Wireless providers say CRTC report suggests they could face broadcast regulatory framework

Media | 02/12/2010 9:00 pm EST

The Canadian wireless industry says it is concerned that the language contained in a new CRTC report suggests wireless providers could face the same regulation as broadcasters.   A 90-page CRTC report released this week, titled “Navigating Convergence: Charting Canadian...

New media industry calls for $30 million for interactive projects in Canada Media Fund

Media | 02/12/2010 4:54 pm EST

The new Canada Media Fund (CMF) should allocate at least $30 million to interactive projects if the fund’s managers want to support the digital industry, Ian Kelso, president of the Canadian Interactive Alliance (CIAIC), said in an interview.  Set for its official launch on April 1,...

Facing budget constraints, Tories can pursue regulatory reform, say experts

Media | 02/12/2010 12:08 am EST

Strapped for the necessary revenues to help develop a national digital strategy, the Conservative government should pursue less-costly regulatory reforms, experts said at a roundtable Thursday.  The Liberal Party hosted the roundtable on Parliament Hill to discuss Canada’s digital economy, where panelists...

Rogers calls for fair dealing to support network PVRs

Media | 02/11/2010 10:56 pm EST

Rogers called for reform of Canada’s approach to fair dealing in its copyright law Monday at a digital economy roundtable on Parliament Hill. Ken Engelhart, vice-president of regulatory at Rogers Communications Inc., told a room of parliamentarians, lobbyists, media and the public that Canada’s approach to fair dealing should allow...

Telus offers DRM-free music to cellphone customers

Media | 02/10/2010 11:49 pm EST

Telus announced Wednesday that it is the first cellphone carrier in Canada to offer wireless music free of digital rights management (DRM)—but the company will charge customers 30 cents per track to replace their DRM music.  DRM limits what a users can do with songs or other media after they download them. Often, the technology will restrict a consumer from copying or using the files on other devices.  For now, new DRM-free tracks will be sold with existing DRM music inventory in the Telus Music Shop.  David Neale, Telus’ chief futurist and senior vice-president for strategic content services, told The Wire Report that the DRM-free launch coincided with the launch of Telus’ new HSPA network. The company’s increased wireless capacity made it...

Broadcasters feeling no impact from CRTC’s elimination of local advertising limits

Media | 02/09/2010 7:16 pm EST

National broadcasters CBC and CTV say a CRTC decision that removed all limits on over-the-air television advertising has had little-to-no impact on their advertising models.  In a broadcasting public notice delivered on May 17, 2007, the CRTC determined that it would eliminate the limit on advertising for...

Canadian Media Guild says CRTC’s FreeHD decision opens possibility of charging for free OTA broadcasts

Media | 02/08/2010 10:59 pm EST

A CRTC decision Monday granted satellite company FreeHD Canada Inc. a licence to operate a national direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service, a move that the Canadian Media Guild warns could lead to charges for local broadcast signals via satellite.  In July 2009, FreeHD Canada, a new...

Canadian groups say Google Books agreement would violate international law

Media | 02/08/2010 9:16 pm EST

Canadian lobby groups have filed objections with the US court considering the proposed Google Books agreement, arguing that it violates international law such as NAFTA and the Berne Convention on copyright.  “The big concern is that Google is going to end up with a monopoly on digitized literary works,”...

NFB, Radio Canada move ahead with free content, ‘the way of the past’

Media | 02/05/2010 9:39 pm EST

Public organizations like the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Radio Canada seem to be on the leading edge of digital media, providing free access to films and TV shows online. One industry analyst says the future of content delivery could look an awful lot like the past.  “Free is the way of the...

Licence for the new Sundance Channel still runs the gamut of ‘the entire drive in genre’

Media | 02/03/2010 10:45 pm EST

Corus Entertainment Inc.’s new Sundance Channel will air on the company’s existing CRTC licence for the Drive In Classics channel, whose schedule covers “the entire drive-in genre,” including horror, thriller, beach party, and car chase movies as well as “social...

Cable co’s call for status quo in community television debate, say Internet helps meet community needs

Media | 02/02/2010 10:29 pm EST

The major cable players in the community television debate are telling the CRTC they support the status quo, and that hyper-local, community-generated content can be produced and distributed more cheaply on the Internet.  The deadline for submissions to the CRTC’s April 26 hearings to...

CBC tracking copying and pasting from its website with Tynt Insight

Media | 02/02/2010 9:59 pm EST

The CBC has introduced a pilot feature to its website allowing it to track how many users copy and paste from news stories and what material is lifted.  The tracking technology is provided by Calgary company Tynt Multimedia Inc. Tynt Insight, formerly known as Tynt Tracker, is a program that allows website and blog...

AM radio can be saved with strong local content, online presence, say experts

Media | 02/01/2010 9:47 pm EST

The closure of two AM stations in Montreal last week represents a bleak future for the AM band in Canada, but industry experts say AM stations can survive by increasing their online content and refocusing on local news.  On Jan. 29, Corus Entertainment shut down two of its AM radio stations, AM Info690...

