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Tom Haberstroh Appointed Vice-President and General Manager CTV British Columbia
VANCOUVER - Elaine Ali, Senior Vice-President, CTV Stations Group, today announced the appointment of Tom Haberstroh to the position of Vice-President and General Manager for CTV British Columbia. With this appointment, effective immediately, Haberstroh moves back to his native Vancouver. Previously, he was Vice-President, CTV News.
"I think it is a tremendous opportunity in a burgeoning market, especially with the upcoming 2010 Olympic Winter Games," said Haberstroh. "Over the next few years I expect it will prove to be one of the most exciting jobs in Canadian Television. And, of course, it will be great to move back home."
In his 23 years with CTV, Haberstroh has been Executive Producer, CTV News Specials, Field Producing for the Ottawa Bureau, Executive Producer, Canada AM and Executive Producer, CTV Newsnet.
"This is a natural evolution for Tom, and his expertise will be invaluable in continuing CTV's growth in British Columbia," said Ali.
Haberstroh succeeds Jim Rusnak, who has held this position since 2003. Rusnak is moving on to another assignment within CTV, which will be announced at a later date.
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Season 4 of Canadian Idol Premieres May 29 on CTV
-- New format announced as Top 200 eliminations continue today in Toronto --
-- Milestone marked with Canadian Idol's 100th Episode --
TORONTO - CTV announced that Season 4 of Canadian Idol will premiere Monday, May 29 at 8 p.m. ET, just one week after American Idol completes its most successful season to date. Last week, Canadian Idol completed its most successful audition tour ever, with a turn-out of over 12,000, an increase of 81 per cent compared to 2005. Today, over 200 Gold Ticket winners - the most ever - from nine provinces and one territory, continue elimination rounds on a Toronto-area stage. By the end of the week, only 22 will have survived the cut, one of whom will become Canada's next Canadian Idol.
CTV also announced today a format change for the semi-final rounds of the Canadian Idol competition. This week, Canada's four-member judging panel will reduce Canadian Idol's "Top 200" to a "Top 22," instead of the "Top 32" seen in previous seasons. When Canadian Idol enters the voting stage in June, Canadians will determine which members of the Top 22 will remain in the competition and advance to the Top 10. |
Kitchener Record Wins 4 awards and Guelph Mercury wins 3 in Ontario Newspaper Awards Night held at Waterloo Inn
Kingston Whig-Standard Pritchett wins ONA's Journalist of the Year award
WATERLOO, Ont. (CP) - Jennifer Pritchett, a reporter for the Kingston Whig-Standard, has won this year's Journalist of the Year award at the 52nd annual Ontario Newspaper Awards.
Pritchett was lauded by the judges of the prestigious ONA category for a series of stories on Marcel Tremblay, the terminally ill Ottawa man who killed himself in January, 2005, in a carefully staged bid to draw national attention to the right-to-die cause that he supported.
"Pritchett brought intelligence and sensitivity to an issue with social, legal, medical and political implications," the three-person panel said.
David Bebee of the Waterloo Region Record won the Photojournalist of the Year Award for a diverse portfolio of "exceptional work," judge John Honderich said. It was Bebee's second consecutive year winning the category.
Jordan Press of Ryerson University was awarded the Rob Austin Memorial Award for student journalist of the year.
The awards were handed out at a gala in Waterloo on Saturday night attended by more than 450 people. There were almost 900 entries in 38 categories.
A complete list of 38 winners - Journalist of the Year, Jennifer Pritchett, a reporter for the Kingston Whig-Standard.
1) CANADIAN PRESS AWARD FOR SPOT NEWS REPORTING (under 25,000 circulation): News team, Guelph Mercury
2) CANADIAN PRESS AWARD FOR SPOT NEWS REPORTING (over 25,000 circulation): News team, the London Free Press, for a package of stories on its coverage of the end of a 15-year murder mystery surrounding the death of Lynda Shaw
3) JACK BOWMAN AWARD FOR SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY (under 25,000 circulation): Greg Furminger, Welland Tribune
4) WINNIFRED STOKES HILL AWARD FOR OPINION AND ANALYSIS (under 25,000 circulation): Phil McNichol, Owen Sound Sun Times
5) OSPREY MEDIA AWARD FOR MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS REPORTING (under 25,000 circulation): Greg Furminger, Welland Tribune
6) LARRY N. SMITH AWARD FOR NOVICE REPORTING (under 25,000 circulation): Brian Whitwham, Guelph Mercury
7) HAMILTON SPECTATOR AWARD FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: Susan Bradnam, London Free Press
8) ROBERT J. HANLEY AWARD FOR SPORTS WRITING (under 25,000 circulation): Ken Pagan, North Bay Nugget
9) JAMES BRUCE AWARD FOR ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WRITING: John Law, Niagara Falls Review
10) ROGERS CABLE AWARD FOR MUNICIPAL REPORTING (over 25,000 circulation): Roseann Danese, Windsor Star
11) FORD AWARD FOR SPOT NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY: Michael Lea, Kingston Whig-Standard
12) TORONTO STAR AWARD FOR DESIGN AND GRAPHICS (under 25,000 circulation): Drew Edwards, Guelph Mercury
13) CARL MORGAN AWARD FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS: London Free Press
14) DEL BELL AWARD FOR FEATURE WRITING: Susan Clairmont , Hamilton Spectator
15) LONDON FREE PRESS AWARD FOR NEWS FEATURE WRITING: Jennifer Pritchett, Kingston Whig-Standard
16) TORONTO STAR AWARD FOR EDITORIAL WRITING (under 25,000 circulation): George Mathewson, Sarnia Observer
17) CANWEST AWARD FOR BUSINESS WRITING: News team, Waterloo Region Record
18) GENE FLORCYK AWARD FOR SPORTS WRITING: Scott Radley, Hamilton Spectator
19) JOHN E. MOTZ AWARD FOR LAYOUT (over 25,000 circulation): Hamilton Spectator
20) WAYNE MACDONALD AWARD FOR NARRATIVE WRITING: Jon Wells, Hamilton Spectator
21) K.J. STRACHAN AWARD FOR EDITORIAL WRITING: Don McArthur, Windsor Star
22) JOAN MAY AWARD FOR COLUMN WRITING: Bill Dunphy, Hamilton Spectator
23) A. ROSS WEICHEL AWARD FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS (under 25,000 circulation): Peterborough Examiner
24) WALTER BLACKBURN AWARD FOR OPINION AND ANALYSIS: Christian Aagaard, Waterloo Region Record
25) LONDON FREE PRESS AWARD FOR SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY (under 25,000 circulation): James Masters, Owen Sound Sun Times
26) SANDY BAIRD AWARD FOR HUMOUR WRITING: Bernie Puchalski, St. Catharines Standard
27) NORMA BIDWELL AWARD FOR FAMILY/LIFESTYLE WRITING (under 25,000 circulation): Dan McCaffrey, Sarnia Observer
28) C.B. SCHMIDT AWARD FOR NOVICE REPORTING: Dalson Chen, Windsor Star
29) FORD AWARD FOR FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY: Derek Ruttan, London Free Press
30) BILL MCGRATH AWARD FOR DESIGN AND GRAPHICS: Tania Praeg, Waterloo Region Record
31) LONDON FREE PRESS AWARD FOR FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY (under 25,000
circulation): Luke Hendry, Belleville Intelligencer
32) JOHN E. MOTZ AWARD FOR LAYOUT AND DESIGN (under 25,000 circulation): Brantford Expositor
33) TONY FREDO AWARD FOR FAMILY/LIFESTYLE WRITING: Randy Richmond, London Free Press
34) MURRAY THOMSON AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING:
Heather Ibbotson and Michael-Allan Marion, Brantford Expositor
35) PRESS INSTITUTE OF CANADA AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE REPORTING: News team, Hamilton Spectator
36) ROGERS CABLE AWARD FOR SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY: Nick Brancaccio, Windsor Star
37) EDWARD J. HAYES AWARD FOR BEAT REPORTING: Tamsin McMahon, Kingston Whig-Standard
38) PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: David Bebee, Waterloo Region Record
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The most common reasons why news releases fail:
By Paul J. Krupin
1. You wrote an advertisement. It’s not a news release at all. It sells product. It fails to offer solid news of real tangible interest, value-added information, education or entertainment.
2. You wrote for a minority, not for a majority of people in the audience. You simply won’t compete with other news releases that clearly are written for a larger demographic of the media audience.
3. You are the center of attention, not the media audience. You focus on your business and your marketing, instead of things the editor and his or her audience will be interested in.
4. You forgot to put the five W’s up front. (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY THE AUDIENCE WILL BE INTERESTED). You didn’t clearly and succinctly tell the media why the audience would be interested in this.
5. You are too wordy and text dense. You focused on details and minutia, instead of the most important ideas, issues, factors, facts, and news angles. You fail to address the real significant impacts your story has on people.
6. You place too much information on one page the one page news release has a font size so small an editor needs a magnifying glass to read it.
7. You included corporate logos and other non-persuasive low value added graphics that distract the editor from your key message. You may have also used an unusual fancy font or a file format that turns to gobbledygook when it goes through a fax machine.
