THIS ISSUE'S STREAM:
+++ BCE and Thomson Confirm Marriage of Convergence
+++ Johnny Can Download MP3s, But Can He Spell?
+++ Bell and CBC Connect Kids with Olympic Athletes
+++ CBC and Bell Mobility Offer Wireless Olympic Coverage
+++ Chapters Online Adds Radio and Rare Books
+++ Are Retailers Prepared for 2000 Christmas Rush?
+++ Holt Renfrew Pulls Plug on E-Commerce Web site
+++ CIRA Sets Out Details on .ca Domain Name Registration
+++ Okanagan Valley: The Next New Media Hotspot?
+++ Who Wants to Confound the Censors?
+++ Man Bites Dot - Film at 11:00
+++ And in This Corner...
+++ Liberty Village New Media Centre Appoints OFDC's Brown
+++ OFDC Offers Executive Forum in New Media
+++ $10K Up For Grabs at The CAB's Dotcom Showdown
+++ A Special Invitation for BitStream Subscribers
+++ CAB Dotcom Showdown at Broadcasting 2000
+++ New Media Business Conference
+++ Marketing Online Conference
+++ Digital Marketing Awards
+++ Rush Job: New Employment Opportunities
+++ Featured Job: Associate Creative Director, Toronto
||||||||||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||||||||||
Cdromstore.com is #1 for the Canadian Internet Professional
WE SELL: Adobe-Allaire-Macromedia-Microsoft-Symantec
Stock Images: Photodisc-Image Ideas-Rubber Ball-Image Farm
Authorized Academic Reseller -- Open Licensing Available
FREE QUOTES! mkesten@cdromstore.com 1-800-250-9229
http://www.cdromstore.com
||||||||||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||||||||||
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- NEWSPEAK: MULTIMEDIA INDUSTRY NEWS --]
+++ BCE and Thomson Confirm Marriage of Convergence
Days of industry and media speculation ended on September
15th with the announcement that BCE and Thomson would
indeed combine to create a "media giant." BCE will,
according to The Globe and Mail, "pool its broadcast and
Internet operations with Thomson's flagship newspaper and
related Globe Internet and television properties to form a
$4-billion firm." The entity will consist of The Globe and
Mail, the CTV network and the Sympatico portal. "This is
going to make us altogether bigger, stronger and a better
player," Kenneth Thomson is quoted as having told
employees at a meeting at the newspaper's offices on
Friday morning. Earlier in the week the alliance, still in
the rumour stage, was met with what The Toronto Star
reported as "mixed reviews." "We're cheerleading this
one," one such analysts is reported to have said, while
another wondered "what's a phone company doing in the
content business?" (Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.thomson.com/PressRelease/pr128.html
http://news.bce.ca/en/newsrelease/?1605
+++ Johnny Can Download MP3s, But Can He Spell?
A new Angus Reid poll shows that Canada is one of the best
at offering Internet access to students. The report
indicates that students are increasingly turning to the
Internet for their research needs. The survey interviewed
10,000 students aged 12 to 24 from 16 countries and shows
that Sweden has the "highest level of Internet-savvy
students" with 78 per cent responding that they were able
to go online at school and with 80 per cent able to log on
from home. Canada was a close second, with 74 per cent
claiming Internet access at school and 71 per cent from
home. (Source: The Globe and Mail)
Meanwhile, a U.S. report by the Alliance for Childhood, a
group of educators, children's advocates and doctors, is
advocating that the rush to "move technology into
classrooms" should be put on hold "until studies prove
that computers help children learn." The report intimates
that the enthusiasm for technology in schools is at least
in part fueled by the "high-tech industry's desire to
expand its markets and parents' concern that their
children will fall behind without computers in schools."
