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The article reports about the efforts made by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to stop indecency in Canadian films and television shows. Information is given that CRTC has decided to impose fines for broadcast indecency. Also under consideration in the Canadian Parliament is Bill C-10, which seeks to censor domestic films and TV shows through tax policies.

The article reports that the Canadian government has proposed amendments to the federal Income Tax Act that could deny tax credits to film and television productions considered offensive by a committee of bureaucrats. It is stated that the censorship plan outlined in Bill C-10, which is before the Parliament for amendment, would enable the federal heritage minister to reject federal financing for film or TV productions deemed contrary to public policy.

The article reports that Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, refused to allow NBC Universal Inc.'s bid to make its USA Network channel available in Canada. While Canada's TV regulator conceded that virtually all of USA Network's shows, including "Monk" and "The 4400," already air in Canada, it concluded that most Canadian broadcasters with domestic rights to those would not be disadvantaged by allowing the cable channel into the country.

The article reports on the possible effect on the implementation of anti-camcording law in Canada. The law, which aims to eliminate international digital videos (DVDs) piracy, created threats that other countries such as Great Britain could be the next target of DVD piracy. Such threat was disclosed by Douglas Frith, president of the Canadian Distributors Association wherein he said that pirated DVDs producers will move their jurisdictions to get a better and easier film copy.

The article reports that Canadian broadcasters are set to battle for domestic advertising dollars at competing upfront extravaganzas in the coming weeks. The Canadians did their buying on the fly at the 2007 Los Angeles Screenings before finalizing their 2007-08 grids. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. will be the first Canadian broadcaster to host a party for buyers, making their pitch with industry leaders CTV, CanWest MediaWorks Inc. and Chum.

The article focuses on issues related to the decision of Fox Broadcasting Co. to cancel the courtroom drama "Justice." The program, which stars Canada's Victor Garber, was evidently doing far better with Canadian viewers than with those in the U.S., where the courtroom drama averaged 5.9 million viewers among adults 18-49.

The article states that the Toronto International Film Festival started with the kickoff gala screening of "The Journals of Kund Rasmussen," an Inuktitui- and Danish-language drama about Canada's Inuit people being stripped of their traditions by Christianity. Norman Cohn, one of the two directors of the drama, said that the voice of Canada's Inuit people speaking to an audience of the country's most powerful and privileged is clearly a historic moment in Canada's history.

The article reports that Martin Scorsese's 2005 documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" was the big winner at the 27th Banff Rockie Awards on Monday night. The movie took home the grand prize and the arts documentary prize at the Banff World Television Festival. Scorsese's Dylan chronicle was chosen by an international jury led by chair Loren Mawhinney, a Canadian producer. For the second straight year, British producers grabbed the hulk of trophies, beating out U.S. producers during their traditional Banff Rockie award shootout.

The article reports that Canadian musicians came out against the major record labels' urging of the U.S. style copyright laws in Canada to halt music piracy. Steve Page, lead singer of Bare-naked Ladies and co-founder of the Canadian Music Creators Coalition, told a Toronto news conference that using DVD locks and peer-to-peer lawsuits to halt music file sharing online only angers fans. The Canadian artists argued that their future lay less in the sale of music in record stores than it did in sharing their music online to foster performance careers and merchandise sales.

The article states that Jean-Marc Vallee's Quebec-made film "C.R.A.Z.Y.," grabbed trophies for 10 of its 12 Genie nominations as it dominated Canada's film awards. The French-language, gay-themed coming-of-age drama centering on a Quebec Catholic family with five sons took Genies for best film, director and original screenplay for Vallee, actor for Michel Cote and supporting actress for Danielle Proulx. "C.R.A.Z.Y.," also won a host of craft awards, including best art direction, costume design and sound editing as well as earning the Golden Reel award as the highest-grossing Canadian movie at the domestic boxoffice in 2005.