8. You wrote a personally biased article for the media to publish, instead of pitching the idea to the media and the objective reasons why the media audience will be interested.
9. You wrote about features and facts, and forgot to explain what it means to real people. Tell a story about real people. Add in real life human interest.
10. You wrote about how your news ties in to someone else’s fame and glory. Forget it. Never stand in the shadow of someone else. Make your own light. Tell your own story.
11. Your news release responds to something that just happened. You’re too late. You’re behind the eight ball. Forget it. Get out in front of the news.
12. You included too much hype, self-laudatory praise, pithy quotes, useless testimonials, jargon or gobbledygook. Get rid of it.
13. You may have also identified prior media coverage, which indicates it’s no longer a new issue. Get rid of it. Let each news release stand on it’s own two feet.
14. You tried to impress and be clever or innovative but you come off naïve, less than expert, biased, flippant, arrogant, or crazy. Tone it down. Get straight.
15. You made vague and unsubstantiated claims, or wild and outrageous claims, or you included a statement that simply rubs the media the wrong way. Get rid of them.
16. You are trying to be different, just for the sake of it, but you come off eccentric. Forget it. Don’t create a false or inflated image. Be yourself.
17. You wrote a rant and rave, worthy of a letter to the editor, instead of a problem solving tips article, worthy of a feature story. Decide what you want, put your best effort into it.
18. You are simply not credible. It could be your ideas are simply not well thought out, or that you’ve offered old well-worn material, or that you are too extreme or controversial, or not qualified. You may not be expert enough, or sufficiently qualified, to make the statements, compared to others in your field. You need to present information that qualifies you properly and adequately.
19. You provided poor contact information. You need to identify the best single point of contact and the correct phone number so interested media can reach you and get the best possible attention and response from you to meet their needs. One key person, one phone, no fax, one email address, and one URL (with no long string addresses).
20. You did not include a clear media call for action. You didn’t tell the media what you want them to do with your news release. You need to tell them what you are asking for or suggesting or offering. Then you need to offer the media incentives value-added reasons to do so, like free review copies, free test samples, interview questions and answers, media kits with story angles and stats and data, relevant photographs, etc.
21. You did not incorporate and integrate a primary response mechanism. You need to include a value-added reason, which motivates the editor to publish or mention your contact information, which will generate calls, traffic, interviews, or requests for more information. This usually means something unique and of special value to the audience, that the editor feels good about mentioning. Use an offer for a free problem solving report.
22. You sent the release to the wrong media. Target the media that your clients read, watch and listen to when they are in the right mood, that is, receptive to hearing about your news, and willing to take action when they get your message. Work with your publicist to target the right media.
23. You rely on a single fax or an email to produce an avalanche of media calls. You conduct no follow up. Get real. Follow up properly and you can triple or quadruple your media response rate. Better still, you can ask the editors “what can I give you to support a feature story and meet your needs”.
Finally, the biggest reason for news release failure is one of attitude. How do you define success or failure? It’s called unrealistic expectations. Get real. You won’t get rich off one news release. You’re chances of getting famous are just about as slim. You might be able to break even.
Look at your investment and compare it to what you need to break even on your investment. If you need to sell 100 books to cover the costs of a $500 outreach effort, you need ten articles because each article only produces ten sales. So that’s your breakeven goal. More books per article, means less articles will satisfy your needs.
You may simply have to be realistic and understand that while you are wildly interested in the topic, it may not have the broad general public interest that you have for the subject. If you wrote an article that has local interest and you expect national media to pay attention, think again.
If you want to be on the Oprah Winfrey Show, then you’d better pray because chances of doing it off one news release are very slim, near zero in fact. Get real. If she calls, then congratulations are in order. But don’t count on it. If you wrote an advertisement and wanted a feature story and interviews, don’t be surprised if the only media to call is the advertising manager offering you a package deal. You get what you ask for. What you offer is often times what you will get. |
Tracy Day appointed Publisher of Weekly Scoop
TORONTO- Greg Loewen, Vice President, Marketing and New Ventures for the Toronto Star today announced the appointment of Tracy Day to the role of Publisher of Weekly Scoop. Her appointment is effective immediately.
"After considering several internal and external candidates, it became clear that the best candidate for the role was the Magazine's own Director of Advertising," said Mr. Loewen. "Since she joined Weekly Scoop, Tracy has played an instrumental role in reaching out to the target advertisers and building the advertising pages of the magazine. She has been a highly respected leader and a good business partner for Vivian Vassos, our Editor in Chief at Weekly Scoop."
Ms. Day first joined Weekly Scoop in February 2006 from WeddingChannel.com where she was Publisher of WEDDINGBELLS US Publications Inc. from 2002 - 2004 and Executive Director and Associate Publisher of Regional Sales and National Fashion for WeddingChannel.com - the combined print magazine/online company between 2002 and 2006.
Prior to joining WeddingBells.com, Tracy held a number of increasingly senior sales roles at companies in Leeds, England, her hometown, Boston, Massachusetts and in Toronto.
Tracy holds a BA (Honours) degree in Public Media and Geography from Trinity and All Saints' College at Leeds University in Leeds, England.
Weekly Scoop is the only Canadian, English language weekly magazine that targets women between 18 and 49. This unique publication features celebrity stories with a Canadian twist. Whether stars are in Canada filming, shopping or attending high-powered events, Weekly Scoop has them covered. Weekly Scoop's focus extends beyond borders taking a global view, letting Canadian women enjoy the most exciting celebrity news wherever and whenever it happens. Celebrity style is hot, and only Weekly Scoop goes in-depth to show Canadian women how to create their own A-list looks via Canadian retailers they know and love. Sold on newsstands nationwide and backed by Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., Weekly Scoop promises to become one of this country's best-read magazines. In fact, when it debuted on Oct. 3, 2005, it was the largest Canadian magazine newsstand launch ever!
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U of G Campus, Students to be Featured in Film
There’s no better way to spend a summer than following a dream and showcasing your hometown. At least that’s Thomas Gofton’s view. Beginning May 23, the third-year psychology and theatre studies student begins production on his debut film, Four Aces, which is set in Guelph and features the University of Guelph as one of its main backdrops.
“It’s my way of giving back to my hometown and my school,” said Gofton, who started writing the film’s screenplay during the winter break. “I want to use Guelph and U of G as settings because I take pride in them and I want to give them both recognition and appreciation. That’s the point of doing this film.”
The film will be directed by U of G graduate Michael Chudnovsky, who is co-producing the film with Gofton and James Poirier. Director of photography is Guelph-born Derek Monalbetti, who recently graduated from the New York Film School. Filming is scheduled to last a month.
Filmmaking is something Gofton has been interested in doing since high school, but never had a chance to pursue until now. He enrolled in U of G’s psychology program because he was considering a career in teaching or child psychology. But he also wanted to further his interest in film, so he’s been taking theatre studies courses to learn more about acting and script writing and analysis.
“Thomas is one of a growing number of students in Guelph and area who have an intense passionate determination to make films,” said Prof. Paul Salmon, English and Theatre Studies, who taught Gofton in a Canadian film course this winter.
Four Aces is a romantic comedy about four young men who have been close friends since childhood. They’re all attracted to a young Australian woman named Jessie, who comes to Guelph to work for a year before beginning her studies at U of G. The four men befriend her, and slowly but surely, each of them starts to fall for her.
“Jessie’s parents are Canadian and both graduated from U of G’s marine biology program at a time when Guelph was one of the only schools in the country that offered it,” said Gofton. “She’s been backpacking around the world and has decided to pay tribute to her parents by coming to U of G.”
Cast in the role of Jessie is Casey Dutfield, a fourth-year theatre studies student. The four young men are played by John Battye, who recently completed his second year of theatre studies; theatre studies graduate Andrew Ferguson; Gofton; and Guelph native Ryan Barrett. Biological sciences student Christina Maio has also been cast in a principal role, playing the partner of Gofton’s character.
With a $30,000 budget, Gofton has his cast and crew in place and is making final arrangements to secure shooting locations. Van Gogh’s Ear, Café Chopin, Thomas Video, the Aberfoyle Mill and the grounds at U of G are among the locations that have been confirmed.
Although much of the pre-production legwork has been taken care of, Gofton is still actively seeking film extras of all ages. To assist him in his search, he’s staging a concert at Van Gogh’s Ear May 11 at 8 p.m. The evening will feature a number of musical acts, including The Next Best Thing, The Johnstones and Harpoon Dodger. Everyone attending the concert will have a chance to sign up for the film. Those interested in signing up but unable to attend the May 11 event can contact Gofton at 341-0870 or ceycil@lynnvander.com.
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| Poverty Eradication Linked To Press Freedom
There is a direct link between freedom of the media, and the ability of countries to eradicate poverty, Daniel Kaufmann, Director of Global Programs and Governance for the World Bank Institute, said at a conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka, reports the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. Mr Kaufmann was the keynote speaker at a UNESCO conference on “Media, Development and Poverty Eradication” which is being held today and tomorrow as a prelude to the World Press Freedom Day celebrations which will take place in Colombo on Wednesday.
