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The Minister of Canadian Heritage announces the creation of an independent committee to recommend qualified candidates for the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors

From a media release:

The Government of Canada is committed to open and transparent processes for selecting appointees, to help strengthen trust in Canada’s democracy and ensure the integrity of its public institutions. Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced the creation of an advisory committee for appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors.

This independent advisory committee will have a mandate to lead the selection process for the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors. It will present its recommendations for qualified candidates to the Minister.

This independent, non-partisan committee is made up of experts in broadcasting and digital technology, and representatives of cultural sectors from across Canada. Indigenous Peoples, official-language communities and youth are also represented.

The committee will be chaired by Tom Clark from Ontario. Mr. Clark has worked in Canadian television news for the past 45 years.

The following people are also appointed to the committee:

  • Prem Gill (British Columbia) started her career in the television and broadcasting industry. She has more than 20 years’ experience in digital media, content creation and entertainment.
  • Carolyn Warren (Alberta) is a leader in the Canadian cultural sector and has experience with art and broadcasting institutions.
  • Janelle Wookey (Manitoba), is a Francophone Métis woman from the Prairies and an award-winning artist who works as an independent director and producer in Winnipeg.
  • Colm Feore, O.C. (Ontario) is a well-known theatre, film and television actor.
  • Marc Beaudet (Quebec) is a pioneer in the digital content industry in Quebec. He is president and CEO of Turbulent, a company that develops broadcasting platforms.
  • Monique Savoie (Quebec) is a digital visionary. In 1996, she created the Société des arts technologiques, a creative Montréal space dedicated to technological development.
  • Alanis Obomsawin, O.C., G.O.Q., C.A.L.Q. (Quebec) is a member of the Abenaki Nation and one of the most distinguished documentary filmmakers in Canada. For more than 40 years, she has been producing films at the National Film Board of Canada that tell about the lives and concerns of First Nations and deal with issues that are important to everyone.
  • Éric Larocque (New Brunswick) is active in projects related to Acadia and to his community, particularly those that deal with youth. He is director of the organizing committee for the 2021 Games of La Francophonie.

The advisory committee will provide the Minister with the names of qualified candidates for each vacant position, as well as supplementary qualified candidates to create a pool to fill posts in the future.

As the digital shift brings many changes in its wake, the public broadcaster continues to play a crucial role in providing us with information and entertainment, as well as helping guide the next generation. As a Crown corporation in the Canadian Heritage portfolio, CBC/Radio‑Canada is an organization that is independent from the government and responsible for its own day-to-day activities.

Quotes

“Our government firmly believes in the importance of our national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio‑Canada. I am pleased to establish this independent advisory committee composed of experts in broadcasting, digital technology and culture, who reflect Canada’s diversity. This new committee will recommend qualified candidates for a selection process that is open, transparent and based on merit.”

—The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick Facts

Under the Broadcasting Act, CBC/Radio‑Canada’s Board of Directors is composed of 12 directors, including a chair and a president/CEO, appointed by the Governor in Council during good behavior for a maximum period of five years.

The selection processes for the positions of chair, president/CEO, and part-time directors are posted on the Governor in Council’s website.

In 2016, the Government of Canada adopted a new approach that requires a selection process be initiated for full-time and part-time positions. Those interested can apply online.

All appointment opportunities for the 18 organizations in the Canadian Heritage portfolio are posted on the Governor in Council’s appointments site as they become available.

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Minister Joly Appoints Acting Chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

From a media release:

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced the appointment of Judith A. Larocque as acting chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). The Governor in Council approved the interim appointment for a term of four months, effective June 18, 2017. Ms. Larocque previously served as acting vice-chair of the CRTC (November 2016 to May 2017).

A dedicated public servant, Ms. Larocque has extensive experience in the broadcasting field. This interim appointment will ensure the continuous and efficient operation of the CRTC.

Selection processes at the CRTC, including for the position of chair, were launched on January 23, 2017, and are open, transparent and merit-based. They are ongoing. Appointments will be announced in due course.

We would like to thank Mr. Blais for his five years of service and his commitment to the CRTC.

Quotes

“In our changing world, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission works to ensure that all Canadians have access to a world-class communication system. It’s a challenging task, and I would like to thank Ms. Larocque for agreeing to stay on the CRTC team as acting chair.”

— The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

Quick Facts

In 2016, the Government of Canada adopted a new approach that requires a selection process for full- and part-time positions.

All appointment opportunities for the 18 organizations in the Canadian Heritage Portfolio are posted as they become available on the Governor in Council Appointments website.

