CBC, Current Media form Current Canada
By Adnews Staff
CBC has formed an agreement with Current Media of San Francisco to launch a new cross-platform media company called Current Canada. The company will develop television and online initiatives aimed at young adults. Current Canada will take the form of a website and, given regulatory approval, a digital specialty channel. Approximately a third of the programming will be created by viewers. "Current Canada will have the potential to dramatically alter the way Canadians interact with both television and online programming," said Richard Stursberg, executive vice-president of CBC English Services. "Based on the successful model of Current TV in the United States, the UK and Italy, we intend to fundamentally redefine some basic elements of how programs are created and evaluated. This includes the interesting notion of who gets to create programming." No launch date has been announced.