News business should look at wireless delivery, aggregation, experts say

Media | 02/01/2010 3:23 pm EST

TORONTO—The battered newspaper industry’s salvation will be to plunge whole-heartedly into new media technology.   That was the key message at Innovate News, a conference held Saturday by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) at the Mars Centre in Toronto.  In a panel session, speakers agreed that the proliferation of wireless devices may deliver that salvation—but how to monetize digital news delivery, in a form consumers want, is another question. “Mobile will be huge. But you can’t deliver a 10-page investigative report to an iPhone. People will want weather, sports and quick content, so media organizations need to think this...

CBC online licensing page links to American copyright law

Media | 01/29/2010 10:40 pm EST

The CBC’s licensing option on its online news articles may be misleading users into thinking American copyright laws apply to its website, say critics. The CBC’s licensing option on its website links to Seattle-based copyright licensing company iCopyright. When users click on a news story, the word...

Electronic Arts eyes VanEdge Capital’s online gaming and access to China, say analysts

Media | 01/29/2010 10:29 pm EST

Vancouver’s VanEdge Capital is in talks with gaming giant Electronic Arts and other partners to close a $100 million deal to invest in digital media start-ups, say sources close to the deal. Analysts tell The Wire Report that Electronic Arts is probably interested in VanEdge to move toward...

Eliminating Cancon quotas could ghettoize it, says CFPTA’s Bolen

Media | 01/29/2010 10:16 pm EST

A recent policy proposal to replace Canadian content quotas with direct subsidies risks “ghettoizing” Canadian content on select channels like the CBC, says Norm Bolen, president and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA).  Bolen’s comments came in response to a...

Internet, new media supports community radio, but it’s too early to solve its problems

Media | 01/29/2010 10:01 pm EST

New media and the Internet have made it easier than ever for organizations to share information and capture new audiences—but for the moment community radio stations don’t appear to be maximizing its potential.  During the CRTC’s hearings on the review the campus and...

CACTUS campaign on community TV draws 800 letters to CRTC

Media | 01/28/2010 11:20 pm EST

A lobby campaign spearheaded by the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) has resulted in 800 letters to the CRTC in support of community television—but the commission hasn’t yet posted them on its website, says Catherine Edwards, a spokeswoman for CACTUS.  Many of the letters asked the CRTC to extend the Feb. 1 deadline to submit comments for the commission’s review of the community television policy framework, she said. The 800 letters have not yet been added to the public record for the hearings, scheduled to start April 26, 2010, she added. “We assume they’ll be posted eventually,” said Edwards, adding that many of them are based on a form letter on the CACTUS website. A CRTC spokesperson was not...

Government will not accede to ACTA unless ‘fully satisfied’ that it’s in best interest of Canadians: Van Loan

Media | 01/27/2010 10:58 pm EST

The Government of Canada will not accede to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) unless it is “fully satisfied that it reflects the best interests of Canadians,” International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan says.  In response to a questions about a letter received this...

Privacy Commissioner launches second probe into Facebook

Media | 01/27/2010 10:26 pm EST

A public interest advocacy group is pleased to see the Privacy Commissioner of Canada launch a second investigation into Facebook’s privacy settings, saying “we are not done with Facebook.” This is Stoddart’s second probe into Facebook’s privacy policies. In July 2009, the commissioner...

Rogers responds to communications union, says broadcasters should get their own houses in order

Media | 01/25/2010 11:40 pm EST

In response to the communication union’s call for CRTC hearings into cuts at Citytv, broadcasters should get their own financial houses in order instead of relying on the commission for help, Jan Innes, vice president of public affairs at Rogers Communications Inc., told The Wire Report....

Canwest’s specialty channels, broadcast properties for sale – for the right price, say analysts

Media | 01/25/2010 11:34 pm EST

Although Canwest’s creditors have put only the company’s newspapers up for sale, analysts say its broadcast and specialty channels are probably available—for the right price.  They say Canwest’s specialty channels are its prized assets, and that Global TV, while...

Feds working on a broad national digital strategy; could be released in budget, experts say

Media | 01/25/2010 9:30 pm EST

The federal government is developing a broad, national digital strategy that could be released in the March budget, say experts and insiders. Insiders say they expect a made-in-Canada, national digital strategy that will touch upon modern spectrum management; information and communications...

Francophone community radio strong; competing with private radio: ARRF

Media | 01/21/2010 9:15 pm EST

On the final day of the CRTC’s hearings for its review of the campus and community radio sector, the Association des radios régionales francophones (ARRF) aired concerns about a competitive threat it sees from community radio stations in small francophone markets.  “Regional francophone radio has...

