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Featured, Industry News

Where Are They Now (wonk version)?

So a few weeks ago I tweeted that I had gotten lost on Google for a couple of hours because it had been suggested to me that ‘someone’ should report on where former CRTC Commissioners are now.   It’s like a wonky version of Zap2It’s ‘Degrassi: TNG Season 1 Cast – Where Are They Now?’ post. So here’s my Zap2It/Buzzfeed style update on more recent former CRTC Commissioners. As you can see, some leveraged their CRTC experience to move on to interesting new positions, some went back to what they had been doing before and many are consultants (a very honourable profession in my opinion). Some are consulting more than others. The further back you get the harder it is to find info online so I called it quits at Charles Dalfen. [Note – if anyone, including a former Commissioner, would like to update their listing, please feel free to contact me and I will edit.]

Louise Poirier (2008 – 2013)

Poirier continues as Chair of the Gatineau Sport Development Board (Conseil de Dévelopment du Sport de Gatineau) http://www.sportgatineau.ca She had been a Gatineau city councilor before the Commission.

Suzanne Lamarre (2008 – 2013)

Prior to the Commission Lamarre had a long career at the CBC as an engineer and a lawyer. She has now shifted to the consulting world as a Strategy and Regulatory Affairs Advisor. According to her LinkedIn page she is keeping very busy advising and teaching telecommunications and broadcasting regulation.

Timothy Denton (2008 – 2013)

Prior to his stint at the Commission, Denton was a consultant and executive focused on all things Internet and he has returned to that focus as Chair of the Internet Society of Canada and Principal of The Windermere Group (telecomm, broadcasting and internet law and policy consulting practice). He is also blogging at www.tmdenton.com

Marc Patrone (2008 – 2013)

Prior to the Commission, Patrone had a long career as a reporter at CTV Atlantic. He returned to the news first at Sun News Network as director of news for Western Operations until it folded and now freelance, writing articles and posting videos for Ezra Levant’s Rebel Media blog and YouTube channel.

Len Katz (2007 – 2012)

Katz appears to be fully retired after he left the Commission due to health issues after a short term as interim Chair of the Commission and four years as Vice-Chair of Telecommunications.

Michel Morin (2007- 2012)

Morin was a journalist and news executive with Radio-Canada prior to the Commission. He has returned to the news as a Journalist for TVA Nouvelles.

Konrad von Finckenstein (2007 – 2012)

After a distinguished career as a Federal Court Judge and before that Chair of the Competition Bureau, von Finckenstein spent a term as the Chair of the Commission. He is now an independent arbitrator for commercial disputes at JAMS, a global provider of commercial arbitrators and a Senior Fellow at the independent think tank C.D. Howe Institute.

Helen Ray Del Val (2005 – 2008)

Ray Del Val was a commercial and telecommunications lawyer prior to her three year term as the BC Regional Commissioner. She is now Chair of BC’s Financial Institutions Commission and of the Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board.

Michel Arpin (2005 – 2010)

After a lengthy career primarily in radio broadcasting, Arpin was the Commission’s Vice-Chair Broadcasting for five years. After his term he spent one year as a lecturer at Université de Montréal and is now consulting.

Elizabeth Duncan (2005 – 2014)

Duncan served two terms as Commissioner after a career in regional cable. She appears to now be retired.

Rita Cugini (2005 – 2012)

Cugini also served two terms on the Commission. She currently is active as a strategic planning and media consultant with clients like APTN, Blue Ant, the Competition Bureau and the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In 2013, along with Trina McQueen, Cugini conducted an independent review of the game Pipe Trouble commissioned by TVO, to see if it complied with TVO’s Programming Standards.

Richard French (2005 – 2007)

After two years as Vice-Chair Telecommunications, French left the CRTC and now holds the CN Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy at University of Ottawa.

Joan Pennefather (1998 – 2007)

After two terms with the CRTC, Pennefather is now a mediator with the Mediation Centre of Southern Ontario and a senior associate with the Institute on Governance.   She also sits on a number of boards.

