Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Crossroads Christian Communications, the parent company of independent religious station, YES TV, has named Reverend Kevin Shepherd as its news CEO, effective Sept. 8. Shepherd has more than 24 years of ministry leadership experience, most recently as the lead pastor of Glad Tidings Church in Burlington, ON where he pastored Crossroads and YES TV founder, the late Rev. David Mainse. Shepherd succeeds Lorna Dueck, who recently retired after four years as both CEO and host of Context with Lorna Dueck on YES TV. 

 

SOCAN has announced that Jeff Price has departed its New York-based Audiam licencing and royalty business, with SOCAN COO Jeff King assuming the duties of CEO. King has served as an Audiam board member and played a key role in establishing the company as a leader in digital rights administration since it was acquired by SOCAN in 2016.

Laura Earl has left My Broadcasting Corporation’s syndicated morning show “Jamie and Laura In The Morning,” which airs on the company’s 15 radio stations in Ontario under the myFM brand. Earl started co-hosting mornings in 2012, up until 2016 when she went on maternity leave, and returned as part of the afternoon show. She re-joined the morning show in fall 2018. Earl’s husband is a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and the family has been re-posted to Brunssum, Netherlands. Jamie will continue to host the show solo until a new morning co-host is named.

Jonathan Pinto is the incoming host of Up North, the afternoon drive show that airs on CBC Radio One in Thunder Bay and Sudbury. Pinto will assume hosting duties in early September. Originally from Peterborough, Pinto has been with CBC for the last decade working in Toronto, Windsor and London as a producer, reporter and guest host. 

Rafi Mustafa is joining CBC’s flagship, national political program, Power & Politics, as the show’s executive producer. Mustafa is a former journalist, producer and editor with Al Jazeera English.

 

Rosanna Deerchild, who has hosted Unreserved on CBC Radio One since 2014, is moving on to a new project for CBC, the details of which will be revealed in August. Unreserved, which showcases Indigenous culture and stories, is currently on its regular summer hiatus and on the hunt for a new host.

 

 

Kevin Cotter has joined the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group (JPBG) in Prince George as Program Director of 101.3 The River (CKKN-FM) and 99.3 The Drive (CKDV-FM). Cotter was with Vista Radio in Prince George for the last 12 years, most recently as Group Content Program Director and morning host at 94.3 The GOAT (CIRX-FM). Cotter succeeds Ron Polillo, who had been PD since 2002 and with the company for 27 years.

Jennifer Campbell, one half of Mornings with Campbell & PJ on Country 106.7 (CIKZ-FM) Kitchener, has been off the air after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Campbell, who is undergoing chemo treatments, made an appearance on the morning show July 17 via Facebook Live to share an update.

Rick Ringer is stepping away from the Country 93 (CKYC-FM) Owen Sound morning show, which he’s been co-hosting alongside Julia Manina for the last three years. Ringer will continue on-air with Bayshore Broadcasting in a swing role where he’ll host a number of voicetracked shows for Country 93, Country 102 (CJMU-FM) Muskoka, and 560 CFOS Owen Sound.

Andy Captain is the new weekend host at Edmonton’s 100.3 The Bear (CFBR-FM). Captain was previously the morning show host at Country 105 (CKTG-FM) Thunder Bay, up until last November when he returned to his home province of Alberta.

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Melissa Thomas, Imaging Director at X92.9 (CFEX-FM) Calgary, is the new imaging voice on newly-rebranded Michigan alt rocker 106.1 The New QYQ (WQYQ-FM), which is aimed at millennials, aged 20-40. Thomas is represented by CESD Talent Agency.

Jon Thompson has left TVO. Thompson joined TVO’s Ontario Hubs Initiative in 2017 as a dedicated Northwestern Ontario reporter and digital media producer, based in Thunder Bay.

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Some personal news: Friday was my last day at TVO.

As the first hire for the Hubs journalism initiative in 2017, I had a chance to help Ontario understand the north in ways I’d always dreamed were possible.

