CNM Special Edition Update

Media | 03/21/2002 5:00 am EST

AnalysisBill C-48 consultation document proposes new category of Internet retransmitterFederal government officials will discuss a new category of Internet retransmitter with significant operating restrictions at a closed-door meeting with industry stakeholders in Ottawa on Friday, March 22, Canadian NEW MEDIA has learned. In a consultation document circulated late on March 19, and obtained by CNM, the departments of...

CCR Update

Media | 03/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Consultation document on Bill C-48 proposes territorial restrictions on satellite TV distributorsFederal government officials are meeting with industry stakeholders on Friday, March 22 in Ottawa to discuss a consultation document on Bill C-48, which would amend the retransmission section of the Copyright Act. The consultation document, with the draft title Retransmission Conditions Regulations, sets out in six sections...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

Decima Reader Survey, January-February 2002 A recent online poll of subscribers to Decima Publishing newsletters asked if newly-appointed CRTC chair Charles Dalfen is the right person for the job in the current environment. The results are mixed, with nearly as many unsure as those who endorse the appointment. CRTC decision puts kibosh on Amtelecom, Persona dealThe proposed takeover of Amtelecom Group Inc. of Alymer...

CCR People

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

Mike Unger has been appointed to the board of directors of Sigma Systems, which provides service management solutions to cable operators worldwide. He was most recently president of Nortel Networks’ optical networks business unit.  Pam Leyland has been appointed president of Rawlco Radio. A resident of Saskatoon since 1974, Leyland joined CKOM in Saskatoon in 1978, working as a news broadcaster, news director and...

Ensuring that Canada’s diversity is reflected in its broadcasting system

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The CRTC has recently put an emphasis on the reflection of Canada’s multiculturalism in the Canadian broadcasting system. CRTC vice- chair of broadcasting Andrée Wylie spoke about how Canada’s diversity is reflected in the broadcasting system in mid-February at a forum in Montreal on Canadian Media, Race and Cultural Diversity in the 21st Century. An edited version of her speech follows: I am very happy to be here today to talk to you about how Canada’s broadcasting system reflects this country in all its diversity and, more importantly, how, with your efforts and ours, it can even better reflect this country’s diversity, in keeping with the pace of change in Canada’s...

CCR Editorial

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Just what should the CRTC be expected to do with regard to interactivity in television programming? Some of what is being requested in the commission’s fact-finding inquiry seems well outside the regulator’s purview.  One such request is that by the Canadian Film and Television Production...

CBC aims to block Saskatchewan’s bid for leave to appeal on transponder tax decision

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. is asking Canada’s highest court to block an attempt by the Saskatchewan government to appeal a recent court decision denying the province the right to tax satellite transponders. The public broadcaster refutes the provincial government’s contention in its...

Digital TV subscribers to top 3.6 million at year-end, Decima Publishing forecasts

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The number of Canadians subscribing to digital television service will top 3.6 million by the end of 2002, with satellite TV continuing to hold the lion’s share of the market, according to a new report by Decima Publishing Inc. Satellite’s share of the digital TV market is expected to be 61 per cent at year-end, with...

Access, revenue sharing emerge as issues in fact-finding inquiry on interactivity

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

Many broadcasters and producers are advocating for CRTC intervention in interactive television (iTV) to ensure equitable access and to iron out revenue sharing. But the cable industry maintains that it is still early days and that existing rules against undue preference in broadcasting and telecommunications are sufficient...

HITS QT enabling small cablecos to better compete with satellite TV rivals

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

HITS QT (Headend in the Sky – Quick Take) is giving small cable companies a cost-effective way of going digital and competing with their direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV rivals. As a result, orders for Canadian Satellite Communications Inc.’s (Cancom) digital cable solution have exceeded expectations. "In a...

Stursberg calls for ‘harmonization’ between CRTC content rules and TV funding

Media | 03/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The recently appointed executive director of Telefilm Canada is calling for greater harmonization between CRTC content regulations and the funding of television programming. In comments made during his first interview with CCR since assuming his new post at the beginning of the year, Richard Stursberg says the...

CNM Special Edition Update

Media | 03/14/2002 5:00 am EST

Not all is as it seems with new  ‘iCraveTV’ Canadian NEW MEDIA has received an email advisory announcing that a company called iCraveTV.biz will launch services in May. While both regulators and industry watchers might be interested to hear of iCraveTV.com Inc.’s revival, a domain name lookup indicates the new site is owned by Entervision Inc., a Montreal company with Los Angeles headquarters, and with no...

CNM Update

Media | 03/13/2002 5:00 am EST

One copyright portal announced, two to comeA consortium made up of the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Digital Content Management Services, and Calgary-based RightsMarket Inc. is the first to announce funding from Canadian Heritage to develop a copyright clearance web portal. The portal will be used to clear music copyrights in Canada, and $787,392 has been awarded by the department...

