CCR Short Takes

OMNI TV arrives in WinnipegRogers Media Inc. will bring its OMNI brand of multicultural television to Manitoba next month with the launch of multi-faith channel OMNI TV Manitoba. Approval for the deal was granted in May last year when Rogers applied for permission to acquire NOWTV BC (CHNU-TV Fraser Valley) and NOWTV Manitoba (CIIT-TV Winnipeg), as well as for licenses to operate both stations as religious programming undertakings (CCR, June 8/05). Rogers expects to retain the 900,000-strong viewer base the old NOWTV Manitoba broadcast undertaking enjoyed. As specified earlier this year (CCR, Jan. 12/06), Rogers will contribute a maximum of $250,000 a year for the next seven years to fund the production of faith-based documentaries in the two provinces. Sirius Canada sponsors Les FrancouvertesSatellite radio provider Sirius Canada is furthering the commitment it made to Canadian talent development during its licensing process (Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-61) with its support of Les Francouvertes, an annual showcase for emerging Francophone musical talent. Sirius Canada will donate $80,000 each year for the upcoming 2006 and 2007 editions of the competition, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, as well as broadcast the final round of performances on its two French-language music channels, Bande à part and Energie2. "Sirius Canada’s support will help ensure that Les Francouvertes lives on – a future which was until now, uncertain – and for this, we are truly grateful," said the competition’s general manager, Sylvie Courtemanche, in a media release. Les Francouvertes get underway January 30 at the Lion D’Or Theatre in Montreal. Cartoon Network US picks up Mainframe’s ZixxComputer generated animation production house Mainframe Entertainment Inc. announced that the US Cartoon Network has started airing a 26-episode run of Zixx, a hybrid live-action/computer animation children’s show the Canadian firm worked on with Thunderbird Films, Savi Media/The Nightingale Company, and Corus Entertainment Inc. subsidiary YTV Canada. Building on its success with pioneering efforts like ReBoot, Mainframe is expecting increased international attention for Zixx and has contracted Al Ovadia and Associates of Calabasas CA to handle the worldwide broadcast rights. Score Media posts 50% gain in EBITDAToronto’s Score Media Inc. – operator of the Score Television Network – started the first quarter of its 2006 fiscal year right with a $500,000 jump in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA). The quarter actually ended November 30, 2005, and October saw Score Media roll out two new offerings to complement its TV franchise: Score Mobile, a sports information service for mobile phone subscribers the company claims drew 10,000 subscribers by the end of the latest quarter; and Hardcore Sports Radio, a venture with Standard Radio Inc. available on Sirius Canada’s satellite radio service. The company says it plans to expand Score Mobile later this year to Blackberry devices as well. Top-line revenue grew by 23% as well, rising from $6 million to $7.4 million, due to a mix of advertising revenue growth and increased subscribership. Telefilm teams up with UK’s North West VisionTelefilm Canada is bringing Canadian TV producers to the UK to collaborate with their counterparts in the country’s Northwest region. The event, titled Canada-UK Television Coproduction Immersion, will take place March 5 to 7 at a location near Manchester, England, and will bring together 12 professionals from each nation specializing in three genres: drama, documentaries, and children’s programming. "Canadian participants will learn how they can work with the UK television market, and British producers will get to know a key partner to help them take advantage of the new UK rights environment," said Danny Chalifour, Telefilm Canada’s director of international operations and development, in a media release. Regional screen agency North West Vision and consulting firm Olsberg/SPI are partners in the event. Nelvana delivers content for BT’s broadband TVCorus Entertainment Inc.’s children’s programming division, Nelvana Ltd., announced an agreement with UK telecom provider British Telecommunications Inc. (BT) that will see the Canadian firm’s offerings air on BT’s broadband video-on-demand service later this year. Nelvana titles that will air on the BT service include Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, Little Bear, Babar, Max & Ruby, and The Fairly OddParents. Nelvana recently publicized details of similar deals with Rogers Cable Inc. (Treehouse TV) in Canada and Comcast Corp. (Vortex on Demand) in the US. CHUM renames international programming distribution unitCHUM Television International has undergone a name change: the programming distribution and development division of CHUM Ltd. will simply be known as CHUM International now, reflecting the multiple platforms it delivers content for, including traditional and interactive television as well as mobile and wireless services. CHUM International distributes original CHUM programs as well as those of third-party producers to broadcasters on virtually every continent, and also handles the licensing of CHUM’s content. Canadian acquisition firm in international co-productionMontreal film and TV programming acquisition firm Image in Media Inc. – itself in the midst of being acquired by Section Rouge Media Inc. – has embarked on an international feature film venture with China Film Animated Ltd. and the UK’s Treehouse Film and Television Ltd. Production on the 3D animated film, dubbed "Monster Club: The Movie," will get underway sometime this quarter, with a $20 million budget. In a media release, Image in Media CEO and president Paul Allard said the movie – based on a successful comic franchise by UK author Kit Wallis and published by AP Comics Ltd. – has already received interest from a US distributor, who has expressed an interest in a widespread theatrical release. RCMP stings alleged illegal satellite dealerA Toronto-based retailer has been charged with selling illegal satellite receivers and subscriptions by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Mounties allege that T-One Corp. and three of its employees sold full systems equipped to receive the signal of Englewood CO EchoStar Communications Corp.’s Dish Network service for a one-time charge of $290 plus a $55-a-month subscription fee. After a search of the firm’s offices, the RCMP seized Dish Network receivers and smart cards, as well as smart cards for Bell’s ExpressVu service. Christian Channel gets second approvalThe CRTC announced on Jan. 20 that it has again approved a licensing request from The Christian Channel, a Category 2 specialty offering. A similar application for the service was originally approved in December 2000, but failed to meet its November 2003 deadline for commencing operations. The English-language channel will feature religious programming, interstitials, public service announcements, and infomercials, promotional and corporate videos from a variety of Christian and multi-faith perspectives. The Christian Channel’s licence expires August 2012. Réseau Info Sports wins weekday freedomLe Réseau des sports (RDS) Inc. has won approval for its application to amend the licence of Réseau Info Sports, a round-the-clock French-language sports news channel. Réseau Info Sports has previously been limited in its ability to broadcast coverage from sporting events by a subsection confining such coverage to Saturdays and Sundays only. The CRTC allowed the Category 1 specialty offering to strike the condition from its terms of licence. Telus signs VOD deal with FOXTelus Corp.’s fledgling Telus TV service will get a boost with a new signing between the Vancouver-based telco and Twentieth Century Fox. Telus’ on-demand TV-over-DSL service will feature such big-name FOX films as The Fantastic Four, Kingdom of Heaven, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Robots. In a media release announcing the agreement, Fred Di Blasio, Telus’ VP of consumer product marketing, called the FOX VOD deal "a core element of our new Telus TV video-on-demand product offering."

CCR Short Takes

Broadcast | January 27, 2006

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