U.K. Children's minister has demanded a review of the rules under which children can appear on television amid fears reality shows have left them open to exploitation.
The executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre says it is time for policy-makers to step away from the past collegial supervision of cable/satellite companies and deliver a framework that is responsive to consumer needs.
The Conservative government insists the Globalive decision was a "one-off", and does not a change the policy restricting foreign-controlled companies from entering Canada's telecommunications industry.
FRIENDS spokesperson Ian Morrison discusses the Conservative government's decision to overturn a CRTC ruling.
Ottawa has decided to let Globalive become the country's newest cellphone company, even though the company is mostly owned by Egyptian wireless giant Orascom Telecom.
The Canadian government has overruled its telecom regulator and declared a start-up wireless carrier financed largely by an Egyptian company to be Canadian.
Columnist says the Tories have done an end-run around Parliament to change the structure of the telecommunications industry, with massive implications.
The PMO is now sending pre-produced video, along with official photos and press releases to media outlets.
Cabinet must soon decide whether it will overrule or let stand a pair of CRTC decisions regarding access by competitor internet providers to the networks of large phone companies.
A report indicates that increased competition and weakening demand will bring telecommunications profits down in the short term.
The federal Industry Minister says there is "some urgency" required in determining whether he will overturn a regulatory ruling and allow a foreign-owned cellphone firm to launch.
Industry Canada has ordered a 14-year-old Ottawa boy to shut down an unlicensed radio station.
An organization mandated to preserve, restore and enhance awareness of iconic treasures in Canada's cultural past is closing operations because of lack of funding.
Editorial says existing foreign ownership rules must be enforced until they can be rewritten to match the new telecommunications landscape.
A U.S. journalist says she was stopped at a Canadian border crossing and questioned for 90 minutes by authorities concerned she would to speak against the Olympics.
The president of The Historica-Dominion Institute says Canadians will not stand for "conservative tenets" such as selling off the CBC or deregulating broadcasting.
Columnist says the Prime Minister's Office has released a statement that appears to signal the time for a comprehensive shake-up of media regulation may be approaching.
Canadian senator, political strategist, author, and commentator makes a speech about democracy and journalism.
Article notes the Prime Minister has yet to take a question from a reporter about allegations of torture of Afghans taken prisoner by Canadian soldiers and handed off to Afghan forces.
France's private networks might be getting some tax relief after a ban on advertising on the country's public networks last year saw them forced to fund the gap in revenue at France Televisions.
Columnist says that officials with Heritage Canada are closely watching the Local TV debate to see how Canadians will be impacted before a possible election.
Political scientist says Canada's media have "caved" to Prime Minister Harper's selective silence and message control that shrouds the entire government.
The New Democrat Critic for Culture and Heritage, Charlie Angus, says the latest round of CRTC hearings will only propel further deregulation.
Columnist says Canada needs a bold, broad new framework for an era of on-demand programs, Internet downloading and sparse advertising dollars.
The Canadian Film and Television Production Association is urging Industry Minister Tony Clement to be "vigilant" and "not submit to the current pressures being exerted" in his review of Globalive Wireless.
The National Executive Director of Canada's actors union asks the Minister of Industry to uphold the current Canadian ownership and control requirements in the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors.
Treasury Board of Canada releases Supplementary Estimates, including $60 million for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
U.S. media activists and community groups are demanding access to the airwaves to combat the deregulation that concentrated media ownership into fewer hands.
In the eighth month of its fiscal year, the Harper government has replaced $60 million of the $63 million that it cut from CBC's appropriation.
Liberal party's Heritage Critic says "Michael Ignatieff is the exact opposite of Stephen Harper when it comes to culture".
Columnist says foreign ownership rules in telecommunications are anachronisms and should be updated immediately.
Editorial says that a "man-on-the-street" interview with a Liberal party staffer that was critical of the Conservative government shows a "too cozy" relationship between the CBC and the Liberals.
Analyst suggests the federal Conservative government may begin the process of loosening the country's foreign-ownership rules.
Former federal Commissioner of Competition says it is crucial that Canada co-ordinate changes to broadcasting regulations with a broader strategy of meeting the challenges of the digital economy.
