Looks like I picked a fine time to join Playback.

I suppose there’s an argument to be made that there’s hardly ever a time when the sky isn’t falling – somewhere. Generally speaking, at some point, some part of the industry is getting screwed. By a government policy. Or the dollar. Or advertisers. I’d actually be a bit worried if things looked sunny for all concerned. I’d feel like I was missing something important.

But rarely is the circling chaos fed by such a worldwide economic storm. A rising tide may lift all boats, but a sinking one tends to swamp some and submerge others, erratically and irrespective of scale. I suppose some will find solace in the fact that we’re all feeling it together; from advertiser to broadcaster to producer. No one gets a free ride this time around.

I’ve been covering aspects of the television and film industries both internationally and here in Canada since the early ’90s (most recently at realscreen magazine), so this is hardly the first of these I’ve seen. But this is a little different. Too many factors are at play for any level of comfort: the government may or may not be the government soon. The budget may or may not address outstanding cultural issues. The CTF may or may not exist as it does presently.

And then there is the economy. Although Canada is partially insulated by a fiscal policy that has historically tended towards responsible, when someone else’s house is burning down in the global village, everyone feels the heat. It remains to be seen, for example, whether or not the stimulus package the U.S. president elect is proposing will simply be offset by the massive amounts of fresh debt that country has added. Ditto in the U.K., and with so many other traditional trade partners.

The industry, as it always does, will land on its feet. There will be more production and continued growth, and eventually spreadsheets will stop being washed in red ink. And although companies can retrench for growth and hunker down, the real tragedy for me is always that the red on those Excel sheets is all too often representative of a blood bath in the human resources department. I’m new here so forgive the sentimentality, but take care of you and yours, and we’ll try to get through this together.

In our own way, Playback has also experienced job losses of late, though I dare say that neither has been due to unfortunate circumstances. (Unless you factor in the loss for those of us left behind.) First, former editor Mark Dillon left for the life of an independent. I’ve worked with Mark on and off for almost a decade, and his calm hand will be missed at the helm. (Though I still don’t get the Boston Bruins thing.)

A more recent loss was that of publisher Peter Vamos to the Banff World Television Festival. Not to compare Achilles Media CEO Robert Montgomery to Don Corleone, but Pete was made an offer he couldn’t refuse. Though I would have much preferred having his expertise around the magazine, I honestly have to say it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Look for Banff’s upcoming announcement of a Jack Daniels sponsorship and a Neil Young keynote.

And as for me: adopt, adapt and improve, as Monty Python once said. We have big plans. Playback is changing and growing, and I’d definitely like to hear from you. Drop me a line if you have story ideas, feedback, or even if you just want to talk.