OHL hockey is coming to your homes
OHL’s Mississauga IceDogs have signed a deal that will have 640 Toronto as the hockey team’s play-by-play broadcaster covering 15 home games during the season beginning Nov. 26.
In addition to carrying select games live, 640 Toronto will also broadcast a special Dog Pound Report, which features interviews with IceDogs personalities starting Nov. 20. Advertising opportunities, which include broadcast, billboards and features on Lineups, 3 Stars and the Dog Pound are still available. The IceDogs broadcast will cater to the 18 to 49 year old adults (50%) and 18 to 49 year old males (35%) demographic.
Infront, Rogers Sportsnet ink FIFA deal
Infront Sports & Media, of Zug, Switzerland, has signed an exclusive agreement with Rogers Sportsnet for Canadian broadcast rights to air all matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer matches, which will take place in Germany. The agreement includes rights to broadcast in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Cantonese and Mandarin.
Sportsnet is a soccer stronghold airing such events as English Premier League football. The agreement also includes several other FIFA events, including the FIFA World Youth Championship 2005.
Surprisingly, more Canadians play soccer (7.2%) than play hockey (7.1%). According to the PMB data, 4.7 million Canadians watch World Cup soccer.
Research groups merge
Marketing Research & Intelligence Association (MRIA) is the name of the new entity created by the merger of three research groups: the Canadian Association of Market Research Organizations (CAMRO), the Canadian Survey Research Council (CSRC), and the Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS).
The functions of the new umbrella association include its role as industry advocate; developing and enforcing professional standards; conducting audits to ensure that member companies employ best practices and maintain industry standards; and to operate a 1-800 number (1-800-554-9996) to allow the public to verify the legitimacy of research projects and to register complaints.
http://www.mria-arim.ca
New media rep house for Communications Voir
Communications Voir has appointed the media rep house, Magazine Network, as its Toronto national sales representative. The Toronto-based media house specializes in arts and entertainment magazines and has represented a number of Canada-wide publications targeting 18- to 44-year-olds in major urban centres.
‘We are excited to have Magazine Network on board as part of our national sales team. We feel that they bring extensive experience and new energy that will help us maintain our current relationships and create new ones,’ says Paul Cassar, national sales manager of Communications Voir.
Shelves now talking with audible ink
NYC-based News America Marketing is now using ‘audible ink’ to give an added boost to its SmartSource ShelfTalk and FloorTalk display vehicles. The new AudioInk lets shoppers hear a message when they touch the display.
The ads are printed using ‘conductive ink’ that can carry different messages to different shoppers. ‘Because the electronics are actually printed, it’s a remarkably durable and cost-efficient way to get the customer’s attention,’ says EVP marketing Jesse Aversano.
http://www.newsamerica.com/
CSI tops Survivor to grab No. 1 slot in Canada
CTV’s all-acronym lineup has won Thursdays. With The O.C. at 8, CSI at 9 and ER at 10, CTV’s Thursday night lineup is number one on two fronts. According to the latest BBM audience data, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation‘s season-to-date average of 3.076 million viewers has edged past Survivor (3.028 million) by 2% and growing in overall audience. By contrast, BBM reports Survivor has slipped 3% since its premiere.
Second, with the strong debut of The O.C (1.83 million), a resurgence of viewers this year for veteran series ER, and the continued growth of CSI, CTV’s overall Thursday night line-up is now number one, with more prime-time viewers than any other Canadian broadcaster.
Global airs The Jane Show, kind of like The Office meets Sex in the City
Back in Sept, MIC reported that Global Television planned to air a pilot for The Jane Show, starring Second City alumnus Teresa Pavlinek, and now it has an airdate, Dec. 15. Global calls it The Office meets Sex in the City as Jane and her best friend deal with dating, job stress, love, and the weirdos they work with.
Global says they’re courting an 18-49 demo, adding that advertising and sponsorship opportunities exist. The Jane Show premieres in Manitoba/Saskatchewan at 7:30 p.m., Ontario/Quebec/British Columbia at 8:30 p.m. and the Maritimes/Alberta at 9:30 p.m. Based on the success of the pilot, Global will decide whether or not it will purchase further episodes.
La Nouba, a Cirque du Soleil special
From the people who brought the world Cirque du Soleil comes La Nouba, a two-hour long circus adventure airing on CBC television Dec. 10 at 8 p.m. La Nouba takes viewers on an lavish journey punctuated with high wire acts, flying trapeze and stunning acro-gymnastics that will appeal to children and adults alike. Directed by David Mallet, the special features more than 70 international artists from 14 countries.
