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Industry News

Corus Entertainment provides update on sale of Historia and Séries+ to Bell Media

From a media release:

Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) (“Corus Entertainment”) today announced that the Commissioner of Competition has not approved the sale by Corus Entertainment of French-language specialty channels Historia and Séries+ to Bell Media Inc. (“Bell Media”).

At this time, Corus Entertainment and Bell Media are reviewing the Commissioner’s decision, and considering the appropriate course of action.  Corus Entertainment will provide further updates in due course.

In addition to Competition Act approval, completion of the sale remains subject to the approval of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (the “CRTC”) and other customary closing conditions. The application is currently before the CRTC.

Corus Entertainment also remains an active contributor to the Quebec broadcast and production community with Global Montreal, Télétoon and La chaîne Disney, as well as Toon Boom, its animation software company.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that creates and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. The company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompasses 44 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a global content business, digital assets, live events, children’s book publishing, animation software, technology and media services. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, National Geographic Channel, Q107, CKNW, Fresh Radio, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada.

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Industry News

Link: CBC-TV is fighting back

From James Bawden:

Link: CBC-TV is fighting back
Let’s see –the first CBC-TV fall preview I attended (as the summer student at The Globe And Mail) was in 1970 when the public network was riding high. In those dear dead days there was a 10 channel TV universe and that was it.

Thirty-five print TV critics from across Canada flew in for several days of interviews with such CBC stars as Juliette, Friendly Giant and Knowlton Nash and CBC redesigned its cavernous studio up Yonge Street (the home of Front Page Challenge) for a gala party that drew thousands of advertisers and hangers on.

That was then. This is now. Continue reading.

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Industry News

Link: Longtime Vancouver filmmaker Arvi Liimatainen, producer of Da Vinci’s Inquest and Bye Bye Blues, dies at age 68

From Craig Takeuchi of The Georgia Strait:

Link: Longtime Vancouver filmmaker Arvi Liimatainen, producer of Da Vinci’s Inquest and Bye Bye Blues, dies at age 68
B.C. and Alberta screen industries are mourning the loss of a longtime local filmmaker who worked on some of Western Canada’s most prominent films and TV series.

Finnish-born Arvi Liimatainen died from cancer in Vancouver on May 19 at the age of 68. Continue reading.

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Industry News

National School of Humour offers advanced comedy scenario program with support from Netflix

From a media release:

The National School of Humour (NHS), with the support of Netflix, is launching a Screenwriting Development Program for both TV and film comedies, which will be divided into three programs: public lectures and master classes, advanced comedy screenwriting and mentorship project development. This partnership is part of Netflix’s commitment to supporting industry development in Canada, including the next generation of comedy writers.

For the past 30 years, the NHS has evolved its training programs to meet the pace of industry changes. The growth of content platforms has resulted in an increased and pressing demand for scriptwriters in comedy fiction.

At the dawn of its fourth decade, the NHS is particularly proud of this partnership which will broaden its mission by creating a unique incubator to bring out the originality of our creators in screenwriting comedy. In addition, this program will propel projects that take into account the challenges of new formats.

This program will facilitate learning for the entire community and individuals. Through its conferences and open master classes, this program will demystify the essential components of comedy scripting and provide individual creators with advanced training or professional mentoring for their TV series or movie project.

Founded in 1988, the National School of Humour passionately pursues its unique and original mission: to offer professional training to creators who wish to specialize in the field of humour as humbler (author performers) or authors. The NHS is a private, non-profit educational institution (NPO), recognized by the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Quebec and supported by the Quebec Minister of Culture and Communications, Canadian Heritage and the Mécénat Placements Culture program of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. The influence of its graduates on all platforms (stage, TV, radio, cinema, web) throughout the French-speaking world is the most eloquent evidence of the relevance of the institution that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

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Featured, Industry News

InnerSpace cancelled at Space

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The in-house house cleaning at Bell Media, sadly, continues. It was announced Thursday afternoon that InnerSpace has not been renewed on Space.

“After 9 phenomenal seasons, last night was InnerSpace‘s final episode,” Space Channel tweeted on Thursday. “Due to increasing production costs and declining revenue, we can no longer continue production. Thank you to our hosts, crew, and incredible fans for all of the unforgettable adventures. LLAP.”

InnerSpace co-hosts Teddy Wilson and Ajay Fry took to Twitter to address the show’s viewers.

Hosted by Wilson, Fry and Morgan Hoffman, InnerSpace has been the go-to Canadian TV series for all of your sci-fi and fantasy news, television and movie reviews and exclusive interviews and set visits.

Nominated for a 2015 Canadian Screen Award for Best Host in a Variety, Lifestyle, Reality/Competition or Talk Program or Series, InnerSpace was, as described by Bell Media, “a daily entertainment talk show that covers film, television, video games, technology, comic books, gadgets and more. Hosted by Ajay Fry, Morgan Hoffman and Teddy Wilson, InnerSpace takes its audience behind the velvet rope by giving them VIP access to the people, places, and things inside the genre they’ve grown to love.”

The news comes a day after Bell Media announced it would not be renewing Daily Planet and on the heels of CBC cancelling its daily talk show, The Goods, after two seasons. Are the Canadian networks pulling the plug on all in-house production? It sure seems that way.

 

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