New CTV-Rogers Olympic consortium planning to step up digital content; CBC, Telus will be watching

Media | 01/21/2010 7:58 pm EST

With the CBC losing it’s Olympic bid for the first time since 1996, this year’s new Olympic broadcast consortium is under pressure to demonstrate that it can deliver Canadians the content they want via new, digital platforms.  Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, a...

New media committee study sidelined; prorogation, politicking blamed

Media | 01/21/2010 3:06 pm EST

The prorogation of Parliament has put on hold a wide-ranging House of Commons committee study into digital media, but it’s likely to return to the priority list, say members of the House Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.  The committee had launched a study titled “Canada and the New Medias”...

CRFC calls for outcomes-based community radio funding

Media | 01/20/2010 10:52 pm EST

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) told the CRTC Wednedsday that it could help meet the needs of the suffering community and campus radio sector with an “outcomes-based" approach to funding—in which the control of funding distribution is taken out of the hands of private donors.  The need for a national strategy to fund and support the community and campus radio sector in Canada was the theme when the CRFC presented its case on the third day of hearing in the CRTC’s review of the sector. The CRFC got off the ground in 2008 when it received a donation of $1.4 million from Astral Media Radio, to be spent on development programs within the sector over seven years. Earlier this year Astral Media donated another $300,000 to the fund. Community radio...

Commercial radio thinks their broadcasting is more important than ours: community radio

Media | 01/19/2010 10:30 pm EST

Private radio proposed government subsidies, community funding, and charitable status as its prescriptions for the ailing campus and community radio sector Tuesday—solutions the community radio sector called “patronizing.”  “Many of their points were patronizing. They...

Shaw maintains its position on Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act; CRTC chair calls it ‘hogwash’

Media | 01/19/2010 10:09 pm EST

Shaw Communications Inc. is standing its ground after the chair of the CRTC dismissed as “hogwash” the company’s recent salvo in the fee-for-carriage debate. Ken Stein, Shaw’s senior vice president for corporate and regulatory affairs, told The Wire Report that Shaw...

CRTC should start with defining community radio and its objectives, says community and campus radio

Media | 01/18/2010 11:14 pm EST

The future of community radio came into focus at a CRTC hearing Monday, where community radio representatives said new media cannot be their replacement and that the CRTC should start with a good definition of the sector and its objectives. Brian Burchell, station manager and CEO of University of...

Welcome to The Wire Report: Letter from the editor

Media | 01/18/2010 12:26 am EST

Today I’m happy to introduce you, our readers, to Hill Times Publishing’s newest service, The Wire Report.  In fact anticipation has been building for a number of weeks now. At Hill Times Publishing, myself, publisher Anne Marie Creskey, reader sales and services director Ryan O’Neill and online services manager Dan Hulton have...

EU stepping up pressure to change Canadian copyright: EU Commission document

Media | 01/18/2010 12:13 am EST

The EU is pressuring Canada for significant amendments to its intellectual property regime this week as Canadian officials take part in trade negotiations in Brussels, an internal EU strategy document shows. The document, obtained by The Wire Report, is intended to help EU officials “facilitate the coordination of messages in the contacts with the respective government authorities,” and shows EU designs to use the negotiations as “a good opportunity to exert pressure” on Canada to change its intellectual property laws. Dated Nov. 16, 2009, the text is contained within a broader wish list for the EU Commission; however The Wire Report obtained only the section...

CACTUS proposes shared local media spaces to reduce costs

Media | 01/17/2010 11:21 pm EST

To answer the question of funding—the central issue in this week’s CRTC hearings on community radio—the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) is proposing a plan to reduce costs through shared local radio, television, and new media spaces. Starting Monday this week,...

Digital media network to hold inaugural annual conference in Ottawa in June

Media | 01/14/2010 9:09 pm EST

The newly created Graphics, Animation and New Media (GRAND) Network will hold its inaugural annual conference in June in Ottawa, where one of the hot topics will be the use of digital media and gaming technology in fitness and cognitive programs for seniors. Dr. Abby Goodrum, GRAND’s director for social sciences...

Commentary: Less regulation key to Canada becoming a leader in the digital economy

Media | 01/13/2010 6:19 pm EST

The debate around Canadian rules governing foreign ownership and control in the telecom sector has been reignited by the federal government's recent decision which allowed mobile services provider Globalive to enter the Canadian market, overruling a CRTC determination that the company is not under Canadian control. The...

Digital media investment firm wants start-up visa to lure foreign entrepreneurs to Canada

Media | 01/11/2010 3:38 pm EST

 Inspired by the American discussion of a new a “start-up visa” for immigrant entrepreneurs, Canada’s new media industry is now buzzing about the idea. The notion is borrowed from the U.S., where talk of a start-up visa has been in the air for some time. In Canada, Dan...

Industry Canada considers sharing digital radio spectrum with wireless services

Media | 01/08/2010 4:54 pm EST

Industry Canada is hoping a greater reliance on market forces will help revive commercial interest in portions of the L-band spectrum currently used for digital radio services.  In consultation DGTP-010-09, the department proposes to replace the digital audio broadcast (DAB) designation in the 1452-1492 MHz...