CNM Special Edition Update

Media | 03/11/2002 5:00 am EST

MP3 players targeted with proposed Canadian levy The Canadian Private Copying Collective has submitted its proposed tariffs for 2003-2004, this time asking the Copyright Board of Canada to include the hard drive and flash memory components of MP3 players and other portable devices. The proposed new tariffs include a $21/Gb charge for memory in "each non-removable hard drive incorporated into each MP3 player or into each similar device with an internal hard drive that is intended for use primarily to record and play music." To illustrate how controversial the proposed tariffs will be, an Apple iPod, which retails for $599 on the company’s Canadian web site, has a 5-Gb hard drive. If approved, the new tariff would increase the price of an iPod sold in Canada by $105, or 17.5%.Other tariffs will also increase. Following is the proposed list of tariffs for 2003-2004 (the application of the levy is subject to certain conditions). 60¢ for each audio cassette of 40 minutes or more in length; 59¢ for each CD-R, CD-RW, or...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Heritage, Industry summarize pre-hearing submissionsCanadian Heritage and Industry Canada have released a 20-page summary of the 670 submissions and 60 reply comments on their digital copyright issues paper released last summer. The document is a broad look at the massive number of submissions, and seeks to clarify how the variety of comments made by individual Canadians and organizations responded to the four questions...

CNM People

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Vancouver’s Blast Radius has added to its Toronto team with the appointment of Brett Turner as GM and SVP of client development. As well, John Marcine comes on board in the role of director of business development. Before joining, Turner worked for Roundarch as its director of solution sales for Canada. Previously, he was VP of SAP Canada’s central region. He has also held managment positions with NEC and Lexmark, and...

P.E.I.’s vision for e-learning

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Edited speaking notes for Shauna Sullivvan Curley, deputy minister for education, Prince Edward Island, to the CANARIE Inc. Second Annual E-Learning Conference, Feb. 25/02. It is a pleasure to join you this morning via video conference for the 2nd Annual CANARIE E-Learning conference. I wish I could be with you in Montreal, but as the focus of the...

Rumours of Industry, Heritage rift on C-48 denied after MP’s comments in House

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

A senior government official is defending Ottawa’s Internet retransmission legislative process in the strongest possible terms even as rumours persist that as-yet-announced regulations are being bogged down by departmental in-fighting. Michèle Gervais, head of Industry Canada’s Intellectual Property Branch, tells...

CNM Editorial

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. News this week of big demand for funding under two new Canadian new media funding programs is good news for the industry – at least as a whole. The downside of over-subscription to programs, of course, is that worthy projects may go without funding and languish until subsequent rounds. But the big picture is that new media is alive and well in this country, with thousands of talented Canadians sticking with the program through thick and thin, anxious for any opportunity to realize their creative and business visions. The demand for funds under the Canada New Media Fund and Applied Research in Multimedia (ARIM) fund is also an encouraging sign that bureaucrats at Canadian Heritage, if slow to act at times, are listening to industry and responding to its needs. This, as our readers know, has not always been the case. Only new money promised in the 2000 throne speech made the ARIM fund possible, and the...

ITV market already protected by undue preference rules: CCTA submission

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Existing rules against undue preference in broadcasting and telecommunications are sufficient to protect interactive television (ITV) players without further regulation, argues the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA). In its submission to the CRTC’s fact-finding inquiry on ITV (PN 2001-113), the association says...

Corus, iLoveTV interactive trial decried as ‘stupid’ by Grammy-winning filmmaker

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Toronto-based iLoveTV Entertainment Inc. will put its two-screen interactivity technology to the test April 6 when Corus Entertainment Inc.’s Documentary Channel uses it to enhance a broadcast of a documentary. The system uses markers in a broadcast to push content at users on a web site, and Corus will be the first...

Intensive new media accelerator course right fit for studio owner eyeing new media

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

A first participant in the Corus/Canadian Women in Communications New Media Career Accelerator program says she hopes the knowledge gained from the week-long course will help her company eventually join the ranks of new media content producers. Lillyann Goldstein, one of 20 women participating in the program this week, is...

Digital player calls for CanCon thresholds

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

While the cable industry and others are urging a wait-and-see approach by the CRTC on ITV regulation, at least one digital content production player is arguing the commission has a role to play in encouraging new players to enter the fray. In its submission, written by director of interactive entertainment Dan Fill, Decode Entertainment Inc. lists...

MGM trial proves prime time readiness for CinemaNow technology

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

A deal with MGM Studios proves the viability of CinemaNow Inc.’s movie streaming technology, according to CinemaNow president Bruce Eisen. He adds that a trial run of the system is more for the benefit of MGM than his company, a subsidiary of Vancouver-based Lion’s Gate Entertainment. On February 20, CinemaNow...