I’d like to think the next generation is starting with a better view.

— Jon Thompson (@JonSThompson) July 20, 2020

RADIO & PODCAST:

Intercity Broadcasting Network, the parent company of Toronto urban adult contemporary station G98.7 (CKFG-FM) is up for court-ordered sale, just over a year after the death of founder Fitzroy Gordon and the company being placed in investigative receivership. The station, which Gordon won a licence for in 2010 over the objections of CBC, Rogers, Bell, Astral, and Durham Radio, predominantly serves the GTA’s Caribbean-African community. It was placed in investigative receivership last June following an application by Jamrock Broadcasting and Delford Blythe, a minority shareholder and former Intercity vice-president and Chief Financial Officer. Blythe, who originally filed an application in 2016, alleged that Gordon was directing revenue from online advertising to his personal accounts, among other financial irregularities. According to the receiver, Farber & Partners, Blythe learned the seriousness of the station’s financial status following Gordon’s death in April 2019 and that the station was in danger of losing its radio license for failing to pay required CRTC obligations. Read more here.

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has announced the nominees for the 38th Canadian Country Music Awards. Tenille Townes, the reigning Female Artist of the Year, leads the Artist categories with six nominations. In the Radio categories, Amanda Kingsland, Program Director at Country 101.1 (CKBY-FM) Ottawa and National Music Director for Rogers’ Country stations – who has swept the Music Director of the Year (Large Market) category four years running – is nominated once again. There’s also stiff competition in the Medium/Small Market category where Paul Ferguson, PD for Cool 100 (CHCQ-FM) Belleville, ON, has won the honour six years in a row. Up for Country Personality of the Year are: Country 101.1 host Wendy Boomer; Shannon Ella, syndicated midday host on Bell Media’s Pure Country stations; Stingray New Country syndicated midday host Paul McGuire; Randy Owen, Country 107.3 (CJDL-FM) Tillsonburg, ON afternoon drive host; and Sarah Scott, afternoon host at Sun 99.7 (CFXO-FM) High River, AB. Read more here.

“Freeway” Frank Depalo and Natasha Gargiulo, who were unceremoniously released from the 95.9 Virgin Radio (CJFM-FM) Montreal morning show last August after nine years, have revealed in a Montreal Gazette feature that they’re currently awaiting an unjust dismissal hearing before the Canadian Industrial Relations Board. The former on-air duo also talked about the details and aftermath of their firing in a recent episode of Gargiulo’s IGTV series “The New Normal with Natasha.” Depalo confirmed during the segment that he’s working on a podcast that will tentatively launch this fall. 

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102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto morning show team Shawna, Chris and Jay have launched “The B Team” podcast which promises to“take you behind the scenes as they cover current events with Big Laughs and fight to stay employed at a Radio Station who’s gone through 7 Morning Show in 7 Years.” The B Team was called up from Corus sister station Y108 (CJXY-FM) Hamilton in February.  

LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill’s guests are Jesse Reynolds and Jenna Mo, who are now more than 200 episodes into the podcast they launched after they were let go from Jump! 106.9 (CKQB-FM) Ottawa in 2018. They talk about the learning curve, hard-to-break radio habits and the ongoing evolution of their format.

XL 103’s (CFXL-FM) XL Mornings with Heather & Buzz has raised a total of $193,930.82 for the Calgary Food Bank with the Fill Your Boots campaign. The fundraiser ran during what would have been the Calgary Stampede, July 3-12, with Heather and Buzz hosting a live launch show from Calgary Co-op MacLeod Trail. Calgarians contributed to the campaign by donating online at XL103Calgary.com, and in-person at local Calgary Co-op locations. As of July 12, the campaign had raised $120,948.82 and 28,070 pounds of food. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Calgary Food Bank has seen a 27% increase in first-time users. 

