*Rating system up

The Action Group on Violence on Television has unveiled the graphic icons which will appear on tv screens to indicate a program’s child-suitability rating. agvot received crtc approval in June for its six-level rating system, which uses guidelines for violence as well as language and sexual content.

All English conventional and specialty services will use the icons, which will appear for a minimum of 15 seconds in the top left-hand corner of tv screens at the beginning of a program. The icon will be repeated at the beginning of the second hour of longer shows.

The icons resemble squares with a maple leaf-shaped edge containing letters corresponding to the six categories of programs, divvied into programming suitable for Children, Children 8 and older, General Audience, Parental Guidance, Viewers 14 and over, and Adults. Most services expect to begin flashing the icons the week of Sept. 29.

*NB to host fund confab

In what will be one of the first times in recent memory that all of Canada’s funding agencies will be represented at one table, Sam Grana and Film NB will be hosting a Fredericton conference Sept. 11-12, to discuss the nature of funding and future directions for the industry.

Grana will look to discuss his possible representation on the CTCPF board to help ensure more funding for New Brunswick and says the meetings will ‘be the perfect opportunity to discuss the creation of a national committee to ensure fair and equitable funding for all provinces in Canada.’

Those attending will include: Chris Bonnell, Newfoundland and Labrador; Bernie Wood, Enterprise PEI; Anne-Marie Varner, Nova Scotia Film; Pierre Lampron, SODEC; Sarah Morton from the OFDC; Carol Vivier from Manitoba Film and Sound; Mark Prasuhn from SaskFILM; Lauren Davis of British Columbia Film and Telefilm Canada’s Ralph Holt.