The timing could not have been better. We launched our Daily e-mail newsletter in January, and what followed was one of the most eventful and newsworthy years in memory. What with Alliance Atlantis in play, the CRTC striking down key parts of CTVglobemedia’s deal to acquire CHUM, the CTF under siege, a strike by actors, and the seemingly unstoppable dollar, the value of such a resource was immediately apparent.

When the accounting is done years from now about what impact 2006 had on the business of film and television, the year will be looked upon as one of seeding. The changes that will, over the next few years, transform the film, broadcast and digital media sectors are only just taking root as of this writing.

The first job I had out of university was for The Partners’ Film Company in Toronto. It lasted a week.

Banff, AB: Heritage Minister Liza Frulla gave industry stakeholders what many had hoped for when she kicked off the Banff World Television Festival by announcing an overhaul of the governance and administration of Canadian TV funding, although details remain sketchy.
The changes will see the Canadian Television Fund’s board take on all responsibility for governance, while Telefilm Canada will administer the fund, in what Frulla describes as a ‘contractual relationship’ with the CTF.

It was a big night at the Banff Rockie Awards for the BBC, as the Brit pubcaster walked away with the $50,000 Global Television Grand Prize and a half-dozen category prizes. The presentation took place June 13 as part of the Banff World Television Festival.

On the afternoon of June 12, Joe Novak of Calgary’s Joe Media will host a session for emerging TV producers at the Banff World Television Festival called Rookies in the Rockies. The idea behind the session, which takes place while many veteran participants will be hitting the links at the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, is to give first-time attendees the most bang for their hard-earned buck.

Proposed changes to the rules governing the administration of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit have been raising eyebrows across the production community. And for good reason.

If the number of one-hour dramas produced by a nation is some sort of benchmark for the overall health of a domestic TV industry, then 2006 stands to be a hale and hearty year in Canada.

The National Film Board took the opportunity of Hot Docs to announce a pair of international initiatives, including a new prize at the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to animated shorts pioneer Norman McLaren.

Canada’s place as a producer of feature film documentaries dominated talk at the second annual Doc Policy Summit, held April 25 in Toronto in conjunction with Hot Docs.

Telefilm Canada is circulating a draft proposal addressing the governance and administration of Canadian TV funding that it hopes will be adopted in the coming weeks by the Department of Canadian Heritage.