Editorial says the federal cabinet should uphold Canada's foreign ownership restrictions and not overturn a CRTC decision regarding Globalive wireless.
Industry Minister Tony Clement says he is reviewing a CRTC decision preventing wireless challenger Globalive from entering the Canadian market.
Liberal Party Canadian Heritage Critic says his party is committed to ensuring stable funding to CBC/Radio-Canada.
The executive director for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre says the CRTC and the country's politicians must do more to direct genuine consumer-centred reform in the broadcasting industry.
Columnist says a push towards linking TV, the Internet and mobile technologies holds the key to the "information superhighway."
Michael Ignatieff says a Liberal government would double the parliamentary funding to the Canada Council for the Arts and provide stable long-term funding for the CBC.
Peter Mansbridge says it "sends a strange signal to the public" that the Prime Minister doesn't watch Canadian news for the Canadian perspective on issues that some U.S. networks ignore.
Columnist says the media's main relationship is with their audience, not their subjects.
Opposition radio and television stations in Honduras are back on the air after the government lifted a three-week broadcast ban.
Canada fell from 13th to 19th place this year on Reporters Without Borders' index of freedom of the press.
A study by the American Academy of Pediatrics says media violence — in particular, explicit lyrics — can have negative effects on the health and behaviour of young people.
The TV Alliance calls for a level playing field for meaningful consumer participation in the upcoming public hearing on billing practices for TV services in Canada.
On an Alberta radio call-in program, CBC's president and CEO talks about the present and future state of Canada's public broadcaster.
The government will forgive $450-million in outstanding fees and will work with the broadcasters to develop a structure that funnels the fees into distinct broadcast-related avenues.
A new poll says a slim majority of Canadians would support a government bailout of the newspaper industry.
Heritage Minister James Moore says the government and Canada's broadcasters have decided to walk away from their Part II fee legal battle.
In a move to provide more money for commercially viable projects, the Tories have redirected funds that were used to help artists on the "musical fringe".
"The government has told the CRTC that it wishes to make the ultimate decision," says Bell Canada executive.
The Conservative government is taking steps to block Canada's big television networks from charging for their signals in what could be a serious blow to the hopes of CTV, CBC and Global.
Heritage Minister James Moore has inserting himself into the fee-for-carriage debate by ordering the CRTC to hold a separate set of hearings to consider consumer interests on the matter.
The Government has issued an Order-in-Council requesting the CRTC "hold hearings and provide the government with a report on the implications of implementing a compensation regime for the value of local television signals."
Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia paybox has filed a lawsuit against Mediaset, the Italian broadcast group controlled by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, in a move that escalates the war between the two moguls over the local TV market.
Columnist says the government has no concrete plan for the digitization of the Canada's culture and heritage.
FreeHD Canada says that if the transition to digital television is going to in Canada, consumers are going to need digital set top boxes – and help paying for them.
The Manitoba government has commissioned a study to see if there's room on the dial and in the pocketbook for an English-language educational public broadcaster in the province.
Columnist says forward looking principles and metrics must be used in copyright reform that will not rendered outdated soon after introduction.
In reference to the government approval needed to sell assets, CBC executive says "Dealing with the government is not just difficult, it's a nightmare."
Canada's actors' union wants copyright law strengthened.
Activist says "the Conservatives do not support the arts industry, which they view with 'mistrust.'"
Heritage Minister James Moore has announced an increase in the Canada Music Fund, the federal government's main fund to support the music industry, but changes are coming in the way the fund distributes its money.
Columnist say European pubcasters are unhappy with a rule that means new or significantly modified services must be evaluated in advance against criteria set in Brussels.
Saying the cultural sector needs "stability," Heritage Minister James Moore announced a five-year funding package for the arts on Friday.
Columnist says "it’s a very strange time to live in, to hear the Conservatives talk
about institutional heritage, such as a public broadcasting system that
drains over a billion of taxpayer dollars every year."
Canadian government says, until the end of the 1960s, Canada did not have a bona fide feature film industry. The National Film Board (NFB), created in 1939, was for many years the primary source of films designed to interpret Canada to Canadians and to other nations.
