Rogers disagrees with CRTC decision on cable carriage of out-of-market signals

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Rogers Cable Communications finds unfair a CRTC decision that could cost it $3 million more than its rival satellite TV distributors in compensation for not having to perform simultaneous substitution for the carriage of time-shifted Canadian TV signals. The CRTC has ruled that Rogers will have to pay 50 cents for...

CAB presses CRTC to look into plans to bring TV channels to cell phones

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is telling the CRTC that the mobile TV services announced by Bell Mobility and Rogers Wireless are likely not included in the New Media Exemption Order and thus are illegal. It also questions Look Communications’ plans to bring TV viewing to cell phones and other mobile...

Private networks make progress in hiring minorities as on-air anchors

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Former CRTC commissioner Andrew Cardozo says that the private networks are improving in showing a diverse range of ethnic faces on TV, but that the progress at the public broadcaster that had initially taken the lead is slowing. In a study of the presence of visible minorities on TV, he found that significant progress...

Cablecos, producers fight CAB push to keep specialty channel figures private

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The cable industry and television producers are fighting a drive by private broadcasters to keep specialty TV channel financial results off the public record. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is pressing the CRTC to release the numbers only on an aggregate basis, rather than on a channel-by-channel basis...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

Operating revenues for conventional TV slowing downRevenues for TV broadcasting in Canada rose 4.1% to $5.4 billion in 2004, with the rate of growth slowing from previous years, according to statistics released June 2 by Statistics Canada. Despite the slower growth in revenue, the profitability of private broadcasters increased to a profit margin (before interest and taxes) of 15.6% in 2004 from 14.7% in 2003. The slower growth in 2004 was felt most in the conventional TV sector, where revenues edged up 0.9% to $2.1 billion, according to StatsCan. "The competition within and across media for advertising dollars was felt most in this segment of the industry," notes the report. In contrast, revenues in the pay and specialty TV segment grew 9% to surpass $2 billion for the first time, primarily due to more advertising. Air time sales on specialty TV jumped 16.7% to $707.2 million. Specialty television’s share of the overall TV broadcast pie increased to 23.8% in 2004 from 21.4% in 2003. Subscriber revenues for the sector increased...

CAB opposes request to have contributions to local TV fund lowered

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is expressing its "strong objection" to a request that the CRTC lower the amount of money that Star Choice and Bell ExpressVu pay into its local TV programming fund. Four independent production funds – the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, the Shaw Rocket Fund, the...

CCR People

Media | 06/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

Richard Hardacre has been elected as national president of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA). He was president of ACTRA Toronto for two terms and was on ACTRA’s national council for 10 years. The ongoing national president is Thor Bishopric.  The National Bank of Canada has appointed Robert Morrice as its new senior manager of the TV and motion picture group for Ontario and...

CNM Update

Media | 06/01/2005 4:00 am EDT

Wednesday, June 1, 2005  CAB opposes re-structuring of small market fundThe Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) has responded to a letter sent by a group of independent production funds to the CRTC asking the regulator to revisit the funding formula for the Small Market Local Programming Fund (CNM, May 13/05). In May, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, Canadian Independent Film and Video...

CCR Update

Media | 05/31/2005 4:00 am EDT

Astral Media-Corus radio transaction officially closedAstral Media Inc. announced May 30 that its radio swap with Corus Entertainment was officially closed. Astral Media now operates five new FM stations in Rimouski, Amqui, St. Jean-sur-Richelieu and Drummondville QC, along with 16 FM stations in major markets in Quebec, and eight in the Atlantic provinces. Under the deal, Corus Quebec acquired seven AM stations and one...

Youth only demographic embracing TV to mobile: Decima

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Canadians overall show little desire to begin purchasing music and television content for their mobile phones, but the carriers likely have a close eye on one group that has expressed a relatively enthusiastic reaction to its availability – youth and students. A recent poll of Canadians by Decima Research Inc. finds that significant numbers of...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

CCTA praises VoIP decisionThe Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association (CCTA) is praising the CRTC’s decision to regulate Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) just as it does circuit-switched services. "The decision to treat VoIP as a telephone service makes sense," CCTA president Michael Hennessy said in a statement. "Since VoIP has the same pricing, packaging and functions as traditional phone...

CCR People

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

Nadir Mohamed has been named as president and COO of the newly created communications division of Rogers Communications Inc., which combines the wireless assets and the cable TV sections. The restructuring is aimed at driving increased integration of the company’s wireless and cable operations, the company stated. Robert Bruce, currently executive VP and chief marketing officer at Rogers Wireless, will become president...