Deal to distribute films by satellite could be precursor to greater interactivity

Media | 03/07/2002 5:00 am EST

An advisor to Toronto-based Galaxy Entertainment Inc. says a deal to beam films directly to its theatres could be just the beginning to making movie houses centres for more interactive entertainment. On February 26, Galaxy announced an arrangement with Ottawa-based Telesat Canada that will test the digital distribution of...

CCR Update

Media | 03/06/2002 5:00 am EST

Corus to relaunch WTN on April 15The Women’s Television Network (WTN) will be rebranded as W and relaunched on April 15, Corus Entertainment Inc. announced March 6. Corus says for the first time there will be dual feed of the specialty channel’s signal to "better serve Western Canadian viewers". It also announced that it had licensed five original Canadian series and movies to be telecast on the network. New...

More free previews necessary to expand untapped market, according to diginet survey

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

A recent Canadian survey has found relatively limited interest in digital cable in analog cable households at this time, even with high awareness of the launch of new digital specialty television channels last fall. The findings suggest cable operators must do more to promote the features of digital cable to upgrade analog...

Broadcasters, distributors unite to fight piracy; producers expected to jump on board too

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

A coalition of broadcasters and distributors has begun working together to fight piracy of broadcast signals in the country. That coalition will eventually likely be expanded to include producers, according to Chris Frank, Bell ExpressVu LP’s VP of regulatory and government affairs. "Piracy affects distributors, broadcasters, and producers, whose work is devalued if people are watching it without paying, and we are working together to curb the problem," Frank told CCR at the Canadian Satellite Users Association (CSUA) conference on February 18. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), the Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA), Star Choice Communications...

Private broadcasters want access to funding, but less prime time requirements

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

Private television broadcasters should be able to access subsidies for the production of Canadian programming, but they don’t want to have to air the resulting shows during prime time, their lobby group tells the Parliamentary committee studying the relevance of the Broadcasting Act. In its written submission to the House...

Rollout of VOD service will give cable edge over satellite TV in digital: Rogers

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

The rollout of video-on-demand (VOD) will give cable an edge over direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV distributors in the digital universe, says the president and chief executive of Rogers Cable Inc. But Canada’s largest DTH operator says it’s not far behind with its own limited VOD service. Rogers Cable’s John...

Program logging only issue after sifting through CHUM ‘hyperbolae’: Craig

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

Craig Broadcast Systems Inc. argues that after sifting "through all the hyperbolae", the only real issue relating to a complaint filed against its new youth specialty channel is the logging of music video clips. CHUM Ltd. has complained to the CRTC that Craig has altered its new diginet so much that it is now...

Broadcasters, distributors work toward solving sound glitches on diginets

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

Broadcasters and distributors are scheduled to meet on March 20 to try to come up with a plan to better manage audio levels on the new digital specialty television channels. The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) is organizing the session in response to complaints from digital subscribers about varying sound...

More community channels could result from proposed Access-Battlefords merger

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

The proposed merger of two Saskatchewan non-profit community cable co-operatives is expected to bring digital cable and several new community cable channels to the northern part of the province. The deal, announced February 20, will be voted on by members of Battlefords Community Cablevision Co-operative on March 12, and a day later by members of Regina-based Access Communications Co-operative Limited. Jim Deane, president and CEO of Access Communications, says the proposed merger will allow some economies of scale while preserving the founding principles of both co-operatives – local ownership and a commitment to community programming. "One of the commitments we’ve made...

Digital icon or digital road kill? asks Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

Should the digital launch of about 50 new channels, including Leafs TV and Raptors TV, be considered a digital icon or digital road kill? That’s the question Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) and president of the Raptors, asked during a February 27 speech to the Broadcast...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

Star Choice amends conditions for additional receiver feesStar Choice Communications Inc. has decided to exempt some customers from the $4.99 fee for additional receivers it planned to begin charging on March 1. In a message on its web site, Star Choice now says that customers who take a package valued at $58.99 per month or more won’t have to pay the fee. Letters sent previously to Star Choice customers indicated that...

CCR People

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

Suzanna Mandryk has been named VP of communications and marketing at VisionTV. She will oversee corporate communications and spearhead the organization’s branding and marketing initiatives. She was most recently senior VP of marketing at the online tee-time reservation network Book4golf.com Corp. Previously, she joined YTV as VP of marketing and public relations in 1997, and was promoted to VP of corporate marketing and...

CCR Editorial

Media | 03/01/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Digital icon or digital road kill? This question posed by Richard Peddie, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, is the question of the day in the broadcast arena. The data to date suggest it’s too early for a definitive answer.  On the one hand, the take-up rates of the digital...

CNM Update

Media | 02/27/2002 5:00 am EST

C-48 referred to committeeBill C-48, which would clarify the legal issues surrounding Internet retransmission, passed second reading in the House of Commons Feb. 22 and will move to debate by the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Debate on the bill was limited, but MPs from across the government side of the House raised serious concerns about a dearth of regulations that would govern the right to retransmit online....

