REVOLVING DOOR:
Darcy MacNeil is the new director of Social & Digital Lifestyle for Corus Entertainment. MacNeil was previously director of content for Mindshare and UM Worldwide. She has also worked with Bell Media as a producer and showrunner on After Degrassi, among other MTV offerings.
Paul Ouellette and Glory Prezkop of the Q99 (CIKT-FM) Grande Prairie morning show are calling it quits with their last show Nov. 15. Ouellette and his wife are relocating to Vancouver Island, while Prezkop has taken a communications position with Accredited Supportive Living Services (ASLS). Ouellette has been with the station for a decade, while Prezkop joined the morning show five years ago after a stint with 660 News (CFFR-AM) Calgary.
Salimah Shivji has joined CBC’s Parliament Hill bureau. Shivji has been with the public broadcaster since 2005, most of that time as a bilingual reporter in Montreal. For the last year and a half she’s been covering arts and entertainment for the network, based in Toronto.
iPolitics has laid off five staff, while hiring new editor Marco Vigliotti, a former digital editor and reporter with The Hill Times. The changes come less than a month after the Ottawa-based online publication’s $1.4 million acquisition by Torstar. Among those affected by the layoffs were editor Peter Robb, reporters Anna Desmarais and Kathryn May, columnist Michael Harris, and photographer Matthew Usherwood.
Ash Kelly is leaving CBC Vancouver to take on morning reporter duties at News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver. Kelly has been with CBC Vancouver since late 2015 as an associate current affairs producer working on programs including On The Coast, BC Almanac and Early Edition. She’s also been a reporter and research assistant with Discourse Media.
David Kelleher has joined eOne as SVP of production and operations of alternative programming for television, based in Los Angeles. Prior to joining eOne in July, Kelleher was with T Group for nine years, where he was most recently EVP of production and operations. Will Erb has also been promoted to VP of production of alternative programming for television. Prior to joining eOne in Sept. 2017, Erb was a freelance production exec at 3 Ball Entertainment and Michael Levitt Productions.
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has announced a newly-elected 2018-19 board of directors. AIMS Board Chair Michael Cronk (Grass Valley), Deputy Chair Steve Reynolds (Imagine Communications), CFO Andreas Hilmer (Lawo), and board member Andy Warman (Harmonic) were re-elected to their positions, joined by new board member Larissa Görner (Net Insight). AIMS is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to education, awareness, and promotion of industry standards for the transmission of video, audio, and ancillary information over IP infrastructure, as well as products based on those standards.
Helen Murphy will succeed ole Media Management co-founder Robert Ott as the rights management company’s CEO. Ott, who sold his stake in the Toronto-based firm earlier this year, will continue to serve as an advisor. The company, which has offices in the U.S., UK and Canada, owns a catalogue of more than 55,000 songs and 60,000 hours of film and TV music. Murphy is the founder of International Media Services, Inc. and was previously EVP and CFO of Warner Music Group.
Radio-Canada has undergone leadership restructuring with Sebastien Perron now overseeing radio and podcasting. Dominique Poirier will be the director of news deployment. Poirier returns to Radio-Canada after serving as the commissioner for international relations for the City of Montreal. Other appointments include Crystelle Crépeau as director of digital news, Sylvain Schreiber as director of public affairs and Paule Genest as first director of ICI RDI.
RADIO/AUDIO/PODCAST:
CBC Radio’s national current affairs evening show As It Happens will mark its 50th anniversary with a special hour-and-a-half-long episode featuring highlights from the program’s five-decade history. Led by hosts Carol Off and Jeff Douglas, the 50th anniversary special will air at 6:30 p.m. (7 p.m. NT) on Friday, Nov. 16 on CBC Radio One and the CBC Radio app. The show, which has now surpassed 13,000 episodes, first premiered Nov. 18, 1968. According to Numeris and Adobe Analytics, As It Happens reaches 1.6 million listeners weekly via CBC Radio and is also heard on Sirius XM and more than 100 public radio stations in the U.S., with an audience of hundreds of thousands on digital platforms.
