CNM Short Takes

Section 92 deadline pushed ahead to September 2004The House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has been given authorization to extend its deadline for making a report on copyright reform to September 30, 2004. In the meantime, hearings have begun into digital copyright and WIPO treaty ratification issues. Final submissions into the process are due October 17. The first meetings have featured briefings by Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada officials who have provided a high-level overview of the topics at hand. No further meetings have been scheduled until after the Thanksgiving Parliamentary break. Bell Fund sees big increase in number of applicationsThe Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund reports 40 applications in English and French received at the October 1 deadline. Of those, 22 are for production funding and 15 for project development. Professional development training accounted for three of the applications. The number represents a 10% increase over applications at the same time in 2002. The fund has approximately $1.5 million available, and will meet on November 20 to approve funding. Publishers, record companies announce online services dealEnding months of speculation, the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA), which represents music publishers, and the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) have finally announced a deal to begin entering into licence agreements with music services such as Napster, MusicNet and Puretracks. Details of the new licensing framework won’t be made public. The CMRRA’s David Basskin says in a media release that the framework, "sets up a solid, practical system to enable these new online services to obtain the rights they need to do business in Canada. Music publishers and songwriters are vitally important members of the music industry, and this agreement ensures that their rights will be respected and that they’ll be paid for the use of their songs." Observers have known that a deal was forthcoming for months, and BMG’s Norman Miller and Universal Music Canada’s Graham Henderson hinted at the agreement during an exclusive roundtable with CNM last spring (CNM, May 15/03). Bell ExpressVu announces on-demand sports info serviceBell ExpressVu LP has unveiled a new interactive sports television service featuring on-demand news, results, standings and statistics. The service was being unveiled as of press time, and further details will follow. Online music services heat upDevelopments in the online music market continue to heat up as the highly anticipated Canadian launch of Puretracks is set to take place October 14. The service will see Canadians able to download music tracks from all the major record labels and many independents in Windows Media format. The service is offered by Moontaxi Media Inc., in fulfillment of promises it has been making for several years now (CNM, Dec. 20/02, Feb. 22/02). It’s likely a similar service just launched in the United States by Musicmatch, will follow in the wake of a deal between other online providers and the music industry (see brief in this issue). In the meantime, Touchtunes Music Corp. and Sony Music have also announced an on-demand service deal. Montreal company files for "HDWebcasting" trademarkA company called Global J.F.A. Communication-Marketing in Montreal has filed for trademark protection on the name "HDWebcasting". The trademark would be used in conjunction with a service to record and broadcast via the web in high definition the proceedings of customers’ annual general meetings. The company is a tenant in the city’s Société de développement de Montréal. Another trademark application was filed by Pi Innovation, located on Sherbourne Street in Toronto, for the term "Interactive Hypermedia Transport Architecture." The company’s application lists the term in connection with "specialized computer network specifications built by Pi Innovation to support the delivery and display of multimedia objects used to create an interactive multimedia service or interactive television service, as part of Pi Innovation product and technology portfolio (sic)." Finally, VisualFrenzy Media has changed its name to, and filed a trademark application for, VFM Interactive. The company produces Internet video advertisements and other marketing tools for the lodging and travel industry. The company is located on Spadina Ave. in Toronto. Bell Canada, Microsoft to stream video via broadband networksBell Canada and Microsoft Corp. have announced a high profile trial agreement to test the delivery of television services based on a new Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology. Bell will be among the first in the world to test the system, and will use it to deliver Bell ExpressVu programming. The technology is being touted as a way to reduce bandwidth requirements for delivering TV. Pioneering Content October 23 deadline looms for EOIsThe Ontario Media Development Corp. (OMDC) notes that expressions of interest for its Pioneering Content program are due by October 23 at 5 p.m. The list of technology researchers with whom companies are encouraged to work has been updated, and is available on the OMDC site, as are forms and guidelines. AskMen.com has signed an agreement on undisclosed terms withAOL Canada Inc. to provide content for its men’s content area. AskMen will contribute articles dealing with fitness, dating, fashion, career advice and entertainment from a male perspective. It will also include top 10 lists, humour and advice on relationship problems designed to be entertaining and "inform ‘everyday’ guys," according to a media release. The content features will receive top-level promotion on the AOL Today section. dot com Entertainment Group announces SEC de-registrationToronto-based dot com Entertainment Group Inc., which creates software for online gaming sites, has announced that it will de-register its common stock with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "This step is being taken to control costs and to permit the Company to concentrate its efforts and resources on serving its customer base and increasing sales, thereby enhancing profitability and growth," said president/CEO Scott White in a media release. The company will realize cost savings from reducing legal, audit, registration, governance and other public-company-related expenses. A significant board change has also been made (see People on the Move). marblemedia touts new closed captioning technology for webAs part of mounting its deafplanet.com TV/web series, Toronto’s marblemedia inc. says it made an opportunity of necessity when it developed a new closed captioning technology and new online sign language tool to offer the show via the Internet. It will likely begin licensing the new systems called the Automated Sign Language Liaison Tool and Real-Time Web Captioning Engine. The sign language tool adds American Sign Language (ASL) aids to traditional web page tool bars and menus, while the captioning engine adds ASL translation to accompany the video component of the show. The tools were developed in conjunction with the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf. Opportunities to sell the tools to others have been created as a result of several pieces of legislation passed within the past couple of years, including Ontario’s Ontarians with Dsabilities Act, and the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act. Says marblemedia’s Andrew Lane, "While we aren’t yet actively selling these tools, we realize they could be valuable to users beyond the deaf community and we’re open to discussing software licensing with any interested parties." JumpTV adds to lineupJumpTV Canada Inc., under fire for broadcasting controversial Arab news station Al-Jazeera on the web, likely won’t face any objections to adding several less contentious channels to its lineup of subscription services. The company announces that it will be providing live online coverage of World Cup qualifying soccer matches, Vietnamese channel VT4, InterTV originating from Ukraine and NTV-Mir from Russia. LIPSO wins contract to provide SMS voting for Loft StoryMontreal-based LIPSO has reached agreements with television broadcasters TQS and Radio-Canada to provide mobile text messaging (SMS) voting for the reality program Loft Story. The show premiered in October on TQS. LIPSO will also provide the same services for the Quebec music industry’s gala ADISQ show. The SMS voting will be offered through all of Canada’s mobile phone companies. The company was also responsible for SMS voting on the smash hit Star Académie on TVA.

CNM Short Takes

Broadcast | October 10, 2003

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