CCR Short Takes

Bird shut out of satellite gameIndustry Canada awarded a licence to Telesat Canada today to launch a new satellite into the 118.7 degree orbital slot. The decision shuts out newcomer Bird Satellite Communications Inc, the only other player vying for the space (CCR March 29/01). Bird, a $1-billion venture headed by Richard Stursberg, former president and CEO of Cancom, had applied March 15 for a licence to launch two satellites for broadcast and Internet use. Telesat proposed much the same.In its decision, Industry Canada noted "a comparative licensing process was used to select the successful applicant and to ensure that satellite capacity and services are available to meet Canadian needs today and in the future." It said Telesat and Bird’s applications were compared on the basis of proposed coverage and capacity of Canada, the viability of their plans, and the benefits to public institutions and underserved areas.The government also called the awarding of the licence an important step towards improving the Canadian information infrastructure. Decima poll: Cablecos have most popular new channelsA national survey of 2,000 Canadian adults conducted in April 2001 by Decima Publishing and Decima Research reveals that the three most popular of the Category 1 channels that were licenced are majority owned by cable industry veterans. Ted Rogers of Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications are majority owners of the biography channel. The Shaw family, through its Corus Entertainment divisions, owns the documentary channel. And both Shaw and Rogers are major investors in a technology channel. Ironically, while the cable industry, particularly Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw predicts failure rates of 50% for the new digital services, the cable-backed channels may prove the most popular and profitable, the survey notes (CCR, April 26/01). For details about Next Generation Television, a report based on the survey, contact dlawes@decima.ca. CRTC licenses aboriginal radio but on different frequencyThe CRTC has granted a licence to Gary Farmer for an Aboriginal Voices Radio (AVR) station in Burnaby, B.C., provided a new frequency is found. AVR and Simon Fraser Campus Radio Society had both applied to use the FM frequency at 90.9 MHz. The CRTC granted both licences provided the applicants found within six months another radio frequency that was acceptable to both the CRTC and Industry Canada. The CRTC ruled that "neither the AVR application nor that by Simon Fraser would constitute the best possible use of the 90.0 MHz frequency." The AVR application is part of a proposed national aboriginal radio network (CCR, Dec. 21/00). CFTPA, CBC say they’re close to agreement on terms of tradeThe Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC) announced in Banff last week that they were close to cementing a terms of trade agreement. It will "provide a transparent framework for contract negotiations and enhance opportunities for business" between independent producers and the CBC. CFTPA chair Stephen Ellis says the text of the agreement will probably be reviewed by the association’s board at its next meeting in September. Wisdom gets new name, new vision as digital launch nearsVision TV’s Category 1 digital service, formerly known as Wisdom, has been re-named One: the Body, Mind and Spirit, and its development team aims to ensure "that the channel fits into the everyday lifestyle of a strong national audience base." The channel’s general manager, Mark Prasuhn, said the name was changed because testing revealed that consumers tended to associate the name Wisdom with an educational channel. "We didn’t want to send the wrong signal to consumers," said Prasuhn of the alternative health and personal growth channel. Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc, which has bought into One, will handle advertising sales for the channel. Prasuhn said there could also be some programming overlap with Alliance’s Category 1 health channel, but that a distinction would be maintained between the two new digital services. New initiative to fund French productions outside QuebecA development program has been initiated to help fund the works of six Francophone writers and six Francophone producers living outside Quebec. It evolved from a CRTC suggestion at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp licence renewal hearings in January 2000 that Francophone communities outside Quebec be better reflected in television programming. The CBC/Radio-Canada is contributing to the program, which was developed by the Institut national de l’image et du son (INIS) with the cooperation of Telefilm Canada and l’Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada. CBC pledges 40% of new top-up funding to regional programsThe Canadian Broadcasting Corp indicated this week that 40% of the $60 million it received in government top-up funding will go toward regional programming (CCR, May 10/01). It added all of the new money would go toward programming, with $29 million slated for English Television, $18 million for French Television, $5 million for English Radio, $5 million for French Radio and $3 million to its new media projects. CBC president and CEO Robert Rabinovitch said the funds were being allocated according to the corporation’s current programming priorities and directions, including strengthening information programs, and enhancing regional reflection on its network. Feds maintain moratorium on satellite radio frequenciesCompanies that are interested in launching a nation-wide satellite radio service should let Industry Canada know soon. The department says it will hold off licensing any services for the 2320-2345 MHz band. Canadian broadcasters worry that aligning these frequencies with the U.S. will open a grey market for foreign satellite radio services (CCR, Aug. 31/00). In a decision released this month (Notice No. DGT-003-01), Industry Canada agreed to delay licensing new fixed systems in the band, "to allow flexibility in deciding future use for this spectrum." If anyone wants to use the frequencies to launch a Canadian-owned satellite radio service, the department says it wants to know. Digital audio broadcasters in Canada argued that allowing a satellite service would jeopardize the commercial rollout of their service. Other broadcasters asked the department to delay any decisions on the use of the spectrum until there is a comprehensive review of satellite radio in Canada. Corus initiates production fund for family, teen fareCorus Entertainment Inc announced the creation of a $7.65-million production fund for Canadian youth family and teen shows at the Banff Television Festival last week. Corus has earmarked $5 million for family features and $1.65 for youth drama. The company expects the funds to stimulate the production of at least eight feature-length family-oriented productions and three teen dramas. The funds are a result of commitments made to the CRTC when Corus acquired some broadcasting services of the former WIC company. Corus also announced it was giving $1 million to the Canadian Film Center to construct digital production training facilities in Toronto. New broadcast centre for digital channels in works at CanWestCanWest Global Communications Corp will be opening a new digital broadcast centre in Winnipeg for the new digital specialty television channels it expects to launch this fall, the company announced June 6. CanWest expects to hire about 50 people to run the center. "The new state-of-the-art digital broadcast centre will create a critical mass of technological expertise, right here in Winnipeg," said CanWest CEO and president Leonard Asper.

CCR Short Takes

Broadcast | June 21, 2001

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