THIS ISSUE'S STREAM:
[-- NEWSPEAK: MULTIMEDIA INDUSTRY NEWS --]
+++ Chapters Online Cuts More Jobs
+++ Quebecor Makes Cuts to Videotron
+++ MMSG Launches Delvinia
+++ Sandbox Studios Growing Fast
+++ Canadian New Media Awards Nomination Period Ends Soon
+++ Toronto Star and Toronto Library Open New Web Portal
+++ Nikolai.com's Hoffmann Calls it Quits
+++ Manley Opens Virtual Classroom About Landmines
+++ Globeandmail.com Wins Promotion Award
+++ Agency to Fight Internet-Related Fraud
+++ Celine Wins Domain Name Battle
+++ Tech Spending Expected to Rise
+++ Online Privacy Still an Issue
[-- DIGERATI DATEBOOK: UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS --]
+++ Executive Forum in New Media
+++ Sheridan College & Hong Kong Student Multimedia Awards
+++ Canadian New Media Awards
[-- HARD-WIRED: TOUGH TALK FROM A SKEPTIC --]
+++ Put Up or Shut Up
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
EXECUTIVE FORUM IN NEW MEDIA: March 23 to June 1 in Toronto
Offered by the OMDC, this series of 6 intensive Friday
workshops is designed to help new media execs direct the
growth of their companies. $500 for the series.
For details, kgibson@ofdc.on.ca / 416-642-6651
http://www.ofdc.on.ca
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- NEWSPEAK: MULTIMEDIA INDUSTRY NEWS --]
///// INDUSTRY //////////
+++ Chapters Online Cuts More Jobs
Chapters Online is laying off 58 more people in a move
that is expected to save $1.6 million in operating costs.
The cuts come just a few days after Chapters Inc. scrapped
plans to privatize the publicly traded online subsidiary.
The reduction in part-time and hourly staff at the online
retailer is "part of its continuing process of
streamlining operations to achieve profitability," the
company said. "The changes will allow the company to focus
resources on product availability, delivery and improving
customer service." Meanwhile, some Chapters Online
customers have been sent a heartfelt email from Acting
President Peter Cooper asking customers to "bear with us
as we work to deliver the level of service you expect and
deserve."
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=COL.TO&script=400
+++ Quebecor Makes Cuts to Videotron
A slowdown in the telecommunications industry is being
blamed for a move by Quebecor Media to cut the jobs of
nearly half of its 850 Videotron employees. Some analysts
are calling the cuts "natural" in the wake of Quebecor's
purchase of the company last fall for $5.4 billion. "The
telecommunications industry is currently experiencing
difficult market conditions and Videotron Telecom is not
immune," the company said in a recent release. "Faced with
this company's deteriorating financial position, Quebecor
Media is forced to take appropriate measures."
http://www.quebecor.com
Return to top of page
[Tired of the same old Dotcom gloom and doom? We're happy
to bring you the following good news for a change! - ED]
+++ MMSG Launches Delvinia
MMSG (MultiMediator's parent company) has launched
Delvinia, an interactive brand solutions firm. While some
companies in the high-tech industry have experienced a
downturn, MMSG has been growing and has recognized an
opportunity for additional growth and leadership within
the interactive sector. "By sticking to the fundamentals
of business we've had an opportunity to manage our growth
profitably, and we're continuing to grow where others have
experienced difficulties," says Adam Froman, President and
CEO of both MMSG and Delvinia. Delvinia is founded on the
premise that companies are looking for richer, more
diverse ways to interact with their customers. Through
interactive solutions, including cross-platform branding
and strategic consulting, Delvinia demonstrates that
interactivity includes much more than just the Internet.
Delvinia's services include interactive research and
strategic consulting, interactive marketing
communications, interactive commerce, and interactive
content. Delvinia's clients include Alliance Atlantis, CBC
New Media, EMI Music Canada, Harlequin Enterprises, J.M.
Schneider, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, and Royal Bank.
http://www.delvinia.com
+++ Sandbox Studios Growing Fast
Videogame developer Sandbox Studios had a great year in
2000, and things are looking even better for 2001. With
four new games slated for release this year, Sandbox is on
the lookout for qualified and experienced programmers and
artists. Located in London, Ontario, the company plans to
double its staff of 50. Interested parties should contact
the company directly.
http://www.sandboxstudios.com
+++ Canadian New Media Awards Nomination Period Ends Soon
Have you submitted your nomination for the 2001 Canadian
New Media Awards? A nomination form and full explanation
of each of the 12 awards categories is now available at
the Canadian New Media Awards Web site. Nominations close
March 30, so don't delay! The awards will be presented at
the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto on May 28, 2001.
http://www.cnma.ca
Return to top of page
///// CONTENT //////////
+++ Toronto Star and Toronto Library Open New Web Portal
Proving once again that librarians are not an endangered
species, The Toronto Star has joined forces with the
Toronto Public Library to create an Internet news portal
called NewsConnect. The Web site allows users to access
newspapers from around the world in as many as 70
languages and includes instructions on downloading
programs that will allow viewing non-Western script,
including Arabic, Amharic, Telugu and Khmer. NewsConnect
is available at all TPL branches and worldwide via the
Internet.
http://newsconnect.tpl.toronto.on.ca
Return to top of page
+++ Nikolai.com's Hoffmann Calls it Quits
Outspoken new media entrepreneur Isabel Hoffmann says she
was just one week and $25,000 away from saving
Nikolai.com, but it was a case of too little, too late.
