CNM Short Takes

Media | 07/13/2004 4:00 am EDT

Number of Canadians surfing the Internet on riseThe number of Canadian households surfing the Internet continued to grow in 2003, with an estimated 7.9 million (64%) of the 12.3 million Canadian homes having at least one member who used the Internet regularly, according to Statistics Canada. The figure represents a 5% increase from 2002, but is well below the annual gains of 19% and 24% recorded in 2000 and 2001. Internet...

CNM People

Media | 07/13/2004 4:00 am EDT

Pat Ferns has left the Banff Television Festival. In a mass email dated June 30, he notes: "This is my last day at the festival. It has been a big part of my life for over two decades. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to its growth and development over the years. I wish it every success in the future."   Investment banker Alan Mayne has been named the new CFO of CHUM Ltd. He...

CNM Editorial

Media | 07/13/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.On cultural issues, the election of a minority government is likely something to cheer. For years, the Liberals have enjoyed too comfortable a majority. Waffling and in-fighting on cultural matters have become perversely normal as Canada’s natural governing party struggled to at once paint themselves...

Broad range of players object to CMRRA/SODRAC tariff proposal

Media | 07/13/2004 4:00 am EDT

A who’s who of the online music industry has lined up against steep new tariffs proposed by copyright owners on digital reproductions (CNM, May 14/04). A broad range of players including online retailers, ISPs, record labels and broadcasters, both in Canada and in the U.S., filed objections with the Copyright Board of...

Broad range of players object to CMRRA/SODRAC tariff proposal

Media | 07/07/2004 4:00 am EDT

Special Update - Wednesday, July 7, 2004A who’s who of the online music industry has lined up against steep new tariffs proposed by copyright owners on digital reproductions (CNM, May 14/04). A broad range of players including online retailers, ISPs, record labels and broadcasters, both in Canada and in the U.S., filed objections late last week to a tariff proposal by the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) and the Société du droit des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs au Canada Inc. (SODRAC) that would slap a hefty $0.10 per track fee or 15% of gross revenue on permanent music downloads.Canadian NEW MEDIA has confirmed that objections were filed by:·CBC/SRC, represented by Valérie Demers ·CBC/SRC, Sirius Satellite Radio Inc, and Standard Radio Inc., all acting...

Advertisers worry that CRTC drama incentives will result in ad clutter

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) is pressing for safeguards to ensure that a CRTC proposal to boost a broadcaster’s commercial minutes in exchange for airing original Canadian drama doesn’t result in too much advertising on the TV airwaves. "One of the largest concerns of our members - the advertisers...

CRTC got it right in its preliminary views of VoIP regulation: cable industry

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

The cable industry says the CRTC got it mostly right in its preliminary views on a regulatory framework for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services. Cablecos agree that services that provide universal access to and from the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and use telephone numbers based on the North...

CAB proposes non-simultaneous substitution option to boost TV drama

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) suggests that the CRTC explore the possibility of implementing non-simultaneous substitution (NSS) to cure the country’s TV drama woes. The suggestion was made in the CAB’s June 21 submission in response to the commission’s call for comments on its proposed advertising...

CCTA’s five-point plan reiterates past call for consumer-driven policy framework

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) has released a five-point strategic plan that is simply a reiteration of its previous stances. The plan calls for: Removal of restrictions on the freedom of Canadians to choose their programming services, Relaxed regulation of cable systems in small communities, Adoption of...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

Star Choice likely to repackage more specialty services Shaw Communications Inc.-owned direct-to-home satellite TV distributor Star Choice will likely repackage more of its specialty channels when the Anik F2 becomes operational at the end of September. Star Choice president Mike Abrams noted during Shaw’s June 25 conference call that the satellite TV distributor has not yet decided how it would package the...

CCR People

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

Cam Kernahan becomes VP of operations at Shaw Communications. He will be responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day cable operations in Calgary, Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Fort McMurray and the Kootenay regions.  Pat Ferns has left the Banff Television Festival. In a mass email dated June 30, he notes: "This is my last day at the festival. It has been a big part of my life for over two decades. I...

Cultural views of Canada’s political parties, as compiled by the CCA

Media | 07/05/2004 4:00 am EDT

 With Paul Martin’s Liberals elected to a minority government on June 28, here’s a look at the cultural policies of the various parties. The statements come from the parties’ published platforms as compiled by the Canadian Conference of the Arts (CCA). But experts question whether the Liberals with their 135 seats...

CCR Editorial

Media | 07/05/2004 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 CRTC needs to do more than just offer advertising incentives if it hopes to boost the fortunes of Canadian TV drama. Unfortunately, it appears that the CRTC has determined that allowing broadcasters to increase their advertising time is the way to enable them to finance more homegrown content. The...

