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.
The president of Quebecor, which owns both a cable company and a TV network, says some of the fees paid by carriers to specialty channels could be redirected to private over-the-air broadcasters.
Canadian independent producers are calling for minimum domestic programming spending requirements to be imposed on Canadian broadcasters.
Telefilm Canada and CBC have announced a deal to co-finance domestic films that will premier in cinemas and then play very soon afterward on the CBC's primetime Sunday-night movie slot.
Treasury Board of Canada releases Supplementary Estimates, including $60 million for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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".
Former BBC director general is expected to tell a parliamentary review to scrap the annual £3.6 billion license fee, and instead fund the broadcaster from general taxation.
Liberal Party Canadian Heritage Critic says his party is committed to ensuring stable funding to CBC/Radio-Canada.
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.
Columnist says that in the fee-for-carriage debate, broadcasters need to clean up their message, fess-up to increased costs and advocate for consumer choice.
Heritage Minister Moore says supporting the arts during the economic downturn is a critical element in the federal government's economic stimulus program.
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".
XM Canada has reached a deal to make royalty payments to several groups representing Canadian musicians and songwriters.
FRIENDS says cable and satellite TV providers are misleading their subscribers by slapping a 1.5% fee on monthly bills and then trying to shift blame to the CRTC for the price hike.
The government of outgoing Manitoba Premier Gary Doer has increased spending on culture over its 10 years in power, and has not cut back during the recession.
Columnist says that the rise of citizen journalism and social media means the gateway to coverage is no longer the exclusive watch of sanctioned news organizations.
Activist says "the Conservatives do not support the arts industry, which they view with 'mistrust.'"
13 "policy priorities" will be discussed during consultations on the new Canada Media Fund, which is due to replace the Canadian Television Fund next year.
Artist writes that city politicians in Ottawa must re-evaluate priorities that give low ranking to culture.
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 says John Lamb’s recent opinion piece ("It’s time for a public review of the
CBC," July 8) calling for a public inquiry into the CBC is welcome.
Canwest Global Communications Corp. is closing two TV stations in its
second network, CHEK-TV in Victoria and CHCA-TV in Red Deer, Alta.,
effective Aug. 31.
Columnist say Canada's largest Internet providers are having a chilling effect on
independent filmmakers by slowing down certain Internet technologies
that enable producers to distribute movies and other programming
online, federal regulators heard Wednesday.
The CRTC's move to boost funding for local TV programming may not be enough to save some stations, the networks say.
Columnist says television broadcasters have won concessions from Ottawa that will help
pay for programming, in a move that escalates their long-running battle
with the cable and satellite companies that carry their signals.
Shaw Communications says the CRTC has betrayed Canadians' trust with its announcement of two new taxes on consumers.
Canada's conventional television broadcasters praised a ruling Monday
that they say takes an important step towards fairly compensating them
for their programming while boosting funding for local shows.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission today
announced that the Local Programming Improvement Fund will have over
$100 million to distribute during the 2009–2010 broadcast year.
The Commission today launched a public proceeding to develop a new
regulatory framework for conventional television broadcasters. The
proceeding will include a public hearing starting on September 29,
2009, in Gatineau, Que.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
today announced that the Local Programming Improvement Fund will have
over $100 million to distribute during the 2009–2010 broadcast year.
Canada's broadcast regulator has opened the doors to fee-for-carriage, increased the size of a yet-to-launch local TV fund, and harmonized the amount of local programming the English-language networks have to broadcast.
With advertising dollars evaporating amid the recession and the migration of viewers to online and specialty channels gathering pace, smaller conventional television stations are fighting for their lives, their parent networks say. Monday, they'll look to federal broadcasting regulators in Ottawa for help.
The CBC says it would consider selling buildings that house its radio and TV stations in a bid to wrangle control over its cash-strapped budget.
Now that 250 CBC employees have been laid off and 300 more have agreed to retire early, the public broadcaster is turning its sights on potential real estate sales that could draw in more badly needed cash, company president Hubert Lacroix said today.
Canadian content during prime time on CBC English TV has reached a
20-year low, according to new research about what's on TV released this
morning by the watchdog group Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.
CRTC has a big day coming up on Monday. Not only is the network management hearing beginning that day, the Regulator is also launching a new proceeding seeking structural reform of the TV sector while releasing new rules (and potentially a new amount) for its yet-to-be-launched Local Programming Improvement Fund.
Saying the cultural sector needs "stability," Heritage Minister James Moore announced a five-year funding package for the arts on Friday.
Columnist says digital TV let local broadcasters create subchannels for
niche programs. But a sour ad climate and distribution problems are
preventing any revenue boost
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.
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 remains the best medium for advertisers to reach the
critical and hard to reach 18-34 year-old demographic, according to a
new Angus Reid survey.
Television distributors such as cable companies should pay more money
into a proposed fund designed to save local programming, a
parliamentary committee has recommended.
UK taxes set to be diverted from broadcaster
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.
National radio sales fell 13.9% in the third quarter of 2009, according to data from Canadian Broadcast Sales (CBS).
Six of seven members of the new Canada Media Fund board have been chosen, including four of five nominated by Canada's large cable providers.
Quebec broadcaster Quebecor Media has put a formal bid for the Montreal Canadiens pro hockey team on the table.
