Ever since I started covering the Canadian production and broadcasting industry, some three years ago, the theme of convergence has been at the forefront of almost every conference and major industry news story we’ve been involved with. While industry players struggled to develop the technology and business plans to implement convergence strategies, I was busy as a Playback staff writer trying to figure out the meaning of this 50-cent word.

I was there at the Drop the Beat launch, where I bore witness to the convergence of six mediums and a consortium of financial supporters teetering on the cutting-edge of interactive programming, including the then-upstart Bell New Media Fund (although I did not have the technology to view the now-defunct show in its interactive form on my own TV). I also covered, extensively, the WIC Western International split-up, which ultimately gave Shaw Communications, through its offshoot Corus Entertainment (spun off specifically to accommodate Shaw’s convergence plan in light of CRTC restrictions), ownership of distribution, satellite and cable, and a bouquet of specialty broadcasting entities. A couple years later, after seeing BCE and CanWest Global each bring TV broadcasting, production, Internet and newspaper operations under one roof, Shaw also secured, again through its strategic spinoff, ownership of one of the country’s biggest content producers.

More recently, I’ve seen the CTF succumb to allowing broadcaster-distributors access to its coffers and watched new third-party distributors like Chum Television International emerge (see story, p. 5).

As the adage ‘get big fast’ gained momentum, the words ‘content is king’ rang hard and loud, while the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, the CFTPA and other government agencies were encouraging Canadian media companies to ready themselves for the global marketplace.

And now, while advancing technology and increasing globalization continue to fuel business strategies, it seems the drastic downturn in the economy is the theme of the day and finding international synergies is the exercise of choice.

Just look to the agenda at this year’s Prime Time in Ottawa, the annual CFTPA/ACPFT conference taking place Feb. 6-8.

The only reference to convergence is in a breakout session entitled ‘Sure, you’re on TV, but how should you take advantage of the Internet?’

One of the feature seminars, entitled ‘Future Shocks: What Lies Ahead for the Canadian Production Industry,’ focuses on how to position the Canadian industry in a difficult economic and political climate by looking at trends in the trinity of Canadian production – raising capital, broadening markets and government policy.

The session is followed by a luncheon in which Jack Valenti, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, will deliver a keynote speech on the common interest of Canadians and Americans. I suppose with a recessed economy that’s been said to have hit the U.S. harder and faster than Canada, Americans are finally finding some common ground with their ever cash-strapped neighbors. And since U.S. producers are finally looking outside their borders for coproduction opportunities, it’s no wonder their production envoy is joining our ranks, at least for the day.