This article reports that Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) on August 15, 2005 locked out about 5,500 unionized employees and scaled back its radio and television programming as the public broadcaster's biggest-ever work stoppage got under way. The main network of CBC relied on reruns, and 24-hour cable news channel CBC Newsworld went to documentary fare and BBC World newscasts as an indefinite management lockout went into effect at 12:01 a.m. CBC executive vice president Richard Stursberg told reporters during a morning conference call that eleventh-hour bargaining talks during the weekend fell apart over the number of workers CBC management can hire under a temporary contract as opposed to establishing permanent positions.

The article reports that Canadian Television Network's "Corner Gas," is the highest-rated sitcom on primetime schedules. "Corner Gas" last week drew its largest audience ever, 1.9 million Canadians. The homegrown comedy about the goings-on in the fictional Saskatchewan town of Dog River was 16th among the top 20-primetime shows on Canadian TV. "Corner Gas," stars veteran stand-up comic Brent Butt and an ensemble cast of veteran Canadian actors. The success of "Corner Gas" allows Canadian broadcasters to follow their European counterparts and insist they don't have to rely entirely on American shows.

This article reports that retooling their 2005 primetime schedules for much-needed ratings, Canadian private broadcasters will be steaming up TV sets in a bid to entice viewers with racy homegrown dramas. Pay TV channel the Movie Network, for instance, is sexing up its winter schedule with "G-Spot," a dramedy about a Canadian actress facing hurdles and heartache in Hollywood that was written by and stars Brigitte Bako, Showtime's "Red Shoe Diaries" headliner. Los Angeles-based Bako, a Montreal native, insists she wants to do more Canadian TV if her Hollywood confessional series takes off north of the border.

This article discusses the popularity of the U.S. television programs in Canada. Despite rigorous efforts by the Canadian government to stimulate local television programming, including drama, the reality is the only competition for the U.S. shows on Canadian television this fall remains other shows from the U.S. The big numbers for Canadian broadcasters, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, are coming from the U.S. scripted dramas. The numbers represent a notable reversal of fortune for scripted fare, which was mostly supplanted last season by reality shows.

Canadian filmmaker Kalsang Dolma's documentary about her ancestral Tibet, China has generated political intrigue and a media storm ahead of its world premiere in Toronto tonight. Having promised Tibetans appearing in her film that their identity would remain a secret, she is haunted by the prospect that she has exposed them to danger and possible arrest if their anonymity is broken. To ensure that no digital recording equipment is present tonight that might help identify Tibetans in the film, the National Film Board of Canada has hired security guards waving metal detector wands to check bags and purses at the entrance of the Bloor Cinema, and observers will be planted in the audience or will walk up and down the theater aisles with night vision thermal goggles to detect the heat signature of any recording devices.

Canadian cablecasters are expected to continue to dominate rival phone giants in the battle to supply customers with digital TV, high-speed Internet access and telephone services, a Canadian consultancy said on Monday. Toronto based Convergence Consulting Group Ltd., releasing a report titled "The Battle for the North American Couch Potato," said Canadian cablecasters shortly will introduce "triple-threat" packages of digital cable, Internet and phone services that will increase their current competitive advantage over rival phone companies.

Hollywood power broker Lew Wasserman will be the subject of a feature-length documentary by veteran Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich. Toronto-based Avrich will write and direct "The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman," which is said will be a sympathetic portrait of a king-maker in a bygone age. Toronto, Ontario-based ThinkFilm will distribute the Wasserman biopic in the U.S. market, likely on a limited release in Los Angeles, California and New York, before the documentary migrates to the small screen.

Canadian movie distributor Equinoxe Films said Monday that it has acquired Canadian rights to Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" for an Ash Wednesday debut in tandem with its upcoming U.S. release. Montreal-based Equinoxe snagged Canadian rights in all media to the Icon Productions Inc. film, which depicts the last hours of Jesus Christ's life. The independent Canadian art house film distributor will release the picture February 25, day-and-date with the film's U.S. rollout of the Biblical epic. Last year, Icon acquired from Equinoxe the British and Australian rights to the Canadian romantic comedy "Mambo Italiano."

