Canadian broadcasters, producers, distributors and other industry groups this week began filing submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, articulating their visions of the future of the Canadian broadcasting system in general and the Broadcasting Act in particular. In its filing, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association debunks myths and calls for the creation of a stable infrastructure for cultural industries. A summary of the CFTPA’s submission to the committee follows.

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John Riley has been named president of Astral Media’s Astral Television Networks (ATN) group. He has worked for 13 years with Astral Media, most recently as head of the Teletoon English and French networks. He will be responsible for the operations of ATN’s five pay and pay-per-view services, The Movie Network, Moviepix, Viewer’s Choice, Super Ecran and Canal Indigo.

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Digital launch gets underway Sept. 7, more channels expected
The launch of between 40 and 60 new digital specialty channels got under way last week. "As with anything new, there are some hurdles to be expected in this launch," says Michael McCabe, president of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, in a release. "Yes, the new services will be operating in a highly competitive environment. And yes, this is the first time that a completely market-driven approach has governed negotiations for carriage with cable and satellite distributors." On Sept. 7, Rogers Cable began distributing 67 new digital channels – the largest number of any distributor – in the Toronto market (49 in English, three in French and 15 in other languages). The cableco is offering fewer channels, 52 or less, in smaller markets. Bell ExpressVu, announced a new 40-channel lineup (CCR, Aug. 30/01).

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Despite a proliferation of programming from around the world with the emergence of the multichannel universe and the Internet, a majority of Canadians approve of the CRTC’s policy that restricts the distribution in Canada of foreign TV channels competing with Canadian services. The results emerged from a Decima Express telephone survey of 2,022 people from across Canada conducted between Aug. 20 and 29.

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Canada is taking a misguided approach in its attempt to develop new global trade rules for culture, according to a senior official with the U.S.-based Motion Picture Production Association (MPPA). Speaking to delegates at a forum held in Toronto earlier this week, Bonnie Richardson, VP of trade and federal affairs at MPPA, said Canada’s efforts to build multilateral support for a new international instrument on cultural diversity (NIICD) will continue to face opposition from the U.S. as long as negotiations are taking place outside of traditional trade bodies.

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Nearly a half-billion dollars and almost 15,000 jobs would be eliminated from Canada’s independent film and television production industry if the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) isn’t renewed, according to a new report. Assessment of the Economic Impact of the Canadian Television Fund was commissioned by the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) in March and was released last month as part of the CFTPA’s efforts to secure long-term public funding for the CTF. The report was commissioned after the finance minister requested concrete figures on the economic impact of the fund.

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