Recording industry sees victory in ruling, will pursue suits despite loss

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

A jubilant Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) will likely be back in court within about a month to bring a fresh spate of suits against Canadians it believes are illegally sharing music files over the Internet. On May 19, the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed CRIA’s appeal of a Federal Court of Canada ruling...

Low interest levels for wireless content in Canada, with exception of youth: Decima

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

Canadians overall show little desire to begin purchasing music and television content for their mobile phones, but the carriers likely have a close eye on one group that has expressed a relatively enthusiastic reaction to its availability – youth and students. A recent poll of Canadians by Decima Research Inc. finds that significant numbers of young Canadians are aware of and interested in the content.  Further, expectations of how much it will cost are in line with market reality, especially among youth and students, perhaps indicating that they are already using the products. Overall awareness is also high among Canadians despite the relative newness of the services. Rogers Wireless...

Broadcasters, cablecos oppose licensing of Niagara area conventional TV station

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Incumbent broadcasters and cable TV distributors are lining up in opposition to a licence application for a new over-the-air TV station based in Niagara Falls/St. Catharines ON that is due to be considered at a June 6 public hearing. CTV Inc., Rogers Broadcasting Ltd., Global Television Network, CHUM Ltd., Quebecor...

CCR Editorial

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. If the CRTC is serious about pushing a drive to digital TV, then it should cease licensing any more analog TV channels. It follows that if it does grant a licence for a new over-the-air TV station in Niagara/St. Catharines ON, it should do so only on a digital basis. The CRTC did just that when it...

ExtendMedia inks deal for content management system with NYC cableco

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

A new contract with NYC-based Cablevision is the latest in a series of sales of ExtendMedia’s OpenCASE content management system as the Canadian new media company seeks to capitalize on the "triple-play" trend in the communications industry. Cablevision, a cableco serving over three million customers in the Big...

Charter argument in grey, black TV market likely to go to Supreme Court

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The grey and black TV market freedom of expression argument appears headed for the Supreme Court of Canada as a defendant in a Quebec case has been granted leave to appeal a Quebec Superior Court decision to the province’s court of appeal. Drummondville QC resident Jacques D’Argy, who has been charged with...

CCR Editorial

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. If the CRTC is serious about pushing a drive to digital TV, then it should cease licensing any more analog TV channels. It follows that if it does grant a licence for a new over-the-air TV station in Niagara/St. Catharines ON, it should do so only on a digital basis. The CRTC did just that when it considered an application by the late Dan Iannuzzi and refused to grant World Television Network (WTM) analog carriage. In December 2001, when the CRTC rendered the decision, it said it would only grant analog licences to channels it deems to be of "exceptional importance."  A new TV station servicing the Niagara region that proposes to solicit advertising in the Toronto/Hamilton market cannot be seen as being of "exceptional importance," given that the market is already served by all of this country’s major broadcasters. Moreover, two new TV channels, Toronto One and OMNI.2, have just recently...

NFB, Sympatico do online advertising research to show effectiveness

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

Sympatico/MSN is hoping to show media buyers that online advertising is about branding rather than a direct response medium as many of them perceive. The portal giant recently concluded the first of several upcoming research projects in conjunction with New York-based Dynamic Logic and Canadian partners the National Film...

Frulla rallies troops around draft text on the protection of cultural diversity

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

Canada is pushing to have a draft text for the protection of diversity of cultural content and artistic expression ironed out at an intergovernmental meeting being held last week and this in Paris. The ultimate goal, according to Canadian Heritage minister Liza Frulla, is to have the text officially adopted at the next...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

NAD games program now offered in EnglishThe National Animation & Design Centre in Montreal is now offering its Design and 3D Animation for Game Design course in English. To date, 366 graduates have graduated from the program. The first English session will begin in January 2006. In other NAD news, the school is upgrading its equipment this summer, including with new 64-bit double process PC workstations....

WGC vows to continue to press CRTC on entertainment magazine content

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) will continue to press the CRTC to clamp down on Canadian broadcasters over its claims that they are using their entertainment magazine shows to promote U.S., not Canadian, stars and shows. Entertainment magazine TV shows became eligible as "priority programming" under the...

CNM Editorial

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Digital content continues to prove to be challenging for the CRTC, and survey results reported in this issue that show relatively high interest among youth in using mobile devices to consume entertainment content won’t make commissioners’ jobs any easier moving forward. Already, Rogers has begun...

Rogers to carry RAI after channel gets CRTC approval to enter Canada

Media | 05/30/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Rogers Cable announced it will add RAI International to its digital TV lineup on June 2, after the Italian public broadcaster received regulatory approval on May 13 to be distributed in Canada (Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-51). The approval comes after intense political pressure that resulted in the CRTC changing...

