From CBC:

Do you want to be Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister? Let the auditions begin!

Do you have what it takes to be Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister? If so, you could be one of four candidates to compete in the second annual NEXT GREAT PRIME MINISTER competition that culminates in a one-hour CBC Television special, hosted by Rick Mercer, airing Sunday, March 18, 2007.

THE NEXT GREAT PRIME MINISTER competition is for 18- to 25-year-old Canadians who wish to share their ideas for making Canada a better, stronger and more prosperous country. This is a great opportunity for anyone considering a future in politics, world affairs or social policy.

Don’t miss your chance! If you are interested in applying, you can audition for the broadcast in these select cities across Canada on the following dates:

LONDON, ON – Dec. 7
KITCHENER/WATERLOO, ON – Dec. 8
OTTAWA, ON – Dec. 8
EDMONTON, AB – Dec. 11
TORONTO, ON – Dec. 11
VANCOUVER, BC – Dec. 12
MONTREAL, QC – Dec. 13
HALIFAX – Dec. 13
ST. JOHN’S, NL – Dec. 14

*For audition times and locations, please go to www.thenextgreatprimeminister.ca

Candidates will be asked to give a three- to five-minute speech with their “Prime Ministerial Message.” Bring your passion, opinions and ideas and be ready to answer questions about your convictions.

Judges will select the 20 best applicants’ nationwide based on originality of ideas and effectiveness of delivery. Finalists will then be selected for the nationally broadcast Next Great Prime Minister television show. In the televised special, candidates will undergo a series of political debates and answer tough questions for a $50,000 first-place cash prize. They will be grilled and judged by four former Canadian prime ministers: The Right Hon. Joe Clark, The Right Hon. Kim Campbell, The Right Hon. John Turner, and The Right Hon. Brian Mulroney.

This one-of-a-kind broadcast is based on a popular nationwide competition originated in 1995 by Frank Stronach, founder and Chairman of Magna International, in his quest to search for Canada’s best and brightest future leaders. It was launched to engage young Canadians in the political process and to encourage them to think about ways to improve the country.

If you are unable to come to an audition, candidates can apply online by submitting a video and application to: www.thenextgreatprimeminister.ca

From the Toronto Sun:

• The mess of Canadian TV: Bill Brioux is mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore 

From the Toronto Star:

• Wanna be the next prime minister? 

From the Writers Guild of Canada:

Watershed Moment for the CRTC to Save Canadian TV

Canadian screenwriters travelled to Ottawa today to urge the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to save Canadian television by restoring Canadian drama expenditure requirements for over-the-air broadcasters like CTV, Global and CHUM.

“English-language broadcasters say they are committed to Canadian drama, but right now there is only one Canadian drama series on air in Global’s prime time schedule, and three on CTV’s,” said Suzette Couture, an award-winning screenwriter who wrote the most-watched TV movie of 2005, The Man Who Lost Himself. “That’s discouraging for experienced writers who are forced to look for work in the U.S. It’s even more discouraging for emerging screenwriters – but ultimately, it means no Canadian television drama for Canadian audiences.”

Joining Couture at the CRTC hearings into the future of television was James Hurst, showrunner for the hit series Degrassi: The Next Generation, and one of the few Canadian screenwriters with a show on in prime time. Hurst told the CRTC that having the opportunity to work on over 100 episodes of his show helped him learn his craft. “Some broadcasters have made the pitch for quality over quantity, but that’s the wrong way to go. You can’t make quality programming that Canadians want to watch by producing one series a year. And you can’t build an audience on limited runs and repeats.”

Canadian screenwriters are requesting that private, English-language broadcasters be required to spend a minimum of 7% of their advertising revenues on the production of Canadian drama, as well as more money on script and concept development.

“It’s no coincidence that eight of the top ten shows in Canada are American dramas,” said screenwriter Rebecca Schechter, president of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). “Drama, in particular one-hour drama, is the most popular form of entertainment in the world. If this country doesn’t produce quality drama of its own, Canadians will watch someone else’s.”

“We are presenting a completely manageable formula for broadcasters,” explained Maureen Parker, WGC Executive Director. “Spending goes up as revenues go up, and goes down if revenues are down. The CRTC now can step up to the plate and protect the public’s interest by ensuring they will have the choice to see Canadian drama on TV.”

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) represents more than 1800 professional screenwriters across Canada who create the distinctly Canadian entertainment we enjoy on our television, movie screens, radio and computers – such as dramatic TV series and movies, feature films, documentaries, animation programs, comedy and variety series, children’s and educational programming, radio drama, corporate videos and digital media productions.

From Blogcritics, about the Monday, Dec. 4 episode:

• TV Review: The Family Restaurant Season Finale