Bayshore Broadcasting stations 98 the Beach (CFPS-FM) Port Elgin and 560 CFOS Owen Sound helped facilitate a drive-in concert in Sauble Beach on July 1, featuring JUNO award-winner Susan Aglukark. Aglukark had been booked to perform on Canada Day before the pandemic hit, but the concert was reimagined as a socially distanced event with the help of local radio stations. A stage was set up under the iconic Sauble Beach sign and more than 50 cars lined up down two streets to watch the show while listening to the performance on their car radios. The audio from the concert was broadcast on both stations simultaneously, making for a unique and memorable Canada Day performance while maintaining social distance.

SiriusXM has launched its latest collection of channels dedicated to iconic musicians. They include Beastie Boys, Bob Marley, Coldplay, Michael Jackson and Queen, plus the return of The Prince Channel, that will be available through Aug. 13 on the SiriusXM app, internet connected devices and smart speakers.

SiriusXM Canada is airing the Just For Laughs Virtual Comedy Festival across numerous SiriusXM comedy channels through July 25. Two one-hour specials are airing every day on five SiriusXM comedy channels, hosted with commentary from Kevin Hart, Howie Mandel, Ronny Chieng, Caroline Rhea, Jim Norton, and Alonzo Bodden, among others. In addition, the best stand up tracks from previous Just For Laughs shows throughout its 37-year history will highlight iconic comedy sets, including segments from Andy Kindler’s biting “State Of The Industry” speeches as part of ComedyPRO. SiriusXM-owned Pandora is also featuring a suite of Just For Laughs comedy playlists in the U.S.

Wondery has announced that DAX, the digital ad exchange from UK-based media and entertainment group Global, will be its exclusive advertising sales partner in Canada. The partnership will allow Canadian brands and advertisers spot ads and host-read sponsorship within Wondery’s podcast portfolio which includes titles like Dr. Death, Business Wars, Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast and The Dollop. Wondery is also a pioneer in translating hit podcasts for non-English speaking audiences.

 

 

Podcast Movement 2020 in Dallas is officially cancelled. The organization says it’s working to stage a VIRTUAL Podcast Movement in October, featuring four full days of sessions across five stages. The next in-person event will tentatively take place next Aug. 3 – 6, 2021 in Nashville, TN. 

TV & FILM:

Sportsnet is preparing for the return of the NHL, MLB and NBA across its TV, radio and streaming platforms. Its MLB coverage begins Friday, July 24 as the Toronto Blue Jays open their regular season campaign against the Tampa Bay Rays – the first of 60 Jays games available on Sportsnet. The NHL makes its long-awaited return Saturday, Aug. 1, marking veteran play-by-play host Chris Cuthbert’s network debut, who’ll have the call for the Western Conference qualifying series featuring Canadian teams, alongside analyst Louie DeBrusk. The Toronto Raptors also resume their regular season against the LA Lakers Aug. 1. Five additional regular season games will be available on Sportsnet ONE and/or the Sportsnet Radio Network, leading up to the start of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. Broadcast schedules and channel allocations will be available online at sportsnet.ca/schedule.

TSN’s MLB coverage kicks off on Thursday, July 23 with an Opening Night doubleheader, beginning with the New York Yankees visiting the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals at 7 p.m. ET on TSN4, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers hosting the San Francisco Giants. The network will deliver Canadian coverage of ESPN’s flagship MLB broadcasts throughout the 2020 season, led by play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian, World Series champion analyst Alex Rodriguez, and ESPN Senior MLB Insider Buster Olney. Click here for the full MLB on TSN broadcast schedule. TSN’s NBA season coverage begins Aug. 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET on TSN Radio 1050 Toronto. The network’s first televised game happens Aug. 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET as the Raptors go up against the Boston Celtics. 

