Ten months after it was launched, Telefilm Canada's first Great Canadian Video Game Competition ended with Montreal-based MindHabits Inc. being awarded up to $1 million to support the commercialization of its handheld game MindHabits Trainer. MindHabits was revealed as the winner at the opening gala of Canada's biggest annual digital content event VIDFEST in Vancouver. For beating out the other 68 entries, MindHabits will receive up to $500,000 from Telefilm, which will be matched equally with private financing. "The competition was tight, but MindHabits best demonstrated the Canadian creativity and innovation that our panel of esteemed judges was looking for," said Telefilm's executive director Wayne Clarkson in a news release announcing the winner. Canadian NEW...
In response to the article DRM-enabled products and services are watching you: CIPPICIn order to understand the controversy around [digital rights management] it is critical to understand that there are two locks: a lock on content intended to circumvent competition policy to only allow access by "authorized" devices, and a lock on devices to disallow the owner to control what they otherwise "own." DRM proponents speak as if the digital lock on the content is the issue, while [the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic] and most DRM opponents are discussing the various rights being circumvented by the digital lock on the devices.A good analogy for this lock...
Add independent producers to the list of factions giving the CRTC the sage advice of "Don't mess with what doesn't need fixing." The commission heard this refrain ad nauseam from the major broadcasters and BDUs during last week's Diversity of Voices proceeding, and now it's...
While those who attended the CRTC's Diversity of Voices proceeding in Gatineau to witness the presentations of Shaw Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc., at the end of the day Monday and first thing Thursday morning, respectively, certainly saw a contrast in styles - literally a diversity of voices - there was a lot of uniformity in...
Digital Rights Management and Consumer Privacy, a report that was released Wednesday by the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), returned some startling conclusions, including that "a number of organizations used DRM to collect, use and disclose personal information for inappropriate...
After a quick, but stern, rebuke by Konrad von Finckenstein for its past misinterpretation of the CRTC chairman's own words, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) took its turn answer the commissioners' questions as the final intervener on day three of the Diversity of Voices proceeding. Von Finckenstein's...
When the CRTC issued the Review of the Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting Services in Canada document last week the suggestion that the commission reassess the impact of simultaneous substitution was so negatively received that it seemed no such alternative existed. However, Stephen Stohn, president of Epitome Pictures Inc., believes there is a beneficial substitute to simulcast that's worth looking at."I'm really keen on bringing back the talk of non-simultaneous substitution, which 10 years ago had some technological problems but I think those have disappeared," says Stohn. "And I think it is an answer that may be a win-win for broadcasters."In non-simultaneous substitution, explains Stohn, a Canadian broadcaster would air an American program it purchased...
It seems few new movies warrant repeat views. Directors may hope that a second look will add greater meaning to the story and fans may watch and re-watch films to find inconsistencies, but many movie-goers will only see a film once. In order to fully experience Late Fragment, however, audiences will have to sit through...
If the CRTC is hoping for concrete guidelines on how to regulate the increasingly consolidated broadcasting industry to come out of the Diversity of Voices proceeding, day one must have been disappointing. While CBC/Radio-Canada kicked off the hearings yesterday by recommending three new media-ownership rules, the broadcasters that followed urged the...
Does the CRTC need tougher regulations to safeguard smaller players and new entrants or would a more laissez-faire approach help consolidating broadcasters better deal with an increasingly global media world with the likes of giants Time Warner? Not surprisingly, industry players are advocating for...
While most of the initial attention given to the CRTC-commissioned Review of the Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting Services in Canada has focused on its broadcasting recommendations - particularly the suggestion to reassess the impact of simultaneous substitution - the report did cover new media policy and included four...
Just as they were asked to do in April, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP lawyers Laurie Dunbar and Christian Leblanc left no stone unturned in delivering their 337-page Review of the Regulatory Framework for Broadcasting Services in Canada to the CRTC. And even though the commission just made the report public on September 12,...