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Link: CRTC chair goes out with guns Blais-ing at Banff

From Bill Brioux at Brioux.tv:

Link: CRTC chair goes out with guns Blais-ing at Banff
“That’s not the future. Broadband is. Apps are. Quotas, tax credits and the way we all did business 20 years ago are not. They’re anachronisms. They’re as glaringly old-fashioned in today’s world as the steam engine or the horse-drawn carriage.” Continue reading.

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Link: Minister brings Joly news at Banff World Media Festival

From Bill Brioux of Brioux.tv:

Link: Minister brings Joly news at Banff World Media Festival
She also gave a date for her long awaited vision and policy statement: September. Between trade missions to China, Los Angeles and other places, Joly has been criss-crossing Canada gathering opinions on how to proceed with a new Broadcast Act, among other things such as updating some of the older production treaty deals Canada has with around 55 other countries. Continue reading. 

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New CBC series Becoming Canadian tells the stories of Canada’s newest citizens

From a media release:

Narrated by Canadian rapper and producer Kardinal Offishall, new six-part factual series BECOMING CANADIAN will premiere on CBC with back-to-back episodes on Monday, June 26 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT), with additional episodes airing throughout the week in the lead up to Canada 150 on July 1. Produced by Antica Productions Ltd. in association with global independent studio Entertainment One (eOne), the series captures citizenship ceremonies from across Canada and reveals the amazing, inspiring and heart-warming stories of some of the approximately 250,000 people who will become Canadians in 2016/2017. All of these new Canadians have stories that are as diverse as the number of countries they are emigrating from, ranging from heartbreaking and tragic, to inspirational and uplifting. With four stories in each half-hour episode, the series captures, firsthand, how life-changing becoming Canadian can be for new citizens and those closest to them.

First launched online in January 2017 with short-form digital content, BECOMING CANADIAN has amassed hundreds of participants and thousands of followers on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and cbc.ca/2017/becoming-canadian. The digital extension of the series will feature additional new content and stories throughout the rest of 2017.

Episodic Descriptions:

Episode 1 (Monday, June 26 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT)): Rachel was assigned male at birth, but always knew she was a woman. Ellaha came from an educated family in Afghanistan, but was told by the Taliban that girls could no longer attend school.  Kerstin grew up trapped inside East Berlin until the Berlin Wall came down. Syed’s mother was six months pregnant with him when an accident killed his father leaving his mother to raise her two sons.

Episode 2 (Monday, June 26 at 8:30 p.m. (9 p.m. NT)): Mohamad left war-torn Lebanon to become a medical doctor in Canada. Mo has a career she never would have imagined possible back in China. After leaving Trinidad, Jerome rediscovered his love of soccer in his new home country. After hearing about the ‘politeness’ of Canada, Annabelle and Aidan decided to raise their children here.

Episode 3 (Wednesday, June 28 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT)): With tribal warfare raging, Jemal fled to the world’s largest refugee camp, leaving his pregnant wife behind.  Janice came to Canada and found a job and the love of her life at a Tim Hortons. Abimbola realized his dream of bodybuilding in Canada, something he would never have done back in Nigeria. Rita and her family fled from Iraq to Syria – a relatively safer place at the time. She ended up being on the last plane out of Damascus before the airport was closed.

Episode 4 (Thursday, June 29 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT)): Hsa’s family was given a simple choice by his homeland’s oppressive government: flee or die. From a region known for rugby, Rhys moved to Canada for his love of hockey. Juliette wants to break the cycle of systemic racism and teach her kids to appreciate the diversity of Canada. Esther went from a Mexican living a secret life in the US to being a married Maritimer.

Episode 5 (Friday, June 30 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT)): Gannon came to Canada for love. Tony brought his experience to a small prairie town and reopened the local Legion to support veterans. Kallie lost everything when she arrived in Canada, but she built a successful and fulfilling business with hard work. Following a chance encounter on a cruise ship, Romulo moved to Canada and changed his family’s lives for the better.

Episode 6 (Friday, June 30 at 8:30 p.m. (9 p.m. NT)): With three young daughters and financial struggles, John and Claudia took the biggest risks of their lives – moving to Canada to start a business without knowing how to speak English. An 88-year old is proud of all her accomplishments, including her four-person marriage and now adds her long-awaited, hard-earned Canadian citizenship to the list. Sharmila was expecting to become a Canadian alongside her mother but an unfortunate illness had her sharing her citizenship ceremony with her young daughter instead.  Saliu and Adeola moved from a big city in Nigeria to a small town in Regina with reservations but found an unexpected new way of life.

BECOMING CANADIAN is produced in by Antica Productions and eOne in association with CBC, with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and with the participation of the Bell Fund. The series is executive produced by eOne’s Jocelyn Hamilton and Antica’s Stuart Coxe and produced by Brad Brough and Jeanette Trigiani Diehl for Antica.

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