Canada is one of the leading digital territories in the world, with the Internet quickly gaining on TV and radio in terms of how much time Canadians spend on them, according to a CRTC report.

‘Large companies as well as small companies – we have to be multiplatform programmers,’ says Claude Galipeau, VP interactive for Astral Media, and moderator of the hot-topic panel dubbed ‘Canada’s Digital Media Giants,’ tailored for digital strategy-minded delegates. ‘The audience is on the move and we need to follow them.’

When it comes to shaping a powerful digital media strategy, Galipeau already knows the punch line: Go fishing where there are fish.

But as with anything in this business, it all sounds deceptively simple. The million-dollar trick, then, is where to find the fish and which lure to use.

The panelists include reps from broadcast (a digi-tech triad – Stephan Argent, Kevin Bartus and Steve Billinger of CTV, Rogers Media and CBC/Radio-Canada, respectively), telecom (Telus’ Maria Hale) and systems management (Dominique-Sebastien Forest of QMI). All of them are ‘well practiced in competing with American services and leveraging their traditional media assets to drive digital,’ notes Galipeau. ‘This is a seasoned, experienced group of people.’

The panel will also take into account what a turbulent year it’s been in the corporate world – including the breakup of CHUM and the disassembling of Alliance Atlantis Communications – that has left very few stones unturned in digital media.

Now that the dust appears to be settling, Achilles Media director of visual media Mark Greenspan predicts that delegates are going to be particularly curious to learn from these ‘thought leaders’ where they might fit in.

‘Now that we’ve gone through this phase of consolidation and fragmentation, how have these entities evolved?’ asks Greenspan. ‘What initiatives are they pursuing, and how can content providers and producers work with them?’

Questions also abound with regards to foreign services like YouTube and Facebook. ‘How can we leverage those platforms for our programming ends?’ muses Galipeau. ‘If you publish applications for Facebook, you’re going fishing where the fish are – that’s something we’re increasingly seeing.’

And that, of course, brings us to the CRTC’s recent decision to hold a public hearing on digital media ‘to gain a better understanding of this environment and, if necessary, to propose measures that would support the continued achievement of the Broadcasting Act’s objectives,’ as stated by CRTC chief Konrad von Finckenstein.

Do not be afraid, says Galipeau. ‘The Internet is a different animal than traditional TV and radio,’ he says. ‘I think everyone realizes that now, including the commission. What are the new tools to deal with this, and do we need to use them?’