Shaw gets access to more satellite TV spectrum, wireless companies squeezed for backhaul

Media | 01/06/2010 6:52 pm EST

A decision from Industry Canada last month to allocate additional spectrum in the 11 GHz band to direct-to-home (DTH) services allows Shaw Communications Inc.’s satellite TV company Shaw Direct to meet growing demand for additional satellite TV services, including high-definition channels....

DirecTV challenges Canadian satellite company’s plans to launch TV service in U.S.

Media | 01/04/2010 6:13 pm EST

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is wading into a battle between satellite TV giant DirecTV and Ciel Satellite Group over the Ottawa company’s plan to use an orbital slot that includes the U.S. as well as Canada. Ciel’s ability to serve all of North America could...

Wi-LAN’s V-Chip software jumps from the TV to the PC with CyberLink deal

Media | 01/04/2010 4:01 pm EST

Ottawa-based tech patent firm Wi-LAN Inc. isn’t about to say just how much money it’s making from software that gives parents control over what their kids can watch on TV. But according to company president and CEO Jim Skippen, a new licensing agreement between Wi-LAN and PC-TV software firm CyberLink Corp....

Free tier of local TV stations a good idea, but not at expense of paying for signals, broadcasters warn

Media | 12/17/2009 5:13 pm EST

Opposition is mounting to a proposal by FreeHD Canada Inc. to be exempted from contributing to a local programming fund and paying broadcasters a fee for their signals – in return for Canadians receiving a free basic tier of local channels. Bev Kirshenblatt, CBC senior director, regulatory affairs, said if FreeHD is relieved of Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) contributions, which currently amount to 1.5% of each BDU’s gross revenues, it would negate the CRTC’s policy of supporting local programming and open the floodgates to similar requests from other BDUs seeking competitive equality. “This would not be in the best interests of the Canadian...

Commentary: Why Canada and other countries should consider a stimulus package for ICT

Media | 12/17/2009 2:31 pm EST

Governments are trying to save or create well paying jobs in a variety of sectors including auto manufacturers, construction and other industries. But where’s the government in attempting to save jobs or create new innovation in information and communication technologies (ICT)? Not a...

Digital media firms form cluster to raise Ottawa’s profile in wake of Nortel meltdown

Media | 12/16/2009 4:18 pm EST

There’s a new player in the regional race for digital dominance: the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) launched GENERATOR this week – a digital media cluster that aims to combine the individual efforts of Ottawa’s interactive companies and hopefully put the...

‘Advanced advertising’ poised to generate new revenue streams for cable and DTH

Media | 12/16/2009 2:32 pm EST

Proponents of “advanced advertising” say the new technology has the potential to generate significant advertising revenue and “staunch the bleeding” for cable and satellite operators. Targeted advertising technology—what the industry calls “advanced” or...

Goodbye, Google – Hello, MuchMusic: Immersive Media strives to get its commercial groove

Media | 12/11/2009 3:21 pm EST

Despite a substantial setback with the loss of an important contract, Calgary’s Immersive Media Corp. is looking to expand its commercial business. One recent win: MuchMusic. The CTVglobemedia Inc. channel has signed on to use Immersive’s IM LIVE 360-degree interactive video platform....

Recession hitting broadcast and film industries harder than other culture industries: Conference Board report

Media | 12/10/2009 7:56 pm EST

The broadcast and film industries will suffer more than any other segments of the Canadian economy because of the global economic recession, according to the Conference Board of Canada. In a report that examines the impact of the recession on Canada’s culture sector, the board says broadcast and film advertizing revenues will especially be hit hard, shrinking 4.5% and 3.0% respectively. These percentages, together with revenue decline in nine culture categories examined in the report, represent an overall loss of $3.1 billion for the culture economy this year. In total, the culture industry was expected to rake over $72.2 billion in revenues for 2008. “The Conference Board...

Global trade agreement throws ‘made in Canada’ copyright policy into question

Media | 12/10/2009 2:25 pm EST

Legal experts disagree on whether the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement would compel Canada to abandon “made-in-Canada” copyright reform. Public controversy erupted this fall after a series of leaks revealed that the ACTA proposes significant digital copyright reforms modeled on U.S....

Outdated laws prevent regulators from keeping pace with technological changes: AIMS report

Media | 12/09/2009 3:23 pm EST

An East Coast think tank argues that even though Canada’s communication landscape is substantially different than it was 20 or 30 years ago, our regulations still sport disco suits. The group says it’s time to reorganize – but how would its suggestions impact the market? Would...

Ontario delegates head to Lyon France this week to lure games developers to province

Media | 12/08/2009 4:40 pm EST

Representatives of the Ontario Technology Corridor (OTC) are off to Lyon France this week in hopes of convincing at least two or three digital media companies to consider setting up shop in Ontario. But judging by comments from one of the delegates, the group is facing stiff competition from within and outside of Canada....

