REVOLVING DOOR:
Isabelle Picard, a Huron-Wendat ethnologist and First Nations expert, has been appointed Senior Specialist in Indigenous Affairs on Radio-Canada’s Community Inclusion team. Picard will help deliver on the Indigenous component of Radio-Canada’s objective to reflect contemporary Canada, working to build stronger relationships with Indigenous communities and improve their representation in the public broadcaster’s workforce and content. She’ll also be the key contact on Indigenous affairs for the organization’s external partners as well as CBC/Radio-Canada colleagues. Picard is a consultant, UQAM lecturer, and regular contributor to Radio-Canada’s Espaces autochtones and Télé-Québec series Kebec.
Scott Jackson, the founder, president and station manager of Ontario’s Christian Superstation LIFE 100.3 (CJLF-FM) Barrie, is stepping aside after 21 years. He’ll continue on as a consultant and on-air personality. Jackson started his radio career as a part-time board op at CHEX Peterborough in 1977, going on to work at small and large market stations, including a stint as VP of Programming & Operations at WAY-FM’s head office in Nashville where his love for Christian radio blossomed. He brought his experience back to Ontario in 1997, and two years later launched LIFE 100.3 which has since added repeater stations in Owen Sound, Peterborough and Huntsville.
Lisa Cordasco has been named senior reporter and news director at CHLY 101.7 FM, the campus-community radio station of Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. Cordasco spent more than three decades as a host and reporter with CBC Radio in Victoria, retiring five years ago. Cordasco has been tasked with establishing a newsroom and morning current affairs show on CHLY that will focus on Greater Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands.
Selena Ross is joining CTV Montreal as a web reporter. Ross has been editor-in-chief of Montreal-based quarterly magazine Maisonneuve since 2017. She’s previously reported for the Halifax Chronicle Herald and The Globe and Mail, among other publications.
The Brooke & Jubal Show, which airs in syndication on several Corus Radio stations in Canada, has rebranded following the exit of Jubal Fresh after nearly a decade. The show, which originates from MOViN 92.5 (KQMV-FM) Seattle, is now Brooke & Jeffrey in the Morning, reflecting an amplified role for existing show member “Young Jeffrey” Dubow. Jose Bolanos is also continuing with the show, which has been re-teamed with producer Steve Boyd after a short hiatus.
Peter Micelli is leaving Entertainment One (eOne) where he had served as Chief Strategy Officer, Film, Television and Digital for the past two years. The move follows eOne’s acquisition by Hasbro. Prior to joining eOne, Micelli spent 23 years at CAA, with a focus on finding new financing and production models for scripted TV series and packaging original programming for emerging digital platforms.
Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors & Music Publishers of Canada), has resigned after more than a decade leading the organization. A SOCAN press release says with the end of the current CEO contract approaching, a mutual decision was reached with the board to end Baptiste’s tenure now. Jennifer Brown, Senior VP Operation and Reproduction Rights, will act as interim CEO. Brown has been with the organization for more than two decades.
Michael Timothy Doyle, the former head of 20th Century Fox interactive and VP of Production for FoxNext, has joined the advisory board of Vancouver’s Liquid Media Group. With an eye to leveraging the convergence of the emerging media and entertainment landscape, a press release says Doyle’s skill set “aligns with Liquid’s plans to leverage its retro catalogue, repurpose titles across new platforms and/or into full media franchises, and transform new and currently owned titles into virtual reality.”
Tim Alavathil, has been named Chief Financial Officer of Firstlight Media, the Toronto-headquartered modular OTT platform builder and operator. Alavathil joins Firstlight from Endeavor Streaming, where he served as CFO for the last three years. Alavathil previously worked with internet television carrier JumpTV through its acquisition by NeuLion, which was absorbed in the streaming tech firm’s merger with Endeavour Streaming.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Numeris says Canadians listened to more radio throughout the week last month. With daily routines and tuning behaviour disrupted over the month of March, Numeris says Canadians listened on average 115.9 minutes a day – a 4% increase over February for listeners A18+ in meter markets across the country. The increase in daily listening spanned the entire week with in-home tuning on Saturday and Sunday increasing from 76.7 to 90.0 minutes a day for those who listened to AM/FM radio.
Podtrac’s latest weekly podcast consumption data shows a continued decrease in download and audience growth. U.S. weekly podcast download growth was -3% the week of Apr. 6-12, -1% the week of Mar. 30 – Apr. 5, -4% the week of Mar. 23-29, -2% the week of Mar. 16-22, and -1% during the week of Mar. 9-15, across all Podtrac measured podcasts. By category, Podtrac measured show downloads week-over-week for Apr. 6-12, compared to the previous week, are down -4% for News, -4% for Comedy, +3% for Business, 0% (flat) for Society & Culture, and -4% for Sports.
