Future uncertain for national multimedia association; executive VP resigns

The federal government's lack of initiative or speed to support projects is being blamed by the former executive of the Interactive Multimedia Producers Association of Canada (IMPAC) for its own languishing progress. While the organization continues to operate, and has a single staff member and office space in Montreal, its first executive VP, Maxim Engel, has resigned, frustrated by the association's inability to nudge the federal government into action on items such as overhauling Telefilm Canada. In the meantime, Canada's nine-month-old national new media association is in a state of limbo. Engel, based in Toronto, is still a member of IMPAC but has stopped devoting time to the organization. He says his Quebec counterpart, IMPAC president Paul Allard, has also ceased active participation. "If you don't have Quebec or Ontario really pushing, who's pushing?" asks Engel. IMPAC was created by new media entrepreneurs and regional associations last fall in hopes of presenting a unified voice on national issues (CNM, Oct. 4/99). But the initiative may have been premature. In an interview with Canadian NEW MEDIA, Engel says regional disparities within the industry itself, as well as a division between employees and employers, has resulted in a fractured association. Further, the feds have taken too long to act on items such as building an equity financing model into Telefilm, resulting in wasted energy and time, says Engel. "The government just moves at the speed of grass growing, essentially." He adds that IMPAC may have better luck lobbying at the provincial level. "I think the story to concentrate on is the question of government - the federal government in particular as opposed to the provincial (governments) because they're moving at different speeds altogether - moving so slow because they just don't grasp it. They're in a kind of 1970's government mode." With a focus more on regional than national issues, Engel is forming a new organization to be announced soon called the New Media Business Alliance (NMBA). Without divulging details of membership or mandate, he says the group will be far more effective in lobbying for the concerns of Ontario companies. "Technically, you've got between 70-to-75 per cent of the multimedia - in one form or another - that come out of Ontario. So, to have an agenda that is going to encompass the whole country doesn't really work." Engel partly blames the situation on the government's use of consultants to help shape its multimedia policy. "It's kind of stupid because you're relying on consultants to tell you what to do in a new industry that's moving so fast the consultants can't keep up. They relied on consultants to tell them how to set up the Telefilm multimedia program - and that was set up all wrong," complains Engel. "Had they talked to industry, things might have been a little different." Canada's strong telecom infrastructure base, compared with a relatively healthy capital market, should be stimulating the creation of more digital content than what's currently available, according to Engel. "We really aren't moving ahead as we should be in regards to being able to have significant Canadian content," he points out. "Nothing much is happening from a government perspective, and until something does, it's going to be up to industry. Industry is going to drive the agenda." The new NMBA group should be announced within the next few weeks, and Engel says there may be significant cooperation with groups such as the Canadian Cable Television Association on Canadian content and other issues. "In order to be able to implement (the CCTA's) ideas, we as NMBA will certainly work with them, and put them in touch with other organizations. They carry more weight. (Roger Communications president) Ted Rogers and (Shaw Communications president) Jim Shaw - they can probably get the government to pay attention in some way."

Future uncertain for national multimedia association; executive VP resigns

Broadcast | May 18, 2000

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