Mark Gerretson, the Liberal MP for Kingston, has introduced a petition in the House of Commons, calling on the federal government to prop up local radio and television news following another string of layoffs. The petition asks the government to extend the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit to include radio and television; dedicate 70% of federal government advertising dollars on local radio, TV, print and digital media; and eliminate tax-deductions for advertising purchased on foreign-owned, internet-delivered media sites and services.
The CRTC is launching three public consultations on internet and cellphone plans, allowing the public to share their experiences with the commission. The CRTC is considering new measures to ensure Canadians get notified when their plans or discounts are about to end to avoid bill shock by knowing in advance when prices are about to change. Second, the CRTC is looking at stopping providers from charging fees when Canadians cancel or change their plans. Third, the CRTC is exploring how self-serve options could help Canadians when they need to change or cancel plans. The CRTC is accepting comments until Jan. 9. In the coming weeks, the commission says it will launch additional consultations, including a proceeding designed to make it easier to compare plans when shopping for internet services.
Taylor Swift fans on the Rogers 5G network shattered previous sharing and streaming records at Rogers Centre on Nov. 21.
“Swifties” set a new record for sharing and streaming the most content ever at a single event at the venue, using 7.4 terabytes (TB) of mobile data in just a few hours – the equivalent of uploading 182,000 photos and 1,600 hours of video streaming. The previous record at Rogers Centre was set by Indian entertainer Diljit Dosanjh in July of this year when fans consumed 5.4TB of data. Read more here.
CBC and RTDNF Canada have announced Tharsha Ravichakaravarthy as the inaugural recipient of the CBC David Suzuki Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship recognizes students from racialized communities with a demonstrated interest in science journalism who are in their final year of a college or university journalism program. Ravichakaravarthy has an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Toronto, with a double major in Global Health and Statistics, and recently completed a journalism diploma at Seneca Polytechnic, where she made the President’s Honour List and received the Susan Anton Clark Award, Bob Hesketh Memorial Award and the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s Narcity News Creator Fellowship. She worked as a clinical researcher in oncology and planetary health before pursuing a career in journalism.
The International Student Broadcasting Championship (ISBC) has announced its 2024 winners, recognizing exceptional student talent and innovation in radio, podcasting, digital content, and esports casting. Bringing together participants from universities and colleges spanning five continents, this year’s Best Sports Play-by-Play honour was claimed by Queen’s University student Zayden Vergara, who has served as a sports reporter at campus radio station, CFRC 101.9.
