*VTV turns one

Celebrating its first year on the air, Baton-owned vtv has released a list of accomplishments. It claims that one year into its licence period, it has spent more than $20 million building its digital broadcast facility, has created more than 140 full-time jobs and spent over $12 million on Canadian programming.

The station reports an approximate $200,000 commitment to the development of new Canadian independent productions in its first year and is now ordering new Canadian-content programming for its second season.

vtv says it broadcasts 19 hours of news per week along with six Vancouver-produced shows – Gabereau, Mason Lee: On the Edge, Double Exposure, Cold Squad, Charlie Horse Music Pizza and First Story – that air nationally on the ctv system.

*Fresh face at TSN

As CTV Sportsnet launches this month, rival tsn has unveiled a new graphic look for its programming.

Because ‘the time is right for a fresh, new approach,’ according to tsn spokesperson David Rosenbloom, all program graphics – including color, full-page graphics, font packages, on-air promotions and the TSN SportsDesk animation package – were changed on Sept. 28.

tsn’s network logo will not change. ‘There’s a heritage to it,’ says Rosenbloom.

*A&E call for submissions

A&E has announced a call for submissions to its 1999 A&E Canadian Teacher Grant program.

Established in 1993, the program recognizes teachers in Canada who ‘develop creative and enriching’ class projects using a&e programming. Each entry is judged by an independent panel of educators, education advocates and television professionals.

First prize is a $2,000 grant, and second, third and fourth-place grants are $1,500, $1,000 and $500. Grant winners also receive an all-expenses paid trip to Ottawa for the awards ceremony in May. Each grant winner’s school receives a tv, vcr and an a&e video library.

*New on Star Choice

Direct-to-home provider Star Choice will introduce, over the next 30 days, 38 new video and audio channels including CTV Sportsnet and MuchMoreMusic nationally, MovieMax 2 in Western Canada, Asian Television Network in Eastern Canada and Canal Indigo 2, an additional French-language pay-per-view channel.

The dth company also plans to add Galaxie Music, which would provide subscribers an additional 30 cd-quality audio channels with formats including country, kids, soft-rock and environmental.

Star Choice now claims 120,000 subscribers.

Competitor ExpressVu also added MuchMoreMusic to its lineup on Sept. 30 and will add Sportsnet on Oct. 9. The dth satellite tv company says it will offer a new channel lineup in November.

*Nadda to screen eight in Vienna

Toronto filmmaker Ruba Nadda will have eight short films screened in the upcoming Viennale-Vienna International Film Festival.

The films are Laila, Slut, Damascus Nights, The wind blows towards me particularly, So far gone, Do Nothing, Interstate love story and West heat drifts through the afternoon. The films were produced between 1997 and 1999.

The Vienna fest runs Oct. 16-28.

Do Nothing and Wet heat drifts through the afternoon also screened at last month’s British Short International Film Festival. The wind blows toward me particularly has been invited to the Festival International du Film D’Art et Pedagogique in Paris.