REVOLVING DOOR:

Joe Natale joined Rogers Communications as president and CEO on Apr. 19 after a confidential agreement was reached with TELUS Corporation to secure his early arrival. Natale most recently served as president and CEO of TELUS where he held progressively senior roles since joining the company in 2003. He was appointed to the Rogers board at its Annual General Meeting this week.

James Roberts has announced he’ll be retiring from his position as director of distribution and market development at the National Film Board of Canada, effective May 2018. Roberts has been with NFB since 1983. The recruitment process to replace him is already underway.

Lionsgate has appointed Susan Hummel to the newly-created position of executive vice president and managing director of its Canadian distribution operation. Hummel will establish and manage the company’s first distribution office in Toronto. Prior to joining Lionsgate, Hummel served as senior VP of distribution and sales for FremantleMedia International where she headed its first distribution office in Canada. Before that, she led MGM’s Canadian office.

Rebecca Fryer is moving from co-hosting mornings and news at 98.9 The Drive (CKLC-FM) Kingston to become the new afternoon drive host and promotions coordinator at iHeartRadio sister station 98.3 Fly FM (CFLY-FM).

Martin Tremblay has been re-hired by Bell Media to lead the Énergie (CKMF-FM), Rouge FM (CITE-FM) and Virgin Radio (CJFM-FM) Montreal stations. Tremblay is essentially returning to the same position he held from 2008 to 2014 which he left to become interim PD at The Beat (CKBE-FM) a year ago. Tremblay starts his new job in August.

Chris Bury has added CHOM-FM Montreal to his PD duties. Bury had been PD and news director for CJAD-AM and TSN 690 (CKGM-AM) since 2010. CHOM had been without a program director since Oct. 2015 when Andre Lallier passed away.

Former Magic 96.7 (CJWV-FM) Peterborough morning man Dan Duran has a recurring role on the ABC television series Designated Survivor, which airs on CTV in Canada. Duran appeared near the beginning of the Apr. 12 episode as White House reporter Joel Estevez. Duran’s former Magic 96.7 co-host Linda Kash is also playing a recurring role in a hit TV series, appearing in Season Three of FX’s Fargo, which premiered on Apr. 19. Meanwhile, Duran made his return to the Peterborough airwaves on Apr. 18 as CHEX-TV’s new weather analyst.

Cision has made two new additions to its executive team. Michael Piispanen, former Nasdaq VP of corporate solutions, joins Cision as CEO. Pat Galvin, former VP of general business at InsideSales.com, joins the team as chief revenue officer for North America.

RADIO/AUDIO/PODCAST:

The 52nd annual Crystals Radio Awards, the Canadian advertising community’s night to celebrate success, honour creativity and network with the 
industry’s brightest minds, took place Wednesday night at TIFF Bell Lightbox, hosted by legendary broadcaster Alan Cross.

Best in Show

PLATINUM CRYSTAL – $10,000 GRAND PRIZE
La Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec “LOL”
Created by: Luc Du Sault, Andrée-Anne Hallé, Nicolas Boisvert; lg2

Agency Campaign

GOLD CRYSTAL
Special Olympics Canada “The R Word – Beep/Beep 2”
Created by: Patrick Scissons, James Ansley, Joel Arbez, Graeme Campbell, Logan Gabel, Terri Vegso, Darlene Remlinger, Laura Rovinescu; Grey Canada

SILVER CRYSTAL
BC Hydro “Rock/Punk/Blues”
Created by: Taxi Vancouver – Jay Gundzik, Nikki Jobson; Sebastien Wilcox Production; Murmur Music and Sound – Roger Harris/Denise Sarris

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Salvation Army “Christmas 2016 – Once a Year/Holiday Stress/Crowded Mall”
Created by: James Ansley, Joel Arbez, Mike Richardson, Oliver Brooks, Vanessa Birze, Siobhan Doyle, Kit Kostandoff; Grey Canada

Agency Single

GOLD CRYSTAL
La Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec “LOL”
Created by: Luc Du Sault, Andrée-Anne Hallé, Nicolas Boisvert; lg2

SILVER CRYSTAL
Vancouver Aquarium “Names”
Created by: Rob Sweetman; One Twenty Three West

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Opera On The Avalon “Sounds of War”
Created by: Jenny Smith, Terri Roberts – Ray Agency; Keen Music; Gordon Pinsent – Talent

Best Station Entry from a Small Market

GOLD CRYSTAL
Audiology First “Mom”
Created by: Alex Zaretsky, Fay Braden; Rogers Radio

SILVER CRYSTAL
Capri Dental Centre “Brush Brush”
Created by: James McIntosh, Fil De Carvalho, David Larsen; Newcap Radio

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Bounce Energy Balls Canada “She’s Got Balls”
Created by: Tyler Hodkinson, Katie Holden; Larche Communications Inc.

