Telemanagement: May 1, 2003

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    CNM Editorial

    The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.
     

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    Jumping the Connectivity Gap – Mobile Makes the Leap at MILIA 2003

    Canadian producers counting on mobile applications to accelerate from the margins to mainstream should be mindful what is working where. That is the message from MILIA 2003, where case studies and success stories about mobile applications from around the world made up one-third of the conference agenda. Held for the first time in Cannes, France from March 25-28 to coincide with MIPTV, the mature, 40-year-old, international market for TV program buyers and sellers, MILIA marked its 10th year with an ambitious program weaving information sessions in three streams: mobile telephony, interactive TV and broadband.

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    CNM People

    Two senior staff changes have occurred at the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB). Richard Matthews has joined the CAB as VP of copyright and legal affairs. Matthews was previously a long-time public servant, eventually serving as directory of copyright and director of broadcasting policy at Canadian Heritage. In another move, Sylvie Courtemanche has left the association after four years. Courtemanche served the CAB as executive VP, policy and regulatory affairs. No replacement has been announced. In the interim, Glenn O’Farrell, Wayne Charman and Richard Cavanagh will manage several priority files. The CAB continues to search for a replacement for David Goldstein, formerly VP of government relations.

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    CNM Short Takes

    Return to DOC on table in telecom ownership debate
    A recent Parliamentary report could lead to the amalgamation of two departments with communications responsibilities into one superagency. On April 28, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology released Opening Canadian Communications to the World, which looked at foreign ownership limits in the telecommunications sector. Telecom is under the jurisdiction of Industry Canada. But committee members pushed the envelope, urging action on satellite and cable holdings, which fall under Canadian Heritage’s purview.
    While the final report itself went beyond the scope of the committee’s mandate, the MPs went even further to advocate greater efforts when they discussed the study with reporters. Committee chair Walt Lastewka said he was in favour of creating a new department that would oversee all aspects of the field, similar to the Department of Communications (DOC) that existed in the 1970s.
    “We’ve got two ministers. One is in charge of the CRTC, one isn’t,” he remarked. “If we had one person and department that had to look at all the issues for the good of Canadians, to me in the long run it would be good. We didn’t go that far, we simply are saying we should look at the governance.”

    While the report dealt with foreign ownership levels, news of a potential return to the days of the DOC could well be welcomed by industry players dealing with conflicting agendas for the country’s copyright regime. Since Bill C-32 and continuing through the recent Internet retransmission battles, frequent rifts between the two departments that oversee copyright have been reported as the competing interests of cultural players and technology players surface at the Cabinet table. Such a move toward re-amalgamating communications responsibilities in a single department is likely years away, if ever, however.

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    SARS won’t stop Canadian New Media Awards, says organizer Froman

    The chief organizer of the annual Canadian New Media Awards vows the show will go on as scheduled in early June despite worldwide anxiety over the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Toronto.

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    Independence from Disney key to new platforms and partners, says InLight

    Newly independent from behemoth Disney Corp., the re-christened InLight Entertainment hopes to parlay private ownership into a raft of new products with a greater variety of partners. The company, formerly Disney Interactive Victoria, was bought out by three senior management members earlier this year as a result of restructuring within Disney. Now, the company hopes to begin developing new broadcast, console games and converged entertainment properties.

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    Decode Entertainment eyeing games market

    One of Canada’s premiere web/TV convergence shops is exploring new gaming options to round out its entertainment offerings, and asking the federal government for help to the sector to finance new projects. This month, the Decode Entertainment television series Save ’Ums went to air in Canada and the U.S., and new media head and partner Dan Fill is already eyeing the series as a potential disc-based game for the PC platform. Another Decode series set to launch this fall, the CGI/live action Blobheads, could push the envelope even more, possibly as a console-based game, if Fill and his partners can find the funding.

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    Beauchamp wins culture and communications portfolio in Quebec

    Quebec multimedia leaders are holding their breath waiting for some direction from the new Liberal Party government in the province regarding public aid to the sector. On April 29, new premier Jean Charest named Line Beauchamp as minister of Culture and Communications, but it will likely be months before Beauchamp puts her stamp on the department and the province’s industry knows whether the government will keep to former premier Bernard Landry’s roadmap or chart a new course.

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    Internet libel has same potential for harm as mass media broadcasts: Ontario judge

    An Ontario Superior Court of Justice judge has made a confusing but landmark decision in a case over whether the Internet can be defined as broadcasting for the purpose of libel law. On April 2, Justice Helen Pierce ruled that the Internet is broadcasting within the meaning of Ontario’s Libel and Slander Act in the case of Elaine Bahlieda vs. Orville Santa. The finding means that victims of slander or libel on the web will have to move more quickly than previously to take action, but that the potential damages are much higher. While some have applauded the decision, others are concerned that the reasoning in the case was muddy, and that confusion might arise between definitions in such legislation as Ontario’s Libel and Slander Act and the federal Broadcasting Act.

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