CACTUS seeks answers on community programming spending at TV fee hearing

Media | 12/07/2009 8:49 pm EST

The Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) has told the CRTC that it is concerned about the lack of transparency on the money cable subscribers pay for community programming. CACTUS told commissioners on day one of a hearing exploring the implications and advisability of a compensation...

BC’s educational broadcaster expands into web, wireless and high def platforms

Media | 12/02/2009 6:51 pm EST

Knowledge Network Corporation, British Colombia’s public educational broadcaster, has unveiled a new interactive website designed to extend the television experience online and to raise revenue through donations from its 26,000-strong household base. Launched last week, the new revamped website (knowledge.ca) is...

MyScreen bringing mobile ad platform to Latin America, Brazil; rollout plans for Canada less certain

Media | 11/30/2009 3:33 pm EST

Toronto-based MyScreen Mobile Inc. inked a major deal last week to bring its interactive mobile advertising service to over 194 million cell phone users in Latin America and the Caribbean. Then there’s the 42 million Brazilians it will reach following a separate deal announced last month. Yet,...

Commentary: Research and student training essential to prepare Canada for the digital age

Media | 11/26/2009 5:57 pm EST

Researchers and students across the social sciences and humanities are now at the heart of research and innovation as digital content and the use of digital media become the focus of attention in the Digital Age. There is a new conviction that our capacity for innovation increasingly depends upon a...

Bad customer service costs Canadian communications industry $4 billion annually: Study

Media | 11/26/2009 2:15 pm EST

Canadian companies lose a whopping $9.7 billion in a year because of poor customer service, with landline, wireless, ISP and television signal distributors among the worst hit, according to a study from Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc. The call-centre-equipment division of...

Small TV stations propose using portion of local programming funds to pay for digital conversion

Media | 11/24/2009 7:14 pm EST

Independent television station owners in small markets are asking the CRTC for permission to use a third of their money from the new Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) to pay for the conversion to digital broadcasting. Rick Arnish, president of the Kamloops-based Jim Patterson Broadcasting Group, who spoke on behalf of small market independent television stations (SMITS), told commissioners today at the group-based licensing hearing that while funds like the LPIF and the Small Market Local Programming Fund are crucial to the survival of independent stations in small markets, an eroded revenue base leaves small stations with no choice but to ask for help to meet digital transition...

Allowing ads on VOD and American programs could generate $500 million annually for TV industry: ACA

Media | 11/24/2009 3:35 pm EST

The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) is urging the CRTC to open new revenue streams for the television sector by allowing advertising on local avails and on VOD platforms. The ACA says the move could pump as much as $500 million annually into the ailing television industry. Bob Reaume,...

CFTPA seeks spending cap on foreign programs & new rules to make Canadian shows more profitable

Media | 11/19/2009 8:43 pm EST

The Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) wants the CRTC to cap the amount of money domestic broadcasters can spend on foreign programming, saying the savings will improve the industry’s bottom line and allow them to boost their investments in profitable Canadian shows....

Ontario takes digital media expertise beyond interactive entertainment with $26M investment

Media | 11/19/2009 4:14 pm EST

The Ontario government is investing $26 million in a digital innovation “hub” in Kitchener Ont., where businesses of all sizes and types will be able to meet, share ideas, and hopefully accelerate growth in the province’s digital media and mobile sectors. Just don’t call it...

CBC tables new approach to regulate negotiations between broadcasters and carriers

Media | 11/17/2009 6:31 pm EST

The CBC came out swinging in defence of carriage fees on the second day of the group-based licensing hearing. It urged the CRTC to wield its influence and issue a distribution order, rather than amending the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations, saying it’s a simpler, faster and more efficient way for broadcasters...

Fee-for-carriage of Canadian TV signals could trigger “border broadcasting war” with U.S., warns Rogers

Media | 11/17/2009 2:57 pm EST

Allowing Canadian television stations to charge a fee for their signals could create a trade war with U.S. border stations which would demand similar compensation when cable and satellite carriers redistribute their signals to Canadian homes, Rogers Communications Inc. executives warned the CRTC yesterday, during day one of its group-based licensing hearing. Rogers executives argued that if Canada adopts a fee-for-carriage regime, then U.S. border stations will demand equal treatment. If denied, Ken Engelhart, Rogers senior VP, regulatory affairs, predicated that such discriminatory treatment could lead to a U.S. border broadcasting "war", similar to the one waged in the...

CTV plan would force BDUs to drop popular US programs if negotiations with TV stations fail

Media | 11/16/2009 7:40 pm EST

Nearly 20 years after the United States began allowing fee for carriage of local television signals, CTVglobemedia Inc. told regulators today that it’s finally time for the CRTC to follow suit with a made-in-Canada retransmission consent regime that would force broadcast distribution...