CBC to air Prince Harry and the Forgotten Kingdom
Following his mother’s tradition of selfless dedication, Prince Harry has made a documentary about the plight of AIDS orphans. The film will air on CBC’s The Passionate Eye on Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. Travelling to the AIDS-ravaged southern African country of Lesotho, the 19-year-old prince spent eight weeks working at the orphanages. The documentary also includes Harry’s first television interview in which he speaks candidly about his mother.
CTV greenlights movie deal
CTV announced on Friday that its next original movie title will be The Man Who Lost Himself: The Terry Evanshen Story, from its Heroes, Champions and Villains production strand. The movie tells the true story of the former Canadian Football League star and Hall-of-Famer who lost his memory in a car accident in 1988. Based on the book of the same name by June Callwood, the story chronicles Evanshen’s fight to rise above the accident to rediscover his family and become a motivational speaker.
The movie is skedded to begin shooting in the spring and will be produced by Toronto-based Sarrazin Couture Entertainment in association with CTV and Lifetime Network.
PMB Factoid
Percentage of people in Toronto who entertain at home: 34. Montreal: 29.
People — Passages, Moves & News
Last week MusiquePlus went through a series of internal changes with the former GM of MusiquePlus, Pierre Marchand assuming the new role of VP marketing and communications for the channel. Paola Simonetto, former director of programming development and production, will be the new director of the programming while Jacque Camerlain continues in his role as the director of programs for MusiMax. Lyse George will support Marchard as a consultant for marketing and communications while Bernard Diaz, current director of sales and creative media, will assume the interim position of VP sales. Richard Gamache’s position as director of communications has been dissolved, but he will become director of disks and entertainment, a newly created post in the sales department.
Leaving MusiquePlus is Louis Panneton, VP sales and marketing and Johanne Menard will lose her position as VP programming.
http://www.musiqueplus.com/
Entrepreneur, visionary and chairman and president of Multimedia Nova, Daniel Iannuzzi passed away suddenly on Nov. 20 as a result of a cardiac arrest while in Rome. Fluent in English, French and Italian and born in Montreal, Mr. Iannuzzi resided in Toronto for the past 50 years while dedicating his life to multiculturalism.
Along with his involvement in Multimedia Nova, he was a founder-shareholder, director and exec producer of multilingual programming at CityTV from 1972 to 1979 before heading to CFMT-TV Channel 47 for 10 years.
Funeral arrangements are currently underway.
Satellite radio seen as threat to local radio
The CRTC hearings on satellite and subscription radio applications that began November 1 have drawn numerous intervention submissions from both supporters and detractors along fairly predictable lines.
NASCAR/CASCAR deal opens up ad opps
In a joint effort to increase fan interest and visibility for stock car racing in Canada, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and the Canadian Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (CASCAR) have entered into a multi-year operational and marketing agreement. ‘NASCAR will lend operational and marketing expertise to help grow Canada’s only national stock car series,’ says George Pyne, COO of NASCAR. ‘This partnership further demonstrates NASCAR’s support of grassroots racing throughout North America and our efforts to bring sponsorship and licensing opportunities to businesses at every level of the sport.’
The alliance means ‘advertisers will have real access to racing on the ground,’ says Randy Paul, managing director, sponsorships at Toronto-based TSN Events. He says there will be fully integrated opportunities ranging from brand awareness to on-car and on-track advertising to hospitality.
There are, of course, different levels of sponsorship, with customized packages to meet the advertiser’s demands. The integration can also include a media component. NASCAR officially entered Canada in June and is in the process of talking to potential sponsors. None has been revealed as yet. NASCAR is the top-rated motor sport on Canadian television with a fan base in this country of six million.
New study reveals shoppers drawn to the net for holiday shopping
A new study done by MSN Canada shows that more Canadians are planning on avoiding the chaotic shopping mall scene by making their purchases for the holidays on the Internet. The study revealed that 42% of Canadians polled plan to buy gifts online in 2004, compared with 32% in 2003 and 23% in 2002. Of the Canadians who plan to buy gifts online this year, reasons like 24-hour shopping (76%), the ability to shop from any location (72%), and the ease of price comparisons (63%) topped the list for why they prefer shopping on the Net.
The online poll of 1,200 Canadians (aged 18 and older) was done by OpenVenue e-Research Solutions from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 among visitors to the sympatico.msn.ca Web site.