“‘The data shows that increasing press freedom lowers corruption, and in turn, lowering corruption [can] increase per capita income three-fold,’ he said. ‘It is extremely important to approach this critical issue from a hard-nosed evidence basis – and that link is what the data clearly demonstrates.’”
The Daily Star (Lebanon) meanwhile notes that “a report released Wednesday by France's global media freedom group Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) said the year 2005 was ‘a bloody one, with at least 63 journalists and five media assistants killed worldwide and over 1,300 media workers attacked or threatened - the highest toll since 1995.’ According to a global survey of media freedom released last week by the Washington-based non-governmental organization Freedom House, 43 percent of the world's population lives in countries that lack a free press. The survey said only 17 percent of the world's population live in countries where the press is free, while the remaining 40 percent reside in a ‘grey zone of partial media freedom.’”
Reuters adds that “a Lebanese broadcaster who lost a hand and a leg in an attempt on her life received an annual press freedom award from the United Nations on Wednesday, with the organization warning journalists were increasingly at risk. Television presenter May Chidiac was proposed for the annual Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize by the Lebanese government. UNESCO, the United Nations cultural body, said she owed her popularity to her professionalism and direct approach in a country at war.”
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Hollinger International to Report 2006 First Quarter Financial Results on Wednesday, May 10th
Company Also Announces Plans to Change Its Name to Sun-Times Media Group, Inc.
NEW YORK - Hollinger International Inc. plans to issue a press release announcing its 2006 first quarter financial results before the market opens on Wednesday, May 10th. The Company will hold a conference call with the investment community at 10:00 am ET that day to discuss its performance in the first quarter, the period ended March 31, 2006.
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Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Announced
Leaders of Today and Tomorrow include Doctors, Activists, Entrepreneurs,
Academics and Corporate Officers
TORONTO - The Globe and Mail, Canada's National Newspaper, published Canada's Top 40 Under 40 on May 2, 2006. The annual list of accomplished Canadians who have achieved a significant level of success before the age of 40. A national program founded and managed by The Caldwell Partners, Canada's Top 40 Under 40 list celebrates exceptional leadership, innovation and achievement.
Among this year's diverse and impressive group of honourees:
- Jordan Banks, 37, Managing Director, eBay Canada, Toronto. From day
one, Banks was responsible for weaving eBay.ca into the Canadian
social fabric, making it the largest online shopping community in
Canada. He's also Founder and Chairman of Sportsfest, a non-profit
organization that raises funds for Alzheimer's research.
- Dr. Brenda Banwell, 38, Director, Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Clinic,
The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto. Banwell directs
world-class research and clinical work within the Toronto pediatric
multiple sclerosis program and teaches neurology at the University of
Toronto's medical school.
- James Dean, 39, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, DPoint
Technologies Inc., Vancouver. Dean founded his company to introduce
environmentally friendly fuel cell technology to the world.
- Josée Dykun, 37, Vice-President, Human Resources, Yellow Pages Group
Co., Montreal. Dykun helped the company redefine its corporate culture
and build a performance-driven management team with a 94 per cent
retention rate.
- Neil Hetherington, 32, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity,
Toronto. After volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Uganda,
Hetherington rebuilt the Toronto chapter into a construction power
house, building 50 homes a year for low income families.
- Craig Kielburger, 23, Chair and Founder, Free the Children, Toronto.
Kielburger's organization, which he founded when he was 12 years old,
fights for children's rights in over 40 countries around the world.
- Dr. Patrick P.W. Luke, 36, Surgical Director, Renal Transplantation,
London Health Sciences Centre, London. A leader in robotic surgery
innovation, Luke conducted Canada's first robotic surgery in urology.
- Dr. Karim Nader, 39, William Dawson Chair and Associate Professor,
Psychology, McGill University, Montreal. Dr. Nader's breakthrough
discovery - that fear-induced memories could be chemically modified or
erased - has opened up a field of therapeutic, philosophical and
artistic possibilities and could eventually lead to treatments for
drug addiction, epilepsy and obsessive compulsive disorder.
- Brian Scudamore, 35, Chief Executive officer, 1-800-Got Junk?,
Vancouver. Scudamore founded his company at age 18, hoping to earn
cash for university. Today, he leads a $66-million in revenue
enterprise.
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Nominations for Canada's Top 40 Under 40 program are called annually through a national campaign. Canadians are invited to submit the names of individuals whose achievements meet the five selection criteria: vision and leadership; innovation and achievement; impact; growth/development strategy; and community involvement and contribution. Each year, the program exceeds 1,200 nominations. An advisory board of business and community leaders selects the final list of 40.
Since its launch in 1995, there have been more than 400 outstanding Canadians named to the list. Past winners include Robert Milton (1998), Belinda Stronach (2001), Darren Entwistle (2001) and Jim Shaw (1996.) Winners include entrepreneurs, business leaders, researchers, doctors, aid workers, and charity founders.
The Globe and Mail, Canada's National Newspaper, is a division of Bell Globemedia, a dynamic multi-media company, which also owns CTV Inc., Canada's number-one private broadcaster.
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National Magazine Awards Foundation Announces 29th Annual Awards Nominees, Winners of the Best Student Writer Award, Alexander Ross Award for Best New Writer and The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement
MONTREAL - The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) released the 29th Magazine Awards nominees as well as the winners of the first annual Best Student Writer Award, the Alexander Ross Award for Best New Writer and the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement at the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec today. The nominees represent over 300 articles in 75 different magazines, and were chosen from over 2300 total entries.
Earning distinction with the most Award nominations is The Walrus (49 nominations) followed by Toronto Life (24 nominations) and Saturday Night (20 nominations). Other notable nominees include L'actualité (18 nominations), Explore (14 nominations) and Toro (13 nominations).
From an individual's perspective, Don Gillmor and Mark Schatzker are the most recognized finalists with 5 nominations each. However, nine contributors garnered 3 or 4 nominations, and more than 30 are nominated for two awards. For the complete list of finalists and archive of past winners, please visit www.magazine-awards.com.
The Foundation's inaugural Best Student Writer Award goes to Leigh Doyle for her article So Long that appeared in The Ryerson Review of Journalism. Leigh is a recent journalism graduate from Ryerson University and former editor of the Ryerson Review of Journalism.
The winner of this year's Alexander Ross Award for Best New Writer is Larry Frolick, for his articles The Wired Cabin in Outpost and Danger Signs in The Walrus. Larry Frolick is the author of Splitting Up: Divorce, Culture, and the Search for a Real Life, Ten Thousand Scorpions, and Grand Centaur Station. He lives in Toronto.
The NMAF's most coveted prize since its inception in 1990 is The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement. The Board of Directors of the National Magazine Awards Foundation is honoured to name John Macfarlane as this year's recipient for his exceptional contributions to the Canadian magazine community.
John Macfarlane has been editor of Toronto Life since 1992 - a position he also held from 1972 to 1974 - and also serves as vice-president of strategic development at St. Joseph Media. Under his editorial direction, Toronto Life has won more than 70 National Magazine Awards. With other stints at the Financial Times of Canada, Saturday Night, Weekend Magazine, and Maclean's, he has been lauded for what writer Robert Fulford calls "his unrelenting pressure for excellence and his shaping vision of what a good magazine can be."
Macfarlane's reputation for excellence extends beyond magazines. Other stops include CTV, The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail and volunteer positions with the Writers' Trust of Canada, the National Magazine Awards Foundation, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, to name but a few.
All National Magazine Awards, including the President's Medal for overall excellence, will be presented June 9th, 2006 at the Carlu in Toronto.
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2005 NOMINATION HIGHLIGHTS
Individuals
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1. Don Gillmor (5 nominations)
2. Mark Schatzker (5 nominations)
3. Sylvia Fraser, Duncan Hood, Tabatha Southey (4 nominations each)
4. Larry Frolick, Gerald Hannon, Chris Koentges, J.B. MacKinnon
(3 nominations each)
Magazines
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1. The Walrus (49 nominations)
2. Toronto Life (24 nominations)
3. Saturday Night (20 nominations)
4. L'actualité (18 nominations)
5. Explore (14 nominations)
6. Toro (13 nominations)
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ABOUT THE NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARDS FOUNDATION
The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) is a non-profit, bilingual organization that promotes excellence in Canadian magazine journalism through the judging and awarding of over 2,300 nominee submissions from across the country. The NMAF recognizes the outstanding efforts of more written and visual artists than any comparable organization on the continent, and is supported in part by the Government of Canada (through the Canada Magazine Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.)
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Jessica Alba Hosts The 2006 MTV Movie Awards Exclusively in Canada on MTV, June 8 Canadians Cast Votes for the First Time at MTV.ca
-- MTV Screen to air special one-hour episode at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT --
-- A Canadian FIRST: MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet Pre-Show at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT –
-- Movie Awards madness capped by MTV Movie Awards Aftershow at 11 p.m. ET/PT -
Toronto – MTV announced that it will broadcast The 2006 MTV Movie Awards in Canada on Thursday, June 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT, hosted by movie starlet Jessica Alba. MTV in Canada joins 170 other countries around the world broadcasting the two-hour event, which is at the vanguard of pop culture with its irreverent categories such as “Best Kiss,” “Best Villian” and “Breakthrough Performance.” Broadcast in 23 languages, The 2006 MTV Movie Awards will be seen in more than 480 million households.