The report further suggests that if it is true that
elementary school students learn much more through the use
of hands-on, real-world activities, the "the U.S. Surgeon
General should conduct studies on the emotional,
developmental, and physical effects of computers on
children, and on the ethical and social issues that might
impact older students." (Source: SiliconValley.com)
Return to top of page
+++ Bell and CBC Connect Kids with Olympic Athletes
Bell and CBC have announced a joint project known as Hello
Sydney, a feature that will allow participating school
children to have real and virtual world videoconferences
with the athletes during the CBC's live broadcast of the
Olympic Games. Various parties will be hooked up for about
half an hour, four minutes of which will be a combination
of broadcasting and Webcasting. "By combining advanced
videoconferencing, Internet technology and traditional
broadcasting we are able to connect Canadian athletes in
Sydney with school children in different locations in
Canada every day of the Games for a live Webcast
discussion," said Charles Salameh, Vice President, Data/IP
Marketing, Bell Canada. The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games run
from September 15 to 30, 2000.
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/hellosydney
+++ CBC and Bell Mobility Offer Wireless Olympic Coverage
CBC and Bell Mobility are joining forces to bring all the
action from Sydney to the palm of your hand. As the games
unfold, CBC and Bell Mobility Mobile Browser service will
bring instant results and updates directly to Web-enabled
digital PCS phones. Subscribers to Bell Mobility's Mobile
Browser will have access to CBC's coverage of the Games
through the special menu item "Olympics on CBC" under the
sports category, where they will find the latest headline
news, a CBC broadcast schedule, medal board updates,
competition results and more. Go team Canada!
http://www.cbc.ca/wireless
Return to top of page
+++ Chapters Online Adds Radio and Rare Books
Canadian e-tailer Chapters Online is launching a new
online radio station that will offer a selection of more
than 20,000 songs via 23 music channels playing styles
ranging from alternative, blues, classical, country and
more. Customers will also be able to shop while they
listen, clicking on the "buy" button to purchase the title
directly from Chapters.ca. Information on the tracks will
also be available by clicking the ''artist'' button. The
station is utilizing technology provided by RadioMOI.com
and the songs can be played via RealPlayer. Chapters is
also joining forces with Alibris, a supplier of hard-to-
find books, in a deal that will effectively add more than
10 million out-of-print and rare books to Chapters.ca's
selection, in addition to the 2.5 million already
available. Customers will have access to hard-to-find
books including out-of-print, autographed, first and rare
editions all priced in Canadian dollars. Searching will be
available via title, author, publisher, ISBN and keywords.
http://www.chapters.ca
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Reach thousands of Canadian Internet professionals
with just one buy! Advertise in MultiMediator's BitStream.
It's fast, easy, and effective!
For rates: (416) 364-1455 Ext. 100 or
sales@multimediator.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+++ Are Retailers Prepared for 2000 Christmas Rush?
Resource Marketing has recently completed a survey in
which e-tailers were queried as to the lessons they
learned after last year's Christmas rush. Many firms had
great difficulty in meeting demand as they neared the
finishing line last year. The survey, which goes for
USD$2,200, does include a free executive summary (the link
to which is at the top of their Web site's home page) that
seems to indicate that many retailers are taking steps to
ensure that they will not make the same mistakes again.
http://www.ecommercewatch.resource.com/html/study
Return to top of page
+++ Holt Renfrew Pulls Plug on E-Commerce Web site
According to a report by Silicon Valley NORTH, Holt
Renfrew is scrapping its e-commerce Web site following a
nine-month test run. It reports that the site will now be
used mainly as "a marketing tool to pitch the brand and
the products." Which might not be all that much different
from what it was all along. A recent study gave Holt
Renfrew's site a C-minus. (Source: Silicon Valley NORTH)
http://www.holtrenfrew.com
+++ CIRA Sets Out Details on .ca Domain Name Registration
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the
University of British Columbia and the Government of
Canada have reached an agreement on the terms under which
CIRA will assume responsibility for managing the .ca
Internet domain. The transfer from UBC will give the not-
for-profit CIRA complete responsibility for managing the
ca domain. UBC will be transferring responsibility for
the .ca Registry to the CIRA on or about November 1st,
2000. Prior to UBC transferring responsibility to CIRA,
all existing .ca domain names must be re-registered with
CIRA within the next five weeks. It is estimated that
there are 90,000 such names. Existing .ca domain name
holders and others interested in further details are
encouraged to visit the CIRA homepage for complete rules
and regulations.
http://www.cira.ca
Return to top of page
+++ Okanagan Valley: The Next New Media Hotspot?