National Campus and Community Radio Association/l’Association nationale des radios étudiantes et communautaires (NCRA/ANREC) and the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB) in the U.S. have a new partnership that will allow NFCB members to use the !earshot Digital Distribution System (!eDDS) for music discoverability. The !eDDS online platform allows musical artists, labels and distribution companies to upload recordings to be searched, reviewed, and downloaded by campus, community, and college radio stations. NCRA/ANREC executive director Barry Rooke says over 100 unique labels and artists signed on to the system within a month of its release. Once fully developed, !eDDS will reach over 200 campus, community and college radio stations across North America, giving stations and volunteer programmers access to new and unique content not found on commercial radio.
The 16th Annual Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Radiothon raised $401,870.65 on Nov. 7-8. Broadcast live on 620 CKRM, My 92.1 (CHMX-FM) and 104.9 The Wolf (CFWF-FM) Regina, the radiothon made use of the hashtag #KPlusS4Kids on social media, with $5 donated for every tweet or retweet. Among the figures that supported the hashtag were St. Louis Blues forward Brayden Schenn and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. This year’s donations will equip Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital’s pediatric surgical suites with IV Infusion Pumps, Patient Monitor Systems and Pediatric Defibrillators.
The Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation has reached its $100,000 fundraising goal, following the 2018 CKNX Wingham Health Care Heroes Radiothon on Oct. 20. Over $1.75 million has been raised over 17 radiothon events.
Joe Bowen, 67, longtime Toronto Maple Leafs play-by-play announcer, has been inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame’s broadcast wing as the recipient of the 2018 Foster Hewitt Award. Born and raised in Sudbury, Bowen started calling games for the Leafs in Oct. 1982, after he was lured away from Halifax where he had been doing play-by-play for American Hockey League team the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. On Mar. 7, 2017, Bowen called his 3,000th game as voice of the Leafs.
The Vernon Community Radio Society has filed its application with the CRTC to launch a new FM community radio station serving the Greater Vernon, BC area. The proposed station has been assigned the call letters CFAN-FM by Industry Canada, which the non-profit would brand “Valley FM.” The station would broadcast at 97.9 MHz, with an average effective radiated power of 581 watts.
The CRTC has approved an application by Kebaowek First Nation, on behalf of a not-for-profit corporation to be incorporated, for a new broadcasting licence to operate an English-language Indigenous (Type B Native) FM radio station in Kipawa, Quebec. During the first 12 months of operations, the station’s board of directors would consist of members of the band council. The new station will operate at 104.1 MHz (channel 281A) with an average effective radiated power of 6,000 watts. During each broadcast week, the station will broadcast 126 hours of programming, including 111 hours of musical content (35 per cent in the Algonquin language) and 15 hours of spoken word programming and news. 15 per cent of its overall programming will also be in the Algonquin language.
Jeff Woods has released the audio version of his book Radio, Records & Rockstars. The book alternates between Woods’ reflections on his own radio career and conversations with rock legends like David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Doors, and Led Zeppelin, among others. Radio, Records & Rockstars is available on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Woods’ syndicated radio show Records and Rockstars, currently airing in the U.S. and Canada on stations including Q107 (CILQ-FM) Toronto, is also available through Momentum Media Networks.
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has conducted a survey that indicates ownership of emerging tech products like smart speakers and 4K Ultra High-Definition (UHD) TVs is seeing the largest growth among Canadians. The third annual survey shows almost all Canadian households own a television (93 per cent), 86 per cent own a smartphone – up six percentage points from 2017 – and three quarters (75 per cent) own a notebook, laptop or netbook. While these three screens are also the top three most-desired tech products Canadians want to buy in the year ahead, smart speakers are the fastest-growing tech segment in Canada. Smart speaker ownership grew 12 percentage points from 2017, now reaching 15 per cent of Canadian households. Wireless earbuds (up 11 points to 27 per cent ownership) and wireless headphones (up 10 points to 37 per cent) are also growing in popularity. CTA also reports an increase since 2017 in Canadians’ ownership of other emerging technologies including virtual reality headsets (seven per cent ownership, up six points from 2017), smart thermostats (13 per cent), smartwatches (14 per cent) and action camcorders (21 per cent). More than a quarter of Canadian households (26 per cent) now own a 4K UHD TV – up 10 percentage points from 2017 – and almost the same total (23 per cent) own a TV with a screen 60 inches or bigger, up eight percentage points.
