vancouver: Wayne Sterloff, Baton’s head of independent production in Western Canada, is starting to license shows that can finance themselves during the ctcpf Equity Investment Program crisis.

‘We’re looking at shows that are able to deliver this fall without Telefilm money,’ he says. ‘Others we’re trying to get ready for April 1 [when Telefilm’s new fiscal year kicks in].’

Pacific Profiles

A key show in Vancouver Television’s fall lineup is a documentary series of 26 half-hours called Pacific Profiles, chronicling the lives of noteworthy British Columbians. Baton was in advanced negotiations with Walter Daroshin of Troika Films at press time.

Already licensed is The Orange Seed Myth, a pilot about a second-generation Chinese family based on writer Mark Leiren-Young’s Dim Sum Diaries.

The Alberta/b.c. coproduction will shoot in Alberta. Its producers are Vancouver’s Susan Brinton and Edmonton’s Elaine Scott.

The Genius, a pilot for a proposed ‘limited series’ (up to six episodes) called The Mentors has been licensed. The family drama about a kid who downloads Albert Einstein on his computer is a coproduction by Josh Miller of Edmonton and Kevin DeWalt of Regina.

Cooking with Costa is a half-hour drama by producer David York, V6A 1N6 is one-hour documentary about Vancouver’s gritty downtown east side by producer Bob Duncan, and a one-hour documentary has been commissioned called Earth Ambassadors, which is about the woman in the middle of Greenpeace’s protest campaigns.

Sterloff says he’s sifting through about 600 proposals, some of which have been sitting around since March. His key priorities are getting back to people with good news and bad news. He’s also filling all genres including half-hour dramas for the anthologies, documentary, variety, biography and children’s programming.

New studios

Construction of the new studios and offices is underway in Vancouver’s old library building on the trendy corner of Burrard and Robson Streets, confirms Vancouver Television gm Jon Festinger. Vancouver City Council gave the okay to modify the heritage-class Modernist building with satellite dishes. But he’s mum on the rest of the design concepts and the floor plans, promising only that they’ll be original and ‘consistent’ with Baton’s vision of what Vancouver Television should be.

The street-front facility will have ‘hydrants’ throughout to allow for cameras to plug in and shoot anywhere. A formal studio, where the Double Exposure team of Linda Cullen and Bob Robertson will work, is located on the fifth floor.

The hiring plan is also in place and Festinger says there will be more than the 104 people originally anticipated running the station.

Staff

The sales department has about 10 people working, including sales manager Dennis Hendricks, formerly of Baton’s station in Edmonton.

Bob McLaughlin is civt’s news director, having moved west from atv. No word on who has been hired as reporters or what plans are in place for the neighborhood satellite offices.

Pam Moffat, formerly from British Columbia Film, joins Sterloff in independent production. Sharon Blank moves from the old Cable Production Fund to civt’s finance department, Bernee Boulton, a local publicist, heads up civt’s promotions department, Bev Kaut from Baton in Toronto will look after programming schedules, and Cathy Walters will look after ad traffic.

An engineering chief was being secured at press time.

The launch date is Sept. 22.