
Continue Reading