Four years after streaming the Super Bowl on the Internet without the NFL's permission, Bill Craig on Monday returned to the Canadian airwaves by acquiring PrideVision TV, a struggling gay-themed specialty channel. Pending regulatory approval, Craig will acquire PrideVision from Canadian broadcaster Headline Media Group Inc. for CANS2.6 million, a price tag that includes taking on about CANS 1.1 million in debt. In December 1999, the Canadian TV veteran created shockwaves in the North American broadcast sector by launching iCravcTV.com, a Canadian webcast that streamed 17 Canadian and U.S. broadcast TV station signals online, uncut and uninterrupted, and without the permission of program rights-holders.

A Canadian film and TV industry facing an uncertain future is looking to incoming Prime Minister Paul Martin to lead them out of their troubles and into better times. Martin, who will succeed Jean Chretien on Friday, has anxious Canadian media players panting for more public money to continue the making and selling of film and TV product at home and abroad in bleak times. Behind the predictable plaudits for Martin lies the serious goals of reviving a faltering film and TV industry and promoting Canada as a location for foreign, mostly U.S. runaway, shoots.

The Canadian government on Monday unveiled an overhaul of the Canadian Television Fund (CTF), the main source of public subsidies for domestic independent' IV producers. The guideline changes, which follow a bureaucratic breakdown of the CTF last spring, call for more focus on bringing Canadian TV audiences to original English language programming and in particular homegrown dramas. The biggest change to the CTF is folding its twin funding programs, the License Fee Program and the Equity Investment Program, into one application process that aims at greater clarity and predictability. Since that time, the bureaucratic nature of the CTF has led to a series of financial crises for independent producers, prompting the latest restructuring.

MDP World-wide Entertainment Inc. said that it would hold a special shareholders meeting in Los Angeles, California, to authorize a proposed name change and reverse stock split. Mark Damon's Montreal, Quebec-based MDP Worldwide said it wanted a corporate name change to M8 Entertainment Inc. to reflect a shift from being an international film sales company to focusing on financing and producing films with international partners. Also, MDP Worldwide proposes consolidating all outstanding class A multiple voting shares, class B subordinate voting shares and class C preferred shares. The move comes in the wake of MDP Worldwide in the past year receiving equity injections from Michael Jackson and his film-producing partner Raju Patel, as well as a consortium led by property developers Cheng Kar-Shun and Sammy Lee taking a 62% controlling stake in the film producer.

Producers of a feature documentary highly critical of modern corporations were trying to influence Hollywood in Los Angeles, California's biggest corporations at the Toronto International Film Festival in a bid to snag U.S. distribution for their project. Cinetic Media's Micah Green arranged a private screening of the film "The Corporation" in Toronto, Ontario for such major film buyers as Fox Searchlight, Fine Line Inc., Miramax, Paramount and Sony Pictures Classics. Among others at the private screening were two publicists for Fox, who said they were keen to see the contribution in "The Corporation" from former Fox reporters Jane Akre and Steve Wilson. "The Corporation" is based on Joel Bakan's upcoming book "The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power," to be published by Simon and Schuster in March for the U.S. market.

Canadian satellite giant Bell ExpressVu LP said Monday that it is accelerating its fight against U.S. television (TV) signal theft by deactivating satellite receivers using illegal decoding software. The alleged illegal users either set up U.S. mailing addresses while receiving the U.S. TV signals in Canada, or acquire decoders or smart cards that allow them to snag U.S. satellite signals without paying for them. Bell ExpressVu said it will transmit a signal from its own satellites that aims at disabling receivers with illegal reception cards. Under existing Canadian law, it is illegal to grab U.S. satellite signals not authorized for carriage in Canada.

