From James Bradshaw of The Globe and Mail:

Channel survivor: What will the dial look like in a pick-and-pay world?
For years, television networks have cashed in on popular reality shows depicting elimination-style contests in singing, cooking, and desert-island challenges. Now, those same channels will compete for their survival on the TV dial as new rules from the federal broadcast regulator take effect. Continue reading.

From a media release:

Master Class speakers include Eugene and Dan Levy, David S. Goyer, Mara Brock and Salim Akil

The Toronto Screenwriting Conference (TSC) is a two-day event that gathers the best creative talent, authors and speakers in writing for film, TV and media in Canada and abroad. The TSC offers screen-based industry professionals an advanced level of education and skills development unparalleled by any other screenwriting event in the country. The sixth annual (TSC) takes place on April 11 & 12 at the Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park.

The lineup of speakers and sessions include:

MASTER CLASSES:
David S. Goyer
Writer and producer of Man of Steel, The Dark Knight, Da Vinci’s Demons

Eugene Levy and Dan Levy
Co-creators, co-executive producers, and co-stars of Schitt’s Creek

Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil
Creators and executive producers of Being Mary Jane, Girlfriends, The Game

WEB SERIES WORKSHOP:
Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair
WGA award-winning creators of Vimeo’s High Maintenance

SETTING THE SCENE:
Ted Braun
Writer and director of Darfur Now

IN THE WRITING ROOM ON 19-2:
Bruce Smith
Showrunner of 19-2

RUNNING THE SHOW: MOVING FROM WRITER TO SHOWRUNNER:
Jeff Melvoin
Emmy, Golden Globe, and TCA Award-winning executive producer of Army Wives, Alias, Picket Fences, and Northern Exposure

CREATING THE SUCCESSFUL TV SERIES ENGINE:
Corey Mandell
Award-winning playwright and screenwriter

YOU HAVE A GREAT SCRIPT, NOW WHAT?:
Carole Kirschner
Head of the WGAs Showrunner training program & CBS Diversity Writers Mentoring Program

IN CONVERSATION WITH AN EXECUTIVE:
Eric Homan
VP Development of leading animation company, Frederator Studios

For more information please visit www.torontoscreenwritingconference.com

From a media release:

Made in Canada: MTV’s Exclusive Canadian Original Documentary TRACEABLE Debuts with Multi-Channel Premiere, April 24

• TRACEABLE premieres simultaneously on MTV, Bravo, M3, and E! at 8 p.m. ET
• Film written, directed, and produced by first-time Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Sharpe
• Airing on the anniversary of the tragic factory collapse in Bangladesh, TRACEABLE explores the connection to the communities impacted by the products Canadians consume

Set against the backdrop of the fast-fashion industry, and the increasing disconnect of where and how clothing is made, MTV presents TRACEABLE, an exclusive Canadian original documentary set to debut with a multi-channel premiere, Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. ET on MTV, Bravo, M3, and E!. Airing on the second anniversary of the tragic Rana Plaza factory collapse in Savar, Bangladesh, the documentary connects viewers to the individuals and communities involved in designing and producing garments, illuminating the harsh realities that are woven into the fashion industry. Written, directed, and produced by first-time filmmaker, Ontario’s Jennifer Sharpe, TRACEABLE follows emerging fashion designer, Toronto’s Laura Siegel, as she develops her 2013 Fall/Winter collection using ethical and transparent practices.

“Bell Media is proud to offer this thought-provoking documentary to a broader audience with a special premiere event across our specialty channels,” said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. “TRACEABLE highlights the inspiring individuals and organizations who are forging change within the fashion industry. It will definitely challenge the way viewers think about their next fashion purchase.”

“Witnessing a departure of manufacturing and production in the apparel industry in North America was the beginning of my impetus for TRACEABLE,” said Director Jennifer Sharpe. “As a consumer, I wanted to understand more about where the clothing I was buying came from, so naturally connecting with Laura and her work in India began to take shape. Empowering consumers to know more about where a product comes from is the beginning of a shift that has the ability to effect change for those at the first mile of a supply chain.”

“Fashion – it’s very competitive. A lot of people are cautious about what information they give out, and having people see what they’re doing, because they are worried about others copying them,” said Laura Siegel, Designer. “I always thought it was detrimental to be hiding what I was doing. The more information you share, the more you are going to learn and the more you are going to grow.”

TRACEABLE explores shoppers’ connections to the communities impacted by the products Canadians consume through interviews with traceability experts, intercut with Siegel’s journey across India to produce her collection. Siegel’s efforts to shift the perspectives of consumers, while confronting the realities and risks of being a young fashion designer and entrepreneur, are detailed in the ancient traditions and techniques that are preserved through each of the honoured crafts used to develop her collection. While working under tight deadlines and through logistical struggles that arise throughout the journey, Siegel encounters, confronts, and adapts to new obstacles in the creative process that gives viewers a unique perspective on sustaining culture and craft, the highly competitive fashion world, and the nature of its buying process.

Appearing in film festivals across Canada and internationally, TRACEABLE premieres at the VanCity Theatre as part of Eco-Fashion Week on April 24, as well as at Fashion Revolution Day events around the world.

TRACEABLE is written and directed by Jennifer Sharpe, produced by Lauren Grant (Picture Day) and Jennifer Sharpe, executive produced by award-winning fashion designer Laura Siegel with cinematography by Steven Deneault (Mirabel Vous Aime. Mirabel Loves You.), editing by Bruce Lapointe (Doc Zone: State of Incarceration), and original music by award-winning DJ and composer Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky).

From Norman Debono of The London Free Press:

Rogers tests out ‘pick and pay’ in London
The “pick and play” pricing option ordered for cable and satellite TV customers across Canada is already on the dial in London for some viewers.

Rogers Cable ran a pilot project here four years ago offering about 1,000 customers the chance to pay for channels they choose. Though the pilot is over, customers were allowed to keep their channel selections.

The verdict: Customers loved it, TV stations hated it and gave Rogers “significant push back” on making the move permanent, a Rogers spokesman said. Continue reading.