The Canadian Heritage Minister rejects the idea of privatizing CBC/Radio Canada, by Joêl-Denis Bellavance
A columnist says a
"fee-for-carriage" in the range of $6 a month
per subscriber – would undoubtedly be passed on to consumers, and there
is no guarantee it would be spent on local TV programming.
Television distributors such as cable companies should pay more money
into a proposed fund designed to save local programming, a
parliamentary committee has recommended.
"The Liberal Party supports the principles of net neutrality and an
open and competitive Internet environment," Liberal Industry, Science
and Technology Critic Marc Garneau said during yesterday's Question
Period.
The Standing Committee issued a much anticipated report on local television.
After dominating the three months worth of hearings earlier this Spring, the House of Commons committee on Canadian Heritage left out any recommendation on the controversial issue of fee for carriage in its report on the state of local television released Friday.
The Quebec Community Groups Network will be holding a conference on June 17, 2009 to discuss concerns about the latest round of cutbacks at CBC and Radio Canada.
Industry observer says the next few years is going to be a very interesting in the Italian television market, both for economic but also for political reasons.
Television stations across the United States are now expected to be broadcasting solely in digital form, bringing an end to the analog signals that have delivered TV shows to viewers for the better part of a century.
Columnist says a national regulatory strategy for digital media for Canada is long overdue.
Columnist says those Canadians who live in small towns and who use an antenna TV could lose some channels altogether with the shutdown of analog TV signals in 2011.
The newest media technology Ownership and Trend study by Knowledge Networks shows that 27% of TV homes have at least one set that uses through-the-air signals only.
Columnists says it is not true that Canada leads the world in illegal file-sharing activity.
Editorial says selling off the CBC today would raise a storm of protest of such ferocity that even a majority government would be unlikely to complete the project.
President Obama has reaffirmed that June 12 is the cutoff date for TV stations to cease their analog broadcasts.
Video clip from the June 2nd Question Period in the House of Commons.
Arts groups fear a 'Strategic Review' will result in funding cuts to the CBC, Telefilm Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Film Board.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has defended the government's asset review while the opposition accused the Conservatives of embarking on an "ideological mission" to dump public institutions.
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the federal government isn't reviewing the assets this year of the department that oversees the CBC.
Video clips from the June 2nd Question Period in the House of Commons.
Study shows that more than half of current Conservative supporters with an opinion disagree that privatizing and commercializing the CBC is the right thing to do.
A government source says no government asset - including the CBC - is being spared scrutiny as the Harper government considers auctioning off holdings while it grapples with record deficits.
Documents show Ottawa has flagged several Crown corporations, including the CBC, as "not self-sustaining," and has identified them as entities that could be sold as part of the government's asset review.
A group of private citizens is launching a movement to mobilize public support to counter moves being made by Stephen Harper's Conservative government following its decision to abandon much of its support for Radio-Canada.
2009 Dalton Camp Award winner says "a journalist's foremost obligation is to tell the truth and to provide a check on government power, not to protect state officials".
Canada's democracy would be enhanced if media organizations reformed some of their most basic practices and approaches, according to the winners of the 2009 Dalton Camp Awards.
A new Pollara study commissioned by FRIENDS shows nearly two thirds of respondents believe that Stephen Harper and his government are hostile to the CBC, and that half of them feel he "has a hidden agenda that favours private corporate broadcasters."
In a radio interview, FRIENDS spokesperson, Ian Morrison, discusses a major new Pollara study of Canadians' attitudes about and expectations for the CBC.
Seule Elizabeth May, chef du Parti vert, inspire moins confiance que Stephen Harper parmi les électeurs québécois à qui on demande à quel chef ils feraient plus confiance pour gérer la culture et l’identité canadiennes et québécoises dans le domaine de la radiodiffusion, selon un nouveau sondage POLLARA dévoilé ce matin.
According to a new study from POLLARA, the vast majority of Canadian voters hold the CBC in high regard and believe the public broadcaster is underfunded.
Only Green Party leader Elizabeth May scores lower than Stephen Harper among Quebec voters when asked which federal political party leaders are most trusted to handle culture and Canadian identity in broadcasting, according to a new Pollara survey released this morning.
A new study reveals most voters in Alberta think CBC funding should be increased and that Prime Minister Harper harbors a hostile agenda toward the national public broadcaster.