In addition to on demand coverage on MTV Overdrive at mtv.ca., MTV in Canada will present over four hours of television coverage on the day of the broadcast, leading up to, including, and following the big event, direct from Holllywood and from MTV’s headquarters at Toronto’s Masonic Temple. The night kicks off with a special one-hour episode of MTV Screen at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, followed by The MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Following the awards broadcast (9-11 p.m. ET/PT), MTV Live hosts will re-cap the night’s festivities with the MTV Movie Awards Aftershow at 11 p.m. ET/PT.
MTV also announced today that for the first time ever, Canadians can help choose the winners of The 2006 MTV Movie Awards. Canadians can actually vote for the 2006 MTV Movie Awards nominees on MTV Overdrive, MTV’s broadband channel. Visit www.mtv.ca before May 19 and click on the 2006 MTV Movie Awards tab to vote and watch a sneak peek of each nominated movie. Viewers on MTV Overdrive will also be able receive more information about the show’s host, presenters and performers as they are announced.
Also for the first time ever, Canadians can watch The MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show., MTV presents the movie industry’s biggest celebrities as they arrive to walk the red carpet in front of hundreds of screaming fans. The half-hour special will talk with the biggest celebrities of the night as they arrive at the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City for The 2006 MTV Movie Awards.
Airing immediately before the Pre-Show at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT is a special one-hour episode of MTV Screen. MTV’s movie entertainment show will focus exclusively on the Movie Awards with interviews with stars, directors and critics while dishing the latest dirt on all The 2006 MTV Movie Award nominees. It’s essential preparation for the water cooler discussion guaranteed to happen the next day.
MTV is Canada’s most interactive broadcast brand and in keeping with that mandate, MTV will give Canadians a chance to weigh-in with comments, opinions and questions during The 2006 MTV Movie Awards broadcast. In every commercial break during The 2006 MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show and the awards broadcast, MTV’s hosts will encourage viewers to interact with each other, live and on-air. Then, immediately following the awards ceremony at 11 p.m. ET/PT, MTV presents The 2006 MTV Movie Awards Aftershow, inviting feedback and interaction from Canadians across the country as they analyze the winners, the losers, the outfits, the antics, the issues and more.
Host Jessica Alba is up for three nominations at this year’s event including Best Hero and Best On-Screen Team for her performance in the Fantastic Four (20th Century Fox), along with Sexiest Performance for her role in Sin City (Dimension Films), a film also up for Best Movie honors.
"The MTV Movie Awards is like a three-ring circus and I'm thrilled they asked me to be this year's ringmaster," said Alba.
“Talented, smart and funny, Jessica is one of Hollywood’s hottest and most sought-after actresses and the perfect leading lady for The Movie Awards,” said Christina Norman, President, MTV. “This year’s show promises to be anything but traditional - and Jessica is just the person to help mix things up.”
The MTV Movie Awards is just the most recent addition to Alba’s growing list of credits. In 2005 alone, Alba stared in three major motion pictures including the critically-acclaimed Sin City, starring alongside Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood and others; the Marvel Comics’ franchise blockbuster Fantastic Four where she played the lead female character Sue Storm; and the underwater action-adventure Into the Blue, starring alongside Paul Walker, Josh Brolin and Scott Caan. With all achieving notable success, the combined worldwide box offices for all three films was over half a billion dollars. Audiences will also recognize Alba from her stand out performance in the hit urban drama Honey, as well as her role as the lead character in James Cameron’s television series, Dark Angel, among her multiple other credits. Upcoming projects in which Alba will star include sequels to the comic book adaptation to Fantastic Four and the acclaimed Sin City, along with the psychological thriller, Awake opposite Canadian Hayden Christiansen, set for release in early 2007.
To vote for The 2006 MTV Movie Awards, watch performances from this year’s nominees, and to learn more about this year’s show, visit www.mtv.ca/movieawards
Tenth Planet Productions will once again join MTV to produce The 2006 MTV Movie Awards. Joel Gallen will executive produce the show for the twelfth consecutive year and also direct the show. Salli Frattini is Executive Producer for MTV. Rick Austin is Producer and Kathy Flynn will serve as Event Producer.
As previously announced, the nominees for The 2006 MTV Movie Awards are:
BEST MOVIE
• The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)
• Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• King Kong (Universal Pictures)
• Sin City (Dimension Films)
• Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)
BEST PERFORMANCE
• Joaquin Phoenix - Walk The Line (20th Century Fox)
• Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features)
• Rachel McAdams - Red Eye (DreamWorks SKG)
• Steve Carell - The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)
• Terrence Howard - Hustle & Flow (Paramount Classics)
• Reese Witherspoon - Walk The Line (20th Century Fox)
BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
• Owen Wilson - Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)
• Adam Sandler - The Longest Yard (Paramount Pictures)
• Steve Carell - The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)
• Tyler Perry – Tyler Perry’s Madea's Family Reunion (Lions Gate Films)
• Vince Vaughn - Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)
BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM
• Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen & Romany Malco – The 40-Year Old Virgin
(Universal Pictures)
• Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott & Jessica Simpson – The Dukes of Hazzard
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans & Michael Chiklis – Fantastic Four
(20th Century Fox)
• Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson & Rupert Grint – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson – Wedding Crashers
(New Line Cinema)
BEST VILLAIN
• Cillian Murphy – Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Hayden Christensen – Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
(20th Century Fox)
• Ralph Fiennes – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Tilda Swinton – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Disney Pictures)
• Tobin Bell – Saw II (Lions Gate Films)
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
• Andre “3000” Benjamin – Four Brothers (Paramount Pictures)
• Isla Fisher – Wedding Crashers (New Line Cinema)
• Nelly – The Longest Yard (Paramount Pictures)
• Jennifer Carpenter – The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Screen Gems)
• Romany Malco – The 40-Year Old Virgin (Universal Pictures)
• Taraji P. Henson – Hustle & Flow (Paramount Classics)
BEST HERO
• Christian Bale – Batman Begins (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Jessica Alba – Fantastic Four (20th Century Fox)
• Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Kate Beckinsale – Underworld: Evolution (Screen Gems)
• Ewan McGregor – Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox)
SEXIEST PERFORMANCE
• Beyonce Knowles – The Pink Panther (Sony Pictures)
• Jessica Alba – Sin City (Dimension Films)
• Jessica Simpson – The Dukes of Hazzard (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Ziyi Zhang – Memoirs of a Geisha (Sony Pictures)
• Rob Schneider – Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (Sony Pictures)
BEST FIGHT
• Kong vs. The Planes – King Kong (Universal Pictures)
• Stephen Chow vs. Axe Gang – Kung Fu Hustle (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie vs. Brad Pitt – Mr. & Mrs. Smith (20th Century Fox)
• Ewan McGregor vs. Hayden Christensen – Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (20th Century Fox)
BEST KISS
• Jake Gyllenhaal & Heath Ledger – Brokeback Mountain (Focus Features)
• Taraji P. Henson & Terrence Howard – Hustle & Flow (Paramount Classics)
• Anna Faris & Chris Marquette – Just Friends (New Line Cinema)
• Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt – Mr. & Mrs. Smith (20th Century Fox)
• Rosario Dawson & Clive Owen – Sin City (Dimension Films)
BEST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE
• Rachel Nichols - The Amityville Horror (MGM)
• Jennifer Carpenter – The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Screen Gems)
• Derek Richardson – Hostel (Lions Gate Films)
• Paris Hilton – House of Wax (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Dakota Fanning – War of the Worlds (Paramount Pictures)
mtvU STUDENT FILMMAKER AWARD
• Joshua Caldwell (Fordham University) – A Beautiful Lie
• Sean Mullin (Columbia University) – Sadiq
• Stephen Reedy (Diablo Valley College) – Undercut
• Jarrett Slavin (University of Michigan) – The Spiral Project
• Landon Zakheim (Emerson College) – The Fabulous Felix McCabe
2006 MTV Movie Awards
Total Number of Combined Category Nominations
The 40-Year Old Virgin 5
Wedding Crashers 5
Batman Begins 3
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 3
Hustle & Flow 3
Sin City 3
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith 3
Brokeback Mountain 2
The Dukes of Hazzard 2
The Exorcism of Emily Rose 2
Fantastic Four 2
King Kong 2
The Longest Yard 2
Mr. & Mrs. Smith 2
Walk The Line 2
The Amityville Horror 1
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 1
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo 1
Four Brothers 1
Hostel 1
House of Wax 1
Just Friends 1
Kung Fu Hustle 1
Tyler Perry’s Madea's Family Reunion 1
Memoirs of a Geisha 1
The Pink Panther 1
Red Eye 1
Saw II 1
Underworld: Evolution 1
War of the Worlds 1
* Nominees are chosen through a national poll of MTV and MTV2 viewers.