The big-buzz title at this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will likely be unveiled on a big screen, but it may not be too long until you discover future must-see-movies in your very own hand. There's no question about it, mobile videos and mobisodes are on the rise. Most new handsets are video-enabled, YouTube is finding itself...
As with every other traditionally pen-and-paper-based profession, accounting has largely made the leap to working electronically. But other opportunities still beckon in the digital world, and one Canadian firm is beginning to offer digital royalty audits for use of musical works online, even though it's not clear yet...
Two years into its existence the Canadian Interactive Alliance/Alliance Interactive Canadienne (CIAIC) has finally hired its first executive director. And while CIAIC board members are congratulating themselves for finding such a fitting end to what was at times a frustrating search, we at Tech Media Reports can only say...
Industry leaders are responsible for clearing a path. They have to cut through previously uncharted landscape at great expense, even though it leaves a trail their competitors can easily follow. And sometimes during their sojourn they encounter a challenge that, in its retelling, most clearly demonstrates exactly how uncharted their course is. While charting Canada's high-definition television universe, High Fidelity HDTV has faced such challenges. Last fall High Fidelity was invited to appear before the CRTC as part of a commission-backed meet-the-industry session to talk about the HDTV landscape. As Canada's leading HD broadcaster with four all-HD specialty channels - Oasis HD,...
Armed with a renewed mandate to guide Alberta's $165 million film and television industry by helping create a framework for sustainable growth - and realizing the value of new technologies - the Alberta Film Advisory Council (AFAC) has appointed Digital Media Association of Alberta (DMAA) president Ken Bautista to the...
Building on the bonds forged through a relationship that goes back as far as the pivotal Baddeck International New Media Festival at the turn of the century, Interactive Ontario (IO), UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and Scottish Development International (SDI) have set up a trade mission to the United Kingdom this fall.Given IO's long-standing ties...
Citytv as owned by Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. will combine the independence and regionally influenced flavour the channel is best known for with the freedom to acquire the first-run US programming required to be competitive. Edginess, however, will not be part of the equation. "Ultimately we came...
While today's CRTC hearing in Gatineau QC considering Rogers Broadcasting Ltd.'s application to acquire Chum Ltd.'s five Citytv stations centred mainly on broadcasting matters, new media factored into its fair share of the discussion. "We can't forget new media, and there are few companies in Canada...
New name, new logo, but same timely and comprehensive coverage You may see a new name and a new logo, but it's business as usual under our new moniker Tech Media Reports (http://www.techmediareports.ca/). We think it better reflects our focus on the Canadian telecommunications and broadcasting spheres. Tech Media Reports will continue to provide the same level of in-depth, comprehensive and timely coverage of key developments in Canada's telecommunications, wireless, broadcast distribution, digital content and business communications industries. Network Letter - The authority on business, public policy and regulation in Canada's telecommunications industry. Report on Wireless - Canada's only daily publication dedicated to covering and analyzing developments in the Canadian wireless industry. Canadian Communications Reports - The industry's primary destination for all matters relating to the evolving broadcast distribution sector. Canadian New Media - The authoritative journal covering the rapidly...
With the final report by the CRTC's task force on the Canadian Television Fund in, will the issue finally be put to rest? Given the feedback on the document filed with the commission by broadcast distribution undertakings, it's not likely.The report, delivered on June 29, suggested that contributions culled from...
Preserving critical information for posterity is a universal headache. Overwhelming amounts of data are accumulating at staggering rates across all sectors. Although data storage costs are plummeting, demand is growing by about 50%, far outstripping the rate of cost reductions.And media companies have some unique headaches - huge unsearchable...
Rear-projection display technology, a 60-inch swatch of touch-sensitive foil, and interactive marketing content melded on Montreal's Ste-Catherine Street earlier this month in a Canadian premiere.Groupe Dynamite Inc.'s Garage store on the city's famed shopping thoroughfare is playing host to the one-month pilot...