Production – Creative Use of Sound/Music

GOLD CRYSTAL
Product Care Association “Recycled Commercials #2”
Created by: Chris Leitz, Dan Macintosh; Newcap Radio Vancouver

SILVER CRYSTAL
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre “Direct Liquidation“
Created by: Ainsworth – Hagan Ainsworth Production; Murmur Music and Sound – Roger Harris/Denise Sarris

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Oodle Noodle “Vintage Jingle”
Created by: Adam McGale, Katie Perman, Lesley Pelletier; Air Support Radio

Copywriting

GOLD CRYSTAL
Product Care Association “Recycled Commercials #2”
Created by: Chris Leitz, Dan Macintosh; Newcap Radio Vancouver

SILVER CRYSTAL
JAZZ.FM91 Jazz and the Arts “Discover Music – Integrity”
Created by: Dani Elwell, Glenn Knight; JAZZ FM91

BRONZE CRYSTAL
West Coast Auto Group “Moj-ivational Thoughts“
Created by: Chris Aviss, Steve Andres, Bob Marjanovich, Ron Hewat; Bell Media RadioVancouver

Performance

GOLD CRYSTAL
Opera On The Avalon “Cut Short”
Created by: Jenny Smith, Terri Roberts – Ray Agency; Keen Music
Gordon Pinsent – Talent

SILVER CRYSTAL
Indie88 “Win a Trip to Austria”
Created by: Jessica Grajczyk and Dave Cockram; Indie88 – Central Ontario Broadcasting

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Casa Loma “Pyrrhic Victory”
Created by: Dave Calvert, Chris Shapcotte, Bob Magee; Rogers Radio

Public Service Announcement

GOLD CRYSTAL
Product Care Association “Recycled Commercials #1”
Created by: Chris Leitz, Dan Macintosh; Newcap Radio Vancouver

SILVER CRYSTAL
Way North Foods “Feeding My Family – Juice & Coffee”
Created by: Trent Burton, Chris Lihou, Brad Connell, Eric Seymour, Jordon Lawson, Andrea Wettstein; WAX

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Scott Mission “Holiday Hope Fund”
Created by: Larry MacInnis, Andre Lowy, Neil Hedley; MZ Media Inc.

Station Campaign

GOLD CRYSTAL
Product Care Association “Recycled Commercials #1 and #2”
Created by: Chris Leitz, Dan Macintosh; Newcap Radio Vancouver

SILVER CRYSTAL
UCMAS “Abhinav, Sanjitha, Tenzin”
Created by: Dave Calvert, Stewart Hammill; Rogers Radio

BRONZE CRYSTAL
JAZZ.FM91 Jazz and the Arts “Discover Music – Promo, Integrity, Gregory Porter”
Created by: Dani Elwell, Glenn Knight; JAZZ.FM91

Station Imaging/Sound Design

GOLD CRYSTAL
100.3 The Bear “Summer Imaging”
Created by: Gary McClenaghan, Jamie Watson; Bell Media Edmonton

SILVER CRYSTAL
boom 97.3 “This is boom 97.3”
Created by: Derek Welsman, Troy McCallum, John Arruda, Joe Cipriano; Newcap Radio Toronto

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Q107 “We Built This City”
Created by: Jamie Watson, David Whalen; Corus Radio Toronto

Station Promotion Single

GOLD CRYSTAL
The New Classical FM “Crank It Up – Composers”
Created by: Larry MacInnis, Paul Thomas, Andre Lowy; MZ Media Inc.

SILVER CRYSTAL
89X CIMX-FM “89X Dirty Little Valentine”
Created by: Alan McKinnon, Erik Thompson; Bell Media Windsor

BRONZE CRYSTAL
K Rock 105.7 “Metallica Winner Promo”
Created by: Mike Darrach, David Kaye; Rogers Radio

Station Single

GOLD CRYSTAL
Alzheimer Society of Ontario “Doris”
Created by: Larry MacInnis, Kelly Robotham, Doris Kahnert; MZ Media Inc.