Valenti to Canada: Protect your content

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

On Feb. 7, Motion Picture Association of America chair/CEO Jack Valenti addressed the Canadian Film and Television Production Association annual conference. Friendly, funny and warm, his speech was well-received by the audience, but many are viewing his remarks in the light of both copyright reform within Canada and broader World Trade Organization...

CNM People

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

The Internet Advertising Bureau of Canada has appointed Gary Fearnall as president. Fearnall is VP of sales for Bell Globemedia Interactive.Peter Pereira has been appointed CIO/VP information services at Telus Corp. He was previously CIO/VP information technology at General Electric Capital Information Technology Solutions. He also has experience at SHL/MCI Systemhouse, Dell Computer Corp. and Glaxo...

CNM Short Takes

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

CTF funding guideline changes raise new media questionsWhile the new media community is generally applauding recent changes to the Canadian Televison Fund guidelines, which now include multimedia projects, at least some digital producers are concerned the new rules put converged digital/TV projects at a disadvantage to pure television plays. The controversy surrounds a rule change that makes new media projects eligible,...

CNM Editorial

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Though it will likely be lost on the mainstream consciousness amid a far sexier debate on satellite TV piracy, the Canadian Cable Television Association's (CCTA) call for recorded votes at the CRTC deserves kudos. The cable association recognizes what Decima Publishing and others have also been frustrated by: excessive secrecy within government and government agencies and bodies.The CCTA's call comes at the same time as Canadian NEW MEDIA is frustrated in its attempts to ferret out information about the Canadian Culture Online Program and its agreements with the Treasury Board, and as Cabinet secrecy has leapt to the fore of daily headlines.Secrecy is not good or bad, but a tool that can be used in a democratic society to further the public interest. Obviously, we in the media will always argue for disclosure - sometimes the information we seek simply isn't our business, and sometimes disclosure could have...

Enhanced television likely to attract older demographic: CHUM executive

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

CHUM Television expects to tap an older audience with its new enhanced television (ETV) service than it currently targets with its web offering. While the youth demographic is likely demanding more interactivity than current TV technology can provide, a slightly older audience that constitutes the bulk of TV viewers will...

Opposition MP predicts smooth ride for retransmission bill through committee

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Bill C-48, the federal government's proposed legislation to amend Canada's retransmission laws to clarify the role of the Internet, is likely in for an easy ride at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, according to one member of the committee. Wendy Lill, the New Democrat MP representing Dartmouth, says her...

Observers read call to copyright reform in Valenti’s Canadian speech February 7

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

A recent speech by chief Hollywood lobbyist Jack Valenti, aimed at Canadian politicians and trade negotiators, may have contained a veiled call to this country's government to adopt American-style digital copyright legislation, industry observers say. Both Valenti and his Canadian counterpart,...

Cold North Wind agreement with Globe to kick-start company growth

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

The venerable The Globe and Mail will soon announce a significant deal to digitize its holdings for online consumption, Canadian NEW MEDIA has learned from a reliable source. The national newspaper will soon join the Toronto Star and New York Post in using the services of Cold North Wind Inc. to put its archives online,...

Moontaxi music subscription service forges ahead with labels’ blessings

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

Toronto-based Moontaxi Media will shortly be bringing a new music subscription service to Canadians in advance of any formal tariffs. Though under strict confidentiality agreements, co-CEO Alistair Mitchell says the company has had discussions with both the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) and the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency, and with partners Universal Music and EMI that will allow the company to offer music-on-demand in an interactive fashion.The service, expected to be launched in April, will cost interested Canadians $5.99 per month. Mitchell is deliberately vague on precise details of the service, however, in advance of the...

byDesign-eLab seeks Heritage support as it unveils new web site this spring

Media | 02/22/2002 5:00 am EST

A groundbreaking academic-private sector public interest web site is hoping to win Canadian Heritage funding support for its non-commercial portal, set to be re-launched this spring after a massive overhaul. The new byDesign-eLab will be unveiled in Toronto at the end of April.The not-for-profit site has several goals,...

CCR Update

Media | 02/20/2002 5:00 am EST

Rogers Cable unveils plans for VODRogers Cable Inc. unveiled plans for a video-on-demand (VOD) service that it anticipates rolling out commercially this June. In the meantime, it is testing the service with 50 households in Toronto, and plans to expand the trial to 1,000 employees and customers. At a news conference Feb. 19, Rogers Cable president and chief executive John Tory said VOD should help drive digital television...

CCTA to ask Canadian Heritage committee for broad changes to broadcasting rules

Media | 02/18/2002 5:00 am EST

The cable industry will issue a broad-reaching set of recommendations to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage February 19, including a call to reduce the size of the CRTC to between five and seven members, and reduce foreign ownership restrictions on facilities operators - but not on content providers. The Canadian...

