AAC closes Salter deal

Alliance Atlantis Communications has completed its $84-million acquisition of Salter Street Films.

As part of the transaction, the shares of Salter Street’s subsidiaries that will be operating the company’s newly awarded digital specialty channels, including the Independent Film Channel, have been transferred to Daniel Campbell, who will act as trustee pending CRTC approval of the transfer of licence control.

Some of Salter’s Category 2 digital licences include, Corporate TV, Aviation TV, Classics TV, Girls TV, Nature TV, Ocean Life TV, Play TV, Recovery TV, Relationships TV, Scream TV, The Collectors Network and The Canadian Consumer Channel.

As of April 23, Salter has been delisted from the TSE.

CTV buys first Manitoba station

CTV has struck a $37-million deal to buy CKY-TV Manitoba from Moffat Communications.

While CTV, which is currently seeking to shed its network status, has had a longstanding association with CKY, the new asset will be the broadcaster’s first network-owned station in Manitoba.

The agreement was reached with Fred Wagman, who was appointed the station’s depository as a result of Shaw Communications takeover of Moffat.

CKY consists of CKY-TV Winnipeg, CKYB-TV Brandon, CKYD-TV Dauphin/Baldy Mountain, CKY-TV Fisher Branch, CKYF-TV Flin Flon, CKYB-TV1 McCreary, CKYS-TV Snow Lake, CKYP-TV The Pas and CKYT-TV Thompson.

Vancouver fest winners

The Vancouver Effects and Animation Festival, held April 4-6, presented awards to productions demonstrating excellence in animation and visual effects.

In the animated feature category, Mainframe Entertainment of Vancouver won for Casper’s Haunted Christmas. Continental Indian feature Pandavas ‘The Five Warriors’ (Pentamedia Graphics) was second in the category, while Nelvana’s Franklin and the Green Knight was third.

Topping the animated series category was Nelvana, with Bob & Margaret placing first and Pecola second. Studio B of Vancouver was third for What About Mimi?.

Best effects for features, series or specials went to Merlin for work by Video Lab in Johannesburg. Second went to Nuremberg (Calibre Digital Pictures, Toronto) and third went to Voyage of the Unicorn by Vancouver’s Sextant Entertainment.

Vancouver’s Bardel Animation won in the Flash animation category for The Mr. Dink Show. Fremont, CA-based Estudio won second for I Want a Fat Babe and third for Internet Killed the Video Star.

Awards were also handed out to commercial, short film and music video productions. The full roster of winners is at www.veaf.com/awards2001.html.

CTV spends $14 million on new reporters

CTV has committed to invest $14 million over seven years to add 15 new journalists across the country, on specified beats, to its reporting staff.

The new recruits will specialize in the areas of science and technology and health and safety, and will be placed at CTV affiliates in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

The $14-million financing of CTV News’ new reporting specialists is part of $53.5 million earmarked for the news division as a result of BCE’s benefits package.

VTV drops Canuck games

VTV, which went on air in 1997, built a West Coast audience by being the primary broadcaster of Vancouver Canuck games. However, the station has taken itself out of the running for the next five-year broadcast contract, ending 2005/06, allowing Sportsnet Pacific has to pick up the contract. Both VTV and Sportsnet are owned by CTV.

The new regional broadcast agreement guarantees 45 Canucks games will be broadcast regionally on Sportsnet, starting in October.

According to Canuck owner Orca Bay, viewership of regional Canucks broadcasts is strong with a 14% increase in average-minute audiences. This year, Canucks games have regularly been in the top-10 shows in Vancouver.

Cathy Walters, broadcast operations manager at VTV, says the decision to not renew was related to the station becoming the local CTV affiliate this fall, limiting the flexibility in the programming schedule. As an independent, VTV was able to make room for both the Vancouver Canucks and NBA franchise Vancouver Grizzlies. And financially, the Canucks partnership was break-even. ‘We decided to let the Canucks make a bigger deal with Sportsnet,’ she explains.

Global establishes

Royal Roads award

Global Television Network, easing its introduction to the Victoria market and ownership of CHEK-TV, has given $100,000 to nearby Royal Roads University, which will create the CanWest Global Communications Award for Masters students.

‘A vital part of succeeding in our business is through education and we are confident our donation will provide long-term benefits to the broadcast and communications industries in B.C. and across the country,’ says David Asper, chairman of the CHEK community advisory board for CanWest Global.

CHEK will be rebranded a Global station in the fall.

Stratford IT calls it quits

Promising Vancouver-based Internet broadcaster Stratford Internet Technologies closed its doors in late March – a victim of the tech meltdown.

‘Coming to terms with a business model, ongoing financial challenges and a difficult market are primary reasons,’ says CEO Robert Craig.

In May 2000, the company was looking at comprehensive site at avenuezero.com that featured a number of Internet-based shows including a repackaging of The Urban Peasant cooking series. Late last summer, however, the company severed ties with its division SuperVision, a 2D animation and webisode company

Stratford specialized in animation, audio/video Web production, systems integration and value-added services.

Telefilm $$ for Alibi

The Alibi Unplugged Script Reading Series, a monthly Vancouver film community event approaching its third year of showcasing new screenplays, now has Telefilm Canada support through the Industrial and Professional Development Fund.

‘Telefilm’s recognition lends us a credibility that speaks to filmmakers across the country,’ says Anita Adams, the event’s coproducer. We anticipate more writers will submit to the series, offering us a greater selection of quality scripts to be showcased.’

Adams says a website is in the works to expand the reach of the series.

Sara McIntyre, coproducer and series casting director adds: ‘We want industry decision makers to realize that Alibi Unplugged showcases some of Canada’s finest work.’

Each month, actors convene at The Alibi Room restaurant to read three selected scripts in front of an audience that then comments on the work.

Next submission deadlines are July 15 and Nov. 15.

For info contact: anadams@alumni.ubc.ca or smcintyre@canadafilm.com

Thomson speaks at

Summit of the Americas

ACTRA member R.H. Thomson made a plea for a new international pact on culture at the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City this month.

The address was made on April 21 at the Council of Canadians’ ‘Teach In.’

A strong advocate of cultural diversity, Thomson spoke on the cumulative effect that trade agreements have had on cultural policy.

‘Beginning with FTA and NAFTA, we have seen the erosion of our cultural sovereignty. We lost the magazine dispute and the Country Music/New Country Network cases. Trade agreements cannot address cultural policy obligations since artistic works are not like other goods and services. If NAFTA’s investor/state provisions are expanded, who knows what back-door challenges there might be?’ said Thomson.

Heritage Minister Sheila Copps has supported the new international pact on culture Thomson is endorsing.

Garry Neil, ACTRA’s national policy advisor, says the union ‘supports the efforts of groups seeking a transparent process by the participating governments of the FTAA.’

However, it is not clear how cultural policy will be affected by ‘the talks,’ and more specifically how ACTRA members will be affected.

Pioneer Quest reels ’em in

Pioneer Quest has set a new record for History Television: 575,000 viewers tuned in for episode six, broadcast in early April, making it the highest-rated program ever in the history of History.

Episode five, with a total of 507,000 viewers, takes second place.

Pioneer Quest is produced by Winnipeg’s Credo Entertainment.