Now entering its third season on W Network, The Smart Woman Survival Guide - a cross between The Larry Sanders Show and Martha Stewart Living - is a prime-time drama series that takes us behind-the-scenes of a fictional lifestyle show called Smart Woman, where we follow the team of women who produce the show.To create an...
While many are disappointed with the decisions rendered during last month's CRTC process to determine who will get mandatory carriage on all-digital distribution systems, the staff at Toronto-based National Broadcast Reading Service (NBRS) are happily hard at work readying for the debut of their first specialty...
With three CRTC commissioner positions currently vacant and six more terms ending within the next 12 months, Minister of Canadian Heritage Bev Oda took the first step towards infusing new blood into the commission by appointing Michel Morin as commissioner today. Morin brings more than 34 years of broadcasting experience to the position. He most...
Given that it's in one of the fastest-moving industries in Canada - and located in one of the most dynamic provinces - it's no surprise that change is constant at Calgary-based mobile video retailer MoboVivo Inc. The company started out as a mobile game development shop in the spring of 2005. However, CEO and co-founder Trevor Doerksen and his...
By now, everyone has heard about Canada's latest interactive media success story. On August 1, Kelowna BC-based Club Penguin, an avatar-driven site for preschool-aged kids up to ‘tweens, was sold to The Walt Disney Co. for US$350 million cash, plus a possible $350-million earn-out over the next two years.In this...
One hour: that's the average drop in the time Canadians spent enjoying television and broadcast radio combined in 2006 compared to 2005, according to the eighth edition of the CRTC's Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report.However, the financial side of the industry converted the subtraction to addition as year-over-year revenues for private commercial radio stations, conventional television, pay/pay-per-view/video on demand services, and broadcast distribution were all up. Canadians listened to 18.6 hours of radio per week in 2006, down from 19.1 hours in 2005, and watched 27.6 hours of television per week last year, a decrease from 28.1 in 2005. Both statistics should come as no surprise to industry followers; average radio and television consumption time has been decreasing...
Toronto's Xenophile Media continues to go from strength to strength with its interactive TV tie-ins. The firm's latest work with The Walt Disney Co.'s ABC Family channel has earned it a nomination for yet another award - this time, in primetime. The alternate reality game Xenophile created to accompany ABC Family's Fallen series is...
For the second time this year, the CRTC ruled against Pelmorex Communications Inc. last week, denying mandatory digital basic distribution of its The Weather Network and MétéoMédia channels.Although the broadcaster was clearly disappointed when the commission denied mandatory BDU carriage of its proprietary All Channel...
The CRTC seems determined to keep to its rigorous self-imposed schedule of reform: amid all the other proceedings underway at the regulator, it announced a sweeping review of the policy frameworks of both broadcasting distributors and discretionary services earlier this month.Notice of Public Hearing 2007-10 is just the latest policy procedure that...
By all accounts, the scope of the CRTC's newly launched review of the regulatory framework for BDU and discretionary services is impressive. And by embodying chair Konrad von Finckenstein's philosophy of a more compact and market-geared regulatory environment, it also promises to shake up the status quo.But some independent broadcasters think...
Concentrated? White? Laudable qualities in laundry detergent, but arguably not in Canada's broadcasting system. The comments submitted last week as part of the CRTC's Diversity of Voices proceeding offer a glimpse of industry stakeholders' feelings on the level of ‘sameness' in broadcasting. Not surprisingly, the general rule is the bigger the entity, the less it objects to consolidation and the more it wants regulations loosened. In its submission, Shaw Communications Inc. says consumer choice, not regulatory fiat, should be the force that ensures a diverse range of programming options, news opinions and more. Echoing an argument increasingly used by broadcasters and distributors, Shaw senior VP of regulatory and corporate affairs Ken Stein says his firm is...
Call it late-90s-style virtual reality, redux. The Internet is rapidly morphing into a 3D medium, and virtual worlds such as Second Life are no longer seen as glorified games but as online spaces with populations, geographies and economies. There are real commercial opportunities in virtual worlds, and many companies are working to develop them.One...