SIGN-OFFS:
Douglas Rain, 90, on Nov. 11. Born in Winnipeg, Rain studied acting at the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, England. He was a founding member of the Stratford Festival and performed in a wide variety of theatrical roles, from Henry V (including a 1966 television adaptation) to his 1972 performance in Vivat! Viat! Regina! for which he earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic). His association with Stratford continued through the late 1990s with one of his last roles playing Sir Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons (1998). Rain is best known for being cast by Stanley Kubrick as the voice of the HAL 9000 computer for the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and sequel 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984). Rain went on to voice another evil computer in Woody Allen’s 1973 futuristic comedy Sleeper. He also narrated Oscar-winning documentary The Man Who Skied Everest (1975).
François Macerola, 76, on Nov. 8. Macerola, a lawyer by training, became involved in the film industry in 1976 when he was appointed director of the French Program at the National Film Board (NFB). In 1979, he was promoted to the position of Assistant Film Commissioner, and became Commissioner in 1984. In Dec. 1988, Macerola stepped down to join Lavalin Communications and later Malofilm Distribution as vice-president of its Board of Directors. From 1995 until 2001, he served as executive director of Telefilm Canada and was Chairman of the Board from 2000 to 2002. At Telefilm, Macerola helped expand the industry’s international growth and spearheaded an increase in co-production activity. Among the initiatives he established were the Canada Feature Film Fund and the first partnership between Telefilm and the private sector through the Canadian Television Fund, now the Canada Media Fund. He went on to work with Place des Arts (2004-08), the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles du Québec (2009 -2014), Cirque du Soleil (2003-2009) and most recently QuébéComm. He also served on the boards of such organizations as the Financière des entreprises culturelles (FIDEC) and the Fonds d’investissement de la culture et des communications (FICC).
Don S. Williams, 80, on Oct. 28, after a 25-year battle with Parkinson’s. Williams grew up in Stony Plain, AB, west of Edmonton where he developed a keen interest in the entertainment industry early on. He started his broadcasting career in 1957 at CKSA Lloydminster. A year later, he accepted a one-year contract at CKRM Regina and then moved on to CKX-TV Brandon where he worked as the producer and director, in addition to acting as artistic director at the Brandon New World Theatre. In 1963, Williams landed a job as a director and producer with CBC Winnipeg. He spent 15 years there, the last 10 freelance which involved travel to Vancouver where he worked on new series The Beachcombers. Williams relocated to Vancouver in 1979, where he directed actors like Bruce Greenwood and Michael J. Fox in the early stages of their careers. He started to focus on acting in the early 1990s, appearing as a guest star in shows including Wiseguy, Mom P.I., Neon Rider, and the recurring role of The First Elder on The X-Files. He also appeared in feature films The Stepfather (1987) and Reindeer Games (2000). Williams also worked behind the scenes as one of the founders of the Canadian Television Producers and Directors Association (CTPDA), acting as chief negotiator for collective bargaining agreements from 1968-78. Williams was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1993. His case received significant media attention in 2002 when documentary filmmaker Gerry Thompson featured him as one of four people who worked together at the CBC in 1979 (the most famous being Michael J. Fox) who would all go on not only to develop Parkinson’s, but to have the symptoms appear at roughly the same time.
TV/FILM/VIDEO:
Bell Media has launched court action against Videotron over claims of trademark infringement, stemming from Bell’s recent merger of The Movie Network (TMN) and its Crave streaming service. Bell says Videotron has gone ahead and made its Crave VOD content available, despite failing to agree to new content distribution terms by an Oct. 31 deadline. A statement of claim, filed in Federal Court in Vancouver, seeks $100 million in damages – $20,000 per individual episode of the approximately 2,700 TV shows and films under Bell copyright.