CNM Update

Media | 05/19/2005 4:00 am EDT

Thursday, May 19, 2005  BMG case decision expected todayThe Federal Court of Appeal is expected today to release its decision on whether Canada’s major ISPs will be required to divulge the personal information of 29 people the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) is seeking to sue for unauthorized music sharing (CNM, July 23/04). The decision will either overturn or not a lower court ruling that CRIA...

Small market fund should be revised in wake of revenue report: Bell Fund

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund executives hope higher-than-expected contributions to the Small Market Local Programming Fund will create an opportunity to reverse devastating cuts to new media funding in Canada. The Bell Fund and three other bodies that saw their budgets slashed when the CRTC created the small market...

MUSE project tests corporate acceptance of community-rooted initiatives

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

The Mobile MUSE project is well underway testing various wireless technologies for possible use during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, including its most recently announced initiative, the Digital Dragon Boat Race. The project looks forward to the mid-term when visitors to the city will almost all be carrying mobile digital devices capable of handling and sharing rich media files, and the potential opportunities to bring Vancouver’s communities together with private sector sponsors to create entertaining and educational applications. The boat race web site was launched April 29 at http://www.ddbr.ca. The Digital Dragon Boat Race, being spearheaded by Mobile MUSE, will provide...

Copyright Board dismisses consolidation motion after flurry of opposition

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

A controversial proposal to consolidate three different Copyright Board of Canada processes dealing with digital music was denied by the board on May 11.  On April 28, Bell Canada on behalf of itself and a group that includes the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association and the Canadian Recording Industry...

Resurrected new media publishing course at SFU shows strength: Ouimet

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

The re-launch of a new media publishing course through Simon Fraser University (SFU) is being touted by one well-known expert as proof that the industry has made a comeback. Robert Ouimet, now an independent consultant after spending years in CBC Radio’s new media shop, says the At Large/SFU Publishing Across New Media...

This is Daniel Cook

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

Produced by marblemedia, http://www.thisisdanielcook.com is the companion online destination for the hit preschool live action television series, This is Daniel Cook, co-produced with Sinking Ship Productions. The series follows the adventures of Daniel Cook, a real seven-year-old boy who learns, explores and creates with such special guests as Robert Bateman, Robert Munsch, and Kurt Browning. This is Daniel Cook...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

Early adopters lukewarm on rich cell phone contentFewer than 9% of respondents in an early-adopter consumer survey were very or extremely interested in buying a cell phone capable of playing MP3 or other music files, and less than 11% were very or extremely interested in broadcast TV functionality, according to research firm In-Stat. "Cell phone manufacturers, carriers and content providers face serious challenges in...

CNM People

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

Alliance Atlantis Communications senior executive VP and CFO W. Judson Martin will be leaving the company, for health reasons, once a successor is in place. A successor is expected to be installed by September 2005. Also at the company, Elizabeth Duffy-MacLean has been named as VP of public and regulatory affairs. She has more than 15 years experience in the industry, including working at NetStar, CTV and was most recently group VP of regulatory affairs and policy strategy at Bell Globemedia. Chris Fuoco has been promoted to VP of affiliate marketing. He joined Alliance Atlantis in May 2003 as director of affiliate marketing. Previously, he was director of core programs at Bell ExpressVu. As well, Stephanie Rockmann-Portier has been hired by Alliance Atlantis Communications to oversee sales of its factual slate. She will be based in Brussels.   Gordon Moir joins the National Broadcast Reading Service Inc. on April 25 as development officer. His primary responsibility will be to develop the brand of the national charity as well as...

Illegal file-sharing still down as paid downloads increase: Pew survey

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

  The Pew Internet & American Life Project released on March 23 a project data memo with new findings on download activity in the United States. The following is an excerpt from that report. The full 14-page document is available at http://www.pewinternet.org. About 36 million Americans—or 27% of internet...

CNM Editorial

Media | 05/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. An attempt by ISPs, broadcasters and recording companies to consolidate several hearings on digital music royalties has been rejected by the Copyright Board, but we hope the move paves the way to a critical discussion about the application of tariffs and who should benefit. The recording industry...

CCR Update

Media | 05/11/2005 4:00 am EDT

MTV terminates agreement with Craig, CHUM to rebrand MTV Canada and MTV2Viacom International’s MTV Networks International has terminated the agreement it had with Craig Media for the Category 1 MTV Canada channel and the Category 2 music video channel MTV2, so new owner CHUM Ltd. says it will rebrand them effective June 30. The channels’ new names and program titles will be revealed shortly. CHUM acquired the two...

