The Canadian Press celebrated 100 years on Sept. 1. Established in 1917 by an Act of Parliament during the First World War to bring home stories from the front, CP grew into a non-profit co-operative owned by member newspapers across the country. In the early days, rewrite desks had to keep wire-service copy tight as teletype networks could transmit no more than 66 words a minute. CP’s French-language service was established in 1951 and wire photos added the following year. A broadcast news service for radio stations was set up in 1954. In the 1980s, CP switched from landlines to satellite delivery, and in 1997 began migrating operations to the Internet. In 2007, the agency began producing video for the web. Read more about CP’s evolution here.
Gary Miles will posthumously receive the The Ontario Association of Broadcasters’ 2017 Ontario Hall of Fame Award. The awards presentation will be held during the OAB fall conference Connection ‘17 on Nov. 9 at the Marriott Toronto Airport Hotel. The OAB is also inviting broadcasters to submit their application for the Broadcast Order of Achievement, recognizing tenure in broadcasting: Bronze for 10-14 years of service, Silver for 15-24 years of service and Gold for 25+ years of service. Those wishing to be recognized can apply online.
Tom Asacker has been announced as the morning keynote speaker at Connection ’17. Asacker is the author of five business books including The Business of Belief, Opportunity Screams, A Little Less Conversation and A Clear Eye for Branding.
Frank Technologies has kicked off a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo looking for $250,000 to begin production of a new smartphone that it’s dubbed “frank.” In its appeal, the Ottawa-based upstart known for its use of colourful language in its marketing, says “It’s about time to disrupt the shit out of the North American smartphone industry because let’s be honest, it’s just not frank that the Big Guys charge $1,000 for a product that only costs around $150 to make.”
The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is hosting a panel exploring how the Age of Trump has led to renewed international interest in all things Canadian. Covering Canada will feature Madelaine Drohan, Canada correspondent for The Economist, Jodi Rudoren, editorial director of NYT Global, the international edition of the New York Times, and Stephen Rodrick, the contributing editor for Rolling Stone who recently profiled Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The event, on Sept. 19 at the TMX Broadcast Centre in Toronto, is part of the J-Talks series, exploring pressing media issues.
Michel Bissonnette, Guy Crevier, Alexandre Taillefer, and Brian MylesFor its inaugural Montreal J-Talk, The Canadian Journalism Foundation brings together Michel Bissonnette, executive vice-president for Radio-Canada; Guy Crevier, publisher of La Presse; Alexandre Taillefer, managing partner of the investment fund that owns L’actualité; and Brian Myles, publisher of Le Devoir. They’ll be joined by Colette Brin, director of Université Laval’s Centre d’études sur les médias. Gerald Fillion, host of RDI Économie, moderates. State of Flux: Media’s Next Moves takes place Sept. 27 at Concordia University.
Pauline Dakin, the former longtime CBC national health reporter, has penned a book recounting a childhood spent on the run from the mafia. Published by Penguin Books, Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood is available in book stores and online. Based in Halifax, Dakin is now an assistant professor at the University of King’s College School of Journalism.