Stuart Langford (1998-2007)

Langford spent two terms at the CRTC but seems to have fallen off the map at least as far as Google is concerned. Prior to the CRTC he practiced law, worked as a political staffer and wrote crime novels.

Andrée Noel (1998-2007)

Prior to her nine years with the CRTC, Noel was an executive with a telecommunications company and a publishing company. Noel is now a broadcast and telecommunications consultant and the National Chair of the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.

Charles Dalfen (2002-2006)

After his term as Chair of the CRTC, Dalfen was counsel at Tory’s, the firm he practiced with prior to his term at the CRTC. Dalfen died May 26, 2009 from a heart attack.

Thank you to Bram Abramson for being way better than a hive mind and directing me to the Privy Council Office page that aggregates Commissioner appointments.

 

 

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Degrassi, Featured

Degrassi cancelled after 14 seasons

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The doors are closing on Degrassi High … at least for now. The long-running teen drama will come to and end in Canada on MTV and in the U.S. on TeenNick. The second half of Season 14 begins on Monday, July 20, at 9 p.m. ET on MTV and will conclude with an hour-long series finale preceded by a special entitled “It Goes There, Degrassi’s Most Talked-About Moments.”

“Thank you to Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn, and all the cast and crew at Epitome Pictures for delivering Bell Media with 14 years of creative and engaging content that truly captured the spirit of Canadian youth through truthful and provocative stories,” said Phil King, president of CTV, Sports and entertainment programming. “We are immensely proud of Degrassi, and our longstanding partnership with Linda and Stephen. We wish the entire Epitome team the best of luck, and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

“Few producers are as blessed as we have been, working with so many talented and creative individuals at TeenNick for 14 seasons of Degrassi; including 385 episodes and over 100 pieces of original short-form web content,” executive producer Stephen Stohn stated. “We thank all those at TeenNick who have worked so hard over the years to help us create a television series that changes with the times and continues to authentically connect and interact with the youth audience.”

But later in the day came this intriguing statement from DHX Media, apparently keeping the door open for more Degrassi: “Degrassi is one of DHX Media’s marquee brands and we expect to be able to provide an update in the days ahead for fans, the media and the market. The Degrassi fan base runs deep worldwide and the longevity of the series speaks for itself.  Stay tuned for further developments regarding Degrassi.”

Is Degrassi being shopped around to other networks—like the DHX-owned Family Channel—or will it head online as a web exclusive? Stay tuned.

The Degrassi franchise celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. Co-created by Linda Schuyler, the series has won accolades and awards—including two International Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award— for telling no-nonsense stories of teen love and angst through an unflinching lens.

The latest incarnation has churned out an impressive list of cast members who have moved on to careers in the entertainment industry, including rap superstar Drake, Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries), Declan Coyne (Terra Nova), Shenae Grimes (90210), Stacey Farber (Saving Hope) and Justin Kelly (Between). Current cast include Eric Osborne, Ana Golja, Sara Waisglass, Andre Kim and Ainslinn Paul.

The franchise began with The Kids of Degrassi Street (1982-86), followed by Degrassi Junior High (1987-89) and Degrassi High (1989-91).

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Featured, Saving Hope, Spun Out

CTV’s unwavering support for Saving Hope, Spun Out’s future still uncertain

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CTV is happy with Saving Hope. So much so when executives from Bell Media jetted to Los Angeles to purchase American acquisitions, the one untouchable timeslot was Thursdays at 9 p.m.

“We wanted to plant a flag that on the biggest night of the week in the home run timeslot of that night, Saving Hope is not only our choice but is going to compete for the No. 1 spot every week,” says Mike Cosentino, senior vice-president of programming for CTV Networks and CraveTV. “We think this is a great opportunity for Saving Hope.” The broadcast veteran notes there a big stories headed viewers’ way in Season 4, which began production on 18 episodes in and around Toronto.

