Banff adds two

categories

The Banff Television Festival has added two more categories – information programs and animation programs – to its international television program competition, bringing the total number to 12.

The deadline for entries is Feb. 24, 1995 and nominees will be named at mip-tv in April 1995. Winners will be announced at the Banff Rockie Awards on June 19, 1995.

Babies tops ratings

The four-hour Cinar Films/Bernard Zukerman Productions miniseries Million Dollar Babies has earned the highest ratings for a drama program in Canada since A.C. Nielsen began using people meters in 1989.

According to Nielsen, an average of 3.1 million viewers tuned in to the show on Sunday, Nov. 20 and Tuesday, Nov. 22.

In the u.s., the Sunday night telecast was seen in more than 15 million households. The show ranked 15th for the week on cbs with a 15.9 rating and a 26 share.

Each Nielsen rating point represents 954,000 tv homes.

WFF names Novek

David Novek has been named vice-president, corporate communications with the Montreal World Film Festival.

In early November, Novek established his own public relations and communications company after five years with Astral Communications as vice-president, corporate communications.

At the wff, Novek assumes responsibility for corporate communications, special events planning, and the organization and management of the WFF Festival Foundation.

Macrae Discreet prez

David Macrae is the new president at Discreet Logic. Macrae previously held senior management posts with Toronto’s Alias Research and Montreal’s Softimage, which was acquired last year by u.s. software giant Microsoft at a cost of $130 million.

Discreet Logic is a fast-growth, Montreal-based production software and distribution company, and is responsible for the Flame digital editing system, among others. It is headed by cofounder and chairman Richard Szalwinski.

Bravo! for Ellis

David Ellis joined the new style arts specialty channel Bravo! as director of communications in the final month before its broadcast debut. Ellis was formerly with Telefilm Canada in charge of communications for English Canada, a position that will not be immediately filled pending budget decisions, and prior to that was manager of public relations for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.

Hoffert is OAC chair

Paul Hoffert was nominated as the new chair of the Ontario Arts Council. The award-winning musician/composer is presently a director of acct and socan, president of the Guild of Canadian Film and Television Composers, and active in communications technologies r&d as director of CulTech Collaborative Research Centre at York University. As per protocol, the intended appointment will be reviewed by the Standing Committee on Government Agencies.