Valenti speech signals U.S. desire to deal with cultural quotas in trade talks: CAB exec

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

A speech by powerful U.S. film executive Jack Valenti in Ottawa on February 7 hints at potentially fractious trade talks this summer, warns an executive with the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB). Erica Redler, the CAB’s general counsel and senior VP of policy and legal affairs,...

Varied packaging contributes to diginet take-up rates ranging from 21% to 40%

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The major broadcast distributors driving the rollout of digital TV are generally giving the thumbs up to take-up rates achieved to date for the new digital specialty TV networks that launched last fall. But gauging the success or failure of the launch is proving challenging due to the many variables and the short timeframe...

CHUM says integrity of licensing process at issue in Craig ‘maneuvering’ on diginets

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

CHUM Ltd. warns there will be "far reaching" effects on the whole broadcasting system if the CRTC accepts a rival’s rationale for rebranding and rejigging its youth-oriented digital specialty television channel. In a strongly worded follow-up filing to the commission on February 5, CHUM...

At 10 years, CPAC looking to expanded programming, possibly new financing

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) is expected to ask the CRTC to approve a new financing model in its licence renewal application filed with the commission this week. Although CPAC officials would not elaborate on the proposal, it is likely to include a request for a wholesale carriage fee and/or the right to seek...

Fusca says Stornoway’s diginets in for long haul

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

Stornoway Communications president and CEO Martha Fusca says the company is "absolutely" in for the long haul with its three diginets: the public affairs i channel, the dance channel bpm:tv, and the short film channel Movieola. Last week, Stornoway laid off 28 of its 55 employees, and cancelled i channel’s flagship program Unzipped, which...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

Holders of video-on-demand licences given extensionThe CRTC has granted an extra year, or until Dec. 14, 2002, for holders of video-on-demand (VOD) licences to roll out their services. Videon Cablesystems Inc. (now Shaw), Corus Entertainment Inc., Cogeco Cable Inc., and an Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.-Shaw Communications Inc. partnership, which received their VOD licences in 1997, all got the extension — Broadcasting Decision 2002-33, 2002-34, 2002-35, and 2002-36. Five VOD services were licensed in 1997, and another four were licensed in 2000 under the digital licensing framework that saw the licensing of nearly 300 new digital specialty channels (CCR, Jan. 17/01). Rogers will announce the rollout of its VOD service early next week.  CRTC gives satellite distributors go-ahead to bulk bill customersDirect-to-home satellite distributors will be allowed to bulk bill customers in multiple-dwelling units, the CRTC announced Feb. 12 – Broadcasting Public Notice 2002-7. DTH distributors can now apply to the CRTC for a licence...

CCR People

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

Jerry McIntosh has been appointed director of the newly integrated documentary unit at the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. The unit is responsible for commissioning independent productions for CBC Television and CBC Newsworld. Previously, McIntosh was executive producer of documentaries at CBC Newsworld. Marie Natanson will be the unit’s deputy director.  Raynald Brière has been named the president and CEO of Groupe...

Standing Committee discussion centres on putting focus to ongoing broadcast study

Media | 02/15/2002 5:00 am EST

The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage met on Jan. 29 with its two new expert advisors, David Taras and Marc Raboy, to try to get the committee on track. It discussed three options: one, issuing an interim report in light of the fact that the final report is unlikely to be ready at year-end; two, trying to stick to the...

CCR Editorial

Media | 02/15/2002 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 needs a greater range of options to deal with companies that break their licence conditions or don’t follow regulations. That need has become increasingly clear in light of CHUM’s hard questions about the integrity of the commission’s licensing process as it relates to the broadcaster’s...

CNM Update

Media | 02/13/2002 5:00 am EST

Bill C-15A controversy growingFederal legislation outlawing the possession of child pornography is beginning to spark debate – four months after its passage by the House of Commons. Bill C-15A was the subject yesterday of both a feature story in Wired magazine and a radio story on CBC Radio One’s As It Happens. Both stories said the proposed legislation, if it becomes law, will make whistle-blowing a criminal action....

CNM Short Takes

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Henry, Clay Henry, likely subject of name disputeHenry, Clay Henry, the fireman featured in Subway commercials will be sent up as a clay-mation, disabled and profane London subway dweller within a few days as Halifax’s Collideascope Inc. posts a new web site devoted to the character at www.clayhenry.com. Collideascope’s president, Steven Comeau, tells CNM he’s purchased the domain name and will have the satirical content posted shortly. He doesn’t expect, however, that the move will go entirely unnoticed by the Subway chain. Watch for news of litigation or other legal action in this space soon. Canadian Museum of Nature outlines future plansA Canadian Museum of Nature spokesperson tells Canadian NEW MEDIA that interactive exhibits and virtual collections are definitely in the future for the Ottawa-based museum known widely for both its geological and dinosaur collections. The institution announced a new $70-million investment from Canadian Heritage and private funding on Jan. 30. Boyd doesn’t expect Iceberg copyright...