Ferns expanding former Banff TV leadership course to international arena

Media | 05/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Pat Ferns is taking a training concept that once fell under the Banff Television Foundation umbrella international, with offerings planned for Asia/Australia, Europe and North America. With Doug Macnamara, the former head of the Banff Centre for Management, and Jim Byrd, ex-VP of the English television network at the...

Analog channels face revenue declines in DTV transition: study

Media | 05/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A study done by Wall Communications Inc. on behalf of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters reveals that the combined impact of digital migration and the transition to high-definition (HD) will result in a significant decline in revenues for analog TV channels. While the losses are expected to be offset, in part, by...

Producers, broadcasters looking to sponsorship, product placement

Media | 05/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

TV broadcasters are increasingly looking to advertising sponsorships and product placement to fund programming as the 30-second TV spot loses its appeal with viewers, say some industry players. "It’s a necessity because traditional television commercials are not as effective as they used to be because of the zapping...

CCR Editorial

Media | 05/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Rogers and six major Canadian broadcasters should be commended for moving ahead with a memorandum of understanding that will allow the cableco to move ahead in meeting consumer demand in the digital TV environment by introducing new packaging. At the same time, the deal provides some assurances to...

Rogers, six major broadcasters sign MOU on digital migration, HD carriage

Media | 05/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Rogers Cable has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six major Canadian broadcasters to help guide the migration of analog TV channels to digital as the CRTC has yet to wrap up a process on the matter that has deeply divided the industry. Like the ongoing commission process, the MOU also deals with a...

Technical glitches could slow consumer uptake of digital, HD television

Media | 05/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A number of annoying technical problems in the delivery of digital and high-definition (HD) signals could hinder the rollout of the new technology. Along with the promise of better picture and sound quality, digital and high-definition signals are more susceptible to audio and video cutouts, pixalization, and the sound being out of synch with the picture – annoyances that the industry needs to resolve as more and more Canadians look to subscribe to digital and/or HD programming.  The complexity of digital and HD signals make them more susceptible to disruption, notes Bruce Cowan, director of broadcast technology for CHUM Television. "All digital transmissions today use...

CNM Update

Media | 05/04/2005 4:00 am EDT

Wednesday, May 4, 2005  Motion to consolidate digital music tariffs filedBell Canada – on behalf of itself and a group including the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association and the Canadian Recording Industry Association and its members individually – has filed an application with the Copyright Board of Canada to try to force a consolidation of several tariff hearings dealing with the digital delivery of...

Telefilm quickly reverses controversial changes in face of producer pressure

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Telefilm Canada took just a few days to reverse its position after releasing new application budget templates that new media producers say would have created an administrative nightmare in dealing with the Canada New Media Fund (CNMF). The funding body released on April 12 new budget templates to be used when applying for...

First Canadian commercial radio station launches podcasts as marketing tool

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Podcasts – pre-packaged audio content delivered over digital networks and downloaded to MP3 devices – are commonly thought of as the new pirate or campus radio, but one of Canada’s most mainstream content providers is set to tackle the market. On April 21, Corus Radio announced that it will begin making available...

Government delay on education-related copyright laws angers both sides

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Ottawa’s announcement that it will neither build an education exception into the Copyright Act nor mandate a blanket licence scheme to deal with material found on the Internet and used in classrooms has erupted into a war of words between copyright holders and education stakeholders. The two sides issued battling press...

Proposed co-production model for new media clears Bell Fund hurdle

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

A draft agreement between Canada and Australia for the co-production of new media content has won approval by the board of directors of the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund. The agreement passed the board essentially unmodified from its original form, but with the proviso that it be used as a pilot only for the time being. The agreement was hammered out by a roundtable of Canadian new media producers, the Bell Fund, and Australian content organizations including the Australian Film Commission and Australian Broadcasting Corp. during a trade mission by producers here to explore the market potential Down Under (CNM, March 14/05). Bell Fund executive director Andra Sheffer tells Canadian...

Human rights group applauds Canadian approach on Internet hate sites

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Despite a growing number of Canadian-based hate groups popping up on the web, mostly based on U.S. servers, the head of a prominent human rights group says this country’s approach to expression on the Internet may hold the greatest promise of dealing with the problem. Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Los...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Rejections, but no winners yet, for Inukshuk fundInukshuk Internet has begun sending rejection letters to unsuccessful applicants to its learning fund in Alberta and Ontario (CNM, Feb.4/05). The company notes to one unsuccessful production company that: most of the projects that were not recommended for funding were "unsuccessful for one or more of the following reasons:"the project would not have resulted in...

