CCTA Convention begins this Sunday
2001-05-22
Press Release
mediacaster magazine
(broadband and content)
TORONTO – Fun and games – and learning – will be “At Your Fingertips,” next week as that is the theme of the 2001 Canadian Cable Television Association Convention and CABLEXPO.
Featuring the brand new category one digital specialty services, this year’s convention kicks off this Sunday, May 27, at the Royal Ontario Museum. The cafe style setting for the evening (6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.) at the ROM promises to be a great chance to see what’s in store with the latest additions to our electronic culture while walking among artifacts of our past cultural history.
The convention kicks into high gear on Monday at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre when convention chair John Cassaday, president and CEO of Corus Entertainment, welcomes delegates and CCTA president Janet Yale gives her opening address on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.
The opening plenary, beginning at 9 a.m., will see leaders from Canada’s four major cable companies give their thoughts on launching digital and the new services, moderated by Michael Vaughan, host of ROBTv’s The Bottom Line.
At 11 a.m., the trade show floor, better known as CABLEXPO, opens for its first of two days. CABLEXPO hours are: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 28; 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on May 29
Monday’s luncheon keynote speaker, Industry Minister Brian Tobin, will give his thoughts on the communications industry in Canada, the leadership role the government plays as well as the National Broadband Task Force. During lunch the first of the much-anticipated Galaxi Awards for cable programming will also be presented (see Cablecaster’s hard copy for the full list of winners).
Monday afternoon’s concurrent sessions, always topical, will focus on marketing those brand new channels and on examining the technical features of the digital cable platforms.
Tuesday morning, small cable operators get a chance to raise issues directly with CRTC commissioners and staff during the small systems breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Banff Television Festival president Pat Ferns will then lead category two services in a pitch to cable representatives as the moderator of the morning plenary starting at 9 a.m.. At 10:45, Rogers senior v-p Dean MacDonald will have a frank ‘one-on-one’ with IBM Internet guru John Patrick on what the next generation Internet will look like.
During lunch, following another series of Galaxi Award presentations, TSN’s Michael Landsberg, host of Off the Record, will lead a discussion on Women in Sports Television Programming. Canada AM co-host Valerie Pringle will be joined on the panel by Canadian Olympic athletes. Afternoon concurrent sessions, starting at 2:30, will focus on the business of the Internet and interactive services including video-on-demand.
Tuesday evening, after the learning and all the business is done, Colin James will headline the evening banquet. Later, at the “Rally in the Alley” various programming groups will entertain delegates at their adjoining venues with music, food and refreshments to suite every taste. Check www.ccta.com for more information.
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/news/ccta-convention-begins-this-sunday/1000022845/
