CANNES — One hot topic at MIPCOM has always been ratings and numbers. The main question everyone asks is whether there is a better way to count heads in today’s ever evolving TV landscape. One company who thinks it has the answer is Parrot Analytics. The company, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London… Read on

CANNES — It has been years since I last interviewed Ben Stiller — 29 to be exact. That occasion was the TCA press launch of the short-lived, Emmy-winning The Ben Stiller Show. The sketch series aired from 1989 to 1990 on Fox and boasted a stellar talent roster, with Judd Apatow, Bob Odenkirk, Jeanne Garafalo… Read on

CANNES — Canada’s two major TV and film funding agencies — to whom, full disclosure, I have to thank for my trip to MIPCOM this year — always try to showcase the country as a perfect international partner for buying, selling and making television. On Tuesday, Telefilm and The Canada Media Fund showcased three very… Read on

CANNES — MIPCOM, the international television marketplace taking place this week in France, is a bit like a giant food court for TV. There’s a lot of junk food, some of the fare is overpriced and underdone and a lot of it is hard to swallow. Then there’s Jamie Oliver. The British celebrity chef delivered… Read on

Philo fans (l-r) Moses Znaimer, Malcolm Baird, Phil Savenick and Farnsworth’s great grandson Jonathan Imagine if you could talk to the man who invented electronic television. The next best thing was possible Thursday night in Toronto, as the MZTV Museum of Television presented a wonderful event saluting Philo T. Farnsworth. The evening began with a… Read on

Back in June, when Rogers Media hosted their annual upfront in Toronto, Kim Coates was reluctant to give me any details on the second season of Bad Blood (premiering Thursday evening on Citytv). “If I tell you, I have to kill you,” said Coates, who burnished his tough image over six seasons on the FX… Read on

Canadian networks have to be breathing a little easier now that final audience data is in for the first full week of the season. Numeris reports that several scripted shows received hefty lifts once the PVR numbers were added over a seven day period. The Sept. 24 to Sept. 30 chart used a bit of… Read on

Last week (Oct. 1-7), the new TV season came smack up against one of the busiest times of the year in sports (start of hockey, baseball playoffs, college and NFL football). The Kavanaugh hearings south of the border also seemed to distract Canadian eyeballs. Here’s a look at the start of last week in terms… Read on