The local version of music video channel MTV2, a partnership between Canadian broadcaster Craig Broadcast Systems Inc. and Viacom Inc., is negotiating again with Canada's TV watchdog over how to define a "pop music" video channel. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has given industry players until August 29 to comment on an application by Calgary-based Craig to amend the license of MTV2, a digital music video channel. Craig last year clashed with the CRTC when the regulator ruled that MTV2 should stop competing directly with another Canadian music video channel, MuchMusic, by going beyond its original niche "pop genre" when choosing music video content. Wayne Sterloff, vice president at Craig's specialty TV arm Craig Specialty Networks, said Monday that the CRTC was too restrictive in ordering that 95% of music video clips airing on MTV2 should be by artists on only two charts.

Canada's television watchdog said Monday that it is considering holding public hearings later this year on increasing the number of Canadian dramas on primetime schedules, a regulatory move that has implications for the current volume of U.S. network series airing on primetime schedules in Canada. These public hearings would be held against the backdrop of private Canadian broadcasters in recent years replacing canceled dramas mostly with cheaper fare like documentaries and reality series to fulfill domestic content quotas and importing more lucrative U.S. network dramas and comedies to drive advertising revenue. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission spokesman Denis Carmel said public hearings would become a likely option if the regulator was not satisfied by forthcoming written responses from private broadcasters to two recent reports on the Canadian television industry.

Canadian broadcasters went back from the Los Angeles Screenings in California, with several U.S. shows to complete their TV schedules. The Winnipeg, Manitoba-based broadcaster CanWest Global Communications Corp., which operates two parallel TV networks in Canada, also picked up Universal Network TV's "Karen Sisco" for the 10 p.m. time schedule. Thursdays will see Can West and rival company CTV Inc. continue to share NBC's popular Thursday night programs. For Friday nights, CanWest Global picked up 20th Century Fox Television Inc.'s "Miss Match," the Alicia Silverstone-starring drama about a divorce attorney with an interest for matchmaking.

Canadian broadcasters, who are exploring new U.S. network shows at the Los Angeles Screenings in California, have expressed surprise at an unexpected dearth of reality programming. Reality series have done well for Canadian broadcasters, which is evident in success of programs like 'Survivor,' 'Fear Factor,' 'The Bachelorette' and 'American Idol.' But despite their expectations, the Canadians, along with other international buyers, welcomed strong studio offerings of quality situational comedies. The Canadians, along with about 800 program buyers from around the world, participated in an annual event in Los Angeles, where the studios showcase their latest network television programs. Comedy programs also attracted the attention of Richard Sattler, who represents a number of European stations.

The take-up of new digital channels is slowing down in Canada, according to a report that found cable and satellite digital TV providers recruited far fewer subscribers between August and December than during the same period in 2001. Broadcasters who gathered at an investors conference in Toronto predicted that advertising revenue for the new digital channels will grow substantially when penetration reaches about 5 million domestic homes, likely in 2005. Decima also confirmed that Canada's two direct-broadcast satellite services, Bell ExpressVu LLP and Star Choice Communications Inc., continue to dominate the Canadian digital TV market.

Canadian independent producers are set to gather today in Toronto to protest the Canadian Television Fund's (CTF) rejection of a record 644570360f applications for TV program subsidies because of reduced government support. The CTF, the main source of subsidies for independent producers seeking to get their TV series on primetime schedules here, said Monday that its license-fee program would subsidize 73 homegrown productions to the tune of CAN$ 75 million during the 2003 TV season. Among those expected to gather today are producers, writers, directors, broadcasters and actors from TV series that were turned down by the CTF on Monday, including 'The Red Green Show.' The license-fee program typically underwrites about 2060276430f a production's budget.

The Coalition of Canadian Audio-visual Unions urged the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission to hold public hearings in 2003 on how to boost investment and promotion for homegrown television dramas and called on the government and private broadcasters to increase their investment in such fare. On the demand side, the coalition urged private broadcasters to do more to promote the homegrown dramas aired and to replace American-style "Canadian-content" dramas that satisfy regulatory requirements and are destined for foreign sale with dramas of more interest to domestic audiences.