Jazz.fm.91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto staff got a surprise last week when they opened their inboxes to find a tribute video, produced remotely with the combined effort of more than two dozen local jazz musicians, thanking the station for its continued support. Despite the challenging environment for the not-for-profit station with many of the revenue generating events it partners on now postponed, VP & Managing Director Lorie Russell says the station is upholding a funding commitment benefiting artists through the Unison Benevolent Fund. “Our listeners understand what we give back in Canadian talent development, it’s what we do. And our artists know that when they suffer, so do we,” Russell told Broadcast Dialogue. “The musicians know that we are in need and I am sure many feel gratitude that we made the decision to donate a portion of our proceeds back to the music community.” The video features Mike Downes, Bill McBirnie, Kevin Barrett, Rich Underhill, Julie Michaels, Lyne Tremblay, Ori Dagan, and Shannon Butcher, among many others.
Richard Deitsch and Donnovan Bennett are hosting new Sportsnet podcast, Sports on Pause, exploring how COVID-19 is impacting sports around the world. So far, episodes have featured experts, athletes and personalities like IOC member Dick Pound, Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated, and IndyCar iRacing Challenge driver James Hinchcliffe.
Western Academy Broadcasting College in Saskatoon has challenged local businesses to follow its lead and donate 10 meals a day to the local Lighthouse shelter. Don Scott, the college’s educational director, spearheaded the idea with the meals purchased from the ROCK ‘n’ ROLL diner, a restaurant the college shares a building with. Donations are being accepted here.
P1 Media Group and Benztown have collaborated to create a Facebook group featuring examples of creative ways radio stations around the world are connecting with their listeners in the COVID-19 environment. For ideas or to share what your station is doing, check out Coronavirus Radio Ideas.
LISTEN: broadcasting talent coach Steve Reynolds is Matt Cundill’s guest on the Sound Off Podcast. Reynolds has been working from home long enough to share his wisdom about how it’s done.
SIGN-OFFS:
Barry Allen Rasmussen, 74, on Apr. 4. Born and raised in Edmonton, Barry Allen (as he was known professionally) started his music career when he joined locally established band Wes Dakus and The Rebels. With no recording studio in Edmonton, the group ended up working with producer Norman Petty (Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison) who liked Allen’s backing vocals. That led to a solo deal with Capitol Records and several nationally charting hits, the biggest being the title track from his sophomore album, Lovedrops, in 1966 which rose to #10 on the RPM Magazine chart. After forming his own backing bands Southbound Freeway and Coloured Rain, Allen moved to Calgary to host “Come Together,” a TV show recorded by CFCN at the city’s Apollo Club, that featured up and coming local and international talent. It ran for three seasons. Allen later toured with the show’s house band, Cheyenne Winter, opening for acts like Steely Dan and Dr. John. In 1977, Allen put his time behind the soundboard at Tommy Banks’ Century II Studios to use at 630 CHED in Edmonton where he was hired as the production manager. After a few years, he went on to buy Bumstead Studios, where k.d. Lang’s first records were recorded, and renamed it Homestead Recorders. Corb Lund, Wide Mouth Mason, and Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar are among the acts that went on to record there. Allen joined the Board of Directors for the Alberta Recording Industry Association in the 1990s, and went on to receive two Prairie Music Alliance Awards for Engineer of the Year. Homestead also won Studio of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2003.
Claude Beauchamp, on Apr. 12. Considered a pioneer in financial journalism in Quebec, Beauchamp was responsible for helping establish an economic section in the La Presse newspaper where he started his career as a financial writer. He went on to serve as assistant publisher and editor-in-chief of Le Soleil in the late 1970s. Following the company’s acquisition of business journal Les Affaires, he became president and general manager of Publications Les Affair and relaunched the journal as a tabloid. He also oversaw the company’s purchase of smaller, niche papers like Quebec Construction, Revue Commerce, Quebec Yachting, Ski Quebec, and Sports Marketing Canada, among others. Under his leadership, corporate revenues rose from under $1 million in 1980 to $13 million in 1985. The launch of This Week in Business and Good Times, The Magazine for Successful Retirement, followed. Beauchamp resigned from Publications Les Affaires Inc. in 1990 and became involved in several political endeavours, including constitutional reform. He was also briefly a candidate for Mayor of Montreal in 1994. He returned to journalism in 1995, hosting the program, Capital Actions, on RDI until 2004. Beauchamp was a past president of the Professional Federation of Journalists of Quebec (FPJQ) and contributed to the founding of the Press Council in 1973. Among other accolades, the Association des economistes québécois recognized his career with an award of excellence in 2012.