The wine-making region of the Okanagan Valley in British
Columbia is fast-becoming known as "Silicon Vineyard"
according to a recent article in The Globe and Mail. It is
estimated that 5,000 high-tech workers are now calling the
picturesque region home. The "sprawling corridor more than
200 kilometres long traditionally known for its fruit
orchards and wine making" is now home to an estimated 500
high-tech firms. The "sector employs one in every 20
workers in the region, 5 per cent of a work force that
traditionally depends on forestry, agriculture and tourism
for dollars." "We could do what we do from Tuktoyaktuk ...
Our customers don't give a hoot where we are," says Gerry
Bakker, 45, president of Retail Professionals Software in
Westbank, southwest of Kelowna, which employs 15 people
and does more than $1-million annually in sales. (Source:
The Globe and Mail)
+++ Who Wants to Confound the Censors?
The Digital Freedom Network has launched what it is
calling the "Foil the Filters" contest. Entrants are urged
to search high and low -- "sometimes very low" -- to find
ways to trip up Internet content-filtering software,
a.k.a. censorware. The DFN contest came about after they
became aware that a writer's online comments were blocked
because of the phrase "who reports." The censorware
detected the word "whore" in the first letters and blocked
the transmission. This contest, open to all, encourages
Web surfers to take to the Internet and test sites, chat
communities, and bulletin boards to uncover the most
ridiculous examples of censorware failure. DFN is looking
for examples both of phrases (including names) that pass
through filtering software but shouldn't and of phrases
which the filtering software would like to stop but can't.
"Foil the Filters" entries can either be e-mailed to
contest@dfn.org or submitted via the DFN Web site. The
contest ends on September 25, 2000.
http://www.dfn.org/Alerts/censorware.htm
Return to top of page
+++ Man Bites Dot - Film at 11:00
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
Dotcomfailures.com, a Web site that took great pleasure in
predicting and reporting on the demise of dotcoms, has
itself fallen victim to the fickle whims of the Internet.
"It is closed for good. No comment," was the e-mail The
Globe and Mail received from the site's 26-year-old
founder, Ryan Nitz. The site is reported to have "burned
through" USD$2.6 million during its short three month run.
(Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.dotcomfailures.com
+++ And in This Corner...
Live Audio Wrestling and Talk 640 will soon begin
broadcasting Canada's Wrestling Radio Show (The LAW) in
Toronto. The LAW will broadcast each Saturday from 5-6 PM,
serving as a lead-in to the next round of fighting, namely
the Toronto Maple Leaf games. Another program will air
Sunday night from 11 PM until 1 AM, directly following the
wrestling pay-per-view broadcasts. And if that ain't
enough action for fight fans, The LAW will also be tied to
a Web site that will serve as a foundation "for spin-off
ventures in traditional media." The LAW claims to be "the
first radio show in Canadian broadcast history to make the
transition from Internet-only to the live airwaves of
traditional radio."
http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com
Return to top of page
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
Cdromstore.com is #1 for the Canadian Internet Professional
WE SELL: Adobe-Allaire-Macromedia-Microsoft-Symantec
Stock Images: Photodisc-Image Ideas-Rubber Ball-Image Farm
Authorized Academic Reseller -- Open Licensing Available
FREE QUOTES! mailto:mkesten@cdromstore.com 1-800-250-9229
http://www.cdromstore.com
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- PLUG: INDUSTRY ANNOUNCEMENTS --]
+++ Liberty Village New Media Centre Appoints OFDC's Brown
The Liberty Village New Media Centre has appointed
Kathrine Brown as the new Executive Director, effective
September 25, 2000. Brown comes to the Centre from the
Ontario Film Development Corporation (OFDC), where she has
spent the last year as Program Consultant for New Media.