CNM People

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Telecom and media conglomerate BCE Inc. has made several changes to its executive ranks. The most significant appointment is the naming of Micheal Sabia as president and COO of BCE. He also becomes the CEO of Bell Canada. This appointment is effective March 1. Sabia joined BCE in October 1999 as vice-chair and CEO of Bell Canada International. In July 2000, he was named executive VP of BCE and vice-chair, corporate at...

International governments must respect civil liberties and rights on Internet

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

London-based Cyber-Rights and Cyber-Liberties group made recent waves with its call to carefully respect civil liberties in the face of encroaching regulations dealing with surveillance, terrorism and crime. In its conclusion, the group makes the now-oft-repeated argument that on its current course, the Internet could end...

CNM Editorial

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. A Canadian NEW MEDIA update last week pointing to a massive industry benefits package promised by AOL Time Warner has apparently caused a small stir as industry players now rush to get details about the funds. This push to find out more should stand as a mark of shame on Canadian Heritage’s...

Broadcast veteran pitches carriers on interactive category 2 channel

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Future "roadkill" on the digital specialty TV dial will likely create space for more experimental and interactive ventures soon, predicts Jeffrey Elliott, a broadcast veteran and head of new Category 2 digital specialty licensee Glassbox Television Inc. His company, which was awarded a licence late last year, is...

OnTarget draws on year’s lessons for spring e-learning conference in Toronto

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

OnTarget’s executives will use the lessons of the initiative’s first year in operation as the basis of a conference to be held late this spring examining e-learning and e-literacy. The event, which is just now in the planning stages, will bring together students, academics and business leaders to discuss the delivery of...

Canadian Heritage unveils near-finalized new media initiatives to Toronto audience

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

Toronto new media players were finally given a bird’s-eye view of Canadian Heritage’s Canadian Culture Online Program (CCOP) on January 25 as department head René Bouchard visited the Liberty Village New Media Centre with the first of a series of road shows to tout the program. Formerly known as the Canadian Digital...

Industry advocates decry secretive foreign investments review process

Media | 02/07/2002 5:00 am EST

A massive agreement by AOL Time Warner to invest $221 million in Canadian cultural industries is raising questions within industry about the secretive and self-serving nature of merger benefits packages. The AOL deal is the result of an approval process by Canadian Heritage made necessary when Time Warner’s Canadian film...

CCR Update

Media | 02/06/2002 5:00 am EST

CHUM to introduce enhanced programming on Feb. 8CHUM Television appears poised to be the first Canadian broadcaster to introduce basic interactive elements to its programming with today’s announcement it would introduce Enhanced TV on February 8. Channel-specific news-on-demand will be available on CHUM’s MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic, Citytv and Star! channels. Advertisers on the station will also have the option of...

Rogers says Internet announcements are not promos

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Rogers Cable Inc. is dismissing allegations from other Internet service providers that it promoted its high-speed Internet service on its community channels in violation of CRTC rules. "These are not ads, these are not promos. They are announcements to our existing customers on how to convert from @home to @rogers," Ken Engelhart, VP of regulatory law at Rogers Communications Inc., tells CCR. "We aren’t encouraging new customers to sign up. In fact, we might be discouraging some people with the ads because of the changes our existing customers had to make." The Independent Members of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (IMCAIP) filed a notice with the CRTC on January 9, accusing Rogers of using airtime on its community channels, promotional...

Cable industry raises concerns about MTS’ bid to enter broadcast distribution market

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

The cable industry wants the CRTC to ensure that Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. (MTS) doesn’t subsidize the rollout of its proposed broadcast distribution service with financing from its utility operations. The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) warns that MTS’ earnings in excess of 16...

Broadcast industry continues to question effectiveness of Heritage committee study

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

With the House of Commons committee reviewing the Broadcasting Act set to reconvene hearings January 31, industry players say it is becoming increasingly evident that the committee has neither the expertise nor the focus to effect any substantial changes. While the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is supposed to be...

LaPierre plans to push ahead with Senate study of media cross ownership

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Liberal Senator Laurier LaPierre says a Senate committee study of ownership concentration in the media would prevent the issue from getting lost in a wide-ranging study by a House of Commons committee. Included in the mandate of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s current review of the relevance of the...

CCR Short Takes

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Craig disputes CHUM’s claim it’s not adhering to conditionsCraig Broadcast Systems Inc. disputes allegations by CHUM Ltd. that it breached its licence conditions for its Category 1 digital channel MTV Canada (previously known as Connect) by devoting more than 10% of its air time to music content. CHUM contends that Craig is using its relationship with Viacom Inc. to turn its teen channel into a competitor to...