Corus Entertainment has requested permission from the CRTC to shut down 44 television rebroadcasting transmitters, arguing they are too costly to maintain. Corus says approximately 1.5 million Canadians live within the contours of the transmitters to be shut down, estimating less than 20,000 viewers will be impacted, assuming outdoor antennas are still being used in the affected, rural markets. Corus’ application says the transmitters are all located in small markets that are predominantly served by originating transmitters in adjacent larger markets and “generate no incremental revenue, and attract little to no added viewership for Corus.” Corus also wants to abandon upgrades to 20 transmitters and reallocate the funds into Canadian content including $50,000 in support for the Ontario, Western and British Columbia associations of broadcasters, as well as the Radio-Television and Digital News Association of Canada (RTDNA), to allow student delegates to attend the respective conventions, staging of “Career Day” activities, and professional development courses for member broadcasters.
DHX Media is selling its Halifax animation studio to IoM Media Ventures as part of the company’s ongoing strategic shift to focus and streamline its production operations. The sale does not include This Hour Has 22 Minutes, which continues to be owned by DHX Media and produced in Halifax. The sale is expected to close on or about Dec. 31, 2018. Reporting its Q1 2019 results for the period ended Sept. 30, DHX recorded revenue of $104.0 million, up 5.5 per cent year-over-year. DHX says the increase was driven by continued strong performance from its WildBrain YouTube platform, higher consumer product royalties, and higher production service revenue. That was offset by reduced revenue of $2.4 million in the quarter due to the implementation of IFRS 151 accounting standards. Adjusted EBITDA was $17.3, compared with $22.8 million in Q1 2018, down $1.0 million due to the implementation of IFRS 151 and by $3.8 million related to the sale of the minority stake in Peanuts.
Boat Rocker Media has acquired U.S. production company Matador Content, which is behind shows like Paramount Network’s Lip Sync Battle. Matador founders Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin will remain heads of the company. Financial terms of the cash and stock deal were not disclosed. The acquisition follows Boat Rocker’s purchase of a majority stake in Toronto’s Insight Productions earlier this year.
The CRTC has renewed the broadcasting licence for English-language educational TV station City Saskatchewan (formerly the Saskatchewan Communications Network). Rogers Media filed an application to renew the satellite-to-cable television service, which serves as the provincial educational broadcaster. During the rest of the broadcast week, City Saskatchewan airs programming from the Citytv network. Rogers had requested that, for the upcoming licence term, City Saskatchewan be required to only devote 50 per cent of the evening broadcast period to Canadian programming, arguing that in keeping with the principle and philosophy outlined in the Let’s Talk TV policy framework, the commission should move away from micro regulation of exhibition requirements that are no longer relevant in a new on-demand TV environment. The commission denied Rogers’ Cancon proposal, but approved the removal of advertising limits for non-educational programming.
The Nova Scotia Film and Television Production Incentive Fund has been upped by $6 million to $26 million for 2018-19. The fund, which is administered by Nova Scotia Business Inc. (NSBI), provides between 25 and 32 per cent of eligible costs such as labour, goods and services purchased from a Nova Scotia-based supplier.
The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) 2018 report says $1.7 billion in business was closed or advanced at BANFF 2018 as Canadian artists, creators, producers, and screen industry entrepreneurs took advantage of networking and relationship-building opportunities to grow their export success. The 2018 BANFF delegate list showed significant participation from the U.S., China, Australia, the UK, Scandinavia, and other European regions. This year’s B2B marketplace attracted 1,500 participants from across Canada and over 250 buyers from 25 countries, including representatives from NBC, HBO, Disney and Netflix.
Global has commissioned new Canadian original six-part event series Departure. Produced by Shaftesbury and Greenpoint Productions Ltd., the drama is directed by T.J. Scott (Orphan Black, Star Trek: Discovery), with Malcolm MacRury (Saving Hope) joining as showrunner, and Vincent Shiao (Ransom, Aftermath) as creator. With principal photography now underway in Toronto, the Canada/UK co-production will also shoot in London, England. Slated to join Global’s 2019 primetime schedule, the conspiracy series follows the mystery of a passenger plane that vanishes over the Atlantic Ocean. The cast includes Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) and Oscar winner Christopher Plummer (All the Money In the World), along with Kris Holden-Ried (Vikings), Claire Forlani (Hawaii Five-O), Rebecca Liddiard (Frankie Drake Mysteries), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Tamara Duarte (Longmire), Peter Mensah (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black), and Allan Hawco (Caught). This newly greenlit series is the final original series commissioned by Global for the 2019 broadcast year joining Nurses, Ransom, Mary Kills People, Private Eyes, and Big Brother Canada.