Rogers Media has launched the first Canadian all news radio Blackberry application offering up-to-the-minute news headlines, weather forecasts and live traffic updates for the Greater Toronto Area.
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.
CBC's budget is being reviewed to identify spending cuts of up to 5% or $56 million despite Heritage Minister James Moore's guarantee that the Harper government would not cut CBC's budget.
In a note to staff, Hubert Lacroix says the government has asked the public broadcaster to evaluate all program and spending activities and identify the lowest priorities in terms of carrying out CBC's mandate.
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.
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."
Rogers executive says the company would support a U.S. model for TV fees, which gives broadcasters the choice of either "mandatory carriage" or a negotiated fee-for-carriage.
Rogers Communications says TV networks are exaggerating their financial woes in order to get regulatory concessions.
The vice-chairman of Rogers Communications says the fee-for-carriage conventional broadcasters are pushing for is nothing more than a "tax on consumers," with the funds raised to be used on acquiring U.S. programming.
Quebecor chief executive says there could be bankruptcies in the TV industry unless broadcasters are given regulatory concessions and fee-for-carriage revenues.
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.
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.
Article says two key flaws in Telefilm's Corporate Plan are that it enshrines a bias toward broadcaster interests at the expense of independent producers, and fails to support the growth of broadcaster-independent new media creation.
Op-ed writer says cultural magazines provide an essential service to the nation as incubators of creative innovation and should not be valued solely on circulation.
A backlog of funding applications at the department of Canadian Heritage has left dance groups looking at cancelling programming and scrambling to make provisional plans.
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.
CBC spokesman says "Ads on radio are not currently among the things that are being looked at."
Viral email circulating on the web raises alarms about the Conservative government's changes to the CTF.
The CBC's board of directors, faced with a possible $200-million shortfall, has approved a budget for the coming year that includes deep cuts.
Columnist says content has value, and cost - if advertisers can no longer bear all that cost, then consumers who want the content will have to.
Cable and Satellite company appointments to the Board of the Canada Media Fund cause the national executive director of ACTRA to question the Heritage Minister's intentions towards Canadian content.
Independent stakeholders in Canada's production community say the revamped Canada Media Fund gives too much power to cable companies.
In a radio interview, FRIENDS spokesperson, Ian Morrison, discusses the implications of amalgamating the Canadian Television Fund, the Canada New Media Fund and Aboriginal Television fund.
Cable monopolies say a proposal to impose a levy on Internet service providers to fund Canadian new media content is an illegal idea that will burden consumers with higher costs.
The director of music division at Boston Conservatory speaks about the importance of music and the role of artists in society.
Columnist says new rules will see CBC having to compete for a share of funds in the amalgamation of the Canadian Television Fund, the Canada New Media Fund and Aboriginal Television fund.
Rogers has proposed offering its cable customers a Web site where they could view popular television programs free of charge as a way to promote Canadian Internet content.
The Heritage Minister says the emphasis of the government's new broadcast policy will be on drama, comedy, and children's programming, and will favour productions developed for distribution platforms other than prime-time television.
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.
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.
The union that represents 1,500 Radio-Canada and CBC employees in Québec and Moncton says the Harper government must provide adequate funding for CBC/Radio-Canada, even in these difficult times.
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.
The Canadian Television Fund has announced that it has increased its program commitments for 2009-2010 by almost 14% over the previous year.
FRIENDS says that it is time for the CRTC to grant over-the-air broadcasters fee-for-carriage revenues.
Speaking Notes for Hubert T. Lacroix, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBC/Radio-Canada, to the Empire Club of Canada.
Carleton University professor compiles a list of factors that could affect the outcome of the CRTC hearings on new media.
Columnists says much of the CRTC new-media hearings will concentrate on whether there should be additional funding of Canadian programming for the Internet and wireless devices.
Industry analyst says the CRTC may loosen some traditional media restrictions for broadcasters in exchange for concessions in new media.
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.
New study shows radio reaches 90% of Canadian adults over 18 years of age every week, and 56% of them listen to the radio seven days a week, particularly business executives, parents and affluent Canadians.
Data show Canada's national conventional TV networks, including CTV, Global, CITY-TV, and French broadcasters such as TVA, saw their biggest-ever drop on a percentage basis in profits before income tax.
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.
Research shows earnings by most Canadian artists are hovering at poverty levels and the situation is likely to worsen as the worldwide recession deepens.
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.
FRIENDS says broadcasters may ask for relief on what they must spend on local programming or Canadian drama at CRTC licence renewal hearings set for this spring.
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.
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.
Columnist says there is very little appetite in Canada to follow the model in France and remove commercials from prime-time television.
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.
Ottawa is spending $10.7-million to support a private-sector, high-tech research initiative called the "Corridor for Advancing Canadian Digital Media" in southwestern Ontario.
Columnist says CTV and Canwest are considering shutting down smaller stations across the country, fearing that some local markets may never again be profitable in a TV industry where dollars are increasingly migrating to cable.
In response to public pressure, including from FRIENDS, Heritage Minister James Moore has promised not to cut the CBC's parliamentary grant by $200 million in the upcoming budget. �
Article profiles strategies used in other parts of the world that could be implemented to preserve and enhance the lives of Canadian artists.
Astral Media enjoyed a boost from its radio business helping to push its first-quarter results ahead of analyst expectations.
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."
Article profiles Stephanie Azam, the head of Telefilm Canada's English Canadian market.
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.
