Just days after the crtc approved the notorious wic split deal that gave Shaw Communications an increased majority interest in Cancom, the cabler has announced that it intends to take the satellite company private by buying up all its remaining common…

The ytv series YAA! to the m@x is produced by Joanne Jackson, not the YTV Achievement Awards as was incorrectly reported in the July 10 issue of Playback….

For an increasing number of Canadian documentary crews, crossing the u.s. border to get their stories will continue to be a game of roulette – at least in the near future – until diplomacy and veiled threats work their political magic….

Vancouver: Year-end results for Lions Gate Entertainment of Vancouver show a 129% increase in revenue and the continued draining effects of Mandalay Pictures, its feature film production division….

in unveiling bce’s application to takeover ctv for $2.32 billion, the crtc has revealed details on the supporting $230 million benefits package, the largest one in Canadian broadcast history….

the cbc has created a new property management division as a response to recommendations made by the Corp.’s Re-engineering Task Force….

Entertainment professionals may get it best, the idea that when someone describes ‘the stuff of legend,’ the ‘stuff’ ain’t necessarily connected to reality. For instance, the legend of Al Capone owes very little to the fine points of tax law, except…

Re: Richard Stursberg’s remarks at Banff about the ctf and Playback’s piece of 26 June: Only in Canada would a personal appeal from a media industry leader for coherence and co-ordination in our sector be viewed as controversial….

This year’s Ottawa International Animation Festival, running Sept. 19 to 24, plays host to a bevy of Canadian properties, most notably in the category of Independent Short Films, in which nine out of 23 independent works under 50 minutes are Canadian….

* Brunico Communications’ executive vp/publishing director Ken Faier has left the company after 11 years to join Alliance Atlantis Communications’ kids division as vp of distribution. Brunico is the publisher of Playback, KidScreen, RealScreen, Boards and Strategy….

To date, the Toronto office has given development commitments to 14 projects. Five development apps have been rejected and another 14 are still under consideration. By the end of last year, the office had received 50 complete development apps, out of…

With the exception of offering financing to its first feature comedy, committing to one film without a director and showing preference to first-time filmmakers, Telefilm Canada’s Toronto office is showing next to no signs of anything extraordinary in its commitments to…