Recession drives increase in mobile, email and online advertising: Ipsos Reid poll

Media | 11/16/2009 2:05 am EST

The change in advertising spending patterns in Canada continues, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll released Saturday. When asked to assess the pace of change in the media mix over the past two years, 92% of respondents (marketers) and 88% cent of respondents (agency management) indicated that virtually everything has...

Government sets up Ottawa testbed to showcase mobile DTV to broadcast industry

Media | 11/16/2009 1:48 am EST

Now that an international network-standards body has approved technology enabling mobile digital TV broadcasts, Industry Canada’s Communications Research Centre (CRC) plans to conduct mobile DTV tests in the Ottawa region. According to people involved in the project, the technology might change the broadcasting...

Citizens bombard CRTC with their views on whether broadcasters should be paid for their signals

Media | 11/13/2009 8:09 pm EST

Television consumers, whose voices aren’t always as prominent as those of big companies at CRTC hearings, have submitted a total of 1800 comments, expressing a range of opinions on the contentious fee-for-carriage issue. Some voice support for fee-for-carriage while others criticize Canadian...

ODD1 gains foothold into interactive kids market with acquisition of Tribal Nova’s gaming division

Media | 11/11/2009 3:23 pm EST

Two Montreal-based interactive entertainment companies – virtual-world producer Tribal Nova and games developer ODD1 Inc. – are joining forces, allowing each to focus on what it does best while reaping the benefits of the other’s business. Similar mergers could soon follow as...

Broadcasters seek regulatory relief from community radio contributions; blame recession and technology changes

Media | 11/09/2009 6:43 pm EST

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is asking the CRTC to relieve private radio broadcasters of mandatory contributions and new financial obligations to support community radio in Canada when a new regulatory regime is established next year. Responding to a call for input on a new...

August 2011 deadline for digital switch not realistic for all broadcasters, warns Rogers and Corus

Media | 11/04/2009 10:01 pm EST

Television broadcasters operating in major markets may be given some flexibility in meeting a August 2011 deadline for converting their over-the-air signals to digital, if Rogers Broadcasting Ltd and Corus Entertainment Inc. succeed in convincing the CRTC to be flexible. Released in July, the...

GameON Finance 2009: Ontario flashes cash, but VC industry warns more is needed to grow industry

Media | 11/02/2009 4:30 pm EST

Ontario video game developers might find it easier to beef up their business skills, market their wares, and find funding now that the Ontario government is pumping $605,000 into Interactive Ontario, the new media industry association. Judging by comments at the group’s GameON Finance 2009...

GameON Finance 2009: Ubisoft credits technology ‘breakthroughs’ for video game successes

Media | 10/29/2009 3:04 pm EDT

Forget tax credits, funding systems and market research – if video game developers really want to succeed, they need to get serious about creativity, according to Yannis Mallat, president and CEO of video-game maker Ubisoft in Canada. In a presentation at Interactive Ontario’s GameON Financing 2009 conference in Toronto this week, Mallat said creativity leading to innovation is the key to Ubisoft’s success. “We’ve come to realize the breakthrough is the single factor that all our major successes have in common,” he said. Speaking before a room of developers, technologists and financiers, Mallat explained that the atmospheric lighting featured in...

Advocates envisage role for municipalities and communities in community channels

Media | 10/29/2009 2:56 pm EDT

Supporters of community television are urging the CRTC to adopt a regulatory model that empowers municipalities to play a strong role in independent volunteer-run community channels. Some envision a model that would see community channels managed by a board appointed by elected municipal officials. Cathy Edwards,...

National Capital Region to become test site for new mobile digital television network

Media | 10/28/2009 6:16 pm EDT

The Ottawa region will be the test site for a new generation of digital television that will give over-the-air broadcasters the option of using part of their channel capacity to offer TV programs and other data services to portable or mobile devices, including laptops and cell phones. Broadcasters...

Bell TV and Shaw Direct fight new requirement to carry independent local TV stations

Media | 10/28/2009 1:51 pm EDT

A yet-to-be enforced regulatory policy governing the distribution of independently owned television stations on satellite has come under attack by Canada’s two satellite television companies. Both Bell TV and Shaw Direct have criticized a proposal to review the policy, arguing that proposed changes are premature and...

GameON Finance 2009 conference: New threats and opportunities for games developers

Media | 10/28/2009 1:29 pm EDT

An increasingly diverse customer base, new distribution options, and changing technologies present video game developers with novel opportunities, according to participants at a Toronto conference this week on the interactive entertainment industry. But speakers at GameON Finance 2009 also outlined a host of unprecedented...