CNM People

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

Toronto-based marblemedia has made two new hires. Philippa King joins the new media/television shop as VP of business and legal affairs, and Cameron Mitchell joins as interactive producer. King has been working in the Canadian film and television industry for over 25 years, including for the Ontario Media Development Corp., Rhombus Media and Capri Films. Mitchell has eight years of experience in the broadcasting and...

Q&A with Peter Giles: the educator’s perspective on Australian opportunities

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

  In late February, Canadian NEW MEDIA sat down with the head of digital media at the Australian Film Television and Radio School to get his perspective on the opportunities for Canadian digital...

CNM Editorial

Media | 04/29/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The controversy over proposed changes to Telefilm Canada’s budget templates might be easy to dismiss as a tempest in a teapot. Telefilm is understandably trying to serve the widest possible group of stakeholders while minimizing the effort that goes into reporting its performance to its masters in...

CCR Update

Media | 04/27/2005 4:00 am EDT

CTV, U.S. Discovery Communications partner on HD specialty channel applicationCTV Inc. and U.S.-based Discovery Communications have filed a joint licence application for a Category 2, 24-hour, high-definition specialty channel, Discovery HD Theatre. The partners say the programming lineup will be a mix of Discovery Channel’s most popular programs, original Canadian productions, live programming events and content from...

Spotlight Television, others bid to break pay TV monopolies of Astral, Corus

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Incumbent premium pay channel providers have been quick off the mark to denounce a potential new competitor as offside on one-channel-per-genre rules despite indications that the commission is set to shake up their multimillion-dollar monopolies. Spotlight Television Inc., backed by former Alliance Communications...

CRTC announces expedited dispute resolution process for broadcasting

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The CRTC has introduced an expedited dispute resolution process on the broadcasting side – one that is similar to that introduced last year for the telecommunications industry. To speed up decisions on broadcast disputes between two parties, the CRTC will appoint three-member panels to oversee expedited public...

Look, Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless plan to introduce mobile TV services

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

Competition in the mobile television service market is heating up as two of Canada’s national wireless operators, Rogers Wireless Inc. and Bell Mobility, as well as wireless cableco Look Communications have announced plans to bring TV viewing to cell phones and other mobile devices. Rogers Wireless unveiled one for its mobile TV service on April 14, and Bell Mobility issued a statement later that same day announcing it too was also entering the space. Some details about Look’s mobile TV service, which would be deployed on the company’s mobile wireless network, were revealed in its second quarter financial results released April 19.  Both Rogers Wireless and Bell Mobility plan to...

CRTC releases guidelines for subscriber audits, notification of channel changes

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The CRTC has introduced guidelines for audits and other business practices that are designed to cut down on the number of disputes between programmers and distributors that the regulator must mediate (Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-35 and Broadcasting Public Notice 2005-34). The guidelines don’t go as far as the...

Canada’s digital TV subscriber base to reach 5.8 million by end of 2006: Decima

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s digital TV subscriber base will outnumber analog subscribers sometime in 2006 as the digital rollout accelerates to reach about 5.8 million by the end of next year, forecasts a Decima Research report released last month. The quicker uptake in digital TV was evident in 2004, according to figures in THE DIGITAL...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

Cogeco anticipates more digital growth, raises pricesCogeco Cable Inc. has revised upward the number of digital TV terminals it expects to roll out to between 55,000 and 60,000 from its previous estimate of 40,000 to 45,000, given the strong demand during the first six months of the year. Cogeco announced April 11 in releasing its financial results for the second quarter ended February 28 that it had acquired a total of...

CCR People

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

Elizabeth Duncan and Helen Ray del Val have been appointed as CRTC commissioners. Duncan, of Dartmouth NS, will represent the Atlantic region, and Ray del Val, of North Vancouver BC, will represent the Pacific region. Since 2002, Duncan has been CFO and corporate secretary of software development company Navitrack International Corp., and was self employed as a consultant from 2000 to 2001. She served as senior VP and CFO...

Dalfen calls for quicker transition to digital, high definition TV

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

In a speech April 12 to during a luncheon of the Broadcast Executives Society and the Ontario Association of Broadcasters, CRTC chair Charles Dalfen said that the regulator would undergo a review of its commercial radio policy after it releases its decision on subscription radio, probably before the end of this quarter. He also spoke about the need to speed up the transition to high-definition (HD).  The mention of advanced technology takes me to another item on our upcoming agenda. I’m referring to subscription radio, a subject which I’m sure is also on many of your minds. We held public hearings late last year, as you know. We heard from representatives of the broadcasting...