With a decision on his application to launch a new specialty channel celebrating Canada's diversity reportedly due this week, Paul De Silva's mood can be best characterized as cautiously optimistic.De Silva, a founding partner in Diversity Television Inc., simultaneously applied to launch the new service and have it carried on digital basic...
The CRTC's efforts to get to grips with the transformational effects of new media got a new hand last month with the announcement of a New Media Project Initiative (NMPI) led by the regulator.The NMPI was announced by CRTC chair Konrad von Finckenstein during a speech at the 2007 Broadcasting Invitational Summit on June 26. Von Finckenstein and nine...
When Pepsi QTG Canada wanted to put some pop into its soft drink sales, it knew it had to go beyond traditional marketing campaigns. If the firm wanted to reach the stomachs of young Canadians, it needed to connect with consumers where it counted: on their hips and at their fingertips.Executing such a campaign required more than experience and...
With today the deadline for submissions in the Diversity of Voices proceeding, a Vancouver activist group will soon find out whether its campaign to get Joe and Jane Average involved in matters of media ownership has paid off."There are certainly opportunities to make it more accessible to the public, to make their feelings known to the CRTC and...
The CRTC's stance on free previews and barker channels is the latest policy to be streamlined and scaled back in the spirit of Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein's ‘market forces' mantra.In Public Notice 2007-74, the commission ruled that both Canadian and foreign-originated broadcasting services would be eligible for inclusion on...
The findings of a task force set up to study the Canadian Television Fund suggest that more money should be put toward new media - but not all connected with the fund are hailing the move.In its report issued June 29, the four-person task force, headed by CRTC vice-chair of broadcasting Michel Arpin, recommended that a...
While most others in the broadcasting value chain are remaining mum about the recently released report on the Canadian Television Fund, creators' organizations are venting over a key proposal to treat BDU contributions to the fund differently.The report, which was issued on June 29, recommends that contributions from...
Nokia-Siemens Networks has been officially operating for a little more than three months, and even though the company is the world's number two telecommunications equipment supplier, it has some lofty goals for North America. Currently Nokia-Siemens occupies the sixth place in terms of suppliers in North America, but according to company CEO Simon Beresford-Wylie the equipment maker wants to attain "a global position in North America." He made the comments last month at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto. During the event, head of Canadian operations Mark VanderHeyden sat down with Report on Wireless and Network Letter editor Perry Hoffman to talk about the...
Advertising is set to be the fastest growing segment of the Internet's economic equation over the next four years with no region experiencing growth at a faster rate than Canada according to the latest edition of PricewaterhouseCoopers' (PwC) Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2007-2011. But will that increase...
Nokia-Siemens Networks has a message for its competitors: we're gunning for a much bigger share of the North American market. Speaking at the Canadian Telecom Summit in Toronto last month, Nokia-Siemens CEO Simon Beresford-Wylie said the company "is prepared to step up" and has set some aggressive growth...
The number of consumers equipped with digital cameras globally is reaching eye-popping proportions. Driven by the explosion of camera phones, projected sales for 2008 are one billion units, according to the NY-based International Imaging Industry Association (I3A). The tipping point where most people will have the tools for...
Jim seems like a regular guy. He went to university, found a job after graduation, pays rent and would like to own a home someday. But in spite of his regularity, Jim does not have the patience, money, or need for our regulated broadcasting system.It's not that Jim doesn't like TV. On the contrary, he never misses...
A companion to the television series Chiefs and Champions, www.chiefsandchampions.ca is a place to celebrate athletic and coaching achievements. Personal bios include competition history, mentors, words of inspiration, and personal bests. The ubiquity of online culture provides an opportunity for many voices to be heard. The Chiefs and Champions sports and social networking site contributes to trends in supporting Aboriginal youth to engage in the healthy and positive messages that sports delivers. By customizing Drupal content management software, the site leverages the best in open source technology, and being designed for longevity, the platform is scaleable and expandable.Visitors to the...
