Spending on Canadian news and information programming was up about 36% between 1998 and 2002, while spending on drama and comedy programming among the English- and French-language private and public broadcasters was up only 11%, according to the fourth annual Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report from the CRTC.
The 134-page report, designed to measure the effectiveness of CRTC broadcast policy, shows that drama and comedy spending by private English-language television networks dropped 20% between 1998 and 2002 to $58.6 million.

A reduction in the number of active productions underway at Montreal’s CineGroupe means a reduction in the workforce, affecting both contract employees and full-time staff employees.

Vancouver: The seven bidders vying to transform B.C.’s Knowledge Network into a self-sustaining public-private partnership will know later this month if they’ve made the short list.

Vancouver: Gynormous Pictures producer Rosanne Milliken of Vancouver is gearing up for an impressive rash of work in the new year with her German and U.K. coproducing partners.
Solo, a Sixth Sense-meets-Poltergeist-inspired suspense thriller, goes to camera Jan. 12 for a month of production, with Jon Voight (Coming Home), Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride), Saffron Burrows (Frida) and Vancouver actor Stephen Graham starring. In the Carl Binder (Just Cause) script, an unlikely group of adults come together to find a neglected child who has gone missing. Ghosts are involved.

Axium International, a Los Angeles-based payroll services company with film and television branches in Vancouver and Toronto, capitulated to threats from anti-runaway lobby groups and canceled a Canadian tax-credit information session in L.A. Nov. 14.

Vancouver: American studios and networks are working grievance management fees into their production budgets for Vancouver in the wake of increased complaints from B.C. unions, says a U.S. studio representative.

Vancouver: British Columbia’s provincial government and performers union are at odds whether changes to child work regulations will help protect kids or increase the potential for exploitation on set.

Vancouver: On Jan. 12, Brightlight Pictures starts production of its eleventh project since starting business two years ago. The Long Weekend is a Canada/U.K. copro with Gold Circle Films (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), the company that involved Brightlight in the Vancouver production of La La Wood earlier this year and, more recently, was coproducer of U.K./Canada copro White Noise, starring Michael Keaton.

Vancouver: CHUM Television chopped 34 jobs at its Vancouver and Victoria stations Nov. 12 in a cost-cutting move to merge operations and rationalize news delivery and expenses.

Vancouver: Busy Vancouver cinematographer Vic Sarin (Margaret’s Museum) is directing and shooting (and producing with partner Tina Pehme) the low-budget Canadian romantic comedy Deluxe Combo Platter in Squamish until Dec. 2.

Reality bit in 2003. Not only did the War in Iraq and the outbreak of SARS affect the way Canadian broadcasters and producers did business this year, but the increasing impact of reality television made itself very clear right at home – as more Canadians watched Ryan Malcolm get elected Canadian Idol than had ever before watched a domestically produced series episode.

The 21-member board of the Canadian Television Fund adjourned Nov. 4 after two days of meetings in Toronto without signing off on major guideline changes designed to simplify next year’s application process.
‘We’re really close,’ says Phil Serruya, CTF director of communications, declining to comment specifically on the outstanding issues. ‘People should stay tuned. We’re really conscious of the need to get the information out as quickly as possible. But we’re not ready to do that until we’ve finalized all the decisions.’