Levels of support and satisfaction with the CBC are higher and more intense among Atlantic Canadians than people in other parts of the country, according to a new national Pollara survey
A new study finds levels of support and satisfaction with the CBC are high but Canadians believe their national public broadcaster is being starved of funds by a government with a vendetta against it.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is investigating allegations of "simplistic, belittling, hurtful and prejudicial" segments on Radio-Canada's controversial Bye Bye 2008 New Year's Eve sketch show.
Broadcasting executives say there's no business case for spending $1 million to upgrade a transmission tower that serves a small pocket of people who don't have cable or satellite dishes.
Radio-Canada famed Bernard Derome takes the Harper government to task over its treatment of SRC/CBC on the occasion of receiving the medal of honour of Quebec's National Assembly.
The federal NDP's critic for culture, heritage and digital issues calls allegations that Canada is a haven for copyright offenders "absurd."
Data from a new POLLARA study show the vast majority of Canadian voters hold the CBC in high regard and believe the public broadcaster is underfunded.
In an appearance before Parliament's Heritage committee, ACTRA spoke out against deregulation of the Canadian TV industry while offering its own proposals on fee-for-carriage.
The French National Assembly has approved a plan to punish digital pirates with the possible suspension of their Internet connections.
A Heritage Department spokesperson denies that there will be more cuts to the CBC, noting that all government departments must take part in a "strategic review".
In a presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, FRIENDS cites a survey that says three-quarters of Canadians believe annual support to the CBC should rise to at least $40 per Canadian per year.
FRIENDS says Heritage Minister James Moore misleading the House of Commons Heritage Committee when he guaranteed there would be no cuts to the CBC budget.
Canada's largest media union says parliament should ensure Canada's broadcasting legislation keeps step with the times, including proper accountability and transparency.
Article profiles the friction between FRIENDS and the House of Commons over the posting of committee proceedings that eventually lead to a liberalization of the rules.
Resolution passed by the Liberal Party at its Vancouver convention regarding the future of CBC/Radio-Canada.
Liberal and NDP MPs accused the Tories of being more interested in discussing CBC expenses than in helping the broadcaster avoid cuts to local programming.
Heritage Minister James Moore appears before the House of Commons Heritage Committee and is grilled by Opposition MPs regarding the government's financial commitment to public broadcasting.
A new Pollara survey finds that a majority of Canadians support increased funding for the CBC.
Survey data show six in ten Canadian voters believe that Prime Minister Harper and the Conservative government are "hostile" to the CBC/SRC, and would like to "diminish public broadcasting in Canada"
Heritage Minister James appears before the House of Commons Heritage Committee and fails to persuade opposition MPs and Friends' spokesperson regarding the government's commitment to public broadcasting.
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore has confirmed the CBC will once
again this year receive about $60 million in top-up funding for
Canadian programming.
FRIENDS briefs members of the House of Commons Heritage Committee on a new survey which finds strong support for the CBC and widespread belief that the Conservative government is hostile to the public broadcaster.
The president of CBC/Radio-Canada urged MPs to make sure the public broadcaster is not excluded from any financial relief offered to the other broadcast media.
Executives at CTVglobemedia say that the federal government might have to step in to ensure households have universal access to TV signal starting September of 2011, when the switch to digital TV occurs.
FRIENDS says Barrie Ontario isn't getting a CBC Radio One station because the government hasn't given the public broadcaster the funds necessary to make local programming a priority.
New legislation will give the CRTC the ability to impose fines of $1 million against individuals and $10 million against businesses who 'spam' Canadians.
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has issued a report saying last year's culture cuts have had "major negative impacts on Canadian arts organizations."
Broadcasters tell House committee profits are in decline and that they want to charge cable and satellite companies for their signals.
Executives from CTVglobemedia and Canwest Global tell MPs that the industry is in the midst of a crisis from which it can recover only with a second source of revenue and fewer regulatory obligations.
MPs on the Canadian heritage committee say they are concerned that Konrad von Finckenstein may have misspoken or misled the committee when answering questions recently about "fee-for-carriage."
Columnist says that the solution to the crisis in the television industry will likely involve Canadians paying – directly or indirectly – for the continuation of local broadcasting.
