Cheryl Binning of Playback lays out the fall seasons, including Canadian shows:
Everything about Industry News, eh?
In the news: CRTC report on CTF
Julian Beltrame of the Canadian Press reports on the CRTC report on the Canadian Television Fund:
- No opting out of co-operative TV fund, but shows must be more commercial: report
“The task force recommends that the fund be separated into two separate streams – one supported by Ottawa that would go into ‘culturally significant’ programming, and one supported by the cable and satellite companies that would produce more commercial fare.”
In the news: CRTC rulings
Mark Dillon of Playback writes about the surprise CRTC ruling on the CTV/CHUM merger, and what it means to the industry:
- Establishing Shot: A little regulation is a good thing
“Producers, advertisers and culturecrats feared we would end up with two conventional players when the dust settled, but instead we could have two more evenly matched leaders and a strong third. Nice to see what a little regulation can do.”
In the news: Degrassi’s US syndication
From Worldscreen.com:
- Degrassi Achieves 85-Percent-Plus Clearance in the U.S.
“The series has recently been added to 33 new affiliate stations throughout the U.S. from the Belo, Clear Channel, Freedom, Gray, Lockwood, LIN, Schurz, Sinclair, and Weigel groups. With these clearances, the show is now cleared in 19 of the top 20 and 27 of the top 30 markets.”
Interview with TV producer Al Magee
Will Dixon at Uninflected Images Juxtaposed interviews the prolific and respected producer/creative consultant involved with The Smart Woman Survival Guide, Trailer Park Boys, Slings and Arrows, Rent a Goalie and many more:
- Me and Al(ly) Magee Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI
“Can we get a one hour series that takes off the way our half hours like Corner Gas and Little Mosque can? Maybe, and maybe if the one-hours follow a similar route as the half hour hits – authentically Canadian, not pretending or aspiring to a US primetime aesthetic, and giving the audience something accessible that is not available on a network simulcast.”