The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and Screen Nova Scotia have released a report that credits CBC series Mr. D with generating $126.5 million in economic activity over eight seasons of production in Halifax. Of the more than 1,400 jobs created by the series, approximately two-thirds were staffed by Nova Scotia talent. The report also found that in just one single season, 386 Canadian businesses benefited, with 80 per cent of those businesses based in N.S. In a standalone analysis of show’s sixth season, the report found that for every dollar of provincial government incentives the production received in Nova Scotia, it generated $5.63 in economic output and $4.18 in GDP. At the federal level, every dollar of tax credit yielded $15.75 in economic output and $11.67 in GDP. The full study is available here.
ONLINE/DIGITAL:
La Presse, the Montreal newsroom that went digital-only in 2017 and shifted to a non-profit structure earlier this year, is cutting 37 jobs. It’s asking its journalists to take voluntary buyouts before the company imposes layoffs. Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec is calling on the provincial and federal governments to step in with assistance. At one time, La Presse was the city’s leading print newspaper.
The Encore+ YouTube channel is marking one year since its launch. Showcasing iconic Canadian film and television content, the channel has earned nearly 30-thousand subscribers and 6.2 million unique views.
Global News has debuted original, short-form digital series RISE, profiling trailblazing women in a variety of industries and the hurdles faced to unlock opportunities in their careers. Women profiled this season include Eva Wong, co-founder/COO of Canadian fin-tech startup Borrowell; Jennifer Huether, Canada’s first female Master Sommelier; Karen Moore, writer/producer (Workin’ Moms, Rookie Blue, Mary Kills People); and Maayan Ziv, founder/CEO of accessibility app AccessNow. The series expands on Global’s slate of original digital series Living in Colour, Odd Jobs and Just Like Home which debuted earlier this year. New episodes of RISE will be released each Thursday on Globalnews.ca and the Global News YouTube channel. RISE will also be featured on select Global National broadcasts.
Bell Media’s SnackableTV is streaming a sneak peek of 4YE’s highly-anticipated comedy series Judge Tyco. From Brampton-born Much Studios creators Jae and Trey Richards, the first three episodes of the seven-part web series are streaming now with the full series set to premiere on various platforms in 2019. Judge Tyco is based on 4YE’s popular recurring character Tyco, best known for the T-Dot Goon Scrap DVD skits. The show takes place in a courtroom where Tyco, based on his reputation as one of Toronto’s top goons, has been appointed judge. Totally unqualified, Judge Tyco presides over trivial, local cases.
Facebook Watch and reality TV prodco 3 Ball Entertainment are working on interactive competition series World’s Most Amazing Dog. The show will allow Facebook users to submit an audition video of their pet, with a group of judges and the global Facebook community deciding who will win $100,000 USD and the title of World’s Most Amazing Dog. The competition will be open to user submissions from Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, among 30+ countries.
GENERAL:
The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) handed out its annual awards Nov. 8 at the OAB Connection ’18 Conference in Toronto. Among this year’s honourees were 2018 Ontario Hall of Fame Award winners Ross Kentner and Barbara Williams, recognized for outstanding leadership and dedication to broadcasting. Kentner recently retired after 56 years with Bayshore Broadcasting. He began his career as an operator and quickly moved into the newsroom, eventually becoming news director and later general manager in 1985. Barb Williams retired as executive vice-president and COO of Corus Entertainment on Oct. 31. She previously served as president of Shaw Media and has also held roles including executive VP, Content at Canwest; vice-president and GM of Toronto 1; and senior VP of Lifestyle Programming at Alliance Atlantis.