Uninterrupted Canada has announced the start of production on an original, yet-to-be-titled documentary profiling the Nurses and their emergence as one Canada’s most accomplished sports families. Set to debut this fall on TSN, the doc charts the journey of Richard Nurse, a former CFL player for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, his wife Cathy, a former varsity basketball player for McMaster University and their children, WNBA star Kia Nurse, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse, and Tamika Nurse, who played Division 1 basketball for Oregon and Bowling Green State. The doc is the second long-form feature by Uninterrupted Canada, following the debut of Serge Ibaka profile Anything Is Possible that follows the Toronto Raptors star’s journey from the streets of Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo to his return home as an NBA Champion.

CTV is set to bring what Bell Media is calling the country’s “first Black family reality show” to a national audience, starting July 25 on the network. Auntie Jillian stars Ajax, ON-based YouTube vlogger and social media personality Jillian Danford, her husband Warren, grown children Myles and Milan, and an extended cast of friends and family. The Danfords are already familiar to Bell Fibe TV audiences where the show has been airing for one season. They also appeared as a competing family on CBC’s reboot of Family Feud earlier this year. The network version of their show will see an inaugural six-episode season broadcast on CTV and its platforms over three weeks. Read more here.

CBC has renewed original dramas Burden of Truth (Season 4) and Diggstown (Season 3). Burden of Truth will start production in Winnipeg later this summer, with Diggstown set to return to Halifax to shoot in early 2021. Burden of Truth is also broadcast on The CW Network in the U.S., while Diggstown was recently acquired by BET+ in the U.S.

Corus Entertainment has picked up a range of comedies and dramas as part of a deal with Sky Studios, the production arm of international pay TV operator, Sky. Original Sky productions that will land on Corus platforms include British TV drama Bulletproof and sitcom Intelligence which stars former Friends’ cast member David Schwimmer.

Telefilm Canada has released its 2020-2023 Corporate Plan. It includes a series of initiatives based on four strategic priorities: attracting additional funding and investment; evolving the organization’s funding allocation approach; optimizing operational capability; and enhancing the values of the “Canada” and “Telefilm” brands. Telefilm says those strategic priorities will be augmented by its commitment to foster diversity and inclusion in order to provide a reflection of Canada.

Netflix is accepting pitch proposals from Canadian creators for series or films across a variety of categories until Wednesday, Aug. 5. From those submissions, the streamer will invite a number of creators to virtually meet with leaders on the Netflix content team. Creators may submit no more than one project in a category, with a maximum of two projects total. Find submission guidelines, here.

Nomad Films and Foundry Productions Inc. have announced the world broadcast premiere of new documentary Company Town on CBC Docs POV Aug. 8 on CBC and CBC Gem. The deep dive into the politics and culture of trade unionism goes behind-the-scenes of the fight to prevent the closure of Oshawa’s General Motors plant in Dec. 2019 and the loss of 5,000 jobs. Unifor, the union representing the autoworkers, found an unlikely ally in rock superstar Sting, who while in Toronto performing in The Last Ship – his play about union struggles in England in the 1980s – stepped up to perform a solidarity concert for GM workers as director Peter Findlay’s cameras rolled. 

 

JFL NorthWest and Just for Laughs TV have announced the premiere of CBC Gem original comedy series The New Wave of Standup. The series features 12 up-and-coming comics that bring a diverse background, viewpoint and unique comedy style to the stage in 10-minute sets. The New Wave was filmed in February in front of a live audience at this year’s JFL NorthWest in Vancouver. Watch the trailer here. 

Qello Concerts by Stingray, the on-demand streaming service for full-length concerts and music documentaries, will air the three-week Summer Encore Festival, July 29 – Aug. 18. It will celebrate some of the world’s biggest festivals, including Rock in Rio, Woodstock, Eurockéennes, and shows from The Cure, Ellie Goulding, The Lumineers, Royal Blood, Michael Kiwanuka, and Beck, among other artists.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

The Pigeon, a new longform, online journalism site driven by new and student journalists, has launched. According to its website, The Pigeon editorial team, which prioritizes stories from Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+ and journalists of colour, saw an opportunity “to create positive change in the Canadian media landscape by bringing in-depth stories to our readers and giving new journalists the chance to learn what it’s like to pitch to a publication.” With a roster of contributors from coast-to-coast, the site features stories ranging from the rise of OnlyFans in Canada to the future of Canadian English. The Pigeon is relying solely on donations to continue operations.

