CCR Short Takes

New GSO plan adopted at WRCCanada has helped broker a deal for a new broadcasting satellite plan for Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific region. The agreement was adopted at the World Radiocommunication Conference in Istanbul. The new plan assigns one orbital position per country throughout both Europe and Africa from which the equivalent of 10 analog channels can be delivered. For Asia and Australia, 12 analog channels are available per country's orbital position. The decisions of WRC-2000 enable countries to take possession of the orbital positions once they're in an economic position to do so, without fear of losing the spectrum bands. Gore voices made-in-Canada concerns over runawaysWhile Canada's ambassador to Washington, Raymond Chretien, says U.S. vice president Al Gore may be Canada's best hope for president, the contender isn't much of a buddy to Hollywood North. In early June, Gore launched an investigation into why so many American film and television productions are migrating to shoot in Canada. Gore, who has strong ties to the U.S. film industry, says he shares the concerns of the Screen Actors Guild and the Directors Guild of America, which claim so-called runaway productions have cost the Los Angeles film community 20,000 jobs and cost the U.S. economy $10 billion. Vidéotron loses battle for intervenor statusAbout 20 minority shareholders of Le Groupe Vidéotron ltée have lost their bid to get intervenor status in the court battle between the controlling Chagnon family and the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the provincial public pension fund manager. A three-judge panel of the Quebec Court of Appeal ruled that it did not show sufficient reason why it should intervene in the court battle, so upholding a May 19 lower court decision. The lower court found that though their economic interest as stockholders had been adversely affected by a drop in Vidéotron's share-price attributed to the lengthy litigation, they had no case in law. The minority shareholders have also been seeking access to a shareholder agreement signed between the Caisse and Quebecor and other documentation. CRTC schedules roadshow to explore TV language issuesThe CRTC will consult Canadians beginning this fall to find ways of improving French broadcasting services in communities where French is the minority language. Last year, the CRTC held consultations strictly on specialty television services to cable subscribers with the view of increasing the availability of French-language channels where English is spoken by the majority, and more English-language channels where French-speaking people make up the majority. This time, the regulator is expanding its scope to include both radio and television services, including specialty as well as pay and pay-per-view television. A report will be released by the end of the year. CTV extends funding for media chair at Ottawa's Carleton UCTV Inc has given $1 million to fund a chair in Science Broadcasting in Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication. CTV's advocate for the chair is alumna Trina McQueen, BJ/64, executive VP of CTV and former president of the Discovery Channel. McQueen added that a similar chair for French-language students will be established at Laval UniversityCBC Sportsnet bid approved by board of directorsThe CBC's board of directors has approved the corporation's plan to buy 10 per cent of CTV Sportsnet. The board made the decision at a meeting May 28 in Toronto. Industry sources say CBC wants a presence in the sports specialty channel business to protect its own sports properties, which are money-makers for the cash-strapped corporation. CTV also owns TSN. Eastlink launches east coast digital cable serviceHalifax-based EastLink Cable Systems has launched a digital cable service in the Maritimes. EastLink's digital system gives subscribers enhanced pay TV and pay-per-view options, 40 channels of commercial-free, digital music, and a fully customizable interactive channel guide with parental controls. EastLink Digital Cable will be available in 14 markets throughout Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick by the end of 2000. Corus joins well-tracked Toronto Stock Exchange indexCorus Entertainment Inc has been added to the TSE 100 Index by S&P Canada. The Shaw-family controlled company owns 31 radio stations including The Edge, CFOX and Country 105, and specialty television networks including YTV and CMT, interests in Teletoon, Telelatino and The Comedy Network. Corus has an additional investment in WIC Western International Communications Inc. Major acquisitions not in the cards, says TVA CEOTVA Group will focus on slow, steady growth in English Canada rather than hunting for major acquisitions, Daniel Lamarre, chief executive, said in Ottawa this week. Lamarre said the Montreal-based company will concentrate on building its production business and on its upcoming applications for digital specialty channels, after a late-March deal that made it the country's second-biggest TV production house. TVA said March 31 it would buy Motion International Inc and combine it with TVA International to form a powerhouse TV and film producer with about $200-million a year in revenue. Nelvana puts $50 million in coffers in wake of offeringNelvana Ltd has completed the sale of 2,500,000 of its subordinate voting shares. Of the shares sold, 2,434,032 were sold by Nelvana and 65,968 were sold by corporations controlled by principal shareholders of Nelvana. The company received net proceeds from the offering of approximately $50.7 million. St. Jean Baptiste Society upset by heritage spotsThe separatist St. Jean Baptiste Society is attacking the federal government for funding the "Heritage Minutes" programs shown on the French and English CBC networks. The one-minute spots are produced by the CRB Foundation. Earlier this year, the society was able to pressure the French CBC news network, RDI, into pulling a show produced by Robert-Guy Scully, after it learned that Scully had received money from the federally-funded Canada Information Office (CIO). Television.com set for mid-August launchLarry Namer, CEO of television.com, LLC and founder of E! Entertainment Television, Inc, has announced that the site will officially launch August 16 with beta testing commencing this month. Co-founded earlier this year by Marketvision Direct, Inc of Boston and Steeplechase Media of Santa Monica, television.com promises to be one of the forerunners in the convergence of television and the Internet. Viewers of the web site will see clips and previews of current and past shows and commercials, ads for books about television and other television-related items.

CCR Short Takes

Broadcast | June 8, 2000

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