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Time Magazine selects the 100 most influential people in the world
Canadians who make this year's list include: Steve Nash,
Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake, and Jeffrey Skoll
TORONTO - In its May 8, 2006, edition (on newsstands
Monday, May 1), TIME Magazine unveils its annual list of the most influential
people in the world over the past year - the TIME 100. The list profiles the
lives and ideas of the world's most influential people and is split into
five categories: Leaders & Revolutionaries, Builders & Titans, Artists &
Entertainers, Heroes & Icons, and Scientists & Thinkers. "The TIME 100 list is
about people like Steve Nash," says TIME Canada editor Adi Ignatius, who
top-edited the special package. "He is not only the best player in basketball-
recent reports suggest he's about to win his second consecutive NBA MVP award-
but his selfless style of play is inspiring kids that you don't have to be a
selfish scorer to win, and to be appreciated."
Editors of TIME invited well-known individuals to write many of the
100 profiles, here are a few:
CHARLES BARKLEY on Steve nash
STEPHEN GAGHAN on Jeffrey Skoll
TOM CRUISE on J.J. Abrams
HEIDI KLUM on Tyra Banks
CONDOLEEZA RICE on Oprah Winfrey
MALCOLM GLADWELL on Steven Levitt
GLORIA STEINEM on Muktharan Bibi
LAURA BUSH on Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
Excerpts of Canadian Profiles
STEVE NASH - by Charles Barkley (Former NBA great)
"I'm glad the world has got a chance to learn from a guy like Steve
Nash," writes former NBA-great Charles Barkley, who was invited by TIME
editors to write the Nash profile. "What has he taught us? It pays to be
selfless. You can be content just to make the players around you better."
Barkley adds, "I'm a lucky guy to be living in Phoenix. The sun. The golf. And
I get to watch Nash act like a magician on the court. Can't top that. And who
knows? Maybe he'll inspire a whole new generation of kids to pass out of
double teams the way he does. Like Nash, maybe they'll be selfless off the
court too. That would be even better."
STEWART BUTTERFIELD/CATERINA FAKE - by Josh Quittner (Editor of Business
2.0)
"The secret of today's successful Web 2.0 companies: build a place that
attracts people by encouraging them to create the content-thereby drawing even
more people in to create even more stuff. The poster child of this (Tom)
Sawyeresque business model is the photo-sharing site called Flickr.
Caterina Fake, 37, an art director turned marketing whiz, and her Web designer
husband Stewart Butterfield, 33, hatched the idea after an engineer at their
fledgling online-gaming company devised a cool hack that let anyone share a
photo on the Web fast and effortlessly. They set to work giving users other
tools, including the ability to tag photos with keywords (the better to sort
and find things) and write notes on them (the better to leave wry remarks for
your pals)."
JEFF SKOLL - by Stephen Gaghan (Writer of Oscar-winning films like
Syriana and Traffic)
"Two things about Jeff Skoll: he wants to make the world a better place,
and he didn't found eBay (But was eBay's first president). I first met Skoll,
40, at an abandoned mental hospital in the Maryland countryside. He tells me
film can change the world. He tells me you can build companies based on trust.
He speaks softly. His company, Participant Productions, has just relieved
Warner Brothers of half the budget of my film Syriana. That seems sort of
risky, and I'm very curious about Jeff."
Canadians who made the list this year:
Heroes & Icons Builders & Titans Artists & Entertainers
-Steve Nash -Stewart Butterfield -Jeffrey Skoll
and Caterina Fake
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CTV News Wins Seven RTNDA Prairie Regional Awards
- Including Best "Large Market" Newscast, Best "Medium Market" Newcast and Best Spot News -
TORONTO - CTV News was honoured by the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) at the Prairie Region's annual awards banquet April 29. The RTNDA announced that CTV Winnipeg, CTV Regina and CTV Calgary received a combined seven prestigious awards including best newscast in a large market, best newscast in a medium market, and best spot news in a large market.
In addition to winning the RTNDA Awards for journalist excellence, CTV's Evening News is the No. 1 rated newscast in Winnipeg, Calgary and Regina in total audience and in all key demographics.
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What Would You Do to Make a Buck?
TORONTO - The new Report on Business magazine takes an unprecedented dive into the diverse world of working Canadians, exploring the notion of work from a variety of angles and what it takes to earn our daily bread. The May issue explores the typical, like commuting, cubicle design or flipping burgers for 0.0023% of Gerry Schwartz's income, to the extraordinary, like surviving an industrial accident, a mid-air collision with a bird, and torture.
Also in the May issue:
Canada's 10 best golf regions - With an introduction by Lorne Rubenstein, the special pullout guide explores Canada's best golf regions coast to coast, including where to stay, from Prince Edward Island to British Columbia, where to learn how to swing like a pro, and whether it's possible to land tickets to the Ryder Cup.
A lost cause - Columnist Eric Reguly argues that Canada's environmental groups have become ineffective and preoccupied by competition among each other, delivering mixed messages and muddled scientific evidence, while offering few alternatives to the confused and disengaged Canadian public.
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Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, and Chanel: Big Winners At The 2006 Canadian Fragrance Awards
Alfred Sung Awarded Lifetime Achievement Award
TORONTO - Cosmetics Magazine presented the first annual Canadian Fragrance Awards tonight, celebrating the best 2005 fragrance launches in Canada. The gala event, hosted at Toronto's York Event Theatre, featured 350 fragrance industry executives from across the country. Italian designer Giorgio Armani took home two of the ten awards winning for his men's Code and Prive scents, while Alfred Sung accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award on his 20th anniversary in the fragrance industry.
The awards are issued following a comprehensive judging process by Canadian beauty editors and international fragrance authorities with the goal of promoting fragrance in this country. Here are the winners:
1. Best Full-Market Launch - Women's
Lovely - Sarah Jessica Parker - Coty Prestige
2. Best Full-Market Launch - Men's
Armani Code - Giorgio Armani - L'Oreal Canada
3. Best Luxe Launch - Women's
Flowerbomb - Viktor & Rolf - L'Oreal Canada
4. Best Luxe Launch - Men's
Armani Prive - Giorgio Armani - L'Oreal Canada
5. Best Limited Launch - Women's
Euphoria - Calvin Klein - Coty Prestige
6. Best Limited Launch - Men's
Z Zegna - YSL Beaute Canada
7. Hall of Fame Award
Chanel No.5 - Chanel
8. Lifetime Achievement Award
Alfred Sung - Alfred Sung
9. Best Fragrance Editorial
Elle Canada - Fragrance Special
By Rita Silvan & Stephanie Polsinelli
10. Scent of the Year: Judges' Choice
Prada - Puig Prestige Beauty
The Canadian Fragrance Awards celebrate the best fragrance launches of the year. The goal of the program is to generate excitement for fragrance in Canada and to salute excellence in the industry.
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CTV Plans Live and Extensive Coverage for The Introduction of the Federal Budget
Lloyd Robertson and Canada's No. 1 National News Team Host CTV News Special on May 2 at 4 p.m. ET
TORONTO - When the Conservative government introduces its first ever federal budget next week, CTV will be front and centre providing live coverage across Canada. CTV announced their plans to provide extensive and multi-dimensional coverage of the budget which includes Budget 2006, a live special on CTV, continuous coverage on CTV Newsnet, online at ctv.ca and the next morning on Canada's national news program of record, Canada AM.
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19TH ANNUAL TRILLIUM BOOK AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
TORONTO - Winners of Ontario's foremost prize for literary excellence, the Trillium Book Award/Prix Trillium, were announced today by Ontario Minister of Culture, Caroline Di Cocco, and by Peter Steinmetz, acting Chair and Michel Frappier, Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Media Development Corporation at a gala at the St. Lawrence Hall.
"Ontario is home to many of Canada's - and indeed the world's - most exceptional writers," said Minister of Culture Caroline Di Cocco. "On behalf of the people of Ontario, I would like to congratulate all the nominees and the recipients. You have distinguished yourselves by producing creative and high-quality works that are among the very best in Ontario's thriving book publishing industry."
Trillium Book Award English-language and French-language winners receive $20,000. Their publishers receive $2,500 towards their promotional costs. The winners of the Trillium Book Award for Poetry in each language receive $10,000 and their winning publishers receive $2,000. For the first time this year, all finalists receive a $500 honorarium.
"We are fortunate that Ontario has such a wealth of literary talent to draw upon," stated Steinmetz. "Over 300 books were submitted this year for review by the English and French juries."
