gears up

for life

at Baton

hold off on those pitches. While Ivan Fecan is firmly ensconced at Baton Broadcasting, the former vice-president of English television networks at the cbc needs a couple of months to settle in and ‘go to Baton school.’ By February or March, he says he should be ready to hear ideas. Fecan joined Baton as ‘senior group vice-president’ on Dec. 13. Shortly thereafter, Baton appointed him to its board of directors.

Although not yet sure what specific types of programming Baton will be looking for at that time, Fecan mentions that mows will definitely be an area of interest. However, he states that the company will be open to developing ‘quality’ programming of all types, and wants to work with the independent production community.

Producers can bear in mind that Baton, under Fecan’s leadership, has a standing ‘blind development’ deal in place with cbs. Baton vce-president Joe Garwood says that means cbs will join with Baton in contributing financially to the development of a pilot for a series or towards an mow. If the concept is approved, it would be produced for use by both parties with Fecan as executive producer on the Canadian side. ‘It’s an expression of cbs’ confidence in Ivan,’ Garwood says.

The production community, meantime, has taken Fecan’s appointment in stride. ‘I knew that Joe Garwood and (Baton president) Doug Bassett were big fans of (Fecan’s), and I also knew they had some dealings over baseball and e.n.g. stripping,’ says Trina McQueen, a former cbc colleague, now heading up the Discovery Channel specialty application. ‘I knew there was a close relationship there, so I wouldn’t say I was terrifically surprised.’

‘People tend to forget that Baton is a larger affiliate of the cbc,’ says Pat Ferns of Primedia. He sees Fecan’s appointment as a natural move for Baton. Its involvement in production has been increasing, he says, and appointing a senior person like Fecan, with whom they have dealt successfully in the past, is a sign of more production to come. ‘They recognized Ivan’s great commercial talents… it was a good, speedy move on Baton’s part,’ Ferns adds.

Arthur Weinthal, vice-president of entertainment programming at the CTV Television Network, says Fecan’s appointment is ‘a good move for Baton, and therefore for ctv.’ He is looking forward to working with Baton and Fecan.

According to Garwood, who confesses he has long been an admirer of Fecan’s work, the appointment is part of a ‘third step’ for Baton. The first two were building distinctive news and sports programming, and the next is to branch into entertainment/drama. When Fecan became available, Baton moved quickly to bring him in to lead this creative thrust.

Garwood is enthusiastic about Baton both producing and commissioning more of its own Canadian programming. ‘From a broadcaster perspective, we’re brought product and we can fit it in or not,’ he says, adding that with the new emphasis on production, Baton can commission product from independent producers ‘to suit us, not American networks… in all kinds of categories, drama to action adventure.’

Garwood brings up Baton’s recent major moves into the production world: its involvement in the Canadian/German coproduction Family Passions, the $11 million soap opera being shot in Toronto, and Robocop, the $36.5 million series produced by Toronto-based Skyvision.