Giles Walker, 74, on Mar. 23 after a 10-year battle with brain cancer. Originally from Scotland, Walker received a B.A. from the University of New Brunswick and later an M.A, from Stanford Film School. He began his career in 1974 as a documentary filmmaker with the National Film Board of Canada, based in Montreal and was considered a pioneer in the docufiction movement. After making the switch to scripted drama, his short film Bravery in the Field earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short in 1979. Among the feature dramas that followed were Princes of Exile (1990) about young people with cancer. Walker also directed Ryan Reynolds in his first film Ordinary Magic in 1993. Among his TV directing credits were episodes of Emily of New Moon, Cold Squad, Sirens, Fries with That, and a miniseries on Rene Levesque. Over the years he earned five Genie Award nominations, with one win for Outstanding TV Drama for Bravery in the Field in 1980. Donations can be made to the Giles Walker Memorial Scholarship in Film Studies at the University of New Brunswick.
TV & FILM:
Corus Entertainment and Rogers Sports & Media are joining foundational Canadian partner Bell Media in broadcasting worldwide TV and streaming special One World: Together At Home, in support of the fight against COVID-19. Airing this Saturday, Apr. 18 at 8 p.m. ET, the special will be available on Bell Media channels CTV, CTV2, TSN, CP24, MUCH, MTV, and in French on VRAK; on Corus channels Global, National Geographic, and ABC Spark; and on Rogers Sports & Media’s Citytv. The special will also be streamed live on the iHeartRadio Canada App, the CTV App, the Global TV App, globaltv.com, globalnews.ca, etcanada.com, and Citytv.com. Additionally, Canadians can listen to the special live on radio, including iHeartRadio Canada’s Virgin Radio stations and select Rogers’ stations across its Adult Contemporary and KiSS brands. Launched by international advocacy organization Global Citizen and the World Health Organization, the special is curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga and will include performances and appearances by Alicia Keys, Amy Poehler, Andrea Bocelli, Awkwafina, Billie Eilish, Camila Cabello, Céline Dion, Chris Martin, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Lizzo, LL COOL J, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, and Usher, among others.
ET Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association and the CCMA Foundation, are presenting Canada Together: In Concert, a five-night broadcast event showcasing 20 of the biggest names in country music coming together in support of Canadian COVID-19 relief efforts. The concert series premieres Monday, Apr. 20, airing nightly on ET Canada at 7:30 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m PT on Global, and broadcast simultaneously on Corus country radio stations Country 105 (CKRY-FM) Calgary, CISN Country 103.9 Edmonton and Country 104 (CKDK-FM) Woodstock. Featuring performances and interviews with artists remotely from their homes, among those participating are Shania Twain with Dallas Smith, Lindsay Ell, and High Valley (Apr. 20); Luke Combs with Brett Kissel, Tenille Townes, and The Washboard Union (Apr. 21); Lady Antebellum with Meghan Patrick, The Reklaws, and Dean Brody (Apr. 22); Morgan Wallen with James Barker Band, MacKenzie Porter and Tim Hicks (Apr. 23); Jordan Davis with Gord Bamford, Jess Moskaluke and Jade Eagleson (Apr. 24). Proceeds raised will be donated equally between Food Banks Canada and the Unison Benevolent Fund.
Rock for Relief: A Living Room Concert for Vancouver Island will be broadcast and livestreamed without commercial interruption on CHEK (Shaw ch. 6, Bluesky ch. 109/ Telus Optik ch. 121) as well as the CHEK News Facebook page and YouTube channel on Friday, April 17, 8 p.m. Rock for Relief will feature performances by David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Randy and Tal Bachman, the Tenors, Trevor Guthrie, and current American Idol contestant Lauren Spencer-Smith from Nanaimo, as well as local favourites Jesse Roper, Carmanah, Aaron Pritchett, Kathryn Calder and others. The special will also feature appearances by Steve Nash, Silken Laumann, Rick Hansen, Jim Treliving and hosted by CHEK personalities Stacy Ross, Joe Perkins, Jeff King and Ed Bain. The Island-wide fundraising effort is a joint initiative between CHEK, the Victoria Foundation and Nanaimo Foundation, with donors able to direct funds to the Rapid Relief Fund, supporting Greater Victoria and the Cowichan Valley or the Community Response Fund, supporting communities north of the Cowichan Valley.
