CRTC to renew CTV, Global licences

AT Playback press time, the CRTC was a day away from releasing its decision on CTV and Global Television’s licence renewals.

While no major surprises were expected, it was suspected that the licences, as they relate to cross-media ownership and subsequent resource-sharing among newsrooms, would be conditional on the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council drafting and administering an industry-wide code of conduct.

At the licence renewal hearings, Andree Wylie, vice-chairperson of broadcasting for the CRTC, suggested a code to prevent print and broadcast journalists employed under the same corporate umbrella from communicating with each other – in order to ensure a diversity of voices – as agreed upon in the Quebecor/ Videotron hearings.

CTV and Global both balked at the idea, proposing instead a complaint system wherein readers and viewers would be invited through public service announcements to complain to various press councils and the CBSC about evidence of abuse.

The broadcasters’ licences expire Aug. 31.

Hot Docs exchange

spotlights Germany

HOT Docs has announced the focus of its annual international exchange program with documentary producers for the coming year will be Germany.

The exchange program will send 12 independent Canadian documentary filmmakers to Germany for the 45th annual International Leipzig Festival, Oct. 16-21. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet with several representatives of the German doc-making community. In return, Hot Docs will invite German doc filmmakers to Toronto for the ninth edition of the Hot Docs documentary film festival, running April 26 to May 5, 2002, which will feature a German documentary film program.

Hot Docs organized similar exchange programs with Australia in 1999 and the Nordic countries in 2000. Organizers say the exchange program has been the catalyst for a number of successful partnerships and coproduction agreements between Canada and the participating countries in the two years it has been operating. The program has also boosted attendance at the festival of delegates from the featured country.

Canadian documentary filmmakers interested in participating in the German exchange program have until Aug. 24 to submit their applications to Hot Docs (www.hotdocs.ca).

AAC files prospectus for public offering

TO help pay for its coming launch of seven new digital channels, Alliance Atlantis Communications is planning on making a public offering of 8 million Class B non-voting shares to both Canadian and U.S. investors.

The net proceeds of the offering will be used to repay indebtedness under its credit facility, so that the resulting increased credit can be used toward the September launch of its new digital properties, including Showcase Diva, Showcase Action, Independent Film Channel Canada (still subject to CRTC approval), Discovery Health Channel, National Geographic Channel, BBC Canada and BBC Kids.

The company has filed a registration statement in the U.S. with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as a preliminary prospectus with securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories in Canada relating to its proposed public offering.

In addition to the 8 million shares being offered, underwriters have been granted an option to purchase another 1.2 million Class B non-voting shares to cover over-allotments, if any.

Merrill Lynch & Co. is acting as the book running lead manager of the underwriting group with Goldman, Sachs & Co. as co-lead manager and RBC Dominion and TD Securities (USA) as co-managers.

At press time, AAC’s Class B non-voting shares were trading on the TSE at $17.80.

Telefilm sends doc

producers to Paris, FIPA

TWENTY Canadian doc producers will be selected to participate in next year’s Canada France Forum on the Creative Documentary, taking place in Paris and Biarritz Jan. 18-23, 2002.

The Canada-France Forum, a follow up to Telefilm Canada’s Immersion in Paris for Canadian independent doc producers in 1999, offers a package of networking and professional development activities designed in partnership with FIPA – Festival International des Programmes Audiovisuels.

The Telefilm-sponsored program starts off in Paris with meetings and workshops, then the Canadian delegation will take a train to Biarritz, where the forum will continue informally at FIPA.

Meetings in Paris include: sessions with the most active French producers in the sector; access to French broadcasters, including ARTE, La Cinquieme and France 3; talks with France’s most talented doc filmmakers; and discussions on the future of the creative documentary.

Canadian delegates will also be invited to the opening night activities of FIPA, with a special welcome, and a closing reception in Biarritz for the forum.

The effects of the 1999 Immersion in Paris program can be seen through the increased number of Canada-France coproductions.

Fidelity increases Corus investment

BOSTON-based Fidelity Management & Research Company and Fidelity Trust Company have purchased 792,800 common shares of Corus Entertainment for a group of investment companies and fund accounts for which Fidelity serves as an investment advisor.

Fidelity has control but not ownership of these shares of which it now holds 4,698,211, representing 11.58% of Corus’ common stock.

The Fidelity funds and institutional accounts may make additional investments in Corus, including additional purchases of common stock, although it has stated that it does not intend to acquire 20% of any class of the outstanding voting equity.

Shaw drives the box by moving Fairchild to digital

ON August 1, Shaw Communications removed Chinese-language stations Fairchild Television and Talentvision from its analog system, moving them to its digital environment service, Shaw Digital.

What this means is that Fairchild’s viewers, which total roughly 30,000, will be forced to buy a digital set-top box and sign on as Shaw digital subscribers to continue watching the Chinese programming.

In addition to ‘driving the box’ – the original motivation for the CRTC to license more than 250 digital channels last year – the Fairchild move will free up space on Shaw’s cable system for the coming 28 digital channels it’s set to launch in September.

Shaw Digital offers up to 200 digital picture channels and 40 channels of uninterrupted digital music in Dolby Digital sound, as well as customized programming that includes an on-screen interactive program guide and up to 50 channels of Pay-Per-View.

Its digital subscriber base is roughly 300,000.