When CHUM acquired Citytv in 1978, the company’s only goal was to get into local television programming. How things have changed. In 2004, a fair chunk of CHUM’s $560 million in revenue came through international format licences and program sales to more than 120 countries worldwide, through its CHUM Television International division.

Vancouver: Back in March, Justice David Tysoe of the B.C. Supreme Court published a series of five recommendations designed to make B.C. labor more producer-friendly – especially for the province’s U.S, customers. The report was specifically critical of IATSE Local 891 and Teamsters Local 155 for the large backlog of grievances and seniority rules that limited hiring.

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CHUM credits the late Brian Linehan with having ‘helped put Citytv on the map.’ The TV host from Hamilton, ON, made his mark as a movie interviewer on fledgling Citytv Toronto’s City Lights in 1973. He gained fame by landing interviews with top Hollywood celebrities and then surprising them with the extent of his research.

Director and CEO, Toronto International Film Festival Group

CHUM Television’s approach to news and information programming might have an off-the-cuff flavor, but don’t for a second believe that its on-air personalities are any less professional than their more traditional competitors. A perfect example is John ‘the host formerly known as J.D.’ Roberts, a longtime staffer on CHUM radio and TV who is now CBS News’ chief White House correspondent, a gig Dan Rather also occupied before becoming anchor. In fact, Roberts is in the running to occupy the coveted anchor desk to be vacated by Rather in March.

Maria Topalovich is the president and CEO of the Academy

On Dec. 1, Ontario’s film and television community will descend on Queen’s Park for a rally intended to push Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Finance Minister Greg Sorbara to follow through with a much-needed tax-credit increase, something the Liberal government promised during its election campaign more than a year ago.
Even with unions such as the Directors Guild of Canada, ACTRA, NABET and IATSE, as well as major players including Paul Bronfman’s Comweb companies behind them, the production community’s voices may go unheeded.

It is surprising to watch CBC’s The Greatest Canadian and find Toronto-born filmmaker Norman Jewison absent among the top 100 finalists.

George W. Bush isn’t the only U.S. president headed for Canada. His fictional counterpart Jed Bartlet is also coming north and he’s bringing the cast and crew of NBC’s The West Wing with him for a two-episode, 12-day shoot in southern Ontario, Playback has learned.
The NBC political drama will shoot in Dundas, a small town outside Hamilton, Dec 4-16, according to union sources who closed the deal earlier this month.

Companies and unions across Canada are starting to offer lower rates when dealing with U.S. customers in order to offset the ill effects of the surging loonie which, now trading at well above the US$0.80 mark, is threatening to drive service shoots out of the country.
Lions Gate Studios in B.C. has dropped its rates by some 10% and is now negotiating on a show-by-show basis, according to president Peter Leitch.

The Canadian Television Fund’s switch to Broadcaster Performance Envelopes as a way to dole out production funding has been very good for Montreal producer Joceyln Deschenes.
The president of Sphere Media Plus has four productions listed in the Nov. 4 updated roster of productions greenlit through the new CTF funding system now eight months old, and that’s only 66% of the titles on his estimated $30-million slate of production for 2004, his biggest year so far.

Montreal: Heritage Minister Liza Frulla left many in Montreal’s film community scratching their heads on Nov. 9, after her first major speech addressing issues surrounding the national film and TV business. Frulla praised Canada’s creativity while also confirming that three national film and TV funding bodies, Telefilm Canada, the CBC and the National Film Board, had been asked to look for ways to trim 5% of their overall budgets.

Montreal-based distributor Cinema Libre officially closed its doors on Nov. 15. The not-for-profit organization, formed 25 years ago to provide a distribution option for documentary, short and independent filmmakers, had more than 1,000 titles in its library, the rights to which have been returned to the filmmakers.

Lincoln report retabled