The former CEO of the popular Nikolai.com children's Web
site says the landlord locked the company's doors in late
February. The company, responsible for the six-year-old
cartoon boy Nikolai and his cat Neow-Neow, had signed
numerous character licensing deals over the years with
Apple Computer, AOL, Applause and others. A note posted on
the Web site by Hoffman says that one of the reasons the
site has been forced to shut down is that "we live in a
society which has forgotten how to care about the well
fare of its children."
(Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.nikolai.com
[Speaking of Web sites for children, the following story
is rather ironic in light of Ms. Hoffmann's dilemma. - ED]
+++ Manley Opens Virtual Classroom About Landmines
John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has announced
the creation of a Virtual Classroom to address the issue
of landmines. The Virtual Classroom, a program at the
Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), uses
interactive broadband technology over CANARIE's CA*net 3
network to link students across the country to communicate
about issues. "As we work toward the effective
implementation of the Ottawa Convention, countries must
promote youth awareness of the global threat presented by
anti-personnel mines," said Mr. Manley. "On this historic
day, it is a pleasure to announce further funding of
approximately $475,000 toward ridding the planet of these
weapons."
http://www.virtualclassroom.crc.ca
Return to top of page
|||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
DOWNSIZED BY A DOTCOM?
Our new media recruiting specialists can help!
For the best new media career opportunities, contact
MultiMediator PixelScout ... 'Great People - Great Careers'
e-mail info@pixelscout.com or call (416) 410-7704
http://www.pixelscout.com
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
///// MARKETING //////////
+++ Globeandmail.com Wins Promotion Award
Globeandmail.com has won top prize for "Best Promotion for
a Newspaper" Web site at the 12th Annual Editor and
Publisher's Interactive Newspapers Conference and Trade
Show in Dallas, Texas. The site was the only Canadian-
based award recipient at the awards presentation, also
known as The Eppy's. The promotion in question was the
"Red Dot" campaign, utilizing a .... you guessed it ... red
dot icon that was created in order to push consumers to
the Globe's Web Centre. "The campaign's unique branding
clicked with both new and existing users," said Sandy
Salem, Vice-President of Marketing for Globe Interactive.
http://www.globeandmail.com
+++ Agency to Fight Internet-Related Fraud
Who you gonna call? PhoneBusters! With the backing of the
Ontario Provincial Police, PhoneBusters targets
telemarketing scams in Canada. Now, with a deal signed
with the RCMP, PhoneBusters will create a national
clearinghouse for Internet-related fraud. Preliminary
arrangements would "give Canadian and U.S. victims
of Internet crimes a central point of complaint for
everything from deceptive marketing over the Web to the
growing crisis of identity theft." (Source: The Toronto
Star)
http://www.phonebusters.com
Return to top of page
+++ Celine Wins Domain Name Battle
Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion has been awarded the
rights to the Internet domain name bearing her name. The
U.N. World Intellectual Property Organization has ruled
that Jeff Burgar of High Prairie, Alberta had no
legitimate right to the name and ordered that rights be
transferred to Dion. Burgar had argued that he was only
using the site as a fan club for the singer and not for
any commercial gain.
[In a related story, the domain name
MayDecemberRomance.com is still available! - ED]
///// FACTS & FIGURES //////////
+++ Tech Spending Expected to Rise
A new report estimates that Canadian spending on data and
Internet services will climb 33 per cent over the next two
years. The Convergence Consulting Group predicts that such
spending will reach about $6.4 billion in 2002, up from
about $4.8 billion last year. The report further indicates
that sector growth is expected to slow slightly, down from
about 20 per cent annually in the 1990s, but that "the
decline is not cause for alarm and simply reflects the
benefits of improvements to existing networks."
http://www.convergenceonline.com
+++ Online Privacy Still an Issue
br
A study by research firm Ipsos-Reid and Web developer
Columbus Group has found that "one in seven Canadian
Internet users report that their privacy was breached
online." Nearly 15 per cent of Canadian Internet users
reported that the personal information they had supplied
to Web sites had been "misused." One in nine said they had
been signed up for non-requested email marketing, while
another 40 per cent said their data were "sold or
transferred to another Web concern." "It doesn't matter
how engaging the Web site is ... If [users] are afraid to
make an online purchase ... then they are simply not going
to do it," Ipsos-Reid's vice-president of technology
research Chris Ferneyhough told the Globe and Mail.
