With a much-anticipated September launch of roughly 40 new digital services, including 16 mandatory ones, broadcasters and distributors are in the final stretch of carriage negotiations for second-tier digital channels, and there’s still little word on who’s picking up what.
‘It’s a very complicated negotiation process, more so than ever before,’ says Janet Yale, president and CEO of the Canadian Cable Television Association. ‘[Distributors are trying] to work out a lot of many parts (sic), all at the same time.’

Montreal: Quebec’s French-language directors association wants significant changes to the Canada Feature Film Fund, saying directors and screenwriters deserve a share of the new fund’s reserved or performance envelope.
Roger Cantin, president of the 340-member Association des Realisateurs et Realisatrices du Quebec, says the CFFF performance guidelines deny the reality ‘films are made by a team. We’ve been saying this for years, ‘The team is the producer, screenwriter and the director.’ And now all of a sudden there are important benefits which can be used to start new productions, and they are only being given to the producer and distributor. So all the creative [elements] which work to renew our cinema’s originality are set aside.’

Vancouver: On July 3, the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for a new three-year contract.
The previous contract expired on June 30 and the 135,000 members will vote to ratify the contract offering through a secret ballot mail referendum as soon as it can be arranged.
In the meantime, actors can continue to work and audition under the terms of the tentative agreement.

Former Maxx Productions executive producer Lisa Whittall has joined Toronto music video production house Oz Media to spearhead its new commercial production division.
Whittall, Oz’s VP, managing director, joins Trisha McKell, president/executive producer.
Oz has also teamed with neighbor Oasis Pictures, a film and TV producer/distributor, to create the Oz Media Group of Companies, which includes Oz’s music video and commercial divisions as well as Oz TV & Feature, a new division specializing in film and television production.

The dark cloud that’s been hovering over Sportsnet throughout the last year will soon be parting as appointed trustee Scott Colbran has finally put out an offer to sell CTV’s 40% interest in the channel.
All three remaining shareholders – Rogers Broadcasting, Molson and Fox Sports Net Canada Holdings – have an equal stab at the channel, but Rogers, which has been vying for the sports specialty ever since CTV was mandated to divest of it last year, has greater leverage now that the CRTC has lifted its restriction on cable ownership of discretionary services.

Montreal: Following the examination period set up for potential buyers to peruse the highly confidential ‘book’ on Cinar Corp.’s financial status, management, board and the company’s strategic advisor Merrill Lynch & Co. have moved into a second phase, anticipating a wide range of diverse bids and offers on the company’s assets.
Word on the street has it many major Canadian and multinational entertainment companies are among the potential buyers.
It is now clear the 24-year-old company will emerge with a new strategic partner, but in what form, if any, and with what future remains unknown.

Established commercial directors are the subject of this regular feature. Each issue we will profile their careers, accomplishments and the ideas that propel them to new advertising heights….

When U.S. commercial production company hungry man announced this spring it was setting up shop in Toronto under the name frozen man – repping its stellar talent roster without the benefit of a Canadian representation middleman – a chill went through the local market.
Many believe frozen man represents a threat to Toronto spot shops, which have a difficult enough time competing against one another. Others, however, say the frozen men have a long, difficult road ahead of them. But all agree the ever-increasing competition in the Toronto market will continue to keep things very interesting around these parts for the foreseeable future.

Ever wonder why the standard commercial media format is still the 3/4-inch tape? You’re not alone. Effectively, 3/4-inch technology has been defunct since the mid-eighties.
The last 3/4-inch deck made by Sony Canada was shipped two years ago, and the technology only held on that long due to industry demand.
Calvin Judges, marketing manager for broadcast systems at Sony Canada, confirms ‘[the 3/4] has gone through a couple of discontinuation announcements. There was all sorts of crying and we said, ‘We’ll extend it this amount.’ ‘

At press time, Big Film Company producer Dave Greenham confirmed longtime Big director/cinematographer Derek Vanlint has left to form a new company in association with DKP Effects. The new shop will reportedly be called Hello Love. …

Last year at the Cannes Advertising Awards, Canada scored a Gold Lion and five Bronzes. It was a banner year for the biz in our country. This year, Canada left the Cannes awards, held June 20-23, with three Lions. Ammirati Puris…

Adbeast, a digital media-based common operating platform for the advertising industry, had its ‘coming out party’ at the recent Bessie Awards in Toronto….