She has a wide range of experience in communications over
the past 20 years and is a pioneering new media producer
who has traveled abroad working on various new media-
related programs and initiatives. For more information
about the LVNMC, visit
http://www.multimediator.com/info/lvnmc.shtml or contact
Naidra Thomson, Program Manager, at 416-397-4651 or
nthomson@city.toronto.on.ca.
+++ OFDC Offers Executive Forum in New Media
The Skills Development and Marketing Initiatives (SDMI)
department of the OFDC is now accepting registrations for
the second round of the Executive Forum in New Media.
Sponsored by Telefilm Canada, The Executive Forum offers
an opportunity for structured learning and networking with
peers. "If you don't know what you don't know or if you
just can't fit that MBA into your busy schedule, this
series of six intensive workshops will help you direct the
growth of your company through the development of best
practices in Strategy, Marketing, Operations, Project
Management, Human Resources and Finance." The Executive
Forum will take place every second Friday from September
29, 2000 to December 8, 2000. The total cost for the
series of workshops is $500 if purchased on or before
September 22, 2000 or $750 if purchased after. Space is
limited to 20 participants, so if you wish to secure a
spot, please contact Kim Gibson at 416-642-6651 or
kgibson@ofdc.on.ca.
Return to top of page
+++ $10K Up For Grabs at The CAB's Dotcom Showdown
$10,000 in 10 minutes. 10 minutes to catch their eye, get
their ear, land the deal. 10 minutes to blast off or blow-
up. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is
inviting the interactive community to enter The Dotcom
Showdown at Broadcasting 2000 on-air.on-line, to be held
in Calgary from November 12 to 14, 2000. Be one of the 5
companies or entrepreneurs to vie for the prize. Pitch
your interactive media content idea or your new
technological solution (broadcast-friendly, of course) to
a panel of TV and radio broadcasters and venture
capitalists before a room full of broadcasters eager to
propel their businesses into the digital age. You could
walk away with $10,000 and/or a deal! The Dotcom Showdown
is brought to you by the CAB in conjunction with your
friends at MMSG. It may be the best 10 minutes you ever
spend. To find out more about The Dotcom Showdown, the
criteria, submission requirements and deadlines, visit
http://www.multimediator.com/info/showdown.shtml. For
more information about Broadcasting 2000, contact the
CAB's Stefanie Siska at ssiska@cab-acr.ca or
visit the CAB Web site at http://www.cab-acr.ca/.
+++ A Special Invitation for BitStream Subscribers
You're invited to The Canadian Institute's New Media
Business conference to be held in Toronto on November
20-21, 2000. Sponsored by MultiMediator, this practical
two-day conference is full of valuable information and
insights to help you run a profitable new media business
in Canada. MultiMediator is proud to be a sponsor of the
New Media Business conference, and since you are a
subscriber to BitStream, you're entitled to a special 10%
discount off the conference fee when you register. It's
our way of thanking you for subscribing to our newsletter.
As an added bonus, conference attendees will receive a
complimentary hard copy of the Executive Summary of
MultiMediator's Canadian New Media Producers' Survey 2000.
If you are interested in learning how to grow your new
media business and networking with fellow new media
entrepreneurs facing the same challenges, you won't want
to miss this event. For more information, please click on
the link below:
http://www.multimediator.com/info/nmconference.shtml
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- DIGERATI DATEBOOK: UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS --]
+++ CAB Dotcom Showdown at Broadcasting 2000
November 12-14, 2000 in Calgary, AB
Pitch your interactive media content idea to a special
panel and you could walk away with $10,000 and/or a deal.
http://www.multimediator.com/info/showdown.shtml
+++ New Media Business Conference
November 20-21, 2000 in Toronto, ON
Sponsored by MultiMediator, this practical two-day
conference is full of valuable information and insights to
help you run a profitable new media business in Canada.