The full list of winners follows:
Pro Radio Creative Contest:
Jacob DaRosa, Blackburn Radio
David Cockram & Bryanny Bailey, Larche/Bell
Nigel Kingsmore & Korey Bray, Rogers
Best in Class Sales Award Winners:
Cheryl Foster, boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM) Toronto (Stingray)
Lisa Atkinson, CHOK-AM, The Fox 99.9 FM (CFGX-FM), K106.3 (CHKS-FM), Sarnia (Blackburn Radio)
Community Service Award Winners:
The Josie Dye Show’s Socks for the Streets, Indie 88 (CIND-FM) Toronto (Central Ontario Broadcasting)
The Mix Zoo, mix 106.5, (CIXK-FM) Owen Sound (Bayshore Broadcasting)
Creative Award Winners:
Laurie Lucas (writer) & Taylor Dixon (producer) – Classic Rock 98.1 FM (CKLO-FM) London (Blackburn)
Jordan Puzzella (writer) & Nicole Hemeon (producer) – 106.3 Moose FM (CFXN-FM) North Bay (Vista)
Station Promotion Award Winners:
93.5 The Move (CFXJ-FM) Toronto (Stingray): The Made in Toronto Takeover
mix 106.5 (CIXK-FM) Owen Sound (Bayshore Broadcasting): Mix BIG Ticket
The CRTC says it’s taking action to address increasing complaints about internet services. The commission is seeking comments on the need for a mandatory code of conduct for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), similar to the Wireless Code, implemented in 2013, and the Television Service Provider Code in 2017. The CRTC says the Internet Code would, among other things, establish consumer-friendly business practices, ensure contracts are easy-to-understand, and make it easier for Canadians to switch providers to take advantage of competitive offers. In its 2016-17 annual report, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) noted a 38 per cent increase in complaints about internet services compared to the previous year. Canadians have until Dec. 19 to submit their comments. Read more here.
Raj Shoan, the former CRTC commissioner for Ontario, has filed suit against the CRTC, former chair Jean-Pierre Blais, former Canadian Heritage Min. Melanie Joly, and others, claiming racism, harassment, and wrongful dismissal. The suit seeks $8.4 million in punitive damages. Shoan was accused of workplace harassment and dismissed by an Order-in-Council twice, first in June 2016 and then again in May 2017. The second dismissal came just four days after he was reinstated by an Ontario court ruling.
Quebecor Inc. has reported consolidated financial results for the third quarter of 2018. Q3 highlights include revenue of $1.06 billion, up $17.6 million (1.7 per cent) from the third quarter of 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $465.4 million, up $33.4 million (7.7 per cent). Net income attributable to shareholders was $186.7 million ($0.80 per basic share) in the quarter, compared with $178.4 million ($0.74 per basic share) in the same period of 2017, a favourable variance of $8.3 million ($0.06 per basic share). The Telecommunications segment grew its revenues by $30.2 million (3.6 per cent), while Videotron significantly increased revenues from mobile telephony ($18.8 million or 15.7 per cent), Internet access ($11.3 million or 4.3 per cent) and the Club illico OTT video service ($1.8 million or 17.8 per cent) in the third quarter of 2018. Subscriber connections to mobile telephony and Internet services increased by 130,400, or 13.2 per cent, and 43,400, or 2.6 per cent, respectively, during the 12‑month period ended Sept. 30. TVA Group’s adjusted EBITDA decreased in Q3, mainly because of lower advertising, soundstage and equipment rental revenues. At the same time, TVA Group’s market share increased by 1.0 point compared with the same period of 2017, largely because of the strong performance of the specialty channels, particularly LCN, which gained 0.7 points.
Global National anchor and executive editor Dawna Friesen emceed the Manitoba Business Awards on Oct. 26, and delivered a message about journalism before an audience of 500 CEOs and business leaders. Global has published a condensed version of her remarks in which Friesen addresses both the challenges of broadcasting’s evolving digital model and the assault on free press. Friesen urged business leaders to “Be an active part of the solution. Don’t be drawn into partisan ugliness that paints political opponents as traitors and the enemy. Support quality journalism. Think of it as a public service.”