Appearing in recurring roles are Kim Shaw (The Good Wife) as Dr. Cassie Williams, a book smart intern learning how to practice medicine, not just read about it; and Max Bennett (Anna Karenina) as Dr. Patrick Curtis, a surgical fellow who has been filling in during Alex’s mat leave. Travis Milne (Rookie Blue) appears in a four-episode arc. Repeats of Hope will air Saturdays at 10 p.m. on CTV.

CTV and CTV Two’s 2015-16 broadcast schedules were announced Thursday morning in Toronto, with the Erica Durance/Michael Shanks drama, newsmagazine W5, culinary competition MasterChef Canada and crime drama Motive all being part of the mix. Those last two join CTV’s midseason schedule.

Saturdays on CTV Two, meanwhile, boast old instalments of The Listener, Flashpoint and Motive, a move Cosentino says offers new viewers a chance to catch up on the crime trio.

One series absent from either schedule was the second season of Dave Foley’s sitcom, Spun Out. Plans to launch the laffer this past March after a high-profile return following the Super Bowl was scuttled when co-star J.P. Manoux was charged with voyeurism following an incident in the Toronto condo he rented during filming. The series remains in programming purgatory until the case is sorted out.

“We said it then and we’re still in the same place,” Cosentino says. “We’re holding off on our decision until we can get more information. As to whether it will make air or not is to be continued at the moment.”

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Featured, Masterchef Canada, Saving Hope

Saving Hope returns to CTV this fall

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This morning, CTV was the last of the major Canadian networks to announce a 2015/16 schedule after the annual Hollywood buying spree.

CBC this fall has a predominantly Canadian lineup with some UK and Australian acquisitions, City has more Sunnyside plus CBC’s Mr. D crossing networks, and Global has … nothing. While  boasting “17 hours of simulcast, more than any other Canadian network,” CTV has made room in their fall schedule for a new season of Saving Hope in a plum Thursday 9 pm timeslot, as well as their Saturday stalwart newsmagazine W5 celebrating 50 years on air.

Continuing Canadian daytime shows include The Marilyn Denis Show and The Social, and CTV will host The 2016 Juno Awards as well.

MasterChef Canada and Motive will return midseason in 2016, making CTV the home to the most Cancon of the major private networks this coming year (thanks at least in part to their required benefits spending after the Astral acquisition).

Saturday on baby sister network CTV TWO is repurposed Cancon night, with reruns of The Listener, Flashpoint, Motive and W5.

Look for the full 2015/16 schedule announcement here.

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Featured, Strange Empire, X Company

X Company, Strange Empire among CBC shows available for Netflix binge-watching

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Good news for binge watchers: Netflix Canada recently added CBC’s X Company and Strange Empire to their lineup, joining fellow CBC mates Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland, Republic of Doyle and more to the service’s ever-rotating and growing lineup.

The shows not only get exposure to a broader audience through browsing plus Netflix’s superior recommendation engine, but CBC gets an additional revenue stream from Netflix licensing on top of advertising, iTunes sales, and selling their kidneys.

World War II spy drama X Company is currently working on a second season, so a Netflix catch up may boost the future audience for the show. It will be interesting to see if there is a measurable effect, or if once a Netflix viewer always a Netflix viewer — if the audience simply waits for season two to appear on the service. Best case scenario for CBC is audiences find it so compelling they want to watch as it airs instead and binge watch later.

Dark, female-driven western Strange Empire was cancelled after one season, but other than some last-minute action that would have set up a second season, the first feels mostly like a satisfyingly complete mini series.

While CBC keeps most of their series available online, the Netflix user experience is vastly superior to the glitchy, repetitive-advertising-filled network website players. Netflix also captures an audience who may not watch CBC, search for CBC’s website, or even have heard of CBC’s shows.

Licensing agreements have expiration dates, so Netflix content comes and goes, but audiences should have plenty of time to discover X Company and Strange Empire and see what they’ve missed — for good or for bad — or relive the experience at their own pace.

Don’t look for Bell, Shaw or Rogers series on the streaming service any time soon — they want you to sign up for their own streaming services, CraveTV or shomi, instead.

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