Editorial says a proposal for public money to flow to private broadcasters - after a government rebuff of an appeal from the CBC - should be buried before it gains momentum.
Freelance Journalist interviews FRIENDS spokesperson Ian Morrison on the recent CBC cuts and how the recession is affecting Canada's broadcasting industry.
Columnist says the government should look at fee-for-carriage, not ad buys as a way to support the local TV industry.
Data show that claims by the government that the CBC is receiving record levels of public financing and that the Harper government has increased CBC funding every year since coming into office are false.
Letter from the Mayor of Sarnia, Ontario urging the Prime Minister to provide bridge financing and increase the parliamentary allocation to Canada's public broadcaster.
Ottawa is looking at a proposal to buy more government ads to help local TV stations make it through the recession.
The cash-strapped CBC, struggling with layoffs and cuts to regional programming, wants a slice of any government funding meant to rescue local newscasts of struggling private broadcasters.
ACTRA is concerned by reports that the government is considering bailing out private broadcasters while the CBC is being forced to cut staff and programming.
Faced with the potential closing of several small-market television stations across the country, the federal government is considering a $150-million fund to keep community TV in business.
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore appears to be pouring cold water on a report that Ottawa is considering a $150-million fund to help ailing TV broadcasters.
Columnist says the federal cabinet is considering a $150-million fund for the country's private broadcasters to help rescue local TV stations and their newscasts.
The Prime Minister says no decisions have been made on funding to help private broadcasters cope with the downturn in the economy and the long-term problems faced by the industry.
Columnist says that the Harper Conservatives' arts funding policies dominated conversations at the Genie Awards.
Internationally acclaimed film and theatre director Robert Lepage has scolded the federal government for having cancelled programs supporting artistic touring last fall.
A House of Commons committee studying the TV industry will call a cross-section of witnesses including cable giants, private broadcasters, the CBC and media unions.
Heritage Minister James Moore has confirmed that the Harper government is looking at loosening broadcast regulations and changing tax rules to help give struggling private broadcasters some relief.
Alberta Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett promises arts funding will hold steady in the next provincial budget.
Liberal and Conservative MPs debate public broadcasting support during question period.
The Heritage Minister says he'd like television broadcasters to take a hard look at the horizon and reflect on what's broken with their business plans.
Heritage Minister James Moore says he has never been approached by the CBC for an emergency advance on future federal funding — a statement disputed by the public broadcaster.
The Harper government is considering help for Canada's troubled private TV broadcasters, including the possibility of looser regulations and tax changes.
In and open letter to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore, the Canadian Media Guild says the CBC should be adequately funded so that it is able to reduce its reliance on commercial revenue.
The House of Commons Heritage Committee will hold hearings on the "crisis" facing the Canadian television industry.
A spokesman for the federal heritage department has confirmed that the government has drawn up plans for regulatory and tax changes to help private broadcasters deal with a growing TV ad revenue shortfall.
Columnist says the Asper family and Stephen Harper have enjoyed a symbiotic relationship and is therefore not surprising that the Conservative government will pull whatever levers it can to ensure the Aspers retain control over Canwest.
CBC's management and the Conservative government have demonstrated a pattern of contradicting themselves on the fundamental issue of placing ads on CBC Radio.
Columnist says Stephen Harper has demonstrated a willingness to adjust course on issues to stay in power.
A Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey found that half of respondents were in favour of the Conservative government providing bridge financing to the public broadcaster, while 41 per cent opposed the idea.
The NDP heritage critic says CBC's current financial crisis should be used as an opportunity to refocus the national broadcaster on news, drama and documentaries with less reliance on advertising.
The Prime Minister makes a critical reference to the CBC in a speech to a conservative think-tank.
Columnist says the CBC is heading into a potentially historic showdown with the Conservative government in a clash over cash that may well reshape public broadcasting in this country forever.
Editorial suggests that a highly partisan speech given to Conservative faithful - that includes a snide reference to the CBC - reflects the real Stephen Harper.
FRIENDS applauds the Heritage Minster's comments that the CBC needs to "stop chasing revenues and eyeballs," but says it is unlikely the Minister is controlling the purse-strings on this file.