CCR Editorial

Media | 04/22/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Now, that the CRTC is making moves to speed up its processes, it’s time for the broadcast players to get on board. The CRTC has introduced an expedited dispute resolution process for broadcasting, and has promised more streamlining. But one of the things that is bogging down some of the processes...

CNM Update

Media | 04/20/2005 4:00 am EDT

Wednesday, April 20, 2005   Reeves, Vidéotron launch private online games networkMontreal-based Reeves Interactive has teamed up with Vidéotron ltée to launch a new private online gaming network across Quebec. The cableco is offering the network, which features support for multimedia headsets that allow players to communicate in real time, for two weeks without charge to its broadband subscribers, and for a...

New media an important part of SBS plans to nurture talent

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

  On March 3, Canadian NEW MEDIA editor Jeff Leiper sat down with Australian public broadcaster SBS’ CTO Will Berryman. Berryman has a long history of working in broadcasting, technology and new media around the world. He outlined the challenges facing the Australian content industry, as well as the opportunities that...

Music industry grappling with steep new tariffs proposed for digital downloads

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

A fight before the Copyright Board of Canada over royalties for online music downloads appears set to become even more contentious as another group of copyright owners seeks to add as much as an additional 25% of gross revenues to the 15% of gross revenues that has already been proposed on digital download services. Neither...

MyThum joins with customer loyalty giant Givex to offer coupons to phones

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

Mobile marketing company MyThum Interactive says a deal it’s inked with Givex Corp. could jumpstart the use of customer loyalty numbers in SMS and other campaigns. On April 5, the Toronto-based company announced the agreement which will see the two organizations jointly offer the Mx-Coupon program - a way to deliver...

CNM Editorial

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Earlier this month, the federal government appointed a "wise-persons" panel to conduct a review of Canada’s telecommunications policy. That panel has before it the opportunity to begin breaking down the regulatory silos in which telecom and broadcasting - and thus new media - are treated. We...

NMBC keeps rolling with industry surveys for National Research Council

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

New Media BC (NMBC) has finished polling companies across Canada working in fields related to video games as the trade association works to complete yet another industry "map". Firms in the gaming field were invited to take a 10-minute questionnaire until March 31, and NMBC has now begun the process of analyzing...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

Lawyer Knopf expresses surprise at CPCC news releaseLawyer Howard Knopf, who acts for a coalition of retailers opposing the blank media levy, says he’s surprised by a press release issued by the Canadian Private Copying Collective announcing it had won a stay of a Federal Court of Appeal ruling that it could not collect levies on digital music players such as Apple Corp.’s iPod (CNM, April 6/05). The CPCC said in a...

CNM People

Media | 04/15/2005 4:00 am EDT

Denis Carmel is leaving is the CRTC, where he is director general of communications. Carmel said it was time for a change and that he has a few irons in the fire, but nothing firm. He will likely remain within the ranks of the civil service. The CRTC is looking to fill his current position. Carmel said he would stay at the commission until a replacement is found....

CCR Update

Media | 04/13/2005 4:00 am EDT

PrideVision launches April 12, but Shaw, Star Choice, ExpressVu refuse to carry itPrideVision’s rebranded Category 1 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) channel, OUTtv, launched April 12, but Shaw Communications, Star Choice and Bell ExpressVu are refusing to add the must-carry channel to their lineups. PrideVision spokesperson Daniel Paquette says that the company has filed a complaint with the CRTC over the...

CCR Editorial

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Canadian Heritage minister Liza Frulla should be commended for her more thorough response to the Lincoln report than the one provided by her predecessor, Sheila Copps. It provides industry players with an idea of its priorities: regional and local programming, some governance issues, and digital...

Familiar divide in reaction to government’s response to Lincoln broadcasting report

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Reaction to the government’s response to the Lincoln report on broadcasting is divided along familiar lines – the broadcasters on one side and the unions representing creators on the other. The unions’ complaints are familiar, saying that Canadian Heritage Liza Frulla’s 65-page second...

Quebec court turns down charter argument in satellite TV signal theft case

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 A Quebec court has for the first time in a criminal case turned down arguments that the charter can be used to justify grey and black market TV signal theft. The Quebec Superior Court late last month released its decision overruling a lower court decision in which the judge found that certain provisions of the...

CAB expresses concerns about RAI filing

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is asking the CRTC to prohibit RAI International from carrying Canadian advertisements if the Italian public broadcaster is granted entry into Canada under revised rules for ethnic channels. The association also wants the regulator to ensure that it does not retain preferential or exclusive programming rights in Canada. The CAB notes in its April 4 submission to the CRTC that the channel that would be distributed in Canada is RAI International 2, which is also available in the United States, Central and Latin America.  "As recently as March 2005, RAI International 2 was already carrying commercial spots from Canadian advertisers, and it has done so in the past as well," writes CAB senior VP of policy and regulatory...

