Media Central Corporation Inc. has announced a wave of new digital initiatives as part of the company’s 2021 strategic growth plan. One of the pillars of that plan involves developing new digital products with Guelph-based Lunarstorm Technologies, Inc., and unifying Media Central’s existing publishing platforms to improve user experience and drive retention. MediaCentral says development of new digital products CreatorNews, a global aggregator of top alternative news and content, and CreatorStack, a platform to curate paid newsletters published by independent journalists and bloggers under a shared revenue business model, are set to launch this spring. A second key element of the company’s strategic plan is to enable omnichannel content creators to contribute to both existing MediaCentral publications, like NOW and The Georgia Straight, and new platforms like CreatorNews and CreatorStack. The company says it’s focused on identifying journalists, podcasters, video producers, and bloggers to produce content across MediaCentral’s publications, web sites, web-enabled mobile sites, newsletters and social media feeds. MediaCentral also intends to rebrand both its cannabis digital magazine CannCentral and its adult entertainment platform Toronto Adults, including introducing e-commerce and video streaming features.
BBTV Holdings Inc. subsidiary, YoBoHo Digital Content, has launched new original content on Roku TV and Amazon Fire TV via a partnership with Allroll, a CTV/OTT (Connected TV/Over-the-top) agency for content owners that allows them to reach their audience by building and distributing video apps on top streaming platforms. YoBoHo, acquired by Vancouver-based BBTV in 2015, recently launched its newest original programming including All Babies Channel, Teehee Town, YouCurious? and Cooking Co.
Retro Weather is a new app from Alberta developer Gary Kash that appeals to those feeling nostalgic for the old Environment Canada TV weather station. Meticulously designed to look and feel like the original public weather channel of the 1980s and ‘90s, it features options to swipe left or right to quickly find the screen you’re looking for, or you can wait and let it advance for you. Retro Weather’s soundtrack is provided by Winnipeg’s CJNU 93.7 Nostalgia Radio Cooperative.