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore says that ads on public radio go against CBC "tradition" and would hurt private radio, which is also competing for scarce advertising dollars.
Reports indicate Canwest is informally marketing its majority stake in Australia's Ten television network to local investors.
Columnist says that the Conservative government will use the CBC's current financial problems to restructure the public broadcaster into a model more to their liking.
FRIENDS tracks Stephen Harper's comments on public broadcasting and cultural sovereignty over the years.
In a radio interview, FRIENDS spokesperson, Ian Morrison, discusses the implications of placing ads on CBC Radio.
The Heritage Minister discusses funding for the CBC, Canadian content and the potential of ads on CBC Radio.
Columnist says the closure of local TV stations may get politicians interested in making rapid changes to the economics of conventional TV.
Email from Anita Neville, MP to a Winnipeg South Centre constituent saying the Liberal Party will "do its part to ensure that advertising is not aired on public radio".
Artists say that cuts by Conservative government to programs that helped Canadian artists export their work now threatens Canadian jobs and puts the nation's international cultural influence in peril.
The Canadian government has rejected a proposal by the CRTC to curb domestic broadcasters' spending on U.S. series.
Canadian Heritage Minister says Canadian viewers will have better access to Canadian programming on all media platforms following the creation of the Canada Media Fund.
In an excerpt from his book, the former vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition says Stephen Harper was appointed to the organization's top job in 1997 because he fit the criteria of viewing the CBC as a "socialist-run boondoggle".
Representatives from the Canadian arts sector went to Parliament Hill pleading for the restoration of arts programs cut last year, but it appears their requests will be ignored.
Columnist says Stephen Harper's political strategy of aiming his message directly at local voters may be threatened with the possible closures of many community television stations.
Speaking Notes for Hubert T. Lacroix, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBC/Radio-Canada, to the Empire Club of Canada.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister says "The CBC cannot be insulated from all market realities." after executives at the public broadcaster floated the idea of a bridge loan to cover a sharp drop in ad revenue.
The Conservative government has signaled it would not bail out the CBC after the public broadcaster asked for help to compensate for a drop in advertising revenue.
CBC spokesman Jeff Keay says the public broadcaster wants Ottawa to provide immediate relief for a budgetary shortfall expected in 2009-2010 but he dismissed suggestions that bridge financing would amount to a handout.
Columnist says Canada's slow migration to digital TV will hinder innovation in harnessing the freed-up spectrum when broadcasters abandon analog transmissions.
Heritage Minister James Moore has announced the government is going ahead with plans to create a new $75.5-million Canada Periodical Fund.
The FCC says more than 400 television stations in the U.S. have stopped broadcasting analog signals, months before the rescheduled transition to digital TV.
Columnist says that a Harper government review that may lead to the sale or privatization of several well-known Crown corporations could become a political minefield when expanded to include the CBC.
Arts groups complain a proposed competition could reward international artists, while their Canadian counterparts are struggling to make ends meet or facing bankruptcy due to lack of federal support.
FRIENDS says Heritage Minister James Moore may have blurted out more than he intended when saying he would consider putting ads on CBC Radio.
FRIENDS spokesperson, Ian Morrison, takes part in a call-in radio show on the Conservative government's openness to allow the commercialization of CBC Radio.
Heritage Minister James Moore says that commercial advertising on CBC Radio should be be considered if the public broadcaster needs extra cash to to dig itself out of a financial hole.
Responding to a question from Charlie Angus, the NDP Heritage Critic, Minister Moore says he would consider putting ads on CBC
Radio.
When contracts with CTV and ACCESS TV expire next year, the Alberta legislature will have to choose between creating its own broadcasts or scrapping coverage of question period.
Research shows earnings by most Canadian artists are hovering at poverty levels and the situation is likely to worsen as the worldwide recession deepens.
A U.S. initiative could soon see this country blanketed by cheap, high-speed Internet with the potential to change the way Canadians share information, make cellphone calls and watch TV.
Quebec artists are furious about a $25-million grant in the federal budget they say will reward two businessmen from Toronto to stage an international competition, while it leaves local professionals on the verge of bankruptcy.
