www.dvdestinations.com www.riverdale.ca www.pm4kids.com www.exn.ca www.sketchcom.com www.cyberclub.tva.ca www.ladiva.net www.generationw.com www.kaosmag.com Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund 1998 Annual Report www.metamorphoses.sympatico.ca www.historytelevision.ca/seeds www.parentsdaujourdhui.com www.itseemslikeyesterday.com www.empireofthebay.com www.rcmpmarchwest.com www.dish-it-out.com www.monsterhome.com www.jacobtwotwo.com Objectives Eligible Projects To encourage the production of world-class Canadian Must include both a new media component as well as a content for the new media and broadcasting marketplace television component. and to stimulate partnerships between new media and The television component must be certified Canadian broadcast producers. under the rules of the CRTC. The television component must have a broadcast licence Eligible Applicants commitment from a Canadian broadcaster. Must be Canadians, and in the case of a company, must The television component must be designated as a be Canadian-controlled. drama, variety, documentary, children’s program or Must be an independent producer or broadcaster- educational program. affiliated production company. Financial Participation The new media component is eligible for a grant not to exceed 50% of the costs of production of the new media project, capped at $250,000. The broadcast component is eligible for a licence fee top-up of 50% of the broadcast fee paid directly by the broadcaster, capped at $75,000. 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1709 Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3 Tel: (416) 977-8154 Fax: (416) 977-0694 email: [email protected] www.bell.ca/fund photograph: Bell Fund demo of sites, Café Électronique, Montreal. December 3, 1998 Administration The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund is administered by the Independent Production Fund. New in 1999 The Bell Fund becomes national. Eligible producers must be Canadian. Eligible projects may be carried out anywhere in Canada. Deadlines for Application: February 1, May 1, October 1 cover photograph: Popular Mechanics for Kids 1 Message From the Chair Message From the Vice-Chair The Bell Fund had its first full year of operation in 1998, The Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund is facilitating committing more than $3 million to the production of experimentation in internet-television applications. It is Canadian new media tied to broadcast television productions. providing broadcasters and television producers with Our annual report details an impressive list of English opportunities to expand beyond their traditional activities and French language productions covering a wide variety and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the digital of subjects broadcast on a wide variety of channels. We medium and how it impacts on television viewing are heartened by the recognition these are garnering, behaviours. It is providing new media producers with the including an Imagina award at the Monte Carlo Television tools to explore the television world and to determine Festival. More important, the industry tells us that most where they can play a role in extending the television viewer of these projects would not have been possible without experience and provide enhanced forms of entertainment. Bell Fund support. For viewers and users, the Bell Fund is helping to The high quality of submissions has allowed us to raise make “turning on” and “logging on” a whole new the bar in our support for innovative and compelling new experience. A television program with a companion media products. We will continue to encourage higher website is no longer a novelty - but creative and creative and production values as the industry matures. innovative web sites remain relatively elusive. This is where the Bell Fund comes in. The financial profits from the Internet and its relatives are still largely in the future, and we continue to fine tune Bell Canada is committed to encouraging the growth of how best we can serve this not yet mature industry. This high quality content for the digital future. Through the year, we are producing training materials that will help Bell Fund, Bell Canada is not only providing much new media producers acquire the sophisticated financing needed funding for these new enterprises, but we have expertise found in our television industry today. also taken a leadership role in this new industry. The Bell Fund has provided professional feedback on projects, We are pleased with our success in seeding so many designed budget templates and financing standards, and proposals in the early days of the Bell Fund. Other created a comprehensive outline for a marketing plan. Funds are now following our lead and increasing the Most recently it has published a Handbook for new money available to the new media industry. The Bell media producers. Bell Canada is extremely proud of the Fund intends to be a continuing player in this field. We training role that the Bell Fund is playing in the industry. are pleased to announce that we expect to make the Bell Fund a long-term permanent support for Canadian new We are excited by the partnerships the Bell Fund is media and television production. This will allow us to generating and the potential the future holds. 