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CBC delays Canadian One
Following the dismal debut of its ABC simulcast of The One, CBC has announced that a Canadian version of the reality singing contest, originally slated to launch late this year, will not make it to air at least until early 2007, if at all.
CanWest, Rogers launch bbTV
CanWest MediaWorks and Rogers Wireless have found a way to play ‘near TV quality’ video on BlackBerrys, and on Aug. 8 launched a service they call bbTV with a selection of sports, news and other clips.
Five-month hunt yields no buyer for Imax
Shares in Imax Corp. took a major hit following news on Aug. 9 that a five-month auction process failed to unearth a buyer willing to meet the company’s price.
Roberto Ariganello 1961-2006
Toronto filmmaker Roberto Ariganello, the long-serving exec director of the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, drowned in a swimming accident in a remote pond near Halifax on Aug. 13.
Briefs
New award at TIFF
Man of the Hour
David Carradine stars in the crime thriller Last Hour, a France/Hong Kong copro playing next month’s Rebelfest, the international indie film festival, Sept. 6-10 in Toronto. Rapper DMX and Paul Sorvino also star. More information about the festival is available at www.rebelfest.com
PitchFest returns
The Great Canadian PitchFest has found a new home at the equally new FTX West Film & Television Expo, a four-day trade show and conference set to debut Oct. 12 in Vancouver.
Sold!
* CBC’s sales wing has presold its The Secret History of 9/11 (2 x 60) in four territories – closing deals with France’s TF1 Histoire, SBS in Australia, A&E Ole Networks in Latin America and Ireland’s RTE.
CFC pilots nearing completion
Almost two years after its conception, a new program at the Canadian Film Centre is on schedule to deliver two potential new series to networks by September.
People
* Chris McGinley has been promoted to SVP of station operations for CanWest MediaWorks, overseeing all of its broadcast entities, including Global Television and CH. McGinley was previously VP of CanWest’s Western region TV assets.
Summer series report card
Summer series report card
Letters
Can’t make an omelet…
Playback readership poll results
Stop before you start, say Playback readers. In a recent online Playback poll asking ‘Should CBC go forward with a Canadian version of cancelled reality show The One?’, 87% of respondents voted No, while 13% voted Yes.
Corrections
Tom McCamus plays Phil Lancaster, Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire’s military assistant in Rwanda, in the feature Shake Hands with the Devil. The actor’s name was misspelled in the Aug. 7 issue.
Incendo makes a Kill
Incendo Productions has wrapped its third MOW of the summer and is closing in on a fourth. The busy production house earlier this month finished the thriller Legacy of Fear – with Teri Polo (Meet the Parents) as a detective on the trail of a serial killer – and on Aug. 28 is scheduled to start Abducted, again shooting in Montreal.
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