SILVER CRYSTAL
Product Care Association “Recycled Commercials #1”
Created by: Chris Leitz, Dan Macintosh; Newcap Radio Vancouver

BRONZE CRYSTAL
Product Care Association “Recycled Commercials #2”
Created by: Chris Leitz, Dan Macintosh; Newcap Radio Vancouver

Sirius XM Canada is crediting Q2 revenue growth of three per cent year-over-year to expansion of the company’s self-pay subscriber base. Total subscriber numbers saw a 4.8 per cent boost reaching 2,779,000 in February. Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 2017 decreased 3.5 per cent primarily due to higher revenue share and royalty costs, and information technology expenses, partly offset by higher revenues and lower administrative expenses.

The 6th Annual Radiothon for Life on Apr. 6 raised over $191,000 for the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation in Estevan, SK. The 12-hour fundraiser on Sun 102 (CHSN-FM) and CJ 1150 (CJSL-AM) got a significant boost thanks to the family of the late Dean Allen, whose estate donated $50,000 in his memory.

The CRTC has issued a call for applications for radio stations to serve the community of Georgina, ON, 81 kms north of Toronto, after finding there is capacity for another station. The review was sparked by an application from My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to obtain a broadcasting licence to operate a commercial station serving the area. Applications are due June 30.

To mark the Dixie Chicks return to Ottawa on Friday, Apr. 14, COUNTRY 101.1 (CKBY-FM) flipped to CHICKS 101.1 for the day. Starting at 6 a.m. Friday morning, the station rebranded, complete with logo and imaging, putting Dixie Chicks into high rotation including a full hour of the trio’s music before and after show time.

Apple has rebranded iTunes Podcasts as Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts promo materials now include a new Listen on Apple Podcasts badge. The rebranding also extends to Twitter, where iTunes Podcasts is now @ApplePodcasts. The Podcasts iOS app appears unchanged in its look and functionality for now.

Canadian Music Week is underway in Toronto with Wednesday’s radio conference offerings serving up enlightening discussion including Standing on the Platform, on challenges around alternate broadcasting platforms which featured Julie Adam, SVP Rogers Radio, Mark MacArthur, Music Head, CBC, Rob Farina, Sr. Advisor, iHeartCanada, Bell Media Radio, and Zach Sang, Westwood One and Momentum Media Networks. The session was moderated by Kurt Hanson, Publisher, RAIN Radio and Internet Newsletter.

CMW’s keynote panel discussion Like A Boss! featured Corus Radio West VP Brad Phillips, Harvard Broadcasting national program manager Christian Hall, Bell Media GM/VP Radio/TV Western Canada James Stuart, Rogers Radio SVP Julie Adam and Steve Jones, Newcap Radio VP Brands & Content, talking on broadcast leadership.

Broadcast Dialogue publisher Shawn Smith also moderated A Sound That Sticks: Creating A Destination Station, featuring panelists Justin Case of Benztown, USA; Z103.5 (CIDC-FM) Toronto producer Sean Galbraith; and SiriusXM NYC imaging head for the Howard Stern Show Ron Tarrant.

Thursday’s highlights at Canadian Music Week include the Consultant’s Roundtable; a fearless celebrity interview with veteran broadcaster Denise Donlon; and the Iconic Women In Broadcasting panel featuring Jeanne Beker and Maureen Holloway, among others.

SIGN-OFFS:

Jatinder (Jett) Bassi, 39, Apr. 14, of cancer. Born and raised in Edmonton, Bassi began his career as a producer with MOJO Sports Radio (CHMJ-AM) Vancouver as a producer after graduating from the radio broadcasting program at Columbia Academy. He went on to work with OMNI BC as an editor where he continued pursuing his passion for sports journalism. He was promoted to sports reporter, camera operator and editor for OMNI News: Punjabi Edition in 2008, covering everything from hockey to kabaddi. Bassi was an integral part of the OMNI BC team covering both the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games as well as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, where he handled play-by-play for the Punjabi Olympic hockey broadcasts. Bassi joined CTV Vancouver Island in 2012, moving his family to Nanaimo, where he served the mid-island region as a news reporter and videographer.