CNM Special Edition Update

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Massive AOL Time Warner, Canadian Heritage deal goes unnoticed by industry, unannounced by feds Details of a massive new $221 million five-year investment by AOL Time Warner Inc. in Canadian cultural industries including new media, film, television, and music are just beginning to come to light after a media release late last month went all but unnoticed in the media or by industry insiders. The release outlines the results of an agreement between the department of Canadian Heritage and media behemoth AOL Time Warner that cleared the way for federal approval of the January 2001 merger of giants America Online Inc. and Time Warner Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, signed under the Investment Canada Act, AOL will pump $180 million over five years into film and television production, including training and employment; another $22 million into the production, distribution and marketing of Canadian music products; and $4 million into Canadian-owned and controlled record companies to produce, distribute and market Canadian music...

CCR People

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Former broadcast executive Jim Thompson is the new CEO of the Canadian Olympic Association. He was president of specialty sports channel TSN and NetStar Communications. Prior to that, he worked at the CBC, serving as executive producer of the CBC’s broadcast of the Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and as the first executive producer of CBC Sports Weekend. He assumes the new position on March 4.  Chris Jordan, the chief...

IMCAIP insists Rogers spots are promos

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

The Independent Members of the Canadian Association of Internet Providers (IMCAIP) does not buy arguments by Rogers Cable Inc. that announcements it made about how to convert from its @home service to @rogers were not promos. The group contends the cableco promoted its Internet service in violation of CRTC rules. An excerpt of the group’s response to...

CCR Editorial

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.Will a 30-second plug for a specific pharmaceutical drug enlighten consumers about often complex medical conditions? The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) insists that Canadians will be the primary beneficiaries if legislation is changed to allow the advertisement of drugs over the airwaves. The...

Massive AOL Time Warner, Canadian Heritage deal goes unnoticed by industry, unannounced by feds

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Details of a massive new $221 million five-year investment by AOL Time Warner Inc. in Canadian cultural industries including television, film, new media, and music are just beginning to come to light after a media release late last month went all but unnoticed in the media or by industry insiders....

World TV files Cabinet appeal on carriage granted by CRTC in licensing decision

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

The owner of a proposed multicultural channel has asked the federal Cabinet to refer back to the CRTC a decision to award his operation a digital-only specialty TV licence. Dan Iannuzzi filed a petition to the Governor in Council this week seeking a reversal of the commission’s recent decision not to grant World...

CAB ramps up lobby for changes to allow direct-to-consumer advertising by drugcos

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Broadcasters are stepping up efforts to convince the federal government to eliminate legislative hurdles that prevent millions in big pharma dollars from flowing into their advertising coffers each year. The president and CEO of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) says his group has made the issue a top priority...

Broadcasters set to introduce basic interactive elements to programming

Media | 01/31/2002 5:00 am EST

Rogers Cable Inc. is in discussions to sign on more major broadcasters to provide interactive content for the Enhanced TV service it is offering its digital cable customers in conjunction with California-based Wink Communications. "I’m sitting in the office right now of a major Canadian broadcast ownership...

CNM Update

Media | 01/30/2002 5:00 am EST

Telefilm, OMDC send new media producers to MILIAThe Ontario Media Development Corp. and Telefilm Canada are sending a number of new media producers to this year’s MILIA market event, Feb. 4-8. The recipients of funding are: Big Orbit Inc., Bitcasters, DC Studios, Dream Mechanics, ecentricarts inc., Hemera Technologies, Marble Media Inc., Primitive Entertainment, SRP Inter@ctive, Strategy First, and Trapeze Media Ltd....

CNM Short Takes

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Applications flood in for Telefilm fund assistanceTelefilm Canada new media analyst Keith Clarkson reports that the number of applications for the new Canada New Media Fund (CNM, Dec. 13/01) has exceeded expectations, but that the agency will still be able to respond within the eight-week timeframe it has set for itself. Clarkson tells CNM that by the Jan. 7 deadline over 230 applications for funding had been received. Of those, 72 were received in Vancouver, 71 in Montreal, 70 in Toronto, and 20 in Halifax. The majority of those applications were for development phase assistance, with the remaining predominated by combined production and marketing assistance requests. In Montreal, where a majority of applications for projects in French would be expected, approximately three-quarters of the requests were for projects in that language. "(The response) has far outstripped our estimates," Clarkson says, noting that his personal estimate for Toronto applications only ran to 45 or 50. Despite demand from the sector, Clarkson still...

CNM People

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

CanWest Global Communications Corp. has appointed Kathy Gardner as VP, integrated media research. Gardner comes to CanWest from Bates Canada where she served as EVP, director of media operations. She is also a past president of the Broadcast Research Council.Mark Sutcliffe has resigned as president of InBusiness Media Network Inc. and publisher of the Ottawa Business Journal. He will remain with the company during a...

Building a Positive, Competitive Broadband Agenda

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

In October 2001, the Information Technology Association of America issued a call to government and business to spur the growth of broadband. Following is an edited excerpt of its white paper on how best to accomplish that goal. Broadband Internet access is available to a majority of American households, yet consumers are hesitant to use it. Part of...