The winners are:
Trillium Book Award (English-language category)
Camilla Gibb - Sweetness in The Belly "This compelling first-person account of a white Muslim woman whose religious devotion proves the only constant in a life characterized by exile, offers scenes of both harrowing limbo and joyful uplift. The novel subtly engages topical questions of both politics and faith, but ultimately it is the author's sustained psychological acuity and uncanny empathy in detailing Lilly's life lessons that lend this book its vital depth, charm and staying power." Trillium Jury
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Trillium Book Award (French-language category)
Jean Mohsen Fahmy - L'Agonie des dieux "The author takes us back to ancient Egypt in a tale of forbidden love, treachery, and struggles for power and religious dominance. This talented and prolific writer's passion for history is evident as his unfailingly accurate pen takes us beyond historic events and upheavals. His book will capture the hearts of many readers." Trillium Jury
Publisher: Les Éditions L'Interligne
Trillium Book Award for Poetry (English-language category)
Kevin Connolly - drift "...what starts the heart stops the world"- anguish, mockery, the simple, searing truth of being and essence: these are some of the components of Kevin Connolly's astonishing and absolute poetry. drift, as its title suggests, wanders through the extremes of love and pain; negotiates these sites with disarming humour and piercing gravity. Heart-ache-making and perfectly arresting, these poems are what the Cyclone is to Coney Island; what poetry, at its thrilling, unsettling best, should be." Trillium Jury
Publisher: House of Anansi Press
Trillium Book Award for Poetry (French-language category)
Éric Charlebois - Centrifuge "His poems contain not only very concentrated materials but also all of the ingredients needed to impart a substance and flavour that we could not have suspected was there. There is nothing trivial or insignificant about the way in which the author plays with words; the result of his play upon play is a poetic thread of undeniable beauty." Trillium Jury
Publisher: Les Éditions David
In its 19th year, the Trillium Book Award is among the most highly regarded national and international literary prizes. Previous winners have included world-renowned authors such as Margaret Atwood, Wayson Choy, Thomas King, Michael Ondaatje, Maurice Henri and Michèle Matteau.
Ontario's publishing industry employs more than 6,300 people directly and many thousands more indirectly, contributing $1.7 billion to the province's economy each year.
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'Catholic Voices in the Media and the Public Square' is topic of conference
WATERLOO, Ont. - Respected journalists will discuss the theme of "Catholic Voices in the Media and the Public Square" at the third biannual Catholics in Public Life conference hosted by St. Jerome's University and the Waterloo Catholic District School Board from May 12 to 13.
The conference, held at St. Jerome's on the University of Waterloo campus, kicks off May 12 at 7:30 p.m. with a distinguished panel of Catholic journalists discussing the transformation of the public square and the role of the media in shaping public debate.
Panellists represent the religious and secular media: Paul Baumann (editor, Commonweal), Robert Mickens (Vatican correspondent, The Tablet), Marina Jimenez (senior writer, The Globe and Mail) and Peter Kavanagh (producer, CBC Radio). Michael Higgins, president of St. Jerome's University and author of the best-selling Stalking the Holy: The Pursuit of Saint-making (2006), will be the moderator.
"This is an opportunity to hear first-hand how the media do their job and how, as Catholics, these journalists struggle to present these stories impartially, even when they raise difficult issues for the church," said Scott Kline, one of the conference's co-directors and a professor of religious studies.
The Saturday morning schedule involves panellists and participants in group discussions around issues facing Catholics in public life. Discussion leaders include journalists Joe Sinasac of The Catholic Register and Diane Bisson of Catholic New Times along with civic leaders Dianne Moser, chair of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and Deborah Pecoskie, chair of St. Jerome's Board of Governors. One of the goals in these discussions is to help Catholic laity develop greater media literacy.
Kline said the conference offers an opportunity for Catholics to come together to have open and frank discussions about public and political issues currently making headlines.
"The wonderful aspect of this conference is that it brings together local political and civic leaders with international Catholic leaders," he said. "This year's focus on the media is especially timely given the recent coverage of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, same-sex marriage and the war on terror."
The Friday evening event is free and open to the public. The Saturday panel discussions and luncheon require registration. The registration fee for the conference is $60 for the general public, $50 for students. Registration and conference details are available at www.sju.ca/CIPL.html.
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TSN Enjoys 48 Per Cent Audience Increase for 2005/06 NHL Regular Season
TORONTO - TSN's 69-game NHL regular season national broadcast schedule came to a close yesterday, finishing as one of the most successful NHL broadcast seasons ever with a per game average audience of 476,000 viewers*. This represents a 48 per cent increase over the 2003/04 season (the last full NHL season), which averaged 322,000 viewers for 75 games, and 53 per cent over 2002/03 (311,000 viewers for 73 games).
TSN's signature Wednesday Night Hockey broadcasts averaged 539,000 viewers for 32 games this season, 52 per cent higher than 2003/04. TSN televised an NHL game every Wednesday night throughout the regular season, making it appointment television for hockey fans across the country.
TSN's regional coverage of Toronto Maple Leafs broadcasts were up five per cent this year over 2003/04, with an average of 501,000 viewers for 15 games.
Six of the Top 10 most watched NHL games of all time on TSN were broadcast this season. TSN's first game of an opening night doubleheader (October 5, Ottawa @ Toronto) attracted a record audience of 2.1 million viewers, making it the most watched NHL telecast ever on TSN, and the fourth most watched program of all time on TSN. Game 2 on opening night (Phoenix @
Vancouver) attracted 1.3 million viewers, while the Toronto @ Buffalo game on November 11 also cracked the one million-viewer mark with an audience of 1.01 million. (See chart below.)
TSN has coverage of the first three rounds of the NHL Playoffs, beginning Friday, April 21 with the Conference Quarter-finals, Game 1: San Jose @ Nashville at 8 p.m. ET.
The following is a list of TSN's Top 10 NHL games of all time:
1. Ottawa @ Toronto - October 5, 2005 - regular season/opening night -
2,105,000
2. Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia - May 20, 2004 - playoffs, Game 6
Conference Final - 1,391,000
3. Phoenix @ Vancouver - October 5, 2005 - regular season/opening
night - 1,309,000
4. Toronto @ Buffalo - November 11, 2005 - regular season - 1,008,000
5. Toronto @ Chicago - November 28, 1993 - regular season - 980,000
6. Montreal @ Toronto - March 7, 2006 - regular season - 891,000
7. Toronto @ Winnipeg - April 8, 1993 - regular season - 884,000
8. Toronto @ Montreal - March 23, 2006 - regular season - 870,000
9. Vancouver @ Toronto - November 24, 2003 - regular season - 851,000
10. Toronto @ Tampa Bay - November 30, 2005 - regular season - 848,000
TSN is Canada's Sports Leader. Setting the Canadian sports broadcasting standard, TSN's flagship news program, SportsCentre, was voted the number-one source for sports news by sports fans from across the country.(xx) TSN's comprehensive broadcast schedule also features the NHL and first three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs; Toronto Maple Leafs hockey; International Hockey including the IIHF World Junior Championship; the Olympic Games through 2012; CFL including Friday Night Football; NFL including Sunday and Monday Night Football; PGA TOUR and all four golf Majors; Championship Curling; NASCAR including the Daytona 500; Formula One including the Canadian Grand Prix; IRL including the Indy 500; Blue Jays baseball; Raptors basketball and the NBA Finals; Tennis and all four Grand Slam events; 2006 FIFA World Cup; UEFA Champions League Soccer; HBO World Championship boxing; and Figure Skating including the national championships. TSN HD offers more sports coverage, more hours and more events in High Definition than any other network in Canada, reinforcing TSN's position as Canada's Sports Leader in High Definition. TSN is available in eight million households. TSN's programming and news content is also available online at TSN.ca.
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The 20 Best Small Companies to Work for in Canada
TORONTO - The Globe and Mail has released its list of 'The 20 Best Small Companies to Work for in Canada,' a new annual ranking of Canada's top small businesses conducted in association with the Queen's School of Business' Centre for Business Venturing and Hewitt Associates, a global human resources outsourcing and consulting firm.
The list can be found on The Globe's small business hub at globeandmail.com/smallbusiness and will be published in the next issue of Report on Small Business, which comes out on Tuesday, April 25th. Report on Small Business is the Globe's specialty magazine targeted at the entrepreneurial market, which is distributed to members of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Seventy-nine companies registered for the study and 20 were selected as top performers. The wide scope and diversity of the finalists proves there's no single magic formula for success. The top five are:
1. SportsDirect, an on-line media company for sports statistics and news
based in Halifax;
2. High Road Communications, a tech-specific PR agency in Toronto;
3. Sapient Canada, a global business and technology consulting firm from
Toronto;
4. CNC Global, an IT placement, administration and payroll services firm
in Toronto;
5. Cariboo Friendship Society, a not-for-profit social services agency
in Williams Lake, B.C.
"The list of companies is diverse but they have one thing in common: they thrive on the excitement, challenges and camaraderie involved in building and growing a small enterprise," said Report on Small Business Editor Noel Hulsman.
Rankings were based on the results of detailed questionnaires and employee feedback on issues such as alignment to goals, workplace practices, and vision.
The Globe and Mail's small business web site and Report on Small Business serve the fastest growing segment of the economy: entrepreneurs. In the next five years, more than 100,000 new businesses will launch in Canada. The Globe and Mail serves the unique needs of these businesses with dedicated coverage of small business issues and stories.
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CHUM Limited Announced Second Quarter 2006 Financial Results
Q2 Highlights include:
- Revenue up 7.8%
- EBITDA up 30%
- Net earnings per share up $0.12 to $0.21
- Cash flow from operations up 39%
TORONTO, April 13 /CNW/ - CHUM Limited (TSX: CHM/CHM.NV.B) announces the
following review and analysis of the Company's operations and financial
position for the three months and six months ended February 28, 2006 and
update to the information in CHUM Limited's Management's Discussion and
Analysis for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2005 ("Annual MD&A") contained
in its 2005 Annual Report, and its Interim Management's Discussion and
Analysis for its first quarter ended November 30, 2005 ("Q1MD&A").
