AOL Canada-DECODE deal furthers Canadian new media strategy

AOL Canada has signed another original content deal with a Canadian producer of new media properties - this time licensing material from DECODE Entertainment. Starting this fall, AOL Canada will feature content from Undergrads.tv and Girlstuff Boystuff Avatar World for its members. The agreement, on undisclosed terms, follows on the heels of a similar deal between the ISP/aggregator and Halifax-based Collideascope Digital Entertainment for that shop’s Rock Camp property (CNM, May 30/03). The moves appear to mark a new proactive strategy by AOL Canada to forge links with Canada’s new media production community that saw the ISP giant hold a summit with producers, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and Telefilm Canada late last year. The deals are interesting especially in the wake of a new report by consultant David Ellis of Omnia Communications Inc. for Telefilm Canada that indicates many have given up on the aggregation model for cultural content produced by Canadian SMEs. But AOL Canada entertainment product manager Dave Stevens says the company is still in discussions with other producers to forge similar links in the hopes of offering the service’s members even more interactive entertainment options. Stevens says the company is actively seeking content from independent producers and that he has an open-door policy toward pitches. While both the DECODE and Collideascope properties are multi-platform, with shows on YTV and CBC respectively, a television component isn’t necessary to attract AOL’s interest. "It’s now become word-of-mouth within the industry that we’re interested in working with new media producers," Stevens tells Canadian NEW MEDIA. "We’re looking for something that’s very - it has to be interactive. We want to give our members the content that they’re able to interact with. One of the strengths of AOL is the community aspect and being able to interact with the content. We are very much pop culture, entertainment-focused in the content strategy." He adds, "We are really absolutely open to anything and one of our goals is to support new media producers…It’s obvious with the content here from DECODE and Collideascope that there’s a lot of innovative, leading-edge stuff being done in Canada and AOL is interested in being a part of that." Observers may note similarities between Rock Camp and GirlStuff BoyStuff Avatar World, in that both are aimed at youth and both are from production houses focused on the youth market. But Stevens and AOL Canada spokesperson Vanda Provato say future deals won’t be limited to content attractive to that segment of the company’s membership. AOL Canada is interested in hearing from producers with pitches for a range of content ranging across both narrowband and broadband offerings for all age groups and segments. The two agreements may also strike some as counter-trend. For several years, independent Canadian production firms have bristled with frustration at the slow pace at which their offerings were embraced by large aggregators, broadcasters and others that could offer a large audience base. While the broadcast side of that equation has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, largely thanks to the efforts of funding groups such as the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, content without a TV component has struggled to attract eyeballs. The recent David Ellis report prepared for Telefilm Canada (CNM, June 13/03) notes: "…Small size is a serious disincentive for portals looking for content partners, for both content creation and technical reasons…Portals do not yet offer much produced content, especially entertainment content, since they haven’t found ways to monetize it."

AOL Canada-DECODE deal furthers Canadian new media strategy

News | 07/11/2003 4:00 am EDT

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