Liquid Media Group has announced its working with digital agencies, Invoke and Arkitek/Creative, to drive the transformation of its Reelhouse streaming platform. Invoke is best known for creating social media management platform Hootsuite, as well as working with Viacom, the NHL, BBC, and Food Network, among others. Arkitek and frequent collaborator Crafted INK Consulting have a portfolio that includes digital media production, branding, marketing and PR for Walt Disney, Netflix, LucasFilm, Sony Picture Imageworks, Universal, Paramount and the Sustainable Production Forum. Acquired by Vancouver-based Liquid Media in February, the Reelhouse platform connects filmmakers with paying audiences via VOD, SVOD, and ReelhouseLIVE, allowing them to watch movies together and socialize in real-time. 

Alex Suda, one of the top YouTube gamers in Canada with a following of over two million, has signed a global brand ambassador and content creation deal with OverActive Media’s Toronto Ultra Call of Duty League franchise. Suda (Im Suda), who hails from Ontario, ranks within the top five Call of Duty YouTubers nationally, in both video views and subscribers. The deal will see the YouTube star deliver a 12-episode series curated for Toronto Ultra’s channel, will be part of social media integrations and will take part in live, in person, fan-centric appearances.

MEDIAPRO Group and the Johan Cruyff Institute are launching free online course, The eSports Industry, for professionals in the fields of marketing, communication, consulting, and other sectors. The agreement will see MEDIAPRO contribute its leadership position in the eSports sector with projects like LVP (the largest Spanish-language eSports organization in the world) and the UBEAT OTT and television channel, while the Johan Cruyff Institute will provide know-how and experience in sports management training. With a maximum duration of four weeks, the course explains the evolution of the eSports industry through major players and stakeholders; the legal framework; opportunities the sector offers; its economic impact; who the key players are and what roles they play; as well as the culture, values ​​and aspirations of the professionals involved. According to consultancy firm Newzoo, the global audience for eSports will reach 646 million by 2023, with annual growth of around 10%. 

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

The CRTC’s recently-released 2019 Broadcasting Financial Summaries reveal growth in annual conventional television revenue for the first time in eight years, while commercial radio reported its largest year-over-year revenue decline in five years. Total broadcasting revenues declined by 1.3% between 2018 and 2019. The biggest drop in revenue was from CBC conventional television, as its stations collectively reported a decrease of $116 million (or 12.2%). Commercial radio stations reported negative annual growth of -3.9%, the largest year-over-year decrease in the past five years. None of the regions recorded positive growth with stations in Atlantic Canada reporting back-to-back declines of 5%. Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer were the worst performing markets in the country, posting negative growth rates of 15.9%, -13.6%, and -11.8% respectively. Victoria, BC was the only designated market to report a positive growth rate in all of Canada (1.2%). Looking at commercial television, conventional stations reported revenues of $1,554 million in 2019, compared to $1,541 million in 2018. A year-over-year increase of 0.8% was mostly due to a 3.6% increase in national time sales. Quebec was the only region to post a year-over-year revenue decline (-4.4%) while the Atlantic region posted the highest growth (8.1%). Read more here.

The CRTC has called for comments on its proposal for a standardized approach to monitoring linear community channels and on-demand community programming services as part of efforts to establish consistent practices. The deadline for the submission of comments is Aug. 17.

The Competition Bureau is investigating whether Videotron employees artificially boosted positive online reviews of its Helix IPTV platform and other products by posing as customers. The allegations, which haven’t been proven, date back as far as 2012 and are contained in a federal court affidavit filed by the bureau. Bell was fined $1.25 million in 2015 following a similar investigation.

