Wow, CTV.ca has really gone in a new direction with their home page. Look how much information they are able to fit on a single page. That really is a timesaver when it comes to navigation. I even see a few full articles on there. It looks like they are going for some sort of 3D effect too, by layering content on top of other content.
Time will tell if the public embraces this new innovative look, but one thing’s for certain, this definitely reflects the spirit of that company.
The news yesterday that CTV is in for some layoffs and budget cuts was hardly surprising given what’s been going on at the other networks in Canada. I feel bad for my friends who still work there, but CTV really brought it on themselves. Here’s a list of some of the places they’ve spent their money in the past year:
I’m no fancy economist, but the millions they spent on the HNIC theme song and the remodeling alone would probably float their payroll for a while.
CTVgm is a privately-owned company so there’s no way to know how bad they are in a red. But if they are in need of cash, I predict a sell-off of a couple of their satellite properties in the coming months. In particular, The Globe and Mail or TSN. Since Rogers is the only “media” company that’s doing well at the moment, I’d bet I can guess who is going to buy them up 
The metaverse is buzzing today that David Kines, the Senior Vice President of MuchMusic and MTV Canada at CTVglobemedia resigned today. Kines was the driving-force behind MuchMusic for years, and carried on his role after the 2007 purchase of CHUM Ltd. (the MuchMusic mother-company) by CTV.
More details are still emerging, but needless to say, the face of music television in Canada will certainly change without Kines at its helm.
UPDATE 10/5/2008: Here’s an excerpt from his letter to staff:
I started at The NewMusic almost 25 years ago and it’s been non-stop challenges and fun ever since…It has been a privilege to have worked as part of an amazing team to create, build and nurture some of the most successful and best-loved brands in television and new media. You should be proud of all you’ve accomplished, and excited for what the future holds. (source)
Nardwuar and Kines – (photo source)
I think it’s great how many ideas have started at CTVglobemedia and branched out into their own companies. It’s really inspiring that CTV appears to let their employees work on their own sites on the side, then lets them quit to pursue the dot-com dream. I’m going to start highlighting some of these companies.
Today, I’d like to profile BlueHaze, a concert community site that spun out of CTV’s MTV Canada group. Founded by Mark Shedletsky in December 2006 while he worked at MTV Canada as the Head of Marketing & Brand Partnerships, BlueHaze has recent been reviewed by TechCrunch and has 6 employees.
I think it’s great that CTV, who owns two online music properties — MuchMusic and MTV Canada — is cool with a little competition from their former employees. In fact, a few of their employees are actually avid users of the site: Ryan Trotman the Director, MuchMusic & MTV Digital (CTV Music & Youth Services) at MuchMusic & MTV, and Mark Swierszcz the Senior Producer at MuchMusic and formerly MTV.
All the best to BlueHaze. Their traffic is certainly taking off 
In Canada we essentially four major TV networks (sorry, CBC): CTVglobemedia, Astral, Canwest and Rogers. Between the four of them, they own almost ever analogue channel and a big share of the HD channels in Canada. The CRTC is a regulatory body for the broadcasting industry. In recent years, they have started allowing unprecedented consolidation of the media in this country. The rational has been that we need the Canadian broadcasters to be as strong as possible to be able to compete with the power of the U.S. networks. Of course, there’s no way that will ever happen, but that’s the rational
Over the last few years, the Canadian broadcasters have been allowed for the first time to own multiple news stations in each city market, which has further narrowed the points of view that we are exposed to in the media. For example, in Toronto CTVglobemedia owns both CP24 and CTV Toronto. To make matters worst, CP24 airs mostly news from Rogers‘ CityNews, which shares content with 680 News Radio, etc, etc. You start to get an idea how consolidated the media is despite the CRTC’s “efforts.”
Given this state of the industry, we need more independent voices in the market, not less. So what does the CRTC do to respond?
CRTC slaps down application for new HD stations
In three separate decisions handed down today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) turned down multiple applications from High Fidelity HDTV Inc. to operate two new English language high definitions and one standard definition channel in Canada.The federal regulator denied the applications because the commission said the new stations would compete with stations owned by Canada’s largest television broadcasters: Astral, CTVGlobemedia, and Rogers and that would contravene the commissions “competitive policy.”
Although it is counter-intuitive to most readers, under the CRTC’s competitive policy, new applicants must convince bureaucrats in Ottawa that a new station would NOT compete with an existing analog or pay channel in order to receive approval.
In simple terms, the CRTC ruled that High Fidelity, the broadcaster of several HD channels in Canada including Oasis HD, Equator HD and Treasure HD, had dared to propose stations that would compete with stations owned by Astral, CTVGlobemedia and Rogers therefore the stations were rejected.
Diversion HD and Diversion SD
The CRTC is using outdated mandates to protect the major broadcasters and denying competition as a matter of policy. Can anyone explain to me how that policy benefits Canadians?! Combined with the CRTC starting hearings about whether they should regulate the Internet, this bureaucracy is completely out of control. Unfortunately, the minority Conservative government in Ottawa is no friend of the media industry. There’s little hope of them making tough decisions about the CRTC.
So I guess we’re stuck with this increasingly irrelevant, dinosaur office mucking about in an industry it no longer understands. I guess the moral story is: if you want to broadcast your content in Canada, you’d better look to the Web not the TV.
