– A-Channel fights back

As CanWest Global Communications’ federal appeal of the Alberta decision winds its way through process, Craig Broadcasting has filed its response to the Governor in Council.

Calling the CanWest petition ‘inaccurate, misleading and self-serving,’ Craig says the petition CanWest filed Nov. 18 ‘completely mischaracterizes the Craig applications and fails to note why those applications were found by the commission to be clearly superior to the CanWest applications.’

At the same time, A-Channel is running ads in the Alberta dailies under the banner ‘Tell Ottawa the crtc made the right decision,’ and detailing its financial commitment to local production. ‘We were ready to make binding commitments with Alberta producers before CanWest launched the petition,’ the ad concludes. ‘Now, everything is on hold.’ Toll free 1-800 phone and fax numbers are provided to register support for A-Channel.

-New coproduction fund

Canada has signed an international agreement with five countries aimed at encouraging the development of English-language feature film coproductions.

The five participating countries in the English-Language Cinema Plan are Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the u.k. Deborah Drisdell, director of international relations for Telefilm Canada, negotiated the agreement for Canada.

The elcp’s budget is set at $650,000 over two years, which it predicts will trigger the development of eight to 12 feature films per year. In year one, Telefilm’s contribution is $75,000. The program begins Jan. 1, 1997.

All projects accepted under the elcp program will be developed as coproductions. The fund will not contribute to the initial scriptwriting stage, but look only at first-version or advanced scripts for projects with commercial viability.

The Carland Cross animation series, presold to Europe’s Canal+, will now be produced by prh.

-Malofilm projects top-line of $100 million in ’97

Malofilm Communications has issued 1,200,000 special warrants on a private placement basis exercisable into class b subordinate voting shares worth an estimated $10 million.

The selling price is $7.25 per warrant. The placement is expected to close Dec. 17.

Malofilm’s ’96 year end will be announced in January.

Simon Lussier, a specialist with Sprott Securities, is forecasting top-line revenues of $43 million for Malofilm in ’96, including $33 million from core distribution activity, or $0.38 a share. The projection for ’97 – with Image Organization and Filmline International on board – is $100 million or an eps of $0.51, including dilution.

Malofilm’s current (’97) production slate is over $50 million and includes production from Desclez, Megatoon, M.I. Redisoft and Malofilm Production.

Following a Dec. 10 board meeting, Malofilm has named two new members to its board of directors, Bernard Legendre, a chartered accountant and former partner with Ernst & Young and vp corporate development with BHVR Communications, Malofilm’s principal shareholder, and David Reckziegel, president of Industry Entertainment, a Montreal film and tv production company.

-NFB looks to kids

The National Film Board is turning its focus to the children’s market and the increasing number of youngsters surfing the Web.

‘We can’t stay in a hole, we have to go where the market is,’ explains the nfb’s Susan Tolusso of the Dec. 11 launch of The Prince and I, the first of its online children’s productions for an nfb Web site designed just for kids.

Directed by Andre Lauzon, the interactive program introduces children to reading and writing through mystery solving, vocabulary exercises, and by becoming a character in an interactive tale. A cd-rom spin-off of the nfb children’s film Has Anybody Seen My Umbrella? is also in production for a spring ’97 release.

Also eyeing the traditional children’s mediums, the nfb has produced a tv special, Children’s First, airing on cbc for unicef’s Dec. 15 International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. Hosted by Sarah Polley, the program showcases six nfb shorts dealing with children’s rights.

-Locations censorship

North Vancouver district council will debate a motion Dec. 16 to restrict the production of violent movies in the municipal area. Veteran councilor Ernie Crist says: ‘I do not want (producers) to use our facilities for movies that use gross violence.’

His motion was prompted by Millennium, a series that carries a warning about graphic scenes. Millennium crews used the district municipal hall for filming, and Crist says that kind of work flies in the face of taxpayer-supported, anti-violence campaigns.

Should his motion pass, North Van district facilities like parks and buildings would not be available to producers without clearing the content with the district first.

Tom Crowe, manager of community affairs at the B.C. Film Commission, says Crist’s motion sends a dangerous message to visiting producers that the area is closed and threatens the healthy movie business on the North Shore.

-People

Baton Broadcasting Systems has appointed Roman Melnyk vp of business affairs for The Comedy Network, Outdoor Life and Talk tv.

Melnyk has experience on both the independent production and distribution sides. Most recently exec vp of William F. Cooke Television Programs, Melnyk was the cbc’s first director of independent production, then director of network television and executive director of media operations in more than 20 years with the Corp.

– B.C. Tel chief Brian Canfield announced Dec. 10 that he will resign his role as ceo as soon as a successor has been appointed, but will continue on as chairman of the board. Canfield will also continue as the chair of Stentor’s council of ceos until a successor has been appointed.

– K. Bruce Grant has been appointed coo of Toronto-based Magnetic Enterprises. Grant, a 12-year veteran of the post-production industry, joined Magnetic North in 1991 and has been acting gm since 1993.

– Normand Thauvette, former Royal Bank senior account manager, media and entertainment, has been named director, business unit, television with Telefilm Canada in Montreal.

– After only four months as head of bctv and chek-tv, Barry Duggan surprised staff and resigned Dec. 6 for undisclosed personal reasons. Former itv president Art Reitmeyer has been shuffled to the president’s office at bctv/chek. He started Dec. 9.

– Ellen Terry Cole, formerly director of communications for Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, is the new director of communications at tvontario. She begins her new post Feb. 3.

– Actor Billy Merasty will host cbc’s Open Wide showcase for Canadian and international short films. Merasty is best known for his role as bike courier Nathan Jones on cbc’s now-defunct Liberty Street.

– Lizzie Francke has been appointed the new director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

– Cinar prod budget up 34%

with five new titles added to the 1997 roster, production commitments from Cinar’s annual report preview tally at $57.5 million, up from 1996’s $42.9 million. Its library now boasts 982 half-hours (232 of which came via the FilmFair acquisition).

Two of the new titles are prepping for the teletoon launch: Caillou, 13 half-hours comprised of five-minute shorts on preschool social skills, and Animal Crackers, 26 episodes based on the Roger Bollen jungle comic strip.

-MMDS call

Following the stated intent of two companies to provide tv services via Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Systems, the crtc has issued a call for applications for other mmds suitors to the Southern Ontario market.

The regulator has set a Jan. 3, 1997 deadline for letters of intent and a Feb. 3, 1997 deadline for applications.

The two current contenders for an mmds licence are Toronto-based SelectView Cable Services, which originally filed its application in September 1995, and Toronto-based, Ted Boyle-helmed PowerTel tv, which is owned by Simmonds Capital and which filed an mmds application in mid-October.

At the dth end of the distribution spectrum, Star Choice Television Network has a new agreement in place with Stentor Canadian Network Management to sublease satellite space, leaving Star Choice on track for its dth launch in the first quarter of 1997.