CRTC rules EastLink can refuse to air Aliant ads on its TV listings channel

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

 Aliant is unlikely to appeal a ruling by the CRTC that EastLink has the right to refuse advertising on its TV listings channel, says one of the Atlantic telco’s lawyers. Aliant filed a part VII application under the Telecommunications Act after EastLink refused to carry the telco’s advertising for its wireless...

Federal government wants CPAC video channels carried in both English and French

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

The federal government has issued an order directing the CRTC to require cable TV distributors to set aside two video channels, one as part of the basic service, for the English and French versions of the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC). The order-in-council, released March 22, would mean that cablecos relying on...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

Northwestel Cable to acquire Fort Nelson Cable-VisionNorthwestel Cable has finalized an agreement to purchase Fort Nelson Cable-Vision Ltd. for an undisclosed sum. Northwestel Cable said it plans to upgrade Fort Nelson’s existing cable television infrastructure to expand channel capacity and to enable two-way services, such as high-speed Internet. "This change is a step forward for current and future...

CCR People

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

Robert Steacy has been appointed to the board of directors of Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. He will serve as a member of the company’s audit committee. A chartered accountant, he has extensive financial executive experience and is currently the executive VP and CFO of Torstar Corp. He serves as director of Black Press Ltd. and is chair of the audit committee and is director of Transit Television Network and the...

Government intervention needed for Canadian culture: Clarkson

Media | 04/08/2005 4:00 am EDT

Telefilm Canada executive director Wayne Clarkson said during a speech before the Canadian Club late last month that government intervention was crucial to Canada’s cultural industries. Below is an excerpt from his address.  …I believe when it comes to Canada’s cultural industries, and especially film and...

CNM Update

Media | 04/06/2005 4:00 am EDT

Wednesday, April 6, 2005   Steep new tariffs proposed for music servicesA new online music tariff proposed by the collective that administers the rights of songwriters and publishers could push the royalty rate on tracks sold over the Internet to as much as 40 cents each, depending on how the Copyright Board of Canada rules on it and another tariff filed last year for the mechanical reproduction rights.Last...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

CanJet uses digEplayer to entertain passengersCanJet Airlines has selected digEplayer in-flight entertainment system to be on some Florida bound flights as well as selected flights operated in partnership with Sunquest. "It is our plan to offer digEplayer rentals to passengers on all long-haul flights meaning our customers flying between Toronto-Calgary and Toronto-Vancouver will be able to enjoy this new in-flight...

CNM People

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

Lorne Abony, CEO of FUN Technologies plc, will be a keynote speaker at CIBC World Market’s upcoming Global & Gaming Technology Conference, which will be held April 19 at Le Royal Meridian King Edward Hotel in Toronto. There will be feature presentations by eight influential North American and European gaming executives.   Keri Levinsky has been hired by Achilles Media in the position of marketing director...

CCR Update

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

CAB welcomes Canadian Heritage’s Part II fee studyThe Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) says it welcomes Canadian Heritage’s study of Part II licence fees (CCR, March 29/05) “This is a file that we have been actively pushing and we welcome the study,” says the CAB’s Sandra Graham. She adds that the Part II fees are still a tax, regardless of whether or not the department factors into its study such factors as simultaneous substitution and the cost of spectrum management in putting a value on a broadcast licence. The money goes into the government’s consolidated fund, she notes, and is not used for matters connected to broadcast regulation. She further points out that broadcasters have other requirements, such as airing Canadian content, that are fulfilled in exchange for the simultaneous substitution protection. Younger Canadians watching less TV: StatsCanYounger Canadians, particularly men, are watching less TV as they spend more time with the Internet, according to statistics released March 31 by Statistics...

Australia market a unique one, but presents opportunities

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

  During a recent trade mission to Australia and Singapore, Canadian NEW MEDIA had the opportunity to discuss the media landscape with ex-pat Canadian Tom Kennedy, who has been working in the Australian market for the past 18 years. Kennedy is currently CEO of Hyro Ltd., and chair of the Australian government’s Digital...

Copyright reform stakeholders greet reforms with cautious optimism

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

Ottawa’s proposals for reforming the Copyright Act to bring it in line with digital realities are being viewed with cautious optimism by Canadian NEW MEDIA sources. The government’s proposals, released March 24, walk a fine line between the heavy-handed U.S.-style Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) legislation many...