99continue encouraging greater innovation and excellence in new media. We thank the television and new media industries for working with us to ensure that our support remains relevant and look forward to an exciting year ahead. Paul Hoffert Sheridan Scott Chair Vice-Chair & Secretary 88 2 Bell Fund Board Members Paul Hoffert, Chair [1] Pierre Lampron [5] Paul Hoffert is the immediate past Chair of the Ontario Pierre Lampron is the President of the Société de Arts Council, a Director of Smart Toronto, former dévelopment des entreprises culturelles (SODEC). He is Chair of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and a member of the Board of the Fonds d’investissement Television, and an adjunct Professor at York University. de la culture et des communications, and of Consortium The Financial Post magazine described him as one of TV5 Québec-Canada. Previously, he played a key role the New Mandarins, along with Microsoft’s Bill Gates. in the establishment of the TV5 Consortium and the 1 They said “Paul Hoffert’s music wakes up Canadians Access to Information laws and he was the Director of every morning on CTV’s Canada AM, but this member Telefilm’s Paris office, with responsibility for the London of the Canadian Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been office. He undertook various positions in the Quebec waking up the technology sector as well.” He has paved Ministry of Communications including Director General the way for the information highway with projects such of Policy. The government of France recognized the value as Ivy, which tracks the electronic reproduction of of his contributions to the film and audiovisual industries digital property, and Intercom Ontario, a totally “wired” by making him a Chevalier des arts et des lettres. 2 model community. Sheridan Scott, Vice-Chair & Secretary [2] Peter W. Pleckaitis, Treasurer [6] Sheridan Scott is Vice President-Office of the President Peter Pleckaitis is a Director in PricewaterhouseCoopers at Bell Canada. She is a communications lawyer and has Infocom, Entertainment and Media management occupied a number of senior positions in the consulting. Previously, he was Vice President, New 3 broadcasting and telecommunications sectors at the Media and Interactive Services at Bell Canada where he CRTC, and Bell Canada. She is a board member Opera had responsibility for creating their new media Lyra Ottawa, Canadian Women in Communications, and programming vision across existing and emerging a member of the Digital Media Champion Group appliances and distribution platforms. He has over 100 Growth Fund. She has also authored several articles on programming credits and is the winner of the Technical communications law. Achievement Gemini Award for the High Definition Television Production of the 1991 Major League 4 Michèle Fortin [3] Baseball All Star Game. Michèle Fortin was appointed Vice-President, French Television, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in June Annabel Slaight [7] 1994. In the previous two years, she had been General Annabel Slaight is President of The Owl Children’s Trust Manager, Programming. Before joining the CBC, Inc., a not-for-profit foundation which has pioneered a Fortin held several major positions with public and number of multiple media initiatives. She executive 5 private organizations including Telefilm Canada and the produced several popular children’s series including The Quebec Ministry of Education. A native Montrealer, Big Comfy Couch, Hello Mrs. Cherrywinkle, and Fortin holds a Master’s in Public Administration from OWL/TV for PBS. She is also the founder of OWL, the University of California, Berkeley. She is a member Chickadee, Chirp and Canadian Tree House FAMILY of the Board of the North American National magazines. She is the recipient of many awards Broadcasters Association. including three for lifetime achievement. 6 Sylvie Lalande [4] Suzanne Steeves [8] Sylvie Lalande is Group Vice-President, Communications Suzanne Steeves has more than 16 years of experience in and Consumer Marketing for Bell Canada, Quebec. She broadcasting and production in both the private and began her career at Télémedia’s CKAC in 1974 which she public sectors. Ms. Steeves joined Baton Broadcasting left in 1981 to found her own consultation company. Incorporated in March of 1995 as Vice-President of From 1987 to 1994, she occupied several senior level Production and Distribution. In 1997, she was appointed positions at le Groupe Vidéotron and its affiliates, Télé- Senior Vice President of Original Programming and 7 Métropole and Vidéoway Communications inc. Before Specialty Channels for Baton. In her role as head of all joining Bell in 1997, she was the President and CEO of CTV Sports, she is responsible for CTV SportsNet, and Consortium UBI.