Thinktv’s latest weekly report highlights that TV viewing is up across every demographic. For the week of Mar. 23, year-over-year overall viewer growth was up 12% (P2+), and up 10% for Adults 25-54. Conventional National News and Specialty News Networks continue to see exponential growth. TV viewing by the A18-24 and A18-34 year-old demos saw double-digit growth across almost every daypart. Quebec Franco viewing has also increased across every daypart, with a dramatic 61% increase during daytime and an astounding 474% increase, year-over-year, in viewing French language specialty news networks with A25-54.
Convergence Research has released its 2020 Battle for the North American Couch Potato Report, which makes the assumption that the coronavirus will not be a major disruptive force beyond 2020. Based on 43 OTT services (over 30 providers), led by Netflix, Convergence estimates Canadian OTT access revenue grew 37% to $1.53 billion in 2019 and is forecasting 36% growth to $2.07 billion for 2020, and $3.04 billion in 2022, continuing to benefit mostly non-Canadian players. In 2019, Convergence estimates Canadian cable, telco, satellite TV access revenue declined 2% to $8.38 billion and forecasts further declines going forward. Canadian TV subscribers declined/annum on average 2.5% in 2018 and 2019, with predicted 4% declines/annum from 2020-22. It’s estimated cord cutter/never households will grow from 32% to 35.6% this year and 42% in 2022. Among Convergence’s conclusions are that Netflix no longer has the same flexibility to raise pricing as frequently as it has in the past. Alternatively, Amazon and Apple have the luxury of expensing OTT programming as an additional operating cost to their core businesses.
Stingray has introduced new free, ad-supported TV channels with eight OTT providers including Huawei (worldwide), izzi (Mexico), XUMO (U.S.), LG (U.S.), Vizio (U.S.), Samsung (U.S.), TiVo Plus (U.S.) and Cliq Digital (U.S.). Stingray says the distribution agreements grow its potential reach by over 300 million viewers. The free, ad-supported TV (FAST) channels will live within its partners’ existing entertainment platforms with Qello Concerts by Stingray (concert films, live shows, music documentaries) carried by Samsung, XUMO, LG and Vizio; Stingray Karaoke carried by XUMO and LG; Stingray Classica carried by STIRR; and Stingray Naturescape carried by Samsung, Vizio, XUMO, LG and TiVo Plus.
TSN is airing a slate of classic Montreal Expos games, revisiting the team’s greatest hits. Highlights include Dennis Martinez’s perfect game, fondly known to Expos fans as “El Presidente, El Perfecto” on July 28, 1991. This became the 13th official perfect game in Major League Baseball history, with Montreal defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0; Games 3 and 5 of the 1981 NLCS, a major turning point in Expos franchise history, with a rollercoaster of a post-season; Pedro Martinez’s improbable “near-perfect game” on June 3, 1995, in which the legendary pitcher was perfect through nine full innings before allowing a double in the 10th; and Vladimir Guerrero hitting his 40th home run of the season on Oct. 2, 1999, adding to the career-high 131 RBIs he racked up that season. More classic Montreal Expos games will be announced in the coming weeks.
Sportsnet has been re-airing each game of the 2015 ALDS – Blue Jays vs. Rangers – in its entirety this week, culminating with Game 5 and Jose Bautista’s unforgettable “Bat Flip” on Friday, Apr. 17 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. All games are also airing on Sportsnet 590 The FAN (Toronto), Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Calgary), and Sportsnet 650 (Vancouver).
Canada Media Fund (CMF) has created a COVID-19 Information Hub. It features a comprehensive list of assistance programs for workers and businesses in Canada’s screen-based industries that will be regularly updated.
Telefilm Canada has suspended mail delivery at its four regional offices until further notice, including all cheques, DVDs, and packages. Additional information will be added to Telefilm’s COVID-19 FAQ section, and will be updated. Those with questions are urged to contact their Telefilm/CMFPA analyst or financing representative for details and available alternatives.