ISPs ruled not liable for music communications in SOCAN case

Media | 06/30/2004 4:00 am EDT

Wednesday, June 30, 2004Internet service providers dodged a bullet Wednesday when the Supreme Court of Canada found they aren’t liable for music communicated online. The court ruled in the Tariff 22 case that ISPs are merely conduits for content passing through their pipes, and that the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) can’t pursue a tariff from them. The court’s unanimous decision puts to rest a dispute that dates back to 1996, when Tariff 22 was first filed. SOCAN was originally pursing a licence fee of 3.5% of ISP’s revenues as compensation for the pirated music traversing their networks. The case has since been through extensive Copyright Board of Canada and Federal Court of Appeal hearings over the years. Today’s decision overturns the...

Supreme Court to rule Wednesday on Tariff 22

Media | 06/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Special Update - Monday, June 28, 2004   The Supreme Court of Canada will make public its decision in the Canadian Association of Internet Providers et al. v. Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada et al. case, commonly known as the Tariff 22 case, on Wednesday, June 30. The court heard the case on December 3, 2003,...

Users rights groups struggle to make copyright an election issue

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

Despite the low profile copyright reform has seen through the federal election campaign, public interest advocates say they won’t let up with pressure on Ottawa to reject the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s recommendations on the issue. On June 21, a coalition of users rights advocates launched an initiative...

Canadian developers keen to begin developing with new Macromedia tool

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

Macromedia is hoping to build on the spectacular success of its Flash authoring tools with a new application that extends the rich client interface of Flash, and its ubiquity, with enterprise data that companies already have to build a new generation of ecommerce and intranet sites. In the process, Macromedia is hoping to...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

nextMEDIA contemplating shorter festival in 2004Berni Wood, executive director for the nextMEDIA festival in Charlottetown PE, says organizers are contemplating shortening the event by a half-day to give attendees a chance to relax and visit the Island. No decisions have been made, but the current plan is to run the festival from October 20 to 22. Festival planning is now ongoing as organizers finalize hiring a...

CNM People

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

Mario Mota has joined Decima Research in Ottawa as a VP to establish a new broadcast/media research practice. For the past three years, he served as president and publisher of Decima Reports. Jeff Leiper has assumed the position of publisher in addition to his existing roles of editor-in-chief and editor of Decima Reports’ Canadian New Media newsletter.  Michael Hennessy has been named president of the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA). He has been the acting head since October 2003. Hennessy is a longtime veteran of the telecommunicatons regulatory scene. He spent 14 years in policy development with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission as director-general of competition, convergence and social policy. He joined Bell Mobility in 1996 as head of its regulatory shop. He first joined the CCTA in November 1999 as senior VP, policy & planning. As president, he replaces Janet Yale who joined TELUS Corp. as executive VP of government and regulatory affairs in October 2003. Claude Galipeau has...

CNM Editorial

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.When Kim Campbell told Canadians in 1993 that an election was not the best time to discuss complex issues, it was one more nail in the Conservative coffin. Campbell’s Tories would have gone down to spectacular defeat anyways, but her remark was widely perceived as arrogant and aloof, and was one more...

BCE company licensing cash projected to flood into Bell Fund within few years

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund (Bell Fund) doesn’t know how much funding it can expect from Bell Canada and sister company Bell ExpressVu LP as a result of new services the two companies hope to launch. This winter, the two companies filed applications with the CRTC for licences giving them the right to operate,...

Minorities, Aboriginals still struggle in Canadian new media, WIFT-T study finds

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

Women working in Canada’s screen-based media have never been better represented, and they are "significantly increasing their share in film and TV," but the sector is still dominated by men, especially when it comes to the high level positions, such as senior management, and top creative and technical positions,...

Users rights groups struggle to make copyright an election issue

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

Despite the low profile copyright reform has seen through the federal election campaign, public interest advocates say they won’t let up with pressure on Ottawa to reject the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s recommendations on the issue. On June 21, a coalition of users rights advocates launched an initiative...

Minorities, Aboriginals still struggle in Canadian new media, WIFT-T study finds

Media | 06/25/2004 4:00 am EDT

Women working in Canada’s screen-based media have never been better represented, and they are "significantly increasing their share in film and TV," but the sector is still dominated by men, especially when it comes to the high level positions, such as senior management, and top creative and technical positions,...

CCR Update

Media | 06/24/2004 4:00 am EDT

Thursday, June 24, 2004   Mixed reactions to CRTC’s proposal to increase advertising minutes to boost Canadian dramaReaction to the CRTC’s proposal to give broadcasters additional advertising minutes in exchange for producing and promoting Canadian TV drama runs the gamut from calls for other incentives for producers to congratulations for its “creative efforts” in providing economic incentives to...