The Competition Bureau has submitted its final submission to the CRTC’s review of mobile wireless services, finding that even with the widespread introduction of “unlimited” cell phone plans, more Canadians could save money on their cell phone bills if Bell, Rogers and Telus faced greater competition from regional carriers like Freedom Mobile and Videotron. The bureau’s analysis found that prices are more than 50% lower for all cell phone users in markets where there is strong competition from regional carriers. The bureau continues to recommend that the CRTC pursue a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) policy where Bell, Rogers and Telus would sell temporary access to their wireless networks to regional carriers who intend to invest and further expand their own networks. Read the bureau’s executive summary here.

Rogers Communications posted a total revenue decrease of 17% in Q2 and a 50% drop in Media revenue, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. Revenue decreases in the quarter were largely driven by 13% and 17% decreases in Wireless service and equipment revenue, in addition to the sharp decline in Media revenue. The Wireless service revenue decrease was mainly a result of lower roaming revenue due to travel restrictions and lower overage revenue, as a result of the continued adoption of Rogers Infinite unlimited data plans. Wireless equipment revenue decreased as a result of lower gross additions and device upgrades by existing subscribers during the pandemic. Media revenue declines were primarily the result of lower advertising revenue due to softness in the market and the loss of sports revenue, including at the Toronto Blue Jays. Media adjusted EBITDA decreased by 149% or $107 million, partially offset by lower programming and sports costs associated with the suspension of major sports leagues. Cable revenue decreased by 3% as a result of declines in legacy television and home phone subscriber bases, offset by growth in Ignite TV and internet subscriptions. 

Cogeco’s Q3 for the quarter ended May 31 saw overall revenue increase 1.4% to $626.0 million. On a constant currency basis, revenue decreased by 0.6%, explained by a 33% year-over-year decline in radio advertising as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase of 1.1% in constant currency in the Communications segment was recorded, mostly as a result of the American broadband services operations’ growth in both residential and business internet service customers combined with the impact of the Thames Valley Communications acquisition completed on March 10. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 2.9% (1.1% in constant currency) to reach $298.4 million, mostly attributable to higher adjusted EBITDA in the Communications segment due to an increase in the American broadband services operations, partly offset by a decrease in media activities.

Netflix reported global paid net subscriber additions of 10.09 million in Q2, exceeding the 8.26 million expected as people stayed home due to coronavirus. That brings the streaming giant’s total paid memberships to 193 million. Revenues for the quarter came in at $6.15 billion, a year-over-year increase of 25%.

 

Corus Entertainment has released an update on the scope and mandate of its ongoing Diversity Review, announced in early June following allegations of a culture of racism and microagressions from a number of current and former employees. The company has engaged the services of anti-racism specialists, DiversiPro, which has initiated interviews with a cross-section of Corus employees on their work experience. That will be followed by a company-wide survey and “intercultural assessments” of 100 senior staff. The last phase of the review will identify any barriers or biases in Corus’ “people-related policies and processes.” Corus said specific recommendations will be presented to the company in a final report this September and integrated into its current Diversity and Inclusion multi-year plan. It says some commitments have already been enacted within the Global News division immediately. Read more here.

ANALYSIS: Brad Danks’ has a second instalment of his series on internet regulation. In Part II, he explores “the content paradox.” Read more here.

BROADCASTING TECH & ENGINEERING:

Synamedia has been selected by CBC/Radio-Canada for the public broadcaster’s industry-first transition to the SMPTE 2110 uncompressed media over IP standard at its new broadcast centre in Montreal. CBC/Radio-Canada’s IP infrastructure transition will leverage features from Synamedia’s Video Network portfolio including its virtualized Digital Content Manager (DCM), an all-in-one solution for operators’ end-to-end headend needs from encoding to multiplexing to packaging. CBC/Radio-Canada sought to become one of the first in the industry to upgrade to the latest SMPTE 2110 suite of standards for transferring compressed and uncompressed video packets over IP without downgrades in quality.

Nautel is continuing its webinar series with a July 28 session on Minimizing Transmission Operating Costs with Jeff Welton. Details here in Broadcast Dialogue’s EVENTS section.