CNM Editorial

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. As we speculated in the last issue of CNM, there is a growing feeling of optimism about Canada’s copyright reform process, thanks to proposals made this month in Ottawa to change the Copyright Act. There are notes of discord, but the general tenor of the debate has been elevated from previous...

New Media Initiative funding offered through Canada Council for the Arts

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

Canada Council for the Arts is offering a grant intended to foster the professional development of artists joining forces with engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists.  The deadline for the grant, called the New Media Initiative program, is April 15 and results will be announced in October. The idea...

Former Chrysalis IT VP operations files trademark for new Kanata start-up

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

A Kanata start-up called TVIDIA is proposing to use a new proprietary digital rights management (DRM) system to sell content, including movies and music content, online. The company is keeping details mum for the moment, but it did file on March 8 for trademark protection for the terms “Content Protection System” and the company’s name, “TVIDIA.”  Former Chrysalis ITS VP of operations Russel Fields filed the trademark application.  In an interview with Canadian NEW MEDIA, Fields revealed few details about TVIDIA, but did say that the company is privately owned and operated, and its target launch date is December 2005. TVIDIA’s DRM system, Fields said, will allow...

Electric Company increases brokered client list of artists to a dozen

Media | 04/01/2005 5:00 am EST

The Electric Company’s artist representation business model is proving so viable just nine months after it launched that it is having to turn down work, says the company’s executive director. The company, which brokers a dozen new media artists, is seeing growth in the broadcast arena, particularly since joining forces...

CCR People

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

David Drybrough has been appointed as interim chair of the board of directors of CanWest Global Communications Corp. He replaces Frank McKenna, who resigned the position to take up the post of Canada’s ambassador to the United States. Drybrough was appointed to the board in March 2003 (CCR, March 13/03), and has served on the company’s audit committee. He retains his position of chair of that committee. McKenna was on...

Broadcasters must continue to report on cultural diversity: CRTC

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is praising the CRTC’s response to its Report of the Task Force for Cultural Diversity on Television, despite the fact that the regulator declined to follow the recommendation that private broadcasters no longer be required to file reports to it on cultural diversity. The CAB...

CCR Editorial

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. The CRTC should reconsider its 1999 TV policy, something that it has so far refused to admit has reduced the amount of dollars that conventional networks spend on homegrown TV dramas. Figures in the Canadian Television Fund’s annual report show that for the first time specialty and pay TV...

Canadian Heritage commissioning study on value of Part II broadcast fees

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

 Apparently in response to longstanding concerns by broadcasters, Canadian Heritage this month issued a request for proposals to conduct a wide-ranging study of Part II licence fees. The news isn’t necessarily good for private broadcasters and their lobby group, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB),...

CRTC leans to using broadcast rules in Aliant-Eastlink ad dispute

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

The CRTC seems to be leaning toward using Broadcasting Act rules to arbitrate a dispute between Aliant Telecom Inc. and EastLink, even though the telco filed its complaint under the Telecommunications Act (CCR, Jan. 14/05). At issue is whether or not cableco EastLink, a subsidiary of Bragg Communications Inc., has the right...

Anti-piracy measures pushed; producers call for broadcaster involvement

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

 An organization representing cinema owners and another representing the major Hollywood studios is asking the Canadian government to tighten the Copyright Act as part of its review of Canada’s feature film industry. The two organizations, the Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada (MPTAC) and the Canadian...

Specialty, pay TV contributes more to TV drama than conventional nets: CTF report

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

 English-language Canadian TV documentary, and variety and performing arts programs were more successful than drama with Canadian audiences, with the former two groups claiming at least half of all tuning, according to statistics contained in the annual report of the Canadian Television Fund (CTF) that was released...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 03/29/2005 5:00 am EST

CHUM selects UBS for radio transmission infrastructureCHUM Ltd. announced March 22 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Unique Broadband Systems Inc. (UBS) to be the principal supplier of the broadcaster’s transmitter infrastructure required for its proposed subscription radio service. CHUM, in partnership with Astral Media Inc., has applied for a terrestrial-based subscription radio service called CHUM Subscription Radio (CSRC). The application is still under consideration by the CRTC. "UBS has proven itself as a leading-edge supplier of the type of ultra-wideband transmitter equipment required for a successful rollout of CSRC," said CHUM Ltd. executive VP of radio Paul Ski. "Together with our previously announced memorandum of understanding with RadioScape for receiver design and manufacturing, this places CHUM in a position to react quickly should our application receive a favourable CRTC decision." A decision from the CRTC is expected in the next few months. If licensed, CHUM anticipates a launch...