CRTC doesn’t give large Part III cablecos break under licensing exemption

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC has held fast to its position on Part III cablecos, and not changed its original conditions for the exemption of cable systems of between 2,000 and 6,000 subscribers (Broadcasting Public Notice 2004-39). In its decision the CRTC notes that the larger Part III cablecos "operate under considerably different...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canadian Cable Statistics - 2003Homes with TV11,924,832Homes passed by cable11,599,917Homes with cable TV7,228,843Homes passed as a % of TV homes 97.3%Homes with cable as % homes passed62.3%Digital cable customers1,615,154Homes with cable high-speed Internet2,359,242Number of employees12,011Source: Remember Convergence? Annual Report 2003/04 of the Canadian Cable Television Association, June 2004. Cultural Diversity...

CCR People

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Janelle Roberts has left VisionTV to return to school to complete her film studies. The company says it will name a replacement by the end of the month. Ross Porter, VP of programming for CanWest Global Communications’ Cool TV digital channel and accompanying jazz radio station, is leaving June 30. An internal CanWest memo earlier this month said he would "continue his jazz broadcasting career with another company." The company was not named. Jean Monty, Peter Maurice and Ron Zambonini were elected to the board of directors of BCE Emergis. Monty replaces Michael Sabia as chair of the board. Sabia, president and CEO of BCE Inc., resigned on June 15 given the sale by BCE of its interest in BCE Emergis. Monty retired as chair of the board and CEO of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) in April 2002.  Alan Schwartz and Mitchell Thaw, partners at Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP, have registered as lobbyists for CHUM Ltd. They will lobby the Finance Department on taxation and other finance matters, including a legislative...

VisionTV: Rate increase is about enhancing contribution to broadcasting system

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

  VisionTV president and CEO Bill Roberts responds to recent coverage in Canadian Communications Reports on the network’s licence renewal.  RE: Coverage of VisionTV Licence Renewal Application, CCR Volume 30; Issue 8, April 22, 2004 and Issue 11, June 4, 2004  While VisionTV appreciates CCR’s recent...

CCR Editorial

Media | 06/21/2004 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 CRTC made a mistake in granting a full seven-year licence renewal to direct-to-home (DTH) satellite distributor Star Choice (CCR, April 8/04). Issuing a shorter licence renewal is one of the few tools the CRTC has to try to keep licensees on their best behaviour. But with a seven-year licence renewal...

Pelmorex, Star Choice reach temporary agreement, negotiations continue

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Pelmorex Communications Inc. will take "every means possible" to preserve The Weather Network’s and Météo Média’s status on Star Choice’s basic tier in the wake of a temporary agreement, warns Pelmorex head Pierre Morrissette. Pelmorex has come to a temporary agreement with satellite TV distributor...

Skills shortage evident in film, television industries, according to WIFT-T report

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

The film and TV production world is suffering a skills shortage, says a study released at the Banff Television Festival last week by Women in Film and Television - Toronto (WIFT-T). About 40% of production companies surveyed stated they had difficulty in finding people with the skills they need in key job categories,...

Bell Canada applies to CRTC for licence for ‘complementary’ TV service to ExpressVu

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

The VP of regulatory affairs at Bell Canada says that its proposed wireline cable TV offering won’t be competing for subscribers with sister company Bell ExpressVu but indicates it’s "designed to be competitive with all broadcast distribution undertakings in the marketplace, including the satellite operators." "They are designed to be complementary services. The idea here is to provide an additional choice to consumers," Mirko Bibic tells Canadian Communications Reports. "We have the wireline platform and it’s readily available to be deployed for this type of service. If consumers choose to obtain a satellite service, they will have Bell ExpressVu as an...

CCTA asks CRTC to hold oral hearing on Bell applications, wants deadline extended

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) is urging the CRTC to hold an oral hearing on Bell Canada’s application for two regional broadcast distribution licences and to extend the deadline for written reply by two months. In a June 18 letter to the commission, the cable association "submits that the potential...

ExpressVu applies for VOD licence to help proposed cable service be competitive

Media | 06/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Bell ExpressVu LP has applied for a video-on-demand (VOD) licence primarily to ensure that its sister company Bell Canada’s proposed TV broadcast service is competitive with the incumbent cablecos. "They (the VOD and the Class 1 cable licence applications) are two independent applications. But once we obtain the...

CNM Update

Media | 06/17/2004 4:00 am EDT

Thursday, June 17, 2004   Bell Fund would see help from ExpressVu licencesThe Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund (Bell Fund), ravaged by a CRTC-mandated cut last year, could see a small measure of relief if applications by Bell Canada to provide television service via VDSL as a broadcast distribution undertaking (BDU), and as Bell ExpressVu LP seeks to provide video-on-demand service (VOD) (Broadcasting Notice of...