Reports that Canadian exhibitor of motion pictures Imax Corp. has deals for three theaters in Beijing and Dongguan in China. Number of theaters to be developed by the company in China by 2005; Location of the theaters in the two cities; Factors that have favored Imax in developing theaters in China.

Reports on the announcement by troubled Canadian production company Cinar Corp. regarding the resignation of its chief executive officer and president Barrie Usher from his post earlier than expected. History of Usher's association with Cinar; Reason for the change in scheduled date of retirement; Appointment of senior vice president and chief financial officer George Rossi as interim president and chief executive officer.

The article reports that Canadian broadcasters CTV and CanWest Media have demanded compensation by cable and satellite television services for their signals. CTV and CanWest asked that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) order cable operators to pay an average CAN$2.40 a month per subscriber for carriage of conventional broadcast signals. Cable operators have opposed fee-for-carriage proposal as consumers already receive conventional signals for free.

The article reports that Canadian architects launched an eleventh-hour bid on March 22, 2008, to stop plans to redevelop a major film studio on Toronto, Ontario's waterfront into a big box site anchored by a Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Critics contend that the loss of the Toronto Films Studios will further complicate a chronic shortage of quality sound stages in Toronto. Among those who are opposing the idea are architects Daniel Libeskind, Jack Diamond, and Ken Greenberg.

The article presents information on the efforts of foreign equity firms to acquire Canadian media assets in the wake of the debates over foreign ownership restriction laws in Canada. Several firms have acquired stakes of various Canadian media firms including Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. by Goldman Sachs & Co. in partnership with CanWest Global Communications Corp. It is reported to be the first time the nation is allowing foreign control over its media assets.

The article focuses on the business plans of Canadian free-to-air network Global Television. Global announced that it will cut about 200 jobs by creating four broadcast centers to serve local television stations countrywide. As stated, Global will concentrate high definition and digital production in Toronto, Ontario, Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Global said the four facilities will develop and feed content to local television stations countrywide.

The article offers information on the disruption of the negotiation talks between the officials from China and Canada for the co-production treaty for television series for China. It is mentioned that the negotiations stalled after Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper upset the diplomats from China by criticizing China's human rights record. The diplomatic tension underlines how, as much as political power and patronage can open doors to television production in China and Canada alike.

The article reports that Goldman Sachs & Co. has proposed a low-ball takeover price to buy Movie Distribution Income Fund's minority stake in Canadian movie distributor Motion Picture Distribution Lp (MPD). The Income Fund said that the offer received from Goldman in writing "may be less than tile price" already agreed for the 51% interest in MPD. The publicly traded income fund has a 49% minority stake in MPD, the largest independent movie distributor in Canada.

The article presents information on the financial performance of Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. The continuing strength of its "CSI" franchise helped Canadian broadcaster Alliance Atlantis Communications swing back to a profit in the first quarter. Toronto-based Alliance Atlantis, which co-produces three "CSI" series with Viacom Inc.'s CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS), posted earnings of CAN$23.2 million on Monday, compared with a loss of CAN$2 million in the year-ago period. Alliance secures the rest of its "CSI" related revenue mainly from bonus payments from CBS and syndication revenue.

The article reports on the motion pictures that will be showcased at the Whistler Film Festival in Toronto. Director Randy Bradshaw's drama "Crazy Canucks," which is about the kamikaze-like Canadian men's downhill ski team of the 1970s, will open the show. Festival organizers said that the festival will feature world premieres for three documentaries: Jill Sharpe's "Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche"; Geoff Browne's "Call It Karma," a portrait of a young Tibetan Monk; and Stan Feingold's "Prisoners of Age," which offers New York photographer Ron Levine's take on geriatric prisoners.