New Media BC board approves merger with Wireless Innovation Network

Media | 10/22/2009 2:43 pm EDT

New Media BC’s board of directors voted unanimously Tuesday in favour of merging with the Wireless Innovation Network of British Columbia (WINBC). The new association will be called the Digital Media and Wireless Association of BC (DigiBC). DigiBC will have a board of between 20-24 members, an executive committee of 5-8, management of 4-5, and a strategic advisory group of between 8-12 people. Several special interest groups are planned covering areas such as mobile and wireless, video games, animation and VFX, Web.2.0 and social media, eLearning, human resources and talent, and capital. The two organizations have already been working closely on several initiatives, including...

Analysts criticize use of OECD data in Harvard report giving Canada poor broadband ranking

Media | 10/21/2009 4:12 pm EDT

Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society wasn’t expecting to create a tempest in a tea pot when it released data last week showing Canada having some of the poorest broadband service in the developed world. And while some Canadian analysts are criticizing the study...

Gaming industry still plagued by dearth of financing; publishers fill void with “above-normal returns”

Media | 10/21/2009 2:58 pm EDT

An almost insatiable global demand for online games, combined with generous tax incentives throughout Canada, are continuing to drive growth in this country’s gaming industry – but stakeholders warn they still face an uphill battle in attracting financing. Part of the reason, says the...

Channel Zero gambles on local news and popular movies to pull CHCH-TV out of the red

Media | 10/20/2009 1:54 pm EDT

A month after Channel Zero took ownership of CHCH-TV in Hamilton, the company says it’s on track to reduce losses at the 55-year-old money-losing station by maximizing local news, shedding U.S. shows, shoring up advertiser confidence and winning back audience loyalty. “What we saw was that the local news...

Bell taps ExtendMedia to link TV content to web portal; hints of more services in 2010

Media | 10/18/2009 7:34 pm EDT

Bell Canada Enterprises Inc. aims to buck the web TV trend with a new “TV anywhere” service supported by ExtendMedia Corp.’s technology. According to a Bell TV spokesman, the portal begins by offering up premium channel content instead of run-of-the-mill programming. Rather than...

Federal action on local programming will depend on outcome of CRTC review

Media | 10/16/2009 6:47 pm EDT

Those awaiting quick action from the federal government to help Canada’s ailing local television sector will have to wait until the CRTC provides its assessment on the impact of fee for carriage early next year. While sympathetic to the financial plight of local broadcasters, Heritage minister James Moore cautions in...

Ottawa and provinces need comprehensive policies to boost Canadian digital media sector: OTC

Media | 10/16/2009 5:30 pm EDT

If governments really want to foster healthy Canadian digital media sectors, they should take a comprehensive approach to developing the policies designed to support the industry. Focusing on just one or another aspect of the market won’t cut it, says a director of the Ontario Technology...

NFB and Brazil sign 3-year deal to create joint productions for multiple platforms

Media | 10/14/2009 6:50 pm EDT

The National Film Board (NFB) has signed a three-year agreement with Brazil’s ministry of culture that sets the stage for cooperation on new models of joint productions on digital and traditional platforms. Tom Perlmutter, government film commissioner and chair of the NFB, says a key aspect of the agreement is to...

Federal government forgives $450 million in broadcaster fees; asks CRTC to consider fee caps

Media | 10/08/2009 6:46 pm EDT

Canada’s broadcasters and the federal government have inked a landmark deal that waives $450 million in Part II fees and opens the possibility of a new capped fee regime. The settlement, which comes a week before a Supreme Court hearing on Part II fees, forgives money owing for 2006, 2007,...

Employees at specialty channels could be affected by Canwest’s bankruptcy restructuring: CMG

Media | 10/07/2009 5:57 pm EDT

The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) has requested a meeting with Canwest management to discuss how the media conglomerate’s bankruptcy filing this week will affect employees at its 13 specialty TV channels bought in partnership with U.S. banker Goldman Sachs. The CMG represents about 100 employees who work at the 13 specialty TV channels. Canwest’s 13 specialty channels, acquired from Alliance Atlantis two years ago, are not part of the bankruptcy filing and are reported to be quite profitable. Karen Wirsig, communications coordinator, CMG, says the deal is supposed to be stable until 2011. However, the bankruptcy filing may spark a showdown between Canwest’s creditors and...

Calgary firm takes Canadian lead in offering content on multiple screens; targeting broadcasters next

Media | 10/06/2009 8:54 pm EDT

Calgary-based MoboVivo has snagged a lucrative deal to distribute the award-winning prime time hit show The Tudors for iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry and laptop users simultaneously. Ranked third behind iTunes and Amazon in terms of downloads, the move cements MoboVivo’s dominance of the Internet...

Government unveils Canada Interactive Fund for social media and mobile projects

Media | 10/04/2009 9:35 pm EDT

The federal government is merging two web-focused funding initiatives for cultural groups into a single $37.5 million program scheduled to come online next April. The new Canada Interactive Fund (CIF) is designed primarily to help Aboriginal and ethno-cultural communities adopt new and emerging technologies such as Web 2.0...