Article profiles a new $25 million venture called the Canada Prizes for Arts and Creativity, which plans to offer four annual awards of about $100,000 to emerging artists in theatre, dance, music and visual arts.
Columnist says that just days away from a scheduled switch to digital TV, there are an estimated 6.5 million families in the U.S. still relying on unconverted televisions.
The national executive director of ACTRA says by not making a significant investment in Canada's cultural industry, the Conservatives passed on an opportunity to create thousands of well-paying, creative, skilled jobs and in turn stimulate the Canadian economy.
Reports indicate the U.K. government is leaning heavily towards the creation of a British TV distribution giant from a tie-up between the two public broadcaster, Channel 4 and the BBC.
The British government has outlined plans to bring broadband Internet service to every home in Britain by 2012, and proposed ways to support the music industry and other media businesses by cracking down on online piracy.
The injections of cultural cash in the federal budget are being hailed by many in the arts community as a landmark moment showing national politicians' heightened attention to the arts.
An attempt to delay the U.S. switch to digital-only television transmission by four months has been scuttled by the House of Representatives.
The Canadian Heritage Minister says the cash infusion for arts and culture expected in the federal budget will be placed squarely on infrastructure, festivals and training.
$160 million in new money is expected in the budget for the arts.
Columnist says Canadian media companies will enjoy a boost in the federal budget, but mostly in the form of renewed commitments to funding that already existed.
The Canadian Conference of the Arts says new media and mentorship programs for young people should benefit from new arts and cultural funding expected in federal budget.
Representatives from U.S. film, television and other sectors of the arts are recommending that some of the Obama administration's economic stimulus package should go to their industries.
Toronto's film and television industry is pleading for help from the federal government, hoping to lure American productions back with bigger tax credits.
The Obama administration is expected to make universal broadband a priority, but a new report suggests that achieving that goal will require more than just better infrastructure.
Columnist says arts advocates are making a hard argument for the economic soundness of policies that support the arts, rather than dwelling on their nation-building or soul-sustaining functions.
Democrats cite mounting concerns that too many Americans who rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals won't be ready for a proposed switchover to digital on Feb 17.
The U.K. Culture Secretary has signaled that the government would prefer an agreement between Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide to a merger with RTL-owned Channel Five.
FRIENDS says the lack of a clearly defined transition plan from analogue to digital TV broadcasts will cause trouble for over-the-air viewers.
The Commissioner of Official Languages says the CRTC and the federal government should contribute to strengthening the CBC's role in producing regional programming in both official languages.
The Harper government is expected to introduce an infrastructure program that would expand high-speed Internet access for everyone in the country in the coming budget.
Columnist says the CRTC and parliamentarians should enact and enforce policies that support the 'open Internet' in order to produce a more democratic media system.
A group convened to solve the plight of the France's newspaper industry has tabled its report.
Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore is preaching sustained cultural funding, saying the CBC's budget is safe and the Conservatives intend to deliver on their election promises despite the financial downturn.
A new Nanos Research poll suggests Canadians want an economic stimulus package that puts investment in public services at the top of the federal agenda.
The Heritage Minister defends his government's cuts to cultural programs last summer at a meeting with representatives from the Quebec arts community.
Federal Heritage Minister James Moore says "Support for the arts is not just a want but a need."
Editorial says the U.S. government should put more money into digital TV conversion program or delay the transition date.
A senior aid to President-elect Barack Obama says government funds to support the change are "woefully inadequate" and that the digital switch date, Feb. 17, should be "reconsidered and extended."
Presentation by the European Alliance of Listeners' and Viewers' Associations to the European Parliament.
Film and TV industry representatives tell federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty that a stimulus package for the Canadian economy should include financial support for their industry.
A memo to the FRIENDS Steering Committee describes scenarios by which CBC management could cut services if a Conservative Party plan to slash the public broadcaster's Parliamentary allocation by $200 million were to be implemented.
Researcher challenges the notion that the arts are the exclusive purview of an urban elite.
French viewers have for the first time watched prime-time television without advert breaks, as President Nicolas Sarkozy's media reforms get under way.
Records show that in November 2008, CanWest CEO Leonard Asper communicated with the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Industry Minister and senior CRTC representatives.