The article reports that as the bucking chute door opens, a dagger-horned bull snarls, kicks and spins to launch television personality Robert Bowers off his back as the pro rodeo rider hangs on for dear life. At least that's what Anna Stambolic, director of Outdoor life Network Canada, has in mind for her traditionally fishing-and-hunting-themed specialty channel. After earning its best TV ratings ever with its Tour de France coverage in July, Toronto-based OLN Canada is now packaging the dust, sweat and testosterone of elite rodeo as Canada's next potential mainstream breakout sport.

Canadian broadcaster Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. declared that it swung back to a profit during its second quarter on the strength of its "CSI" franchise, with the Canadian theatrical distribution of actor and director Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" also making an early contribution. Management also suggested that its output deal with Miramax is unlikely to face much disruption amid uncertainty about the mini-maior's future within parent the Walt Disney Co. Alliance Atlantis will begin collecting lucrative bonus ratings payments from CBS for "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" beginning in the current third quarter.

Despite lower revenue, Canadian giant screen exhibitor Max Corp. posted an improved second quarter profit of $1.5 million, compared with year earlier earnings of $969,000. The company also confirmed two theater deals, a six theater commitment from National Amusements with the option to purchase 12 additional systems and a two theater deal with Cinemark USA. Revenue for the quarter fell 8.1 percent year-over-year to $31.7 million. Theater systems revenue came in at $20.5 million, down from $22.1 million. At the half year point, Imax Corp. has signed contracts for 19 theater systems and the company projects 30 to 35 signings for fiscal 2004.

Native Canadian tales are striking a chord with audiences as young aboriginal filmmakers turn the video camera on themselves and their indigenous cultures. Financing began pouring in to native Canadian filmmaking after Zacharias Kunuk in 2001 earned awards at Cannes and the Genies, Canada's film awards, and became Canada's foreign-language Oscar contender with "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner," an Inuit-language film based on a 1,000-year-old legend told by elders in the Arctic Circle. After winning the Camera d'Or at Cannes, "Atanarjuat" earned more than $3 million in theatrical release in Canada and the United States, where Lot 47 handled distribution.

A consortium led by former executives of animation company Nelvana Ltd. Michael Hirsh and Toper Taylor have successfully closed their $144 million acquisition of rival Canadian animation producer Cinar Corp. After securing shareholder and regulatory approvals, Hirsh, Taylor and financial backers TD Capital Canadian Private Equity Partners and OMERS Merchant Banking Group have received $3.60 per share for Cinar's production arm, programming library and educational publishing businesses.

The article reports that Canadian independent producers are struggling which was revealed recently when Statistics Canada pointed to an increasingly tight profit squeeze. The government statistics agency, in its annual survey of domestic film and video business, said revenue reached a record CAN $2.59 billion in 2001, the last year surveyed, up 10.5% from year-earlier levels. But Statscan also indicated operating expenses in 2001 grew by 12.8% to CAN $2.55 billion, and that led the Canadian production community to end 2001 with a profit margin of 1.2%, down from a margin of 3.2% in 2000 and 4.7% in 1999, a highwater mark for the industry.

Canada's Pure Tracks recently launched as a homegrown digital music downloading service, as of October 21, 2003. Toronto, Ontario-based Moontaxi Media Inc. launched Pure Tracks as an online music distributor of content from major labels and Canadian independent labels just one week after the relaunch of a legal Napster. Pure Tracks is using Windows Media film management technology and will distribute songs and albums from such major labels as BMG Canada, Sony Music Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada.

Reports on the crackdown by the Canadian government on U.S. satellite piracy in Toronto. Charges against an electronics company in the case; Plans of the federal government to combat piracy.

Kaan Yigit, the study director, said the DVD format is a favorite with Canadians seeking digital interactivity and “what I want, when I want ” convenience. The survey, released earlier this month, found that the easy availability of music over the Internet has led to another trend in Canada toward greater video/movie downloading. As Internet penetration in Canada grows, the survey reveals, downloading of streaming audio and video content is gathering momentum.