Decima Publishing is now Decima Reports

Media | 06/11/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s preeminent trade newsletter publisher for the communications industries has re-branded itself as Decima Reports. Our new name better reflects the widened scope of publications, reports, digests and special events coverage Decima Reports’ team of knowledgeable editors has undertaken dating to its merger with Decima Inc. in 2000. Decima...

Decima Publishing is now Decima Reports

Media | 06/11/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s preeminent trade newsletter publisher for the communications industries has re-branded itself as Decima Reports. Our new name better reflects the widened scope of publications, reports, digests and special events coverage Decima Reports’ team of knowledgeable editors has undertaken dating to its merger with Decima Inc. in 2000. Decima...

CNM Editorial

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Thinking about the implications of the new Epitome property Instant Star is a little like contemplating going back in time and killing your father before he met your mother. It’s easy to get swept up in the post-modernism of it all. Consider: a reality TV show about discovering young singers inspires a...

Map of ITV companies to act as calling card for Chinese Olympics opportunities

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

A warm relationship between Chinese technical authorities and Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) has led to efforts to map Canada’s interactive broadcast industry in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) has contracted new media consultants At Large Media,...

U.S. film rep urges Canadian audience to adopt strong copyright protections

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

A representative of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) warned Canadian copyright experts and decision-makers last week that failure to control the explosion of file-sharing will lead to a "collapse of culture." On June 3 in Ottawa, a group of 80 stakeholders in the copyright reform process were told...

New Epitome production foreshadows new blended television/music model

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

Epitome Pictures has responded to an American broadcaster’s request for content with a television drama that will take on its own reality in the on- and offline worlds and could spark a new model for the blending of music and broadcast content. Pending Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund and Telefilm Canada Canada New Media Fund approval, Epitome’s new show Instant Star could be as much about finding a new distribution channel for pop music as about the travails of its young lead character. Epitome partner Stephen Stohn tells Canadian NEW MEDIA that the show, a drama revolving around a young woman who finds stardom as a singer and songwriter, was created at the request of...

Bollyvista to use m-Qube software platform to deliver movie ringtones

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

Bollyvista.com, an infortainment web site for South Asian communities around the world, launched last month a cross-carrier mobile content store for downloadable media. In partnership with the mobile applications provider m-Qube, the Montreal-based web site makes it possible for its Canadian users to buy and download...

Musicrypt Inc. secure digital distribution system gains more users

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

Musicrypt Inc. has announced Warner Music Canada and BMG Canada as the latest customers for its digital media distribution system (DMDS), a web-based digital distribution network that allows secure delivery of broadcast quality music tracks and promotional materials directly from the distributor to the radio stations....

Electric Company taking chance on representation model for commercial work

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

A new media startup in Toronto is billing itself as the first production company to make a business of brokering a roster of artists for commercial work. Electric Company, started by executive producer David Chant, has been aggressively adding to the list of new media artists represented by the firm, with a particular...

CCR Update

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

June 9, 2004  Bell Canada applies for two regional Class 1 cable licencesBCE Inc.-controlled Bell Canada has applied for two regional Class 1 cable licences for specific regions of Ontario and Quebec (Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing 2004-4). The Ontario licence would serve the markets of Toronto, Hamilton/Niagara, Oshawa, Kitchener, London, Windsor, Ottawa and the surrounding areas in each location; and the...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

NMBA says meetings on tap to fix new media tax creditIan Kelso, president of the New Media Business Alliance, tells Canadian NEW MEDIA that Ontario’s Ministry of Culture has promised the group meetings to discuss problems with the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit. The province’s budget in May contained no provisions for fixing the credit, which has long been criticized as poorly designed and of little use to most companies creating new media product in Ontario. CNM will have details if and when they become available (CNM Update, May 20/04).   SNAP signs contracts, opens new production divisionSNAP Media has signed two new contracts to develop youth-oriented web sites. The first, a site for West 49, will integrate the store’s event-driven marketing approach. A second contract is with Alliance Atlantis to develop a Flash site for the broadcaster’s new animated show, Dragon Booster. The site will be launched in time for the series premiere later this year. The site is geared for both North American and...

CNM People

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

Sean Shannon has been promoted to managing director of Expedia Canada Corp. He succeeds Stuart MacDonald, who founded Expedia’s Canadian arm, and who has been promoted to senior VP, marketing, packages and Canada, in Bellevue WA. Shannon has been with Expedia Canada since 2001 and was its first director of marketing. Prior to that, he held several positions including VP of business development for Molson Canada. He...