For more information, contact The Canadian Institute
directly by phoning (toll-free) 1-877-927-7936, faxing
(toll-free) 1-877-927-1563 or surfing
http://www.multimediator.com/info/nmconference.shtml.
+++ Marketing Online Conference
November 30, 2000 in Vancouver, BC
416-596-2542
event@marketingmag.ca
http://www.marketingmag.ca
+++ Digital Marketing Awards
ENTRY DEADLINE: October 13, 2000
The first Digital Marketing Awards (to be held December 6,
2000 in Toronto) will recognize Canadian Digital Marketing
excellence as exemplified through creative and innovative
ideas in the design and execution of digital advertising.
416-596-2542
event@marketingmag.ca
http://www.marketingmag.ca
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- RUSH JOB: NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES --]
JUMPSTART YOUR CAREER WITH MULTIMEDIATOR PIXELSCOUT!
You work hard. You play hard. You know your stuff.
Now all you need is to take your career to the next level.
MultiMediator PixelScout is here to help. Simply register
yourself in the PixelScout New Media Database and one of
our recruiters will do their best to match you with the
right job. Rest assured, your information is not shared
with anybody without your prior approval. Register today!
http://www.pixelscout.com/seekers
+++ Featured Job: Associate Creative Director, Toronto
The Toronto office of a leading international Advertising
agency is looking for an Associate Creative Director. As
part of the management team you will have senior client
liaison responsibilities and be active in agency self-
promotion, supporting new business development and
designing the creative contributions to new business
efforts. Other responsibilities include: Providing senior
leadership on projects; Managing a creative team;
Providing idea leadership and creative direction; Working
with Account Directors on a project level to meet budget
and schedules; Working with Architects, Engineers,
Producers and Media Planners to develop successful
concepts for projects and then executing them in a
quality, timely and cost-effective manner. Here's what you
will need: At least 3 years of experience at an
advertising agency; At least 2 years of interactive
experience (working on the conceptual end of building Web
sites, writing and editing copy that sells or positions a
world-class brand): Proof of STRONG conceptual skills a
must, including the ability to make spot judgments on
work; At least 2 years of managing a creative
department/team; strong communication and presentation
skills; Passion for/personal experience with the online
space. To apply, please contact Frank Vecchiarelli of
MultiMediator PixelScout, (416) 410-7704,
mailto:frank@pixelscout.com.
Return to top of page
RUSH JOB is sponsored by
MultiMediator PixelScout
Great People Great Careers
http://www.pixelscout.com
Evolved from the extensive participation of MultiMediator
and MMSG in the new media industry and their respective
job placement activities, MultiMediator PixelScout is a
recruiting company pleased to devote itself exclusively to
the new media industry. For more information, call (416)
410-7704, e-mail recruiting@pixelscout.com, or surf
http://www.pixelscout.com.
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- ABOUT MULTIMEDIATOR'S BITSTREAM --]
MultiMediator's BitStream is a FREE e-mail newsletter
published every two weeks by MultiMediator - Canada's
Multimedia Guide. Each issue features news, announcements,
job listings, and other items of interest to the Canadian
multimedia community. Send your multimedia industry news
and information to mailto:bitstream@multimediator.com.
(Please do NOT send attachments.) If you contact
companies or individuals mentioned here, please tell them
you saw them in MultiMediator's BitStream.
Since 1995, more than a million people have turned to the
MultiMediator Web site for information about Canada's
multimedia industry. Find out why at
http://www.multimediator.com/.
Reach thousands of Canadian Internet professionals
with just one buy! Advertise in MultiMediator's BitStream.
It's fast, easy, and effective!
For rates: (416) 364-1455 Ext. 100 or
sales@multimediator.com
Copyright 2000 MultiMediator. All rights
reserved. "BitStream" is a trademark of MultiMediator
Partnership. The content of BitStream may be reproduced
in any medium for non-commercial purposes as long as
proper credit is given.
No electrons were harmed in the making of this newsletter.