Telefilm Canada, in collaboration with Canadian Heritage, has announced that Canada has been selected as the country of honour at the Frankfurter Buchmesse – an international trading venue for content of all kinds, where leaders from global publishing meet partners from the technology industry and related creative industries like film and games. The festival attracts exhibitors from over 100 countries, 285,000 visitors and 10,000 journalists and bloggers. Telefilm and its partners will be curating Canadian content and thought-leaders to showcase as part of the event’s THE ARTS+ programming. Interested parties can apply to participate here by May 8.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
Guzzo Cinemas, the largest chain of independent movie theatres in Quebec, has launched Cinémas Guzzo Streaming, a pay-to-watch video on demand (VOD) service. Offered at no monthly fee, it’s available via the Vidflex and Worldplay platforms and features both classic and new movies from around the world. Movies are available as low for as 99 cents each with no monthly commitment.
Disney+ has hit 50 million subscribers worldwide within five months of its North American launch. Disney last reported the SVOD service was closing in on the 29 million subscriber mark in its Feb. 4 quarterly earnings report. The company has now revealed subscriptions have grown 75% since then. The latest milestone blows away company targets of reaching 60 to 90 million subscribers by 2024.
Media Technology Monitor’s (MTM) latest report looks at how Anglophone families are consuming both traditional and online media. The Families Report finds that while the majority of Anglophone households continue to subscribe to traditional TV services like cable, satellite or fibre optic, more than a quarter of households with children under seven are opting to get TV content over the internet, and forgoing a subscription TV service. They are 24% more likely to be “TV My Way” households than those with kids, ages seven to 12, and 30% more likely than households with teens. MTM also found that families are avid subscribers of Over the Top TV (OTT) services. Not surprisingly, Netflix is the most popular with these households, which are also more likely to subscribe to Amazon Prime Video. Families with children also had more interest in subscribing to Disney+ over the next 12 months.
APTN is accepting proposals for web series. The network is looking to license “unique, creative, and edgy” scripted or unscripted web series consisting of three or more episodes, between two to 15 minutes in length, suitable for a general audience and with a maximum budget of $30,000. Deadline for applications is Apr. 27.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA NEWS:
Shaw Communications has temporarily laid off approximately 10% of its workforce, mostly those in retail and sales roles, effective Apr. 16. President and CEO Paul McAleese said the company will be providing financial support, using its own funds, to top up affected employees beyond government programs and continue to pay out company benefits and pension contributions during the layoff period. Right now, Shaw is ineligible for emergency government assistance. Read more here.
Shaw Communications has released its Q2 financial and operating results for the quarter ended Feb. 29, reporting consolidated revenue increases of 3.7% to $1.36 billion and an adjusted EBITDA increase of 9.5% year-over-year to $600 million. Removing the $41 million impact from IFRS 16, adjusted EBITDA growth was approximately 2.0%. In the second quarter, the company added approximately 54,000 net postpaid customers, building its wireless subscriber base to nearly 1.8 million customers. Postpaid churn increased marginally in the second quarter to 1.57%. In the Wireline segment, Consumer Internet net additions grew by approximately 6,100. The number of customers electing to self-install increased in the quarter and was over 50% of eligible installs. Shaw Business increased its top-line revenue by 4.3% year-over-year to $144 million in the quarter.
Bell Media has confirmed that some employees are working reduced hours at 75% of their regular salary to match a change in workload due to the impact of COVID-19. While the company declined to disclose the number of employees affected, Rob Duffy, Manager, Communications, for CTV News, TSN, and Bell Media Sports, told Broadcast Dialogue in an email that the reduction in hours will continue for the next four weeks. Employees will still receive full benefits. Duffy said so far there have been no pandemic-related staff reductions in the Media division. Bell Media is just the latest in a series of companies to temporarily scale back its workforce. Print media has seen the deepest cuts with the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) estimating that there have been more than 600 temporary or permanent layoffs in the Canadian news industry since mid-March. Read more here.
The CRTC has issued a call for comments on regulations to be made under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) which came into force last July with the objective of realizing a “Canada without barriers” for persons with disabilities. The commission will be creating new regulations regarding the accessibility reporting requirements for broadcasting undertakings, Canadian telecommunications common carriers, and telecommunications service providers. The deadline for interventions is May 14.
The CRTC is postponing the May 25 hearing to consider CBC/Radio-Canada’s licence renewals for its various English- and French-language audio and audio-visual programming services. A new hearing date will be announced.
CBC has launched a Creative Relief Fund that will make $2 million in development and production funding available to Canadian storytellers. The fund is aimed at providing immediate support to Canadian creators and is open to project pitches from scripted comedies and dramas, to podcasts, play adaptations and short documentaries. Applications are open until Apr. 24. Read more here.