Music sharing over the Internet

Media | 06/09/2004 4:00 am EDT

As someone who has made a significant part of their living from book and music royalties, and who has also played a non-trivial role in the development of the enabling technologies, I find the debate on music sharing over the Internet interesting. Its implications go far beyond the music business, and speak to a number of issues around innovation,...

CCR People

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Gerald McGoey has taken over as CEO of Look Communications Inc., replacing long-time chair of the board of directors Michael Cytrynbaum. McGoey is currently CEO of Unique Broadband Systems Inc., the majority shareholder in Look. Justice William Vancise has been appointed the new part-time chair of the Copyright Board of Canada for five years, and Francine Bertrand-Venne has been named as a full-time member for five...

Government doesn’t “get” copyright, charges the head of the cable association

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

The acting head of the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) took several pot shots at Ottawa this week, stating that the federal government "doesn’t get" copyright, and that he is "pissed off" more steps aren’t being taken to combat the theft of TV...

Union supports inclusion of CBC in whisteblowing protection legislation

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

  The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) is recommending that the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. be included in federal legislation aimed at protecting whistleblowers. Lise Lareau, president of the CMG, appeared before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, which is studying Bill C-25, on May 13. The guild...

Ciel hoping to provide broadcast industry with new choice in satellite provision

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

New entrant Ciel Satellite Group is hoping to nab the 129 degrees west orbital slot over a competing bid from Telesat Canada to provide broadcasters, and cable and direct-to-home satellite TV operators with choice in their satellite provider. The company, with the backing of some satellite industry heavyweights, has applied...

Broadcasters, distributors battle over need for enshrined audit rights

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Citing unspecified examples of abuse by distributors, broadcasters contend that existing regulatory safeguards for verifying affiliation payments are inadequate and want their right to audits enshrined in broadcasting regulations. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) tells the CRTC that such a move would reduce...

CCR Editorial

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Industry Canada once again has the opportunity to licence a domestic competitor to Telesat in the satellite provision business, but given its past history, we’re not holding our breath. Again, it is unlikely that Industry Canada will take a chance on a new entrant, particularly with such a tight...

Corus aiming for more favourable carriage terms for its pay channel Encore

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Corus Entertainment Inc.’s pay service Encore Avenue Ltd. (formerly MovieMax!) is asking the CRTC to allow it to be carried on discretionary analog tiers in an effort to turn around its sagging fortunes (Broadcasting Public Notice 2004-35). Encore, which is distributed in Western Canada, complains that it is currently at a competitive disadvantage because the pay movie channel licensed in June 1994 can only be carried on an encrypted basis. The CRTC, however, seems to want to extact concessions from Encore in return for the carriage flexibility. In interrogatories, the CRTC asks the pay movie channel if it would increase its Canadian content levels, and Canadian programming...

Carleton U professor says Bill C-2 restricts viewing choices of Canadians

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

Carleton University mass communications professor Paul Attallah says that Bill C-2, which proposes to amend the Radiocommunication Act to tighten penalties for satellite TV signal theft, is a bad piece of legislation. In an interview with Zoran Vidic for Canadian Communications Reports, he states the bill will restrict the...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 06/04/2004 4:00 am EDT

CRTC approves transfer of PrideVision to William CraigThe CRTC approved on May 28 the $1.5- million purchase of the Category 1 diginet PrideVision by William Craig from current owner Headline Media Group Inc. (Broadcasting Decision 2004-191). Ownership of PrideVision will transfer to 6166954 Canada Inc., a numbered company wholly-owned and controlled by Craig. Craig will own 80.2% of the voting shares of PrideVision, and...

CNM Update

Media | 06/03/2004 4:00 am EDT

June 3, 2004   Hip Interactive sees drop in net earningsThe bottom line at Hip Interactive Corp. fell to $9.6 million for its fiscal year ended March 31, 2004 compared to $11 million in earnings the previous year. The slip came despite an 18% gain in sales from $360.7 million to $425.8 million over the same period. The reduced profitability, the company says, is due to lower margins in its video games...

Napster “thin edge” of wedge dismantling Canadian cultural protections: Punnett

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Napster’s entry into Canada is an example of how foreign music services will threaten Canadian cultural protection measures, says the author of a new report on digital technologies and the music industry. Sam Punnett, president of FAD Research, recently made public his study, The Changing Face of...

CHRC meets with educators to study new media skills needs

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

The Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC) new media steering committee is conducting a study on new media education in Canada. Focusing on content creators - people who use new media to create products or art - the study will explore how education affects workers in the field country-wide. Slated for completion this August, the study will explore a broad range of issues, including how new media schooling and training varies from province to province, and what the needs are of new graduates entering the field. Seven guest educators joined in discussion with the committee, which includes members of provincial new media associations, teachers, artists and other content creators, at its latest meeting on April 29. Committee chair Ronald Lamoureux tells Canadian NEW MEDIA that it...