Tony Wade, 68, of throat cancer in St. Leonards-on-Sea, England. Known as a trailblazer during his time with CBC TV in Vancouver in the 1970s and 80s, Wade was executive producer of newsmagazine program Pacific Report. In 1980, a report on the seizure of indigenous children and their placement with white families led to new laws in B.C. on the fostering of First Nations kids and won a B’nai Brith Media Human Rights Award. The show also notably landed guests like Michael J. Fox, who at the time was a major television star. Over the years, Wade produced three documentaries on Vancouver’s Georgia Straight newspaper including The Last Streetfighter: The History of the Georgia Straight on its 30th anniversary. The doc, which included an interview with humanitarian Bob Geldof, who was the paper’s music editor in the 1970s, won two CANPRO Canadian television awards and a certificate of merit from the Jack Webster Foundation. Wade was also the recipient of two Anik Awards, a New York Film and Television Festival bronze medal, and an AMTEC Award of Merit for documentaries about artist Bill Reid, children’s entertainer Charlotte Diamond, and historian Barry Broadfoot.

TV/FILM/VIDEO:

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) has announced a new six-year exclusive broadcast partnership with CBC that will see the 47th annual JUNO Awards move from CTV after a successful 16-year partnership. As the official broadcaster, CBC is committing to launch new music programming initiatives and special events throughout the year in partnership with CARAS, including covering a more diverse range of genres and musicians.

Broken Social Scene, Wintersleep, Reuben and the Dark, DARCYS, and Lou Phelps are among the artists who’ll share in $445,251 from Bell Media’s MuchFACT (A Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) Apr. 12 funding round supporting the production of music video/projects and digital tools. The next deadline for MuchFACT applications is May 4.

Arlene Dickinson is returning to CBC’s Dragon’s Den after a two-year break. Her return brings the number of dragons for Season 12 to six, the show’s biggest panel of investors ever. Until Dickinson’s return, Jim Treliving remained the only original dragon. They join Joe Mimran, Manjit Minhas, Michael Wekerle and Michele Romanow. Dragons’ Den has seen a dip in viewership, with Season 11 averaging 597,000 per episode. That’s down from average viewership of 1.755 million per episode in Season Four.

Bell Media-commissioned series Hip-Hop Evolution has won a Peabody Award in the Documentary category. Produced in partnership with Banger Films, the four-episode, one-hour series explores the birth and far-reaching influences of hip-hop. From Canadian filmmaker Darby Wheeler, the series premiered on HBO Canada last September and won two Canadian Screen Awards. It’s available to watch on TMN GO and HBO Canada OnDemand.

Documentary Mostly Sunny makes its television debut on HBO Canada Apr. 24. Commissioned by Bell Media’s The Movie Network, it charts the unconventional journey of Sunny Leone from small-town Ontario to fame and fortune as an adult film star, and then to success as a Bollywood star.

Bell Media’s Pay TV networks The Movie Network, TMN Encore, Super Écran, and Cinépop celebrated the fourth annual National Canadian Film Day on Apr. 19 with All-Canadian movie marathons. The NCFD 150 lineup is also streaming to subscribers on TMN GO in a Canadian Film Celebration collection.

ONLINE/DIGITAL:

Netflix has released its Q1 earnings with the company stating it hit 98.75 million memberships at the end of 2016, amounting to a one-year gain of 17.25 million subscribers. The earnings report predicts Netflix memberships will reach 101.95 million by the end of Q2. The streaming giant expects to break the 100 million membership barrier by this weekend.

theScore is among the first media outlets to launch group chat functionality with the new Facebook Messenger platform feature Chat Extensions. theScore bot allows fans to pull sports news and multimedia right into conversations.

VICE.com will livestream a national conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Apr. 24 discussing how the shift in the federal government’s drug policy on marijuana could bring about a fundamental shift in Canadian society. Hosted by VICE Canada’s Manisha Krishnan, the event will bring together stakeholders from both the legal and grey market cannabis industry, starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

GENERAL:

The CRTC has released its three-year plan with among its objectives for 2017-18 to renew the licences of CBC/Radio Canada and determine if the public broadcaster is fulfilling its current regulatory obligations. The commission also has its sights set on establishing a transparent regulatory approach to differential pricing practices related to Internet data plans. You can read the full document here.

