– WIC Alta. deal

CanWest Global and WIC Western International Communications have signed a long-term program sub-licensing deal for the Alberta market.

The arrangement will allow wic a secure supply of CanWest’s top-rated drama and sitcom programs, and provide an outlet for its Canadian drama product inventory. Including distribution derived through its new Quebec station, up and running in September, CanWest will reach 88% of English-language Canada. CanWest is a 15% shareholder in wic.

-Bergeron sets up Tube

Veteran Montreal 3D and special effects designer Danny Bergeron has set up a new company, Tube Images, specializing in 3D animation and f/x, digital nonlinear editing, multimedia and interactive technologies.

Bergeron recently split with former partners in Big Bang Animation, a company he cofounded.

Tube personnel include vp finance and partner Daniel Louis and former Avid Canada executive Pierre Couture, who has been named operations director for the editing, 3D animation and f/x division.

-PowerTel deal

Prospective multichannel, multipoint distribution system service PowerTel tv has signed a letter of intent with Ontario Hydro for services (which include the use of Hydro tower sites and fiber-optic transmission facilities) which would expand the scope of the wireless contender’s digital tv and Internet services throughout Ontario.

PowerTel, a subsidiary of Simmonds Capital, is one of seven applicants for a Southern Ontario mmds licence.

-Linehan’s syndie plans

Electric Entertainment has entered into an agreement with Don Tafner’s Entertainment (dlt) to distribute the Linehan series for syndication outside Canada. dlt, with offices in the u.s., the u.k. and Australia, syndicates programming including Masterpiece Theatre and America’s Funniest People.

Electric Entertainment has also signed an agreement with Mediconsult.com in Boston, a ‘virtual medical clinic’ on the Net, to create a site for the Doctor On Call series, potentially introducing a u.s. audience to the wtn-broadcast program.

-People

Garry Toth, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association’s vp of industry affairs and members services, has been named executive director of the Canada Television and Cable Production Fund’s Licence Fee Program. His new position is effective June 1.

– Gillian Lindsay, one of Vancouver-based Forefront Entertainment Group’s founding partners, is departing the company as of June 1. Lindsay, who oversaw production and corporate finances at Forefront, is moving on to pursue smaller, more hands-on projects.

– teletoon has hired SDA Productions producer Madeleine Levesque as director of original production and French-language programming market. Hillary Firestone has been appointed vp of network marketing and promotions. Firestone comes to teletoon from Kraft Canada.

– ytv’s Susan Ross, currently vp of marketing, will serve as vp and gm of its new preschool specialty, TreeHouse tv. ytv’s director of sales Suzanne Carpenter has been appointed vp of sales, effective immediately.

– Jungle Music producer Matt Zimbel has moved over to MuchMusic where he is writing and producing the Election un-coverage program.

– Former cfcf-tv and apd sales and marketing executive Suzanne Lapalme is the new director of sales and promotions with Global Television Network Quebec. The new Global System station in Quebec City, ckmi-tv, is slated to air Sept. 1.

-Meier’s big plans

Formed last November and aiming to become an international entertainment conglomerate, Vancouver’s Meier Worldwide Intermedia has acquired the local G.G. Studios and is developing the John Meier story into a $40 million feature, the first project out of its film production house.

President Jim Meier, who also serves as B.C. Motion Picture Association director, reports a large-scale b.c. studio complex is also in the works.

Meier Worldwide plans to file in the u.s. to become a publicly traded company in order to assist in raising funds for its current projects.

bcmpa’s executive director Carrie Hunter and the Directors Guild of Canada’s business agent Neil Haggquist have signed on as consultants for the company.

-CTV/Microsoft track pols

The CTV Television Network and The Microsoft Network have teamed up on an online interactive site covering the upcoming federal election. The Internet site supplies background on candidates, historical riding performances and party platform updates, as well as featuring CTV News reports.

-Canucks rule Trash Cinema

Toronto filmmakers have taken the top prizes at the 1997 FREAKZONE International Festival of Trash Cinema, which wrapped May 4 in Lilles, France.

Cynthia Roberts claimed the Prix du Public Audience Award for Best Film of the Festival and Bruce La Bruce picked up the Prix du Jury prize for Best Film of the Festival.

Roberts’ Bubbles Galore is a feature-length lesbian love story set against the backdrop of the porn business, produced by Greg Klymkiw. It is being released theatrically in France via E.D. Distribution.

La Bruce’s Hustler White, a portrait of male hustlers on Santa Monica Blvd., was codirected with l.a.-based Rick Castro.

-Vidatron up 420%

Vidatron Entertainment Group’s revenues for the first six months ending Feb. 28 represented a 420% increase over last year, with the Vancouver-based company boasting a record $13,004,672 as compared to $2,493,731 in the similar 1996 period.

Gross profit jumped nearly 200% from $926,000 to $2,669,900.

Subsequent to the end of the quarter, Vidatron completed a private placement of special warrants of $6,007,500 in gross proceeds with several Canadian mutual funds, which secured the financing required to maximize its production slate.

-CBC and WIC to share window on Emily

CBC and WIC Entertainment will share the Canadian broadcast windows on Emily of New Moon, with cbc launching the Salter Street/Cinar Films’ series in January ’98 and wic beginning its broadcast in the fall.

Shooting has wrapped in Prince Edward Island on the first 13 episodes of Emily of New Moon and production of the additional episodes is scheduled for July.

-Don’t Shoot

Disgruntled Toronto resident James Bliwas has gone public with his intent to eliminate location work in the city. In a three-page press release, Bliwas lists anecdotal complaints allegedly gleaned from members of his organization Don’t Shoot, a group which Bliwas says numbers ‘nearly 100 residents.’

Claiming that original written requests to Toronto film commish David Plant limiting location filming hours and frequency were ignored, Bliwas says the group’s next course of action is to disrupt productions and launch a mail campaign asking that producers decide against shooting in the city.

Plant says he personally responded to Bliwas by letter and by phone, but did not receive a reply, and adds the group’s complaints are ‘unsubstantiated.’ As to the threatening tone of the release, in which Bliwas claims that ‘if people in the business are hurtŠthe blame rests squarely on his [Plant’s] shoulders,’ Plant says ‘I certainly think he is looking to gain something here.’

Bliwas reportedly sent a letter to a Toronto production company asking to be immediately sent $400 to replace a pair of sh’es he damaged by tripping over a dolly track near his home.