For many Canadians attending nextMEDIA earlier this month, a Sling Media Inc. executive's presentation was the first time they'd been privy to details of the firm's upcoming Clip+Sling offering. Indeed, many in the audience referred to the service as "the big story" of the conference.It's not a new...
It was standing room only by the time a session on product placement and sponsored programming got underway at the Banff World Television Festival earlier this month.Moderator Sunny Boot - president and CEO of Zenith Optimedia Canada when not on stage - offered up a countervailing position to much of the chatter at the...
With the trend of things user-generated continuing to heat up with the summer weather, the CBC has launched an online competition aimed at finding the best short video from a Canadian producer.Of course, harnessing the Web to drive user interaction and solicit content is a concept that the public broadcaster has played with for a while, most notably...
The development of emergency alert services seemed to get a lift mid-month when the Canadian Association of Broadcasters got behind the CRTC's voluntary, cooperative approach to implementation. But will the lobby group be able to get all of its members moving in the same direction?"The CAB agrees that the broadcasting system will necessarily be a central element of an effective alerting system," reads a June...
Perhaps the most telling aspect of the final session at this year's Banff World Television Festival, billed as a critical look at ‘The Future of Television,' was that it ended with an hour-long talk about the Internet.The panel discussion aimed to address three key questions raised by Nordicity Group Ltd.'s Banff Green Paper 2007: The...
Struggling with a past littered with failed implementations and consumer indifference, broadcasters met with Industry Canada and the CRTC this week to hash out a plan to rescue the future of digital radio in Canada.The sit-downs are an outgrowth of the Commercial Radio Policy released late last year. Public Notice 2006-160...
The proposed US$3.1-billion wedding of Google Inc. and DoubleClick Inc. announced in April will undoubtedly create a new force in online advertising. But before the deal is sealed, many industry stakeholders are speaking up now rather than forever holding their peace."Is it anti-trust? Hard to say. Will they continue...
Captain Flamingo (52 x 30') is a series following the adventures of Milo Powell who, tired of being overlooked by big kids, dons his terrycloth cape as Captain Flamingo and saves the day, fighting for justice for kids everywhere. The related interactive project, which includes the official Captain Flamingo website, an...
Last year, the board and management of the Canadian Television Fund faced some tough questions from producers and artists at the stakeholder breakfast it hosted at the Banff World Television Festival. At this year's festival breakfast, however, it was clear that many had circled the wagons over the past year to unite in the face of external threats."It's no secret that it's been a volatile year," said CTF president Valerie Creighton at the event on June 12. "We're all awaiting the outcome of the CRTC task force."That task force - created in February after Shaw Communications Inc. and Vidéotron ltée temporarily withdrew their financial support for the CTF - is due to deliver its report in August. The group is headed by vice-chair of broadcasting Michel...
Although the CRTC decided not to stretch the limits of local availabilities any further last week when it denied Only Imagine Inc. (OII)'s application to sell commercial advertising in the coveted timeslots, the commission didn't completely close the door on the possibility of advertising...
It was a busy weekend for all involved in CTVglobemedia Inc.'s acquisition of CHUM Ltd. In the wake of Friday's CRTC decision approving CTVglobemedia's purchase of CHUM - without the key CityTV stations CTVglobemedia had been so adamant about keeping - Rogers Communications Inc. has stepped forward with a $375-million, all-cash offer to buy...
Konrad von Finckenstein said he'd do it, and he is. In an address to a breakfast crowd at the Banff World Television Festival, the CRTC commissioner reaffirmed his vision for "smarter and lighter regulation" in broadcasting, and enumerated some examples to date.Von Finckenstein weighed some high-profile recent...
BANFF - The immediate future of Telefilm Canada's Canada New Media Fund was reaffirmed yesterday with an infusion of $29 million in federal funding for the program over the next two years.Canadian Heritage minister Bev Oda stressed the need for quality Canadian content in all genres across all platforms in making the...
