It's a New Year! And film in Halifax is...?

It's been a long time a'bloggin' (ed. isn't that one of the twelve days of xmas?) so let's get to all the relevant (ed. and irrelevant ) stuff. My editor, as usual is my pal Lunchmeat Hearald (ed. Howdy citizens!)

So what's new in Canadian Tvslashfilm?

CTF has been renewed for 2 more years. (ed. Yes! We eat. Maybe. Big Brother can you spare a dime for a documentary filmmaker? Nationally, culturally important. But no, sorry, it's not about hockey.)

"Treevenge" a nova scotia short film has been going great guns on the internet and scored a top five amongst film fans at Sundance. Good suff. I'm guessing it didn't cost anything. Go you young tyros!

Closer to home (ed. God! he's going to talk about himself.) things have been okay. My sister Karlie and her Brazillian boyfriend/fiancee/husband (though not recognized by any legal entity whatsoever) have moved out of the apartment with their "newborn". Worried me a bit but Prince kama a maya or whatever his name is, has continued paying rent and other bills for me, so I'm cool with the whole thing. And he's even arranged for groceries to be delivered here on a regular basis which is a boon to me since I can't leave the apartment. But I digress.

Luckily I don't have to rely on my investment earnings (ed. Gad! Here we go.) Since my Father left me with nothing but a muddied name and 1000 shares of DHX stock, I thought I'd be able to rely on one or the other to provide me with some retirement...cash on hand...pocket money...?

Not that I can complain, but when I got these shares they were like $1.60 each. Against my better judgement I resisted trading them for Nortel stock (ed. who?) and held them for the long term.

And then I watched them fall. And fall. And...why the hell are they falling?!!?11
(ed. cartooney, all those exclamation points and stuff.!!!????)

But you know, it's the world economy so I can't blame the good folks at DHX. Their trying their darn tootinest (ed. Hold on. Is that a word?) to turn a profit for their shareholders. And even though the stock has fallen to a third of it's value (ed. snicker. when you said that out loud it sounded like "turd".) we're looking at the longterm and these folks, in for the long haul have turned to the shareholders who agree that they deserve more recognition (ed. ie. "compensation") than would be normal in the circumstances.

With AIG and Lehman Brothers execs giving themselves huge performance budgets, though now in desperate need of government bailouts, the good folks at DHX feel dfferent, although in the same way.

Just because they were going to "cash in their chips" which in my mind means receive the recognition they deserve, financially speaking, (ed. What? There's a run at the bank?)and sell out to E1, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be compensated for their previous hard work and the hard work yet to come.

DHX's Court and Demune "earned" (ed. quotation marks mine)a 51% and 42% raise last year. Sounds like a lot until you realize that it ends up as a yearly salary of $354,808 and $454,000 respectively. Which still, sounds like a lot until you realize that includes a bonus of $100,000 amd $50,000 respectively. (ed. Note to Demune, seems like your ass is dragging.)

Closer to home Charles "the Green Arrow" Bishop, received a 27% raise with a $50,000 bonus (ed. what? Did they happen to have bonus currency made up in $50,000 increments?) Our industrious leader Michael Donovan received the same as did Financial guru Dana Landry (ed. he takes all the numbers and adds them up good. Couldn't a student intern do that?)

But bottom line, some might say, it seems like a lot to pay the executives of DHX, especially in light that the stock is at a third of what it was (ed. or a "turd") but it all has to be taken into context. (ed. Lets not even talk about the $2.2M loss from Shake Hands With the Devil. Which is the number they say publicaly, which may be a different number internally, but that's how it goes.)

The provincial funding agency, last year "invested" (ed. like it will ever see a "return". Free money everybody!), $165,000 in The Mighty Jungle 2. An animated or puppetated kids show for CBC. So that pays for a chunk of those bonus'es.

Secondly, being a democratic organization, the most votes gets to say whether all these bonuses are deserved or not.

And, although my 1000 vote voice is hopefully heard, the majority shareholder, Michael, outvotes and outlives them all.

Tomorrow: YTV series for Halifax, (ed. not really Halifax) and whatever happened to that spelling bee show? And that John Wing Pilot?

Somebody's Frozen My Assets

Can't blog. Some...force...making..it...difficult. So much to type...ugh