The Treasury Board of Canada has approved the new Maison de Radio-Canada (MRC) construction project in Montreal led by Broccolini. Construction of the new facility is set to start this summer with Radio-Canada scheduled to take possession in early 2020 as the sole tenant under a 30-year lease. The site redevelopment project, with the new MRC as its centrepiece, is expected to contribute significantly to the urban renewal of the neighbourhood that Radio-Canada has called home for decades.

Rogers Communications Inc. profits were boosted 28 per cent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2017. Earnings were $294 million or 57 cents per share in the three months ended Mar. 31. Adjusted profit rose 34 per cent to $394 million or 64 cents per share. Wireless revenue grew 7 per cent, with the addition of 60,000 postpaid wireless subscribers. In the Rogers Media division, revenue increased six per cent to $474 million, mainly due to Major League Baseball distribution and higher Sportsnet subscription revenue. The division still lost $28 million, although losses were 43 per cent lower year-over-year.

Keith Leslie, who retired last year after 35 years with the Canadian Press; 680 News (CFTR-AM) Toronto news director Scott Metcalfe; and CTV Montreal chief anchor Mutsumi Takahashi are this year’s Central Region recipients of the RTDNA Lifetime Achievement award. They’ll be presented during the President’s Reception on May 26 at the 2017 National Conference & Awards Gala.

Stuart McLean will receive the RTDNA’s President’s Award to be presented posthumously to McLean’s sons at the President’s Reception on May 26 during the 2017 RTDNA National Conference & Awards Gala. The President’s Award, the highest honour bestowed by the association, acknowledges an individual who has brought recognition and distinction to the field of electronic and digital journalism.

Mike Cavender will receive the 2017 RTDNA Bill Hutton Award of Excellence. The award is given to individuals or organizations who have shown a true commitment to RTDNA and the betterment of broadcast journalism in Canada. Cavender was named executive director of RTDNA (International) in 2011, after more than 20 years of service in virtually all board positions, including chairman.

Jake Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and daily anchor of The Lead with Jake Tapper, will be honoured with this year’s CJF Tribute, which recognizes media luminaries who uphold the highest standards of excellence and inspire working journalists around the world. The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) will present the honour at its annual CJF Awards on June 8 at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

Julian Brave NoiseCat and Lenard Monkman are this year’s recipients of the CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships, established to encourage Indigenous voices and better understanding of Indigenous issues within Canadian media. Brave NoiseCat, a member of Canim Lake Band Tsq’escen in B.C., is a New York-based freelance writer. Monkman, an Anishinaabe journalist from Lake Manitoba First Nation, is co-founder of Red Rising Magazine and an associate producer for CBC’s Indigenous Unit in Winnipeg. The story or series resulting from the fellowship experiences will be considered for publication or broadcast by CBC News.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation presents What To Be or Not To Be: The Public Broadcaster’s Dilemma on Apr. 20 in Toronto. Simon Houpt, senior media writer with The Globe and Mail, will moderate discussion on the challenges faced by British, Canadian and American public broadcasters. The discussion features James Harding, director of news and current affairs for the BBC, Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor-in-chief of CBC News and Michael Oreskes, senior VP of news and editorial director for NPR.

Toronto-based developer Canderel has acquired 545 Lake Shore Boulevard West from Rogers Media Inc. for an undisclosed price. No plans have been announced for the 1.8-acre-site that’s currently home to a Rogers Media production complex housing studio and office space for the Biography Channel Canada, OLN and G4 Canada. The building is also home to master control for CityTV. The heritage space has been used as a television studio since 1979 when multicultural station CFMT-TV moved in. It was joined by sister station CJMT-TV in 2002. Both moved to new studio space at Yonge-Dundas Square in 2009.

Primus has renewed its 10+ year partnership with Costco Canada as the exclusive national provider of residential telecommunications services to members. The multi-year renewal also sees Primus offer new Internet speeds of up to 250 Mbps in select Ontario markets in response to growing demand to support more Internet-connected devices within the home and support higher definition digital content.

SUPPLY LINES:

Cision has announced the launch of its first-ever world tour bringing industry leaders and practitioners together to discuss the art and science of data-driven communications. The event will delve into how data and technology are transforming earned media into a business driver. The tour is hitting six cities, including Toronto on June 28.