Elizabeth McDonald, president and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), chaired a media conference denouncing the cuts to the Canadian Television Fund on April 15. During a question and answer session that followed an official presentation, there were no concrete suggestions as to where the money that is being demanded be reinstated to the CTF should come from. McDonald said it shouldn’t be taken away from the increased tax credits for foreign location shooting in Canada – for which the CFTPA and others have lobbied. Below is an edited excert of the media conference.

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Gail Martiri has been hired as director of policy at the Writers Guild of Canada. She will lead the guild’s extensive policy and lobbying initiatives on behalf of Canadian screenwriters. She has over ten years of experience in government relations and policy development.

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CCTA’s Cable Summit in Toronto postponed
The Canadian Cable Television Association’s (CCTA) annual gathering that was to be held this year from April 27-29 in Toronto is being postponed due to fears over SARS. No new date has been set.

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The Senate of Canada begins its long-awaited study of media concentration next week, with a report of its findings expected next year, possibly as early as March. The Senate has authorized its Standing Committee on Transport and Communications to undertake "a broad examination of Canada’s media industries."

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The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) is hoping to score an industry hat trick as it seeks regulatory approval to add five foreign television channels to list of services that can be carried on a digital basis. The association notes that the addition of more foreign channels would have the following three key benefits: provide multicultural communities with increased viewing choices; help repatriate customers from the black and grey markets; and drive digital penetration. In its April 2 submission to the CRTC, the CCTA notes that the availability of a wide array of ethnic channels is one of the reasons for a thriving black and grey market in Canada.

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Telus Corp. hopes to offer video-on-demand (VOD) when it launches its digital television service over broadband possibly later this year. As the telco awaits the CRTC’s decision on its licence applications to provide digital TV service in British Columbia and Alberta (CCR, March 13/03, Sept. 26/02), its VOD application has been gazetted and is slated to be considered at a June 16 public hearing in Edmonton (CCR Update, April 16/03). Mark Pezarro, Telus’ VP of broadband applications, tells Canadian Communications Reports that it’s possible that VOD could launch at the same time as the telco’s TV service.

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Westman Communications Group is the first small cable operator in Canada to apply for a video-on-demand (VOD) licence in hopes of eventually offering its digital subscribers various types of programming on-demand (CCR Update, April 16/03). Like larger cablecos already offering VOD, the Brandon MB-based cable co-operative is banking on VOD to boost digital penetration, reduce customer churn, and retain a competitive advantage over its satellite competitors.

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