CNM Update

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 Copyright legislation may be delayedA disagreement between Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada has caused the two departments to re-enter discussions on the eve of the proposed introduction of copyright reform legislation. The discussions centre on an undisclosed educational access issue, confirms Heritage’s Bruce Stockfish. He notes that the ministers and their staffs are meeting to resolve disagreements, and hope to be able to table the legislation before the House rises for summer after meeting this Friday. It was widely expected that the legislation would be introduced on Wednesday. If the House rises without a bill being tabled, the next opportunity to introduce it would likely be in September. While the outlines of the proposed reforms saw broad approval, there has been speculation since their introduction that the issue of either introducing a blanket licence scheme for educational materials online, or granting them a blanket exception in the Copyright Act, could cause the delicate balancing act of the reforms to fall apart (CNM, April 1/05; April 29/05) Bell ExpressVu wants all PPV contributions directed to the Bell FundBell ExpressVu wants regulatory permission to be able to direct all the contributions that it must pay with regard to its national direct-to-home (DTH) pay-per-view (PPV) service to the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund. The satellite TV distributor makes the request in its application for licence renewal for its PPV service known as Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership (Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-59). The licensee’s current condition of licence requires that 80% of the satellite TV distributor’s annual contributions to independently-administered production funds go to the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) while up to 20% can be directed at independently administered funds other than the CTF, such as the Bell fund. The licence expires on August 31. Bell ExpressVu also wants to change the way it calculates its annual contributions so that they are based on 50% of the total retail revenues received from customers. If the later amendment were granted, it would result in a reduction of the satellite TV distributor’s contributions to Canadian programming. Bell ExpressVu has also applied for a licence renewal for its national satellite relay distribution undertaking. Comments on the licence renewals are due by July 15. Canadian NEW MEDIA will have further details in its next full issue. VMS Canada business ordered reviewedCanadian Heritage has ordered a foreign investment review of the creation of a Canadian subsidiary of Virtual Music Stores Limited in Toronto. Virtual Music Stores offers music retailers the ability to burn music to CD on demand, including full-length albums with original art, and custom compilations. No retail partner for the company has yet been announced in Canada. VMS is headquartered in New York City.Decode seeking interactive production supervisorDecode Interactive is looking for an experienced interactive production manager to oversee its staff of 12. Deadline for applications is June 19.Bravo!FACT, NFB mobile shorts launch at Banff festBravo!FACT and the National Film Board have funded a series of shorts for video cell phones that will launch at the Banff World Television Festival June 14. The pieces were directed by four well-known Canadians: Mark McKinney; Sudz Sutherland; Don McKellar; and, Sook-Yin Lee. Canadian NEW MEDIA will have further details in an upcoming issue. Quebec film industry creates film and TV councilQuebec’s film and TV industry formally created the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) with the goal of attracting more foreign location shooting to the province, it was announced June 10. “For the first time, producers, service providers, unions, film boards, interest groups and individuals stand united behind a plan that seeks to support the industry in Quebec, at a time when it faces ferocious competition from other recognized and emerging film centres around the world,” stated Michel Desjardins of Groupe Image Buzz in a media release. An 11-member board, which includes Desjardins, has been elected. The creation of the new organization was the principal recommendation at the Forum métropolitain de l’industrie cinématographique that was held on November 29, 2004.

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Broadcast | June 14, 2005

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