DGC urges finance committee to endorse new private sector tax incentive for film, TV, new media

Media | 10/02/2009 3:45 pm EDT

The Directors’ Guild of Canada (DGC) has called on the government to create “a powerful tax incentive” to spur private investment in the film, television and new media industry. Taking the chance to add to its usual concerns—more public funding for the industry and tax...

BC firms stand to gain from merger of new media, wireless groups; Olympics also providing impetus

Media | 10/01/2009 5:06 pm EDT

Organizations representing the digital media industry and the wireless industry on the west coast could be joining forces in the coming months – but according to the executive director of the Wireless Innovation Network of British Columbia (WINBC), the group’s merger with New Media BC...

Friends, PIAC and Option Consommateurs join forces as new broadcast industry watchdog

Media | 09/24/2009 7:19 pm EDT

The Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has joined hands with two well-known consumer advocacy groups to fight for more transparency in television broadcasting, distribution and regulation. The alliance with the Canadian Public Interest Centre (PIAC) and Quebec-based consumer group Option Consommateurs could result in increased pressure on broadcasters and the CRTC. Friends spokesman Ian Morrison says the public’s interest is too important to be left for the CRTC and broadcasters to determine. He says the need to create “a level playing field” necessitated the alliance’s formation last week. “We want to make sure that decisions are not made in the back...

Nexio launches new web television platform that marries web 2.0 and broadcasting

Media | 09/23/2009 5:56 pm EDT

Montreal-based IT services company Nexio Technologies Inc. has started a web TV outfit designed to help companies broadcast their own content online. According to industry observers, the organization might be on to something with this business model. Launched earlier this month, the new subsidiary, called Nexio TV,...

Rogers wants to use web, mobile and VOD to take larger slice of production subsidies

Media | 09/21/2009 5:26 pm EDT

Rogers Communications Inc. is hoping to score a much larger slice of the production subsidy pie by encouraging the new Canada Media Fund (CMF) to increase its funding for digital media content on web, mobile and video on demand platforms. Public and private broadcasters warn, however, that such a move would draw much-needed...

Broadcasters urge CRTC to maintain 1.5% local programming contribution until economy improves

Media | 09/17/2009 4:49 pm EDT

Canada’s major television networks say the CRTC should not consider any reduction in the 1.5% mandatory contribution BDUs now pay to support local programming until the economy picks up. CTVglobemedia Inc. doesn’t want any change for three years. Meanwhile, BDUs warn the new fee will...

Axing Freesat and adopting U.S.-type retransmission policy among ideas tabled for CRTC hearing

Media | 09/16/2009 8:09 pm EDT

Canada’s major broadcasters have tabled recommendations on fee-for-carriage that could result in tough negotiations and difficulties for the CRTC when it considers new regulations this fall to accommodate the concerns of broadcasters and BDUs. CBC/Radio-Canada, Canwest Television Ltd., and...

Telcos and broadcasters take their regulatory battles directly to the public – but does it work?

Media | 09/14/2009 8:09 pm EDT

No longer content to rely solely on regulatory and Cabinet appeals, a growing number of communications companies are taking their battles directly to the court of public opinion. MTS Allstream Inc., CTVglobemedia Inc., Canwest Global Communications Inc., and the CBC are among those who have launched...

Decision Makers Series: Marrying technology and business key to online broadcasting: CTV VP

Media | 09/14/2009 5:18 pm EDT

Canadian broadcaster CTV Inc. must be doing something right. Its web content portal, CTV.ca, racked up 6.15 million video feeds and 575,000 unique visitors in June, according to comScore. And the broadcaster recently expanded its online programming choices. We caught up with CTV’s VP, digital...

Industry lobby demands larger cut of Canada Media Fund for interactive projects

Media | 09/09/2009 7:44 pm EDT

The Canadian Interactive Alliance (CIAIC) is calling for more public funding for the interactive digital media industry when the Canada Media Fund becomes operational next year. The Alliance is requesting at least 15%, or about $54.6 million, of the $364 million earmarked for the CMF. CIAIC president Ian Kelso issued the...

Montreal firm launches “bill-to-phone” payments for online content

Media | 09/09/2009 2:38 pm EDT

Montreal-based PaymentPin.com is taking on industry heavyweights Boku and Zong in the race to give consumers the ability to charge online purchases directly to their home or cell phone bill – without a credit card. It recently landed deals with three of the world’s top gaming, dating and social networking sites....

Fall election not expected to minimize impact from nationwide consultations on copyright reform

Media | 09/09/2009 2:01 pm EDT

As Canada’s main political parties jockey for an anticipated fall election, there are fears that plans to table a new copyright bill later this year will once again be delayed. However, analysts are optimistic that the nationwide consultations currently underway will continue to play a key role in shaping any new legislation. “If there is an election call, the timeline for getting a bill out will be pushed back,” says Michael Geist, an Internet law professor at the University of Ottawa, who closely follows copyright issues. Last week, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff upped the election ante when he announced that his party would no longer support Stephen Harper’s...