Staffing costs rise in wake of competition for games developers in Montreal

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Electronic Arts (EA) is growing more quickly than anticipated in its new Montreal studio, but its presence is causing an uncomfortable price war for talent in the area, according to one smaller player. Last summer, the games giant announced plans to open a large studio in the heart of Montreal, with the intention of hiring...

CANARIE-funded marketing tool proves success of broadband market research

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Delvinia Interactive Inc. head Adam Froman says the company’s new AskingMedia research tool has proven the utility of using broadband Internet tools to conduct market research. The company was recently the recipient of an Excellence Behind the Scenes award at the 2004 Professional Marketing Research Society conference in...

Cheeky departure for DECODE in Bell-funded convergence property

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

A new convergence project from DECODE Entertainment in partnership with the U.K.’s Hat Trick Productions promises to introduce some new tricks to the company’s bag. DECODE, which has become known recently for its young adult and children’s programming, is set to unleash a quirky, cheeky animated comedy on Teletoon in...

No silver bullet for spam problem, says Industry Canada ADM

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

Industry Canada announced April 11 the creation of a Spam Task Force, a ministerial committee to combat unsolicited commercial email. The 10-member body is charged with finding ways to reduce unsolicited email, which is estimated to account for about 60% of overall email traffic.  Asked why the task force has been...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

CIPPIC wins status in file-sharing caseThe Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) has been granted intervenor status in the record labels’ appeal of last March’s unsuccessful suit against Internet service providers (CNM, April 16/04). The labels had sought the identity of 29 people they accuse of being music pirates from ISPs, but Federal Court of Canada judge Konrad von Finckenstein ruled that...

CNM People

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

In a move that has generated no small amount of controversy, former head of the Société professionnelle des auteurs et de compositeurs du Québec Francine Bertrand-Venne has been named a full-time member of the Copyright Board of Canada. Sources tell Canadian NEW MEDIA that the move is unusual in that she has been working on behalf of creators for seven years on one side of the users rights/creators rights debate....

French on the Internet: the Canadian government says it’s doing its part

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

  A March 2002 report on the status of French on the Internet pointed out several areas where the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages felt the federal government could improve its delivery of services, including cultural content online(CNM, April 8/02). The government’s response to that report has now been...

CNM Editorial

Media | 05/28/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.In past, Canadian NEW MEDIA has often expressed its support for what’s commonly dubbed the "users rights" side of the copyright debate. We have generally favoured a light regulatory approach to new media law, and have been against regulations that would give intermediaries too-strong controls...

CCR Update

Media | 05/26/2004 4:00 am EDT

May 26, 2004   CRTC grants administrative licence renewals to Radio Nord and othersThe CRTC has granted short-term administrative renewals from Sept. 1, 2004 to Dec. 31, 2004 to several broadcasters including Radio-Nord Communications inc (Broadcasting Decision 2004-189). Various Canadian Broadcasting Corp. TV stations, stations belonging to Télé Inter-Rives ltée and Télévision MBS inc. as well as TVA Group’s CFCM TV station in Quebec City were renewed on May 25 for the same period. The applications for licence renewal were heard at a public hearing on Feb. 16, 2004, but the CRTC is unable to rule on them before the current licences expire.Alliance Atlantis secures sales for new series of CSI Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. announced May 21 that it has sold the third installment of its CSI franchise, CSI: New York, to Australia (Channel 9), France (TF1), Germany (VOX), Spain (Telecinco) and the United Kingdom (Five). Co-producer CBS handles U.S. sales. The show is inspired by CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and its...

Spike TV contends it’s non-competitive with Canadian services, deserves carriage

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Spike TV complements rather than competes with other Canadian specialty channels, the service tells the CRTC, despite assertions to the contrary by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB). In a May 17 submission to the regulator, Spike TV tells the CRTC that its controversial rebranding is simply to keep pace with...

CRTC should adopt “back-stop” approach to regulating specialty TV: Cogeco lawyers

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Two Cogeco Inc. lawyers are calling for an overhaul of the way specialty TV channels are regulated by the CRTC, which has up until now made decisions, they say, that have created an unfair "specialty service caste system." Yves Mayrand, Cogeco’s VP of corporate affairs, and Caroline...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canadian Heritage earmarks $350,000 for diversityCanadian Heritage is giving $350,000 to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help finance intergovernmental meetings on the development of the Convention on the Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expression. "The government of Canada continues to play a leadership role in the development of a Convention...

Parliamentary committee wants panel to look at increasing foreign channels

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Concerns about the lack of choice of foreign and third-language programming in Canada and about individual privacy due to a lack of certainty over the duties of inspectors are plaguing Bill C-2. The bill would amend the Radiocommunication Act to tighten penalties for dealing in the black and grey satellite TV...