CNM Editorial

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports. Vancouver’s Suite101 should be congratulated for its move to put control of its community of writers in the hands of the writers themselves (see story in this issue). When an email outlining the company’s plans was leaked to FuckedCompany.com, its executives were the subject of derision on that...

Suite101 to experiment with co-op model as company abandons site revenue hopes

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Executives at Vancouver’s Suite101.com Inc. are preparing to transfer operation of their money-losing online writer’s community to the editors who have been contributing to the site for the past six years. The unusual move comes as the company hopes to launch a new online learning initiative in a bid to preserve its...

CCR Update

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Standing Committee hearings on broadcasting to resumeThe Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage examining the broadcasting system is set to resume hearings on January 31. The Canadian Association of Internet Providers (CAIP), Digital Radio Roll-out, U8TV, and AOL Canada are scheduled to appear before the committee on that date (CCR, Nov. 22/01 and CCR, Nov. 9/01). A more detailed review of the committee's progress will be covered in the upcoming issue of CCR. 492 cablecos qualify for exemption: CCTAThe Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) on January 15 submitted to the CRTC a list of 492 small cable systems that it says qualify for exemption under the commission's exemption ruling announced last year - Public Notice 2001-59 (CCR, June 7/01). The list includes 63 small cable systems owned by Rogers Cable Inc., 62 owned by Shaw Cablesystems, and 53 owned by Cogeco Cable Inc. The CCTA compiled the list of its member companies that qualify at the request of the CRTC. Regional Cablesystems is not a member of the CCTA....

Groupe I.C.E. suspends game development activities

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Veteran Montreal video game firm Groupe I.C.E. has put its video game development section on a three- to five-month hiatus as it reacts to important marketplace changes. The company, known for popular edu-tainment CD-ROM game titles such as Land of the Magic Stones and Adiboo, develops exclusively for the personal computer market, which spokesperson Ron...

EMMA awards to bring international contingent to Toronto for jury process

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Toronto’s new media community will have an opportunity to bolster its international profile this fall when the international Electronic Multimedia Awards (EMMA) winners are chosen in that city. The event, scheduled for mid-October, marks the first time a North American city will host the EMMA jury. Besides selecting...

TPC investment to aid speech recognition company speed research and development

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

A new investment by Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) in a small B.C. company could help solve the significant problem of noise interference in applications that rely on voice recognition. Wavemakers Inc. recently announced $4.4 million in new loans from the Industry Canada funding body, money that it will use to hire...

Collideascope hires broadcast veteran to bolster ties with television community

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Halifax-based new media leader Collideascope Inc. is hoping to solidify ties to the traditional broadcast community with its hiring last fall of Salter Street Films Ltd. (now owned by Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.) veteran Allison Outhit. Outhit, who worked as a showrunner for the series Lexx, says she will be...

Sonar purchases Toronto’s ICE, operations resume

Media | 01/23/2002 5:00 am EST

Toronto’s ICE Integrated Creative Experiences Inc. has emerged from creditor protection under the new ownership of the Sonar Group. The live event planning and multimedia company had sought protection last October 30 while searching for new investment (CNM, Nov. 2/01). It was purchased on undisclosed terms by the Sonar Group with the equity...

CCR People

Media | 01/18/2002 5:00 am EST

Communications law specialist Phil Rogers has joined Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP as a partner. He was previously a law partner at Gowlings. He has also served as assistant general counsel at Bell Canada, and has extensive experience in telecommunications, broadcasting, Internet, privacy and regulatory law.  Consolidation at Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc.has resulted in some personnel shuffling. Peter...

CFTPA argues DTH carriage rules need to be changed to protect program rights

Media | 01/18/2002 5:00 am EST

The CRTC’s process to examine the carriage of out-of-market signals by direct-to-home satellite TV distributors is shaping up to be a contentious issue (see story in this issue). Star Choice and Bell ExpressVu want no changes to the existing regime. In contrast, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association...

CCR Editorial

Media | 01/18/2002 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 Chrétien government may have taken the first step toward some much-needed reform at the CRTC with the appointment of Charles Dalfen as chair. Dalfen, who assumed his post this month, is widely respected within both the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors, and there is hope among industry...

Some commissioners, industry experts question secrecy of CRTC decision process

Media | 01/18/2002 5:00 am EST

Longstanding industry gripes over secrecy at the CRTC have been brought to the fore as Canadian Communications Reports has hit a brick wall in its attempt to pry voting information from the commission. Responding to CCR inquiries about the lack of transparency on commissioner voting records in the wake of a failed Access to Information request, both industry experts and even some commissioners are calling for greater openness at the broadcast and telecom regulator, and an end to unrecorded votes. Many are also calling for disclosure of staff recommendations. Though publicly released voting results may not be popular with some commissioners expecting to later return to the private...