As many in the industry had expected, the CRTC today approved the transfer of effective control of CHUM Ltd. To CTVglobemedia Inc., minus CHUM's five CityTV stations in Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. The CRTC reasoned that approving the transfer of the CityTV assets would have been inconsistent with the commission's own common ownership policy. "The purpose of this policy is to maintain diversity of voices within the Canadian broadcasting system," said CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein in a press release. "Some exceptions to the policy were granted in the past for failing stations in secondary markets. CTV asked for the exception using...
The Ottawa Senators' Stanley Cup dreams may have been shattered, but New York-based Heavy.com's designs for Canada are still very much alive - and, at least initially, very much dependent on our love of hockey.Knob Hockey, the broadband video site's first effort designed expressly to woo Canadian audiences, consists of a series of videos...
Mark Ruthenberg, GM of Calgary-based community portal operator FoundLocally.com Media Inc., used to live by a simple mantra: "Get revenue where ever you can in order to survive."But now, Ruthenberg is raking in better returns by giving away select revenue streams. He's encouraging designers and developers to...
Despite some initial opposition from incumbent pay audio operators, Rogers Communications Inc.'s Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division has secured a licence for a new service, dubbed Rogers Pay Audio."As an enterprise, I think Rogers is committed to music," says David Purdy, VP and GM, Rogers Television. "The wireless guys have clearly...
"Good things, when short, are twice as good," wrote 17th century Spanish philosopher Baltasar Gracian. But that might not be the case with mobile videos.In a Yankee Group survey of US teenagers, many (45%) said they would use their video-playing mobile phones to watch full-length movies. Just a handful of...
The release of the CRTC's report on profitability of Canadian pay and specialty television providers earlier this month heartened some in the industry. But, with a policy review looming sometime in the next 12 to 18 months, others worry whether those rosy figures might lead the commission to believe all is well at such...
After last year's record attendance, the bar was set high for the 2007 edition of the Canadian New Media Awards. The event didn't disappoint: interactive media players, from the most established to the most embryonic, were feted for their accomplishments before what appeared to be another sold-out...
Generational change most likely comes faster in interactive media than it does in any other industry. It's not surprising then that with every iteration of the annual Canadian New Media Awards - now on their seventh edition - first-time nominees cross their fingers and hope for a win, knowing that it's just the kind...
Last month, the Ontario government's Sector Initiatives Fund announced it wil invest $600,000 this year in business development training for the province's theatre, film, television and museum industries.Propelled by the province's Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Culture, five...
For those broadcasters in favour of fee-for-carriage but against adding more advertising minutes to the broadcast hour, last week's release of the new policy framework governing over-the-air television was the worst of all worlds."This is not good news for us," says Serge Bellerose, VP of new media and corporate affairs at TQS Inc. "Obviously the commission did not take a close look at the particular situation of the French-language market, and that's one of the things we're really surprised about in this decision."On the advertising front, he says the commission's determination to allow broadcasters to increase the number of ad minutes per programming hour will undoubtedly harm many broadcasters by diluting the value of their available timeslots and...
John Demco is a pioneer, in the true sense of the word. When the Internet was terra incognito, Demco helped put it on the map, and into the collective consciousness of Canadians. From his early days with the University of British Columbia's Department of Computer Science to his current roles of co-founder and director of Webnames.ca, a...
As new hopefuls get the green light to set up BDUs servicing the multi-unit dwelling (MUD) market in Toronto, Rogers Communications Inc. is asking for a review of winback rules governing MUD buildings with Public Notice 2007-48.Ken Engelhart, Rogers VP of regulatory affairs, says that the rules - which have been in place...
The Ontario College of Art and Design marked the beginning of May with a new multi-million dollar initiative aimed at bringing art and design into the 21st century.Dubbed the Digital Futures Initiative, the program will see the Ontario government provide $2 million annually for the school to explore how best to integrate...