CCR People

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

John van Driel has been appointed the new general manager and CEO of Trumar Communications Inc., which owns Classical 96.3 FM (Toronto). He replaces Peter Webb, who will resign from the position as of August 15.  Chris Pandoff assumes the new position of VP of the Ontario Radio Group of Corus Radio. He is responsible for all Corus radio stations in Ontario, except for those in Toronto. As well, Chris Sisam moves into the role of VP of Corus Radio Sales vacated by Pandoff and Suzanne Carpenter will expand her general manager role and add the responsibility of CHML and Y108 while continuing to oversee Country 95.3.  Sandy Barblett has been named regional director Asia Pacific at Pace Micro Technology plc. He will be based in Hong Kong and lead a team that will manage relationships with Pace’s existing customers and target new digital TV operators. Paul Robertson, the interim president of Nelvana, has moved to Corus Entertainment as president of television. John Cassaday takes over as president of Nelvana. Isabel...

Vidéotron, Astral introduce SVOD in Quebec

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

Vidéotron ltée and Astral Media have launched Canada’s first French-language subscripton video-on-demand (SVOD) service. Super Écran sur demande launched May 13 and is available to all of Vidéotron’s illico digital cable TV subscribers. About 30 films will be available each month, with 25% of the selection changing each week and the entire...

Montreal company capitalizing on DAB infrastructure for application deployment

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

A two-year-old Montreal company is hoping to help Canadian broadcasters deliver innovative and compelling content through their digital audio broadcast (DAB) infrastructure. Société Radio Numérique (SRN) has developed an applications platform called Servo, which will allow broadcasters to use their over-the-air...

The CAB makes its case for audit rights

Media | 05/21/2004 4:00 am EDT

 The Canadian Association of Broadcasters outlines why it feels the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations should be amended to provide for terms and conditions under which programmers could audit the records of distributors for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of affiliation payments. An excerpt of the association’s May 21 submission to the CRTC...

CCR Editorial

Media | 05/21/2004 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 CRTC has few options for dealing with Spike TV in the face of mounting pressure for more channel choice, but it still must do something to protect its existing policies. Because dropping the channel isn’t an option, it should look at packaging the U.S. service with Men TV (the channel with which it...

CNM Update

Media | 05/20/2004 4:00 am EDT

May 20, 2004  No sign of help for Ontario tax credit in budgetThe provincial budget handed down May 19 in Ontario contained none of the measures advocated by the New Media Business Alliance (NMBA) to fix the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (CNM, Feb. 20/04). The NMBA had written to Ontario’s finance minister noting that the credit’s effectiveness was limited since other government funding for new...

Chilly Beach gets second season on CBC

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

The much-touted Chilly Beach convergence project has been renewed for a second season, in production now, as producer March Entertainment begins expanding its staff and number of projects in Sudbury ON (CNM, April 3/03). The show has been purchased for a new run starting this fall by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., and will see a second run on the...

Polls suggest opposite views on file-sharing as advertising or piracy

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Many adult Canadians disagree with a recent federal court ruling that suggests sharing music over the Internet is legal, according to a newly released national poll. The phone survey says that the majority of respondents believe online file-sharing does violate the rights of composers and musicians. Conducted in April,...

Digital rights management key to successful mobile entertainment services

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

An effective digital rights management (DRM) system will play a key role in the success of entertainment content in the mobile wireless space, a conference in Toronto earlier this month was told. While panelists in two sessions talked about the significant role DRM will play in the mobile content industry and how it will...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Retail Council responds on video games surveyThe Retail Council of Canada’s Kevin Evans responds to a Decima Publishing/Decima Research poll on video games and regulation:   The fact that a majority of parents want to see labelling on video game boxes that provides information about the content and age appropriateness of a game is encouraging and mirrors our own research. That is why the retail and game manufacturing industries have been promoting the ESRB ratings system, which now extends to virtually all of the games sold in the Canadian market today. Retail Council of Canada, in conjunction with the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and the Electronic Software Association (Canada), has piloted a successful self-regulation model in British Columbia. Commitment to Parents was launched in collaboration with the B.C. government in November of 2001. Participating retailers voluntarily refuse to sell "M" rated games to customers under the age of 17, and commit to educating parents on the ESRB rating...

CNM People

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Joshua Davis has been added to the Toronto-based Electric Company’s roster of new media artists. Davis is a New York artist and technologist whose praystation.com web site was a winner of the 2001 Prix Ars Electonica Golden Nica.  Maarika Paul, formerly VP of investor relations at BCE Inc., has transferred within the company to work directly with president/CEO Michael Sabia. Bernard leDuc will fill her...

