CBC has cancelled three underperforming series, bringing an end to Da Vinci’s City Hall, Gemini winner This Is Wonderland and hockey mock-doc The Tournament, leaving the pubcaster with no Canadian drama series on its primetime schedule.

The CRTC has announced targets around its broadcaster incentive program, challenging private English-language casters to invest more in indigenous production. The regulator is already offering bonus advertising time as a reward for doing so, but some industry reps say targets and bonuses are not enough.

The Ontario tax credit for foreign production will remain at 18% for at least another year, but hopes that the province would return to direct funding of film and TV projects went unanswered following an announcement by Culture Minister Madeleine Meilleur.

Bev Oda is popular with the TV industry, with many viewing her as one of their own – a former broadcaster who knows the industry’s DNA.
But how the newly minted federal heritage minister will fare in the Conservative cabinet, across the table from the new ministers of industry – Maxime Bernier – and finance – Jim Flaherty (Ontario’s tight-fisted finance minister in 2001/02) – remains an open question.

The Liberals might be out of office, but they leave an impressive legacy regarding the growth of the Canadian film industry, as Canuck flicks met a five-year goal to claim 5% of the domestic box office in 2005.

Montreal: After months of speculation, the rumors have proven true. The famously troubled New Montreal FilmFest, the inaugural edition of which was held just five months ago, is now history.

Actor Michael Miranda (above) is nominated for his role in the CTV MOW Lives of the Saints at the 2006 ACTRA Awards in Toronto. Miranda will be vying for the outstanding male performance prize with Shawn Ashmore (The Terry Fox Story), Tom McCamus (Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story), Joe Pingue (the short Leo) and Dov Tiefenbach (The Dark Hours). Meanwhile, the female heat consists of Paula Boudreau (The Tournament), Wendy Crewson (The Man Who Lost Himself), Megan Follows (Shania: A Life in Eight Albums), Victoria Snow (Waking Up Wally) and Samantha Weinstein (Big Girl).

The multi-generational Quebecois drama, Histoire de famille, has taken over as box office leader from Les Boys IV and Maurice Richard, which had shared the podium for almost two months.

CBC’s early coverage of the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy has generated some big numbers since the Feb. 10 opening ceremonies.

Deborah Bernstein is exiting her post as exec director of arts and entertainment at CBC, just as former Alliance Atlantis Communications exec Kirstine Layfield steps in as the net’s new top programmer.

The Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association is closing its doors after 50 years, saying that it can no longer keep up with the many telephone, Internet and wireless issues that have come to dominate the industry.

Montreal: Two Quebec box-office champs, C.R.A.Z.Y. and Maurice Richard, lead the nominations going into the eighth annual Prix Jutra. Each film garnered 14 nominations and will compete head-to-head at the Quebec film awards for best picture, best direction, best script and best actor.