(Source: The Globe and Mail)
http://www.angusreid.com
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- DIGERATI DATEBOOK: UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS --]
+++ Executive Forum in New Media
March 23 to June 1, 2001 in Toronto, ON
Offered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation
(OMDC), this series of 6 intensive Friday workshops is
designed to help new media execs direct the growth of
their companies.
http://www.ofdc.on.ca
kgibson@ofdc.on.ca
416-642-6651
+++ Hong Kong/Sheridan Multimedia Awards
DEADLINE for entry is April 1, 2001!
A collaboration between the Hong Kong Economic & Trade
Office and Sheridan College, the awards were created to
foster links between Hong Kong and Canada. Top prize of
$10,000 is given to the best entry overall, the best in
animation and Web site design each receives $2,500. The
competition is open to all post-secondary school students
in Canada.
http://www.sheridanc.on.ca/awards/hkmultimedia
Return to top of page
+++ Canadian New Media Awards
May 28, 2001 in Toronto, ON
DEADLINE to submit nominations is March 30, 2001!
http://www.cnma.ca
info@cnma.ca
1-888-299-0993 Ext. 228
The Canadian New Media Awards would not be possible
without the support of its Gold sponsors, which include
Mandrake and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
Mandrake is one of Canada's foremost executive search
firms. Practice areas include Marketing, Sales, Marcom,
Creative Services, Finance, Retail, Healthcare, Government
Services, Associations, Law, Transportation, Information
Technology, and Interactive and Emerging Technologies.
Visit the Mandrake Web site to learn more about their
services.
http://www.mandrake.ca
Officially launched on February 1, 2001, the Ontario Media
Development Corporation (OMDC) is the first government
agency in Canada to focus on building strategic
partnerships among the converging cultural media
industries, including film and television, sound
recording, book and magazine publishing and interactive
digital media. In addition to fostering partnerships, the
new agency will seek to address the distinct challenges
each of the cultural industries faces in domestic and
international marketplaces. For more information about the
OMDC, please visit their Web site.
http://www.ofdc.on.ca
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- HARD-WIRED: TOUGH TALK FROM A SKEPTIC --]
+++ Put Up or Shut Up
By 'The Hacker'
mailto:bitstreamhacker@bigfoot.com
The other day I was talking to the folks who are
organizing this year's Canadian New Media Awards. They
mentioned that they are happy that they've received a lot
more nominations than they had by this time last year. But
they were also concerned that so far they had received
very few nominations from outside Ontario. Where, for
instance, were the nominations from Quebec? Or Alberta? Or
British Columbia? Or Nova Scotia? It's my understanding
that all four of these provinces have a vibrant new media
community, and I would've thought that the new media
practitioners in these provinces would be looking to boost
their profile at a national level. So why haven't they
submitted their nominations? If it's because they don't
know about the Awards, then something odd is going on; the
organizers of this year's event have done an extensive
marketing campaign, including contacting all the regional
new media associations several times to ask them to let
their members know about the Awards. Last year's Awards
were won by talented people from all across the country.
I'm sure many of us would like to see the same thing
happen again, however you can't win an award if you are
not nominated! It's not like it costs anything, either;
there is no fee to enter these Awards. By the time the
Awards have been handed out, I, for one, will have little
sympathy for anyone who whines about their province being
"neglected" by this national event. All the provinces have
been invited to participate, now the ball is in their
court....
[Nominations for the 2001 Canadian New Media Awards are
being accepted until March 30 at http://www.cnma.ca. - ED]
/////
'The Hacker' is a veteran of the Canadian interactive
scene who, for obvious reasons, wishes to remain
anonymous. The statements and opinions expressed in Hard
Wired are solely those of the author and not BitStream's
publisher, its affiliates or advertisers. So don't kill
the messenger, OK?
Return to top of page
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
NEED A WEB GURU ... YESTERDAY?
Our new media recruiting specialists can help!
For the best and brightest new media talent, contact
MultiMediator PixelScout ... 'Great People - Great Careers'
e-mail: info@pixelscout.com or call (416) 410-7704
http://www.pixelscout.com
||||||||||||| Please Support Our Advertisers ||||||||||||||
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
[-- ABOUT MULTIMEDIATOR'S BITSTREAM --]
MultiMediator's BitStream is a free e-mail newsletter
published every two weeks by MultiMediator - Canada's
Multimedia Guide http://www.multimediator.com/.
Send your multimedia industry news and information to:
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.
Missed an issue? Visit the BitStream Archives:
http://www.multimediator.com/bitstream/archive.shtml
Reach thousands of Canadian Interactive professionals
with just one buy! Advertise in MultiMediator's BitStream.
It's fast, easy, and effective! For rates please contact
1-888-299-0993 Ext. 100 or sales@multimediator.com.
Copyright 2001 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 cartoon boys or cats were harmed in the making of this
newsletter.
Return to top of page
0100111010010001010101010111001110100100100100111001000100
-----------------------------------------------------------
TO SUBSCRIBE: Send a blank e-mail to:
bitstream-on@multimediator.com
Back to BitStream Archives