As a thank-you for your support, Decima Reports would like to offer all subscribers a free copy of its latest analytical feature, Green Connectivity: Environmental Sustainability for Network Professionals. Penned by Telemanagement editor Stefan Dubowski, this detail-packed report includes an assessment of supplier efforts,...
As a thank-you for your support, Decima Reports would like to offer all subscribers a free copy of its latest analytical feature, Green Connectivity: Environmental Sustainability for Network Professionals. Penned by Telemanagement editor Stefan Dubowski, this detail-packed report includes an assessment of supplier efforts, recycling options, applications and advice to help your business go green. To receive your free copy, contact Ryan O'Neill - roneill@decima.com....
Earlier this week Pelmorex Media Inc. showcased its public alerting abilities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island by displaying customized alert messages on its The Weather Network and MétéoMédia channels in each province.The demonstration was in recognition of Emergency Preparedness Week and, the...
Independent DSL provider Venoa Communications Inc. of Toronto is aiming to be the competitive IPTV provider of choice for Torontonians with its new Class 1 BDU licence.Venoa CEO, president and founder Vladimir Niman says his firm is targeting all 1.8 million households in the Greater Toronto Area, but will initially have a footprint covering between 70%...
Less than two years ago, Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried were headed for careers in medicine and law respectively. Today, Beckett, and Goodfried, along with friend Ramesh Flinders and Greg's wife, Amanda Goodfried, are getting ready to launch another interactive Web drama as follow-up to their lonelygirl15 series, one of the most talked-about...
The French-language specialty service ARTV, which marked its fifth anniversary last year, is getting its feet firmly planted in TV land according to CEO Marie Côté. The arts-focused specialty channel has doubled its market share from 0.7% last year to 1.4% today."It is an exceptional number for a cultural channel given the competition from other...
Technical imitations, new technologies and competition plague new media workers and threaten to stifle their creativity. But at the 2007 Flash in the Can (FITC) Design and Technology Festival, the message was reassuring: limitations can be overcome, new technologies should be celebrated and, with a revamped business stream,...
CTV Inc. defused some of the criticism of its bid to buy CHUM Ltd. this morning by agreeing to increase by 50% the benefits it will have to pay for acquiring the CityTV chain of stations.Related storiesCTV sweetens offer to sell regulators on CHUM dealFriends in high places: CTV replies to interventionsCTV/CHUM deal "would destroy" common...
Perhaps sensing it was in for a knock-down fight from the CRTC in its bid to acquire CHUM Ltd., CTV Inc. sweetened its offer as hearings into the proposal began."We pledge that there will be zero overlap - that's zero - between any CTV station and any CHUM station," CTV Inc. president Rick Brace told the commission yesterday. As the...
After years of debate over exactly how broadcast-based emergency alert services should be executed, it seems that the necessary players have finally realized that a collaborative approach is best. Dan Hefky, chief of Emergency Management Ontario says he's thrilled to have so many parties - including the Ontario government and the Ontario Association...
After nearly two decades' absence, New York-based USA Network is once again being considered for distribution in Canada. It seems that little has changed over the years, however, with the application proving as contentious as ever.In its January 24 application sponsoring the network - one of the largest cable networks in the US with 90 million subscribers - for inclusion on the list of eligible satellite services, Shaw Communications Inc. claims that USA Network doesn't compete with any domestic services. Even if it did, Shaw's correspondence reads, the competitiveness test isn't in the best interests of Canada's broadcast system. Competition, the company says, will...
Achilles Media Ltd.'s nextMEDIA returns this year with another pitch competition for new media producers. Interestingly, while many in the industry hype mobile devices, game consoles and other platforms as the next revolution in interactive content, the competition's creators have decided to stick with a relatively tried-and-true medium."We...