CNM Editorial

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.New media producers in Canada are forgiven if, as they scan the latest fall lineups and show buys, they feel a little resentful. Who can blame them? The ascendancy of reality TV is a gift they’ve given to the networks as the Internet aesthetic takes complete hold of the television dial. The first...

Canadian music publishers and record labels at odds over proposed tariff

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s music publishers and record labels are at odds over a surprise filing by the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency (CMRRA) that would slap a hefty fee on digitally downloaded music and streaming music services. On May 1, the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) discovered that after months of...

Conference session outlines key success factors in mobile entertainment market

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

There is money to be made in the provision of entertainment services to mobile devices, but operators in North America need to emulate strategies employed by carriers in Europe and Asia, a recent conference heard. At EXPO COMM Canada 2004, panelists during the Entertainment: The International Experience session highlighted...

Heritage Committee makes controversial recommendations on copyright reform

Media | 05/14/2004 4:00 am EDT

To no one’s surprise, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has recommended in strong terms the quick ratification of two World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) treaties that would provide strong protection for copyright holders in a digital environment. On May 12, the committee tabled a report that made several key recommendations, including the adoption of a U.S.-style "notice-and-takedown" regime that would protect ISPs from copyright liability only if they act quickly at the request of rights holders to remove material identified as infringing from their servers. The committee is urging the government to create a memorandum to Cabinet incorporating its...

CCR Update

Media | 05/12/2004 4:00 am EDT

May 12, 2004  Global rates high with Friends, Survivor on May 6The May 6 finale of U.S. sitcom Friends attracted 3.37 million adult viewers (18-49) nationally, and is the highest rated show in the Toronto market so far this season, Global Television announced May 7. The audience numbers for Friends are higher than those registered for the Super Bowl, the Grammy Awards, and the Academy Awards. The one-hour episode of...

Canadians are increasingly favouring specialty TV over conventional: survey

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canadians are increasingly turning to specialty channels as their preferred television viewing option because of better programming, according to a recent national consumer research survey. The study found that 47% of Canadian TV viewers say they prefer specialty channels to conventional networks, with only 31% stating they...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

Ontario court dismisses motion by Craig Wireless vs. Look, UBSThe Ontario Superior Court of Justice has dismissed the motion brought by Craig Wireless International Inc. against Unique Broadband Systems Inc. and Look Communications Inc. Craig Wireless was seeking an interim injunction that would disallow a private placement by Look in January 2003 to UBS until it was approved by the company’s disinterested shareholders,...

À la carte TV offerings will result in fewer choices, higher prices: NCTA

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

  The National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) in the United States released a white paper May 5 that opposes a proposed U.S. government policy that would require à la carte distribution of cable and satellite TV networks. The NCTA argues that offering consumers a choice of a variety of basic and digital...

CRTC sees increased advertising minutes as solution to Canadian TV drama crisis

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

The CRTC is proposing that broadcasters be allowed extra advertising time in exchange for airing more original Canadian English-language TV drama. That was the main incentive that the regulator proposed today as a means of increasing viewing to and expenditures on Canadian TV drama (Broadcasting Public Notice 2004-32). The...

CCR People

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

Phyllis Yaffe has been appointed to the new role of COO of Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. Previously, she was CEO of the company’s broadcast group. The appointment is part of a streamlined operating structure that reflects the company’s decision to exit virtually all in-house production. Sam Ewing has joined Cookie Jar Entertainment, formerly Cinar Corp., as head of distribution. Previously, Ewing was VP...

Decline in industrial production provides opportunity for more indigenous TV production: panel

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

 A decline in industrial Canadian production could provide Canadian producers with the opportunity to make truly Canadian TV shows, an industry panel noted at a recent law conference. Six-point Canadian production, or production that is deemed less Canadian and made primarily to be sold...

CCR Editorial

Media | 05/06/2004 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 CRTC owes it to Canadians to not only offer broadcasters incentives for broadcasting and gaining audiences for homegrown programs, but also to set specific requirements for them. The commission, however, appears unwilling to admit that its 1999 TV policy, which eliminated spending requirements on...

Digital TV subscriber growth continues to slow in 2003: new Decima Publishing report

Media | 05/06/2004 4:00 am EDT

Canada’s broadcast distributors added fewer net digital TV subscribers in 2003 compared to 2002, the fifth consecutive year of slower subscriber growth, according to new research from Decima Publishing Inc. The number of Canadian households subscribing to digital TV services increased by 12% or approximately 417,000 in 2003 (November/December 2002 to November/December 2003), compared to 21% or about 588,000 the previous year (November/December 2001 to November/December 2002). The latest digital TV subscriber numbers are contained in the newly published latest installment of the quarterly digital TV market overview report series, entitled THE DIGITAL DOMAIN: Tracking the Growth and...