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TV, Eh? Industry Roundup – Corus Quay, Shaw Media/Vikings, CRTC/music, Sea to Sky Entertainment

Corus Quay flipped twice in one day

On March 12, 2012, the Corus Quay was bought by Corus 25 Dockside Property Inc., a Corus Entertainment subsidiary, for $186 million. Corus Quay was, until this move, owned by the Toronto Port Lands Company.

The original agreement saw Corus Entertainment lease the Corus Quay until 2029. In exchange for maintenance of the original lease, plus an optional twenty-year extension, H&R Real Estate Investment Trust is Corus Quay’s new owner. H&R REIT covered the cost of the Corus 25 Dockside Property Inc. sale.

The Corus Quay was completed in the fall of 2010. It is the central programming hub for twenty-four television services, and three Toronto radio stations. Around 1100 employees currently work at the Corus Quay.

Continue reading TV, Eh? Industry Roundup – Corus Quay, Shaw Media/Vikings, CRTC/music, Sea to Sky Entertainment

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WGC Nominee Michael MacLennan on Flashpoint’s “The Better Man”

MMacLennan

Leading up to the Writers Guild of Canada awards on April 23, TV, eh? will be posting a series of interviews with some of nominees. Michael MacLennan was nominated in the TV Drama category for the “The Better Man” episode of Flashpoint (one of four Flashpoint nominations in the category).

Can you describe the episode “The Better Man” and how it fit into the Flashpoint season?

The episode takes place on the night of a “rolling raid,” a city-wide drug bust that forces Team One to take down a kingpin with unexpected connections to an undercover cop. One thing that makes it special is that the mission forces the team to wrestle with their own secret, which ultimately results in this being the last mission of Wordy, one of the team’s beloved members.

What about this episode are you particularly proud of?

I really like how the episode structures two differing notions of what it is to be a “good cop,” how loyalty to a team or a mission can be compromised by personal agendas, however noble. And ultimately, how the different choices of Wordy and guest-star Naimeth result in markedly different fates.

What does this recognition mean to you?

To be recognized by one’s peers like this, based on the writing alone, it’s a wonderful thrill. This is my sixth nomination and it always sends my heart racing. This year I feel there are many more promising nominations than mine, so I’m looking forward to just seeing friends at the ceremony, and celebrating this wonderful time in Canadian television.

And finally (imagine my best Joan Rivers impression): what will you be wearing to the ceremony?

Wow, do I have to decide now? I haven’t even begun to short-list my stylist! Hm, in the spirit of fun, I might wear these patchwork pants I bought in Paris a few years back. That sounds horribly 80s but I think they’re pretty cool. Although what do I know — I spend half my life writing in sweatshirts and old stretched sweaters!

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TV, Eh? Industry Update – TOU.TV, CRTC, CBSC/Toronto media, more

TOU.TV’s Hard gets cut off

It took until March 8, 2012 for Sun News Network to talk about CBC again – this time, a “victory,” as TOU.TV pulls Hard from its website. Hard is a French sitcom from Canal+ set in the porn industry, though Hard is more a racy HBO-esque sitcom with nudity and simulated sex, than a proper soft-core romp.

I realize the issue is around CBC using government funding to pay for explicit programming. At the same time…a French cable show, with racier-than-usual material? By this definition of porn, quite a few TV Funhouse segments, like “Jokamel” and “Porn for Kids” – are “porn.”

Yeah, I know I’m reaching, with references to a long-cancelled Robert Smigel program. I’m just saying.

Continue reading TV, Eh? Industry Update – TOU.TV, CRTC, CBSC/Toronto media, more

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Make your recommendations for the TV Ehwards

If there’s one thing TV, eh? podcast hosts Anthony Marco and Diane Wild can agree on, it’s that the Gemini Awards don’t have enough categories. So to fill the gaps, we (well, mostly Anthony … well, completely Anthony) came up with this list of categories for the TV Ehwards. Make your recommendations before March 19 either by leaving a comment or filling out the survey.

Some of the categories are self-explanatory, while others may need some Anthony-to-English translation:

Continue reading Make your recommendations for the TV Ehwards

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