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) and APTN have issued a call for applications for the third Indigenous Investigative Journalism Fellowship. Application instructions are available on both the APTN and CAJ websites. The deadline for applications is 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 30. The fellowship provides a 12-week, paid placement with APTN Investigates in Winnipeg in the winter or spring of 2019. During the placement, the recipient is expected to produce a full-length piece of original, investigative journalism that will air on APTN Investigates. Journalists of First Nations, Inuit or Métis background who are eligible to work in Canada and have a minimum of three years of professional media experience are encouraged to apply.
The National Media Awards Foundation (NMAF) has announced the inaugural National Magazine Awards: B2B. Honouring the best in Canadian business-to-business publishing, the NMA: B2B awards will be open for entries starting Jan. 3. Awards in 19 categories will recognize the work of individual creators and editorial teams, with $500 cash prizes for Gold winners in creator-focused categories, which range from best profile to best illustration. Read about categories here. NMAF is currently looking for individuals interested in serving on the juries for the NMA: B2B awards, as well as the upcoming National Magazine Awards and Digital Publishing Awards. Information about the judging process can be found here.
The Western Association of Broadcasters (WAB) has opened registration for its annual conference taking place June 5-6, 2019 at Fairmont Banff Springs. Speaker announcements will be coming soon.
SUPPLY LINES:
Bell Mobility has launched a managed security service for business IoT and Smart City applications to detect and respond to evolving cyber threats. Available to customers across Canada, Bell’s Managed IoT Security service analyzes IoT traffic for data that could pose a threat to IoT solutions; blocks access to and prevents downloads from destinations known to carry malicious content; and allows controlled access through customized policy-based rules.
Bannister Lake is partnering with Montreal-based broadcast design firm Motion Path to provide data visualization solutions for the broadcast and visual communications industry. Bannister Lake says the collaboration will offer new storytelling efficiencies and possibilities for news and sports producers, station groups, event producers, and digital signage networks. Both Bannister Lake and Motion Path are veteran election specialists and have provided broadcast clients with election race software systems and election graphics packages, respectively. The partnership announcement will provide a complete end-to-end solution for election producers and will also help power Motion Path’s breakthrough work in virtual reality and augmented reality by incorporating Bannister Lake’s data tools to drive on-air presentations.
Bannister Lake’s graphic integration services were used to generate key graphics for the special live election night broadcast of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Nov. 6. To help audiences visualize the unfolding results of the midterm elections, The Late Show’s production team tapped Bannister Lake to prepare and integrate graphics into the live broadcast that showed the House of Representatives and the Senate populated with the number of elected officials. The Late Show used Google Sheets to tie data to the graphics and to manually make changes as required. During the election special, Bannister Lake’s role focused on transforming The Late Show’s creative graphic concepts into templates ready for playout. The graphic work was performed by Bannister Lake’s Creative and Technical Director Al Savoie, and data integration was carried out by The Late Show’s production staff.
Triton Digital, the leading technology provider for the global audio industry, has announced that Singapore’s leading media company Mediacorp has selected Triton to power its digital audio and podcast strategy. Mediacorp will use Triton’s audio streaming network to deliver content to its online listening audience, and the Tap Ad Server to dynamically insert targeted ads into its online streams. To support its monetization goals, Mediacorp will leverage Triton’s programmatic audio marketplace (a2x®) and audio SSP (Yield-Op) to make its online audio inventory available to programmatic buyers. In addition, Mediacorp will utilize Triton’s integration with the Omny Studio platform to capture, edit and distribute engaging podcast content to its online listeners, and Triton’s Webcast Metrics® service to measure its audience.
DVB, an industry consortium that develops open interoperable technical specifications for the delivery of digital media and broadcast services, has collaborated with the HbbTV Association to create a DASH validation tool for application developers and content providers. The newly released tool conducts checks of ISO/IEC 23009-1 MPEG-DASH media presentation descriptions (MPDs) and segments to ensure conformance with DASH-related specifications from DVB and HbbTV. DVB-DASH defines the delivery of live and on-demand TV content over the open internet via HTTP adaptive streaming. By defining additional constraints and referencing a selection of video and audio codecs from the DVB toolbox as being technically appropriate for use with MPEG-DASH, DVB-DASH facilitates implementation of the MPEG-DASH specification. The validator source code is now available free under an open source license. More information on support for HbbTV application developers can be found here.
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