After more than five years with CanWest Global, Kevin Shea has resigned as president of Global Television Network.
‘I felt by and large that the objectives I set for myself at CanWest Global had been met, like fixing the news, helping it become a national network and getting the specialties out,’ says Shea, who ‘absolutely’ plans to stay within the industry, but for now is planning to enjoy a three- or four-month hiatus.
While Global staff was surprised by last month’s announcement, Shea says he spoke to the Aspers a year ago about his plans to leave once the WIC deal was complete and Hamilton, ON station CH Television was launched.

The federal government has renewed the Canadian Television Fund, signing over $100 million for a one-year period only, for fiscal 2001/02. Because Finance Minister Paul Martin declined to bring down a budget for the year beginning April 1, all federally funded programs which were due to expire this month have been renewed for one year, pending word on the Liberals’ budget priorities.
All of which means that the CTF ‘renewal coalition’ – including representatives from private and public broadcasters, cablers, English and French production companies, documentary producers and the lobby for distributors – is still in place pushing for a long-term commitment to the fund.

How come every trend these days begins with the prefix inter? With the undeniable shift towards Internet advertising and the increasing importance of international business to keep Canadian spot-makers viable, before long this industry is going to need Interpol to take…

February blahs: Thank Johnny Walker February is over. This industry looks as terrible in February as you do. As gray as the sky and as cold and slushy as the sickening feeling I get every morning when I remember I’m going…

Montreal: Technicolor has started construction on a state-of-the-art $45-million motion picture release plant in suburban Mirabel.
The new facility will employ up to 275 skilled technicians and managers and supply prints to the North American and international markets, competing head to head with Rank’s Toronto subsidiary, Deluxe Laboratories.

The CRTC no longer requires Canadian producers to contribute at least 65% of the financing for an official coproduction in order to access funding from certified independent production funds.
‘The [65%] rule may have created a disincentive for producers using the independent production funds,’ says Jean-Pierre Blais, CRTC executive director, broadcasting. ‘We’re getting in line with the CTF and Telefilm rules.’

Who’s gone where? From where? And when? As the Revolving Doors spin, we put the spotlight on spot-makers on-the-move….

Shots & Chasers tracks who shot what during the previous month. Production companies are invited to fax information for this column as frequently as possible to Dave Lazar or Dustin Dinoff at (416) 408-0870. The next deadline for submissions is Wednesday,…

Montreal: Maelstrom, Denis Villeneuve’s internationally acclaimed story of redemption, swept this year’s Prix Jutra awards, winning in all eight categories for which it received a nomination. …

Chum Television has bought exclusive English Canada television, post pay-TV rights to 42 independent films from Blackwatch Releasing….

Toronto’s Optix Digital Post and FX has been catching the eye of commercial and long-form producers alike with its new Sony 24P HD camera and Jaleo HD system. The timely sprint into high-definition is something Optix had flirted with for some time.
‘It’s a cool machine,’ says owner George Levai of the new Jaleo. ‘Right now there are only three HD finishing solutions in town, two of them being tape-based, linear-based. Our solution is nonlinear based. It runs on the Onyx, with multiple processors, and has almost terabyte (of storage space) because the data is huge with HD.’

Los Angeles: An overwhelming atmosphere of caution permeated this year’s American Film Market, held Feb. 21-28 in L.A., with sellers reporting that buyers were being very prudent about their purchases. …