After receiving such requests from three different parties, the CRTC has announced the extension of the filing deadlines and hearing date for its Review of the Regulatory Frameworks for Broadcasting Distribution Undertakings and Discretionary Programming Services (CRTC 2007-10-2). The deadlines for filing comments and replies have been extended to October 19 and November 16, from October 9 and November 5, respectively. And the hearing date has been pushed back a week from January 28 to February 4, 2008. The parties requesting extensions included the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, the Canadian Conference of the Arts, and the combined group of Rogers Communications Inc., the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, Quebecor Media Inc., the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance, Saskatchewan Telecommunications, MTS Allstream Inc., Bell Video Group, Star Choice Communications Inc., Telus Communications Inc., Shaw Communications Inc. and Cogeco Inc.

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Interactive entertainment software company Electronic Arts Inc. has announced the three students awarded EA-sponsored scholarships to the new Masters of Digital Media program at Great Northern Way campus in Vancouver. Matt Jenkins of Langley BC, Tarek El-Eryan of Surrey BC and Karthik Venkateshan of Karnataka, India will all receive $20,000 from EA to attend the 20-month masters program designed to teach students the professional skills required to be effective creators, practitioners, and senior managers in the digital media industry. The degree, which is one of the few of its kind in the world, is accredited by Vancouver's four major post secondary institutions: University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. The scholarship money is part of the $1 million (Cdn) grant to the MDM Program that was announced by EA earlier this year, which includes an endowment and numerous scholarships. In addition to the scholarships and paid internships at the company's development studios, EA will provide mentoring programs and supply teachers/lecturers from its executive ranks. 

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Corus Entertainment Inc. has undergone a number of organizational changes in its corporate and television divisions, including the elimination of 53 jobs. The comprehensive organization review was intended to ensure the company is structured efficiently and appropriately aligned to "achieve the goals of providing quality programming for its audiences and enhancing the service level to its clients," according to a press release. The changes announced yesterday include: combining the television division's interactive team with Nelvana Studios; streamlining the reporting structure for Movie Central and Corus Kids by combining the responsibility for acquisitions and original productions in their respective programming departments; transferring responsibility for cable and satellite client marketing to the consumer marketing team; restructuring the broadcast operations and post-production departments to eliminate duplication; reorganizing the IT department; and a number of changes to the advertising sales group.

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London ON-based gaming firm Big Blue Bubble has been ranked 38^th in Profit magazine's Profit Hot 50, the definitive ranking of Canada's emerging growth companies. According to the Hot 50 list, Big Blue Bubble's revenues increased from $561,118 in 2004 to $1,998,181 in 2006, or 256%. It also increased its number of employees from 11 to 39 during that time, and operates with a profit margin greater than 10%. The other good news is that Hobby Shop, a video game the firm developed for Nintendo's Wii platform, was one of four finalists in Telefilm Canada's Great Canadian Video Game Competition, eventually losing out to MindHabits Inc.'s MindHabits Trainer.

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