Corporate Profile
CHUM Limited, one of Canada's leading media companies and content
providers, owns and operates 33 radio stations and 33 television stations, as
well as an environmental music distribution division. Through international
format licences and program sales, CHUM's original content is seen in over
130 countries worldwide and is distributed via new media platforms, including
interactive television, wireless services and exclusive CHUM-branded Internet
properties. The shares of CHUM Limited trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange
("TSX") under the ticker symbols: CHM/CHM.NV.B.
Strategy
The Company intends to continue to develop and leverage its brands by
seeking new opportunities and focusing on assets that are both consistent in
quality and expand the Company's listenership, viewership and interaction with
its audiences across multiple delivery platforms and geographic locations. The
Company seeks to maintain a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship,
combined with operational discipline, to generate long-term growth,
profitability and value. The Company expects to execute its strategy through
expansion of its existing businesses, partnerships and joint ventures and
acquisitions.
The Company's radio segment has the capacity to increase the number of
stations in certain markets and to penetrate new markets within the existing
regulatory framework. For example, as previously reported, in July 2005, the
Company filed an application for a broadcast licence to operate a new FM radio
station in Calgary, Alberta. The Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission held a hearing to consider the Company's
application and those of other competing applicants beginning on February 21,
2006. A decision is expected in Summer 2006.
Similarly, the Company's television segment continues to seek to expand
the reach of its conventional television business on a profitable basis and to
expand its offering of specialty television channels in complementary genres.
The Company continues to work towards a number of goals that have helped
shape its operations over the last few years, such as improving operating
margins in its conventional television properties, increasing performance at
its recently acquired stations, minimizing operating losses at its AM radio
stations and fostering increased radio/television cross-promotion and sales
opportunities. The Company seeks to improve its return on capital employed by
increasing operating profit and efficiently managing the capital invested in
its businesses.
One of the Company's continuing priorities in fiscal 2006 is to focus on
positioning its conventional television properties to enhance significantly
their long-term growth prospects and profitability. Management expects the
financial performance of its conventional television stations to improve by:
- increasing ratings on prime time programming at a reasonable cost;
- reducing non-programming operating expenses; and
- leveraging differentiated content and brands across other
platforms and geographies.
<<
Operating Results
(in thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)
Six Months Ended Three Months Ended
(not audited) (not audited)
Feb. 28 Feb. 28 % Feb. 28 Feb. 28 %
2006 2005 Change 2006 2005 Change
-------------------------- -------------------------
Revenue(1) 339,150 301,916 12.3% 152,422 141,340 7.8%
Operations expenses 271,262 244,130 11.1% 133,216 126,560 5.3%
-------------------------- -------------------------
EBITDA(2) 67,888 57,786 17.5% 19,206 14,780 30.0%
-------------------------- -------------------------
Depreciation 13,462 12,723 5.8% 6,848 6,750 1.5%
Interest expense 7,895 5,789 36.4% 3,989 4,185 (4.7%)
Interest and other
income (850) (627) 35.6% (705) (451) 56.3%
-------------------------- -------------------------
Earnings before
income taxes and
non-controlling
interest 47,381 39,901 18.7% 9,074 4,296 111.2%
Provision for income
taxes 17,794 15,178 17.2% 3,258 1,571 107.4%
Non-controlling
interest (605) 756 - (106) 206 -
-------------------------- -------------------------
Net earnings for the
period 30,192 23,967 26.0% 5,922 2,519 135.1%
-------------------------- -------------------------
Net earnings per
share(3) 1.07 0.87 23.0% 0.21 0.09 133.3%
Cash flow from
operations(4) 43,674 37,271 17.2% 12,642 9,069 39.4%
Cash flow per share(5) 1.55 1.35 14.8% 0.45 0.33 36.4%
(1) Agency commissions on advertising sales are deducted from gross
revenues prior to recording such revenues. All further references to
revenues in this press release are determined in accordance with such
practice unless otherwise noted.
(2) See definition of EBITDA under "Supplementary Measures".
(3) The Company has two classes of outstanding shares: Common shares and
Non-voting Class B shares. Holders of Non-voting Class B shares are
not entitled to vote at meetings of shareholders of the Company
except as provided by law. In addition, the Company's articles do not
provide a mechanism permitting holders of Non-voting Class B shares
to participate in any take-over bid for the Common shares of the
Company which does not expressly include an offer for the Non-voting
Class B shares.
(4) Before changes in non-cash balances related to operations.
(5) See definition of Cash flow per share under "Supplementary Measures".
The Company's consolidated results continued to advance in the second
quarter of fiscal 2006. Increases in consolidated revenue and EBITDA (as
defined in "Supplementary Measures") were driven by the performance of both
the radio and television segments. Operating results are more fully reviewed
in the section "Business Segment Performance".
Consolidated revenue in the second quarter increased by 7.8% to
$152.4 million from $141.3 million in the second quarter last year.
Consolidated EBITDA in the quarter increased by 30.0% to $19.2 million, from
$14.8 million in the corresponding period last year. For the six months ended
February 28, 2006, revenue increased 12.3% to $339.2 million from
$301.9 million and EBITDA increased 17.5% to $67.9 million from $57.8 million
compared with the corresponding period last year.
Operations expenses in the first six months include a charge of
$1.1 million related to the termination of two senior managers of the Company.
This charge was recorded in the "Other" segment, with $0.8 million recorded in
the first quarter and $0.3 million recorded in the second quarter.
The consolidated depreciation expense in the second quarter and first six
months of fiscal 2006 increased $0.1 million and $0.7 million, respectively,
over the corresponding periods last year. These increases are due to a higher
level of capital expenditure over the same periods last year, and in the case
of the first six months, to depreciation attributable to the television
stations acquired through the purchase of Craig Media Inc. ("CMI").
Interest expense in the second quarter decreased to $4.0 million from
$4.2 million in the corresponding period last year primarily as a result of a
lower level of debt outstanding during the second quarter this year. However,
interest expense in the first six months of this year increased to
$7.9 million from $5.8 million in the corresponding period last year. This
increase was primarily due to a higher level of debt outstanding during the
first quarter of this year versus the first quarter last year as a result of
the financing of the acquisition of CMI with bank debt. The CMI acquisition
was completed in December 2004.
The Company's effective income tax rate in the second quarter of fiscal
2006 of 35.9% was down marginally from 36.6% in the second quarter of fiscal
2005. For the six months ended February 28, 2006, the effective income tax
rate was 37.6% compared with 38.0% during the corresponding period last year.
The Company's net earnings in the second quarter increased by
$3.4 million to $5.9 million from $2.5 million in the second quarter last
year. For the first six months of this year, net earnings increased 26.0% to
$30.2 million from $24.0 million during the same period last year. Net
earnings for the second quarter and first six months, excluding the severance
charges, would have been $6.1 million and $30.9 million, respectively.
Summary of Quarterly Results
Financial results for the quarter ended February 28, 2006 and the
preceding seven quarters are summarized below:
Preceding Eight Quarters (not audited)
(in thousands of dollars, except for per share amounts)
Net
Net Earnings
Three Months Ended Revenue Earnings Per Share
------------------ ------- -------- ---------
February 28, 2006 152,422 5,922 0.21
November 30, 2005 186,728 24,270 0.86
August 31, 2005 150,962 (6,022) (0.22)
May 31, 2005 175,514 23,420 0.83
February 28, 2005 141,340 2,519 0.09
November 30, 2004 160,576 21,448 0.78
August 31, 2004 130,797 7,980 0.29
May 31, 2004 148,775 14,268 0.52
For all but one quarter, for each measure in every period shown, figures
for the most recent quarter show improvement from the same period a year
earlier. The Company experiences seasonality of revenues, with the strongest
results in the first and third quarters, primarily due to the advertising
spending patterns of customers in the Company's radio and television segments.
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Transcontinental acquires majority interest in Enixa Media
MONTREAL - Transcontinental acquired a majority interest in Montreal-based Enixa Media on April 12. The company manages a network of 400 in-store digital advertising displays, currently located in a total of 45 Metro and other grocery stores in Greater Montreal and reaching close to one million consumers weekly. The investment will enable Enixa's network to be extended to close to 2000 flat screens in some 200 grocery and other retail locations across the province over the next two years, with an estimated weekly reach of more than three million consumers. Enixa already counts many well-known brand names as advertisers on its network, whose flexible technology means campaigns can be targeted locally or more broadly and changed frequently and remotely via Internet. More information about Enixa Media can be found at enixamedia.com.
"This partnership is a great fit for Transcontinental," said
Transcontinental's President and CEO, Luc Desjardins. "Working with Enixa, we
are offering our advertisers yet another complementary medium to our
newspapers, magazines, flyers and websites by which they can reach consumers.
This extension of our presence on multi-channel platforms is in line with our
Evolution 2010 business plan. I have every confidence in the rapid growth
prospects of this innovative business model, especially given the quality of
Enixa's product and its solid management team."