Perhaps unable to find an appropriate synonym, deep within the public hearing notice for the CRTC's Diversity of Voices Proceeding (Notice of Public Hearing 2007-5) the commission raises the question of diversity within our broadcast system. To clear up the confusion, the first refers strictly to the number of representatives within our broadcast...
"There is no question that Canada needs strong companies with the critical mass, financial stability and intellectual capital to compete in a rapidly changing digital environment....I don't believe that consolidation in traditional media creates less choice in content or in editorial perspective." - Don Tapscott, chief executive at think...
The Canada New Media Fund is up for review by the Department of Canadian Heritage this summer, the first such review since its inception nearly six years ago - a veritable eternity in the fast-paced world of interactive and digital content."You can imagine that what were great ideas back in 2001 just don't line up to the reality of the industry...
The RCMP have arrested a man from Quebec's Eastern Townships for the alleged theft of satellite signals and possession of equipment that could be used for the purpose. The arrest caps a three-year investigation that relied on help from movie distributors, government regulators and Bell ExpressVu, reportedly one of the most popular satellite operators for hackers to attack.On April 17 police seized satellite receivers, computers, documents and a vehicle from the alleged thief's residence, said Corporal Sylvain L'Heureux in the RCMP's Montreal communication office. He wouldn't tell Canadian Communications Reports the arrested man's name because the alleged thief hasn't formally been accused of the crime yet.The investigation began in 2004 when Bell ExpressVu...
Those concerned that regulatory approval of the recent spate of acquisitions in Canada's broadcasting industry will lead to homogeneity in broadcasting have been given an opportunity by the CRTC to speak out.However, the fact that Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2007-5 - also known as the Diversity of Voices Proceeding -...
March was a make-it-or-break-it month for BlogTV.ca, the video blogging site Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. launched last year. By all accounts, says Alliance's senior VP of digital media Claude Galipeau, the service has made it."We started our marketing campaign on March 5, [when] we had 480 subscribers in our beta," Galipeau says,...
After a five-year hiatus, the Digital Media Association of Alberta (DMAA)'s New Media Awards are back and "mediaFRESH."The provincial new media association has relaunched its annual industry recognition event under the above moniker, which is "designed to capture the essence of vibrancy and innovation in the Alberta (New Media)...
Perhaps emboldened by the Copyright Board of Canada's decision last month on a similar tariff filing, opponents of the revised Tariff 22 advanced by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) slammed the new application as out of touch with market realities and pressed the board to reject the application as it currently...
The downside to most pitching competitions is that usually there's only one real winner. One of the good things about the Vortex 2007 pitching competition is that many people can come out winners, with several coaching sessions open not just to pitch hopefuls but to the general public at large - including one this...
The Fundamental Freedoms Project celebrates Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms on-air and online. In 1982, one of the most important documents in Canadian history was born. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides the framework for the free and democratic society we enjoy today. The Charter celebrates its 25th...
The first-place winners of two competitions at last month's ICE 07 are about as disparate as they come in terms of their projects. Neither are newbies to pitching, producing and putting in long hours, however.Jarrett Sherman, owner of Miracle Pictures, cut his teeth at TVOntario's TVOKids division, including a lengthy stint as writer and...
Canadian media companies seem determined to get deals done before the CRTC reviews questions of ownership concentration and diversity of voices later this year. The most recent big-ticket purchase is Astral Media Inc.'s $1.08-billion offer for Standard Radio Inc., announced yesterday."Today, we're announcing...
Coinciding with its 10th anniversary, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund unveiled a $50,000 national internship program last week. In what it hopes will continue as an annual initiative, the Bell Fund is reaching out to industry newcomers for the first time in an attempt to develop the industry from the bottom up."[This program] comes out of this deep-seated belief that we need to seed the industry," says Andra Sheffer, executive director of the Bell Fund. "The board really sees their legacy as being [the] ability to, through the Bell Fund, create a really skilled, internationally recognized industry. To do that, you can't just keep on funding the same old players, you really do have to give the breaks to new people and give them opportunities." Although the Bell...