For his part, Pierre Bélanger, President of Enixa Media, commented:
"Signing this agreement with a media company with both the marketing reach and
expertise of Transcontinental will allow us to realize the vision we have had
for Enixa from its start three years ago. Enixa will benefit from its ability
to leverage the relationships Transcontinental has already established with
both potential advertisers on our digital platform and major retailers to
house our displays. We look forward to a very promising partnership."
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Newspapers and Taxpayers' Groups Press Harper Government to Keep Transparency Pledges - Federal Accountability Act Plays "Bait and Switch" with Voters
OTTAWA - The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Canadian Newspaper Association are calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour campaign promises to end a culture of secrecy in Ottawa by committing to a timetable for enacting reforms to the Access to Information Act before the next federal election.
"We are calling on the government to implement - not study, but implement
- the Information Commissioner's recommendations for reform of the Access to Information Act, exactly as promised in the Conservatives' election platform," John Williamson, Federal Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation said at a news conference on Parliament Hill today.
"Prime Minister Harper is wrong if he believes this is politics as usual," he said. "Advocates seeking reform are not looking to pocket half a loaf here."
"By introducing the Federal Accountability Act without promised reforms to improve transparency, the government has played a game of bait and switch with Canadian voters," Anne Kothawala, President and CEO of the Canadian Newspaper Association said.
"Prime Minister Harper made a bold promise to restore the public's trust in government," she said. "But, strangely, he left meaningful reforms to Access to Information out. It's as if an auto manufacturer promised to make its cars safer, added airbags and left out the seatbelts."
The two groups said they have come together to make common cause in a matter of vital public interest. Access to Information is essential for the press to do its job of informing the public on what government is doing and why, and it is vital for taxpayers to learn how their dollars are used.
The Conservative election platform pledged to enact the Open Government Act, a bill drafted by Information Commissioner John Reid at the request of Parliament last year. Instead of introducing this bill in the House as his party's platform promised, Treasury Board President John Baird sent the draft bill and a discussion paper to a Parliamentary committee for further study.
"The government is in serious danger of running out of time to honour its promise to improve transparency," Ms. Kothawala said. "Transparency is so critical, not just because it shines a light on wrongdoing, but because it is a powerful deterrent of wrongdoing," she said.
The two groups also called on opposition parties to work collaboratively to speed the introduction and passage of a bill to reform the Access to Information Act.
"If Opposition members stand shoulder to shoulder they can prevail on this important issue," Mr. Williamson said.
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CTV News Launches National Aboriginal Internship Program
Toronto, - CTV News announced April 12 that it is launching a National Aboriginal Internship Program. Eleven regional stations across the country will each offer a twelve-week paid internship (summer 2006) as part of an ongoing commitment to Aboriginal reflection through participation and partnership.
"With the introduction of this National Aboriginal Internship Program, CTV News is committed to creating a greater Aboriginal presence in our newsrooms on a local and national basis," said Robert Hurst, President, CTV News. "This will help to increase Aboriginal reflection and participation in the broadcasting industry, one of the key issues raised in the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Task Force on Cultural Diversity. The National Aboriginal Internship Program is in addition to other Aboriginal initiatives that CTV actively supports."
The available internships will be in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Sudbury, Kitchener, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. Applicants are required to be of Aboriginal ancestry and registered in a broadcast educational program or related discipline, with an interest in a career in broadcasting, or have equivalent work experience. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to gain 12 weeks of valuable experience, as well as training and development in many aspects of news journalism and production.
For information on applying for these positions, please visit www.ctv.ca and follow the link to Careers at the bottom of the home page.
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CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENTINCREASES SYNERGIES TARGET TO $30 MILLION SELECTS COCA-COLA AS EXCLUSIVE BEVERAGE SUPPLIER AND EXPANDS DIGITAL PRE-SHOW NETWORK
Toronto, ON Cineplex Entertainment announced April 11 that it expects annual recurring synergies (savings) resulting from aquisition of Famous Players to now reach $30 million dollars. This is a $5 million increase versus the $25 million target that was previously announced. Cineplex Entertainment also announced the selection of Coca-Cola as the exclusive beverage partner to all 129 Cineplex Entertainment cinemas across Canada for the next five years and the continued expansion of the Digital Pre-Show Network.
Ellis Jacob, President and CEO, Cineplex Entertainment said: “We are committed to maximizing every opportunity to increase our annual synergies. The additional $5 million announced today is a direct result of management’s continued focus in identifying all possible operating efficiencies and revenue enhancements from the combined business.” The $30 million in annualized synergies are expected to be achieved on a run rate basis effective as of the end of the second quarter of 2006.
“Our new arrangement with Coca-Cola has set a new precedent for our business and has certainly exceeded our objectives and expectations. The team at Coca-Cola had a very creative proposal that provides us with opportunities to work together on our digital pre-show, on joint marketing campaigns and with our Cineplex Media business,” said Ellis Jacob.
Also announced today was the continued expansion of the Digital Pre-Show Network into an additional 39 theatres with 457 screens bringing the total number of digitally equipped locations to 71 theatres and 816 screens. The network was originally launched in April 2005 in the Toronto Extended Market Area (EMA) only. Today’s announcement expands the network regionally into the balance of Ontario in addition to the Montreal EMA, Calgary and the Vancouver EMA.
The Digital Pre-Show Network projects high definition multi-media presentations encompassing a combination of entertainment, advertising and promotional messages to our theatre guests prior to the beginning of each feature film presentation.
For advertisers, the network means reduced production costs, increased flexibility and creativity, improved image quality and much larger images versus the traditional slide program that was previously in place.
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Canadian Taxpayers Federation & Canadian Newspaper Association to Respond to Federal Accountability Act
OTTAWA - The Canadian Taxpayers Federation and the Canadian Newspaper Association will hold a joint news conference today on Parliament Hill to comment on the Conservative government's Federal Accountability Act.
What: Reaction to Federal Accountability Act
When: 12:00 pm
Wednesday, April 12
Where: Charles Lynch Press Conference Room
Room 130-S, Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa
The Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) is the voice of Canada's daily newspaper industry, dedicated to promoting the positive reputation of newspapers as an essential medium that benefits all Canadians. The CNA is a vigorous champion of journalistic freedom and democratic reform and is a valued source of industry information, trends and best practices.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is Canada's largest taxpayer research and advocacy organization with over 72,000 supporters. Established in 1990, it is a federally incorporated not-for-profit, non-partisan, organization. The CTF is dedicated to lower taxes, less waste, and more accountable government.
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Newspaper Group to Harper Government: Keep Transparency Promises - Access to Information Reforms in Federal Accountability Act Fall Short: CNA
TORONTO - The Canadian Newspaper Association is deeply concerned that the removal of Access to Information reforms from the Federal Accountability Act, tabled in Parliament today, signals that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has backed away from promises to improve transparency in government.
"We welcome the broadening of the Access to Information Act to cover Crown Corporations and federal agencies beyond its reach," CNA President and CEO Anne Kothawala said today in a statement.
"But these token measures will not roll back the culture of secrecy in Ottawa. The Conservatives are enacting the easy, obvious, but least radical of changes to the Access to Information Act that were promised in their election platform. We worry that reforms that will bring about meaningful change, including some that were recommended by Parliament two decades ago, have been postponed, perhaps indefinitely," Ms. Kothawala said, referring to the government's plan to send only a discussion paper and a draft bill to a parliamentary committee for review.
"Accountability and transparency are two sides of the same coin," she said. "In the sponsorship scandal we saw that loopholes in Access to Information were big enough to drive a truck through. After five years of headlines and two elections, Canadians have passed the tipping point in their expectations for meaningful change. Mr. Harper made a strong commitment. We expect him to honour it, not in part, but fully. A partially kept promise will not re-glue the pieces of the shattered public trust."
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Waterloo's Lisa LaFlamme Goes on Patrol with Canadian Troops in Afghanistan W-FIVE Special airs Saturday, April 15 at 7 p.m.
Toronto- CTV gives viewers an exclusive glimpse into the reality facing Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan with unprecedented access into Operation Peacemaker, the largest combat mission for Canadian infantry since the Korean War.
In a special W-FIVE documentary airing Saturday, April 15 at 7 pm on CTV (in all markets), correspondent Lisa LaFlamme joins Canadian Forces on a grueling 12-day mission to track the Taliban.
"As politicians debate Canada's role in Afghanistan, our viewers will get a first-hand look at the psychological and physical challenges these young men and women face as they risk their lives on a daily basis," said LaFlamme.
LaFlamme follows the infantry every step of the way as they begin their hunt for Taliban leader, Mullah Tahir, one of Osama Bin Laden's senior commanders. On this mission, the first since Canada assumed military responsibility for Southern Afghanistan, the soldiers prepare to battle an unpredictable enemy in an unforgiving terrain. During the 12 days, the soldiers provide honest and candid commentary on their emotional and physical well being as they encounter roadside bombs, impoverished Afghanistan villagers and embark on foot patrol up a 7,000-foot mountain.
This W-FIVE documentary is in keeping with CTV's on-going, comprehensive coverage of Canadian efforts in Afghanistan. As the only Canadian news provider to have a permanent bureau i | |