Cogeco has released its Q2 financials, reporting stable and a 1.1% increase in revenue in the second-quarter and first six months of fiscal 2020, respectively. The Communications segment was stable due to organic growth in American broadband services operations, partly offset by a decrease in Canadian broadband services operations; and stable revenue in the Other segment mainly due to a soft radio advertising market and increased competition from other media platforms. In addition, revenue for the first six months were higher due to the acquisition of 10 regional radio stations in Nov. 2018 from RNC Média inc. during the first quarter of fiscal 2019. The company says media activities, which represent less than 5% of Cogeco’s consolidated revenue, are expected to be more proportionally impacted by the COVID-19 crisis than the Communications segment. Cogeco’s radio business has already temporarily laid off 25% of its staff due to pandemic revenue pressures.
TekSavvy Solutions is asking the CRTC to enact emergency provisions to put in place final wholesale rates in accordance with the commission’s Aug. 2019 decision while the appeals process plays out to ensure independent ISPs can continue to deliver service. Andy Kaplan-Myrth, VP of Regulatory & Carrier Affairs at TekSavvy, says the inflated rates independent ISPs are paying big telecoms to access their high-speed networks, coupled with the pressures COVID-19 has created, is making it impossible to meet costs. TekSavvy has also asked the CRTC to investigate unilateral changes big Canadian carriers are making to regulated processes for ordering, service installations and repairs. It says without CRTC oversight, the big incumbent carriers “may bestow undue commercial advantages to their retail services through the uneven application of stricter COVID-19 procedures.”
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has released new data offering insight into how technology and internet use has changed in Canada since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The findings suggest that with the number of Canadians working from home having skyrocketed, many are experiencing slower internet speeds as video streaming and teleconferencing usage spikes. Based on an online survey conducted by The Strategic Counsel of 1,200 Canadian internet users from April 3-7, the report found that 38% of respondents reported their home internet connection slower than before the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing began. B.C. residents were more likely to say their connection is slower since the pandemic began (49%). Read more here.
Rogers is moving ahead with its ForwardTogether initiative that will see the carrier continue to waive Canadian long-distance voice calling fees for wireless, home phone, and small businesses customers of Rogers, Fido and chatr, through June 30. It’s also removing data usage caps for Rogers and Fido customers on limited home internet plans. Additionally, free access to a rotating selection of channels is being extended for Ignite TV and Digital TV customers, including Tubi TV: a new, permanent ad-supported app on Ignite TV with thousands of free movies and TV shows. Through its commitment to waive Roam Like Home, Fido Roam and pay-per-use roaming fees from Mar. 16 to Apr. 30 in more than 180 countries, Rogers says it helped more than 150,000 Canadians stay connected at no cost while they made their way back to Canada.
Corus has launched #CanadaTogether, a national initiative to help inspire and engage Canadians by highlighting contributions and acts of kindness that businesses and individuals are making in the face of the pandemic. The initiative features broadcast and social spots featuring a chorus of Canadian voices coming together to thank frontline workers, first responders, health care workers, grocery providers, transit and sanitation workers, and all those who can’t work from home in some way. The campaign encourages all Canadians to join in singing “O Canada” together every Sunday at noon to express their gratitude to frontline workers.
Videotron and Quebecor have supplied 150 mobile phones with unlimited data plans to Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), a designated COVID-19 institution, so patients can communicate with CHUM physicians from their hospital beds using a smartphone. The new initiative, instigated by La Fondation du CHUM, will enable patients to receive necessary care and treatment while limiting contact with health professionals, thus minimizing the risks of contagion.
TELUS has announced it’s expediting capital investments from its previously announced $16 billion investment in Alberta to support the province through the COVID-19 pandemic. As it reallocates its 2020 capital spend, TELUS will bring forward certain projects originally targeted for 2021, bringing its total investment in network infrastructure and operations in the province in 2020 to approximately $3.5 billion. TELUS will expand its PureFibre and high-speed internet networks to 282,000 homes and businesses across Alberta, with a specific focus on connecting rural and remote communities that require access to reliable networks as they adapt to new ways of living and working through the pandemic. TELUS says the investments will directly support 3,500 jobs for Albertans.
Canada’s Rural & Remote Broadband Conference Series has announced revised dates for the CRRBC WEST and EAST events. Originally scheduled for May, the WEST and EAST conferences have moved to Nov. 2020, with the Oct. 5-7 dates for the event in Huntsville, ON unchanged. CRRBC West will take place Nov. 8-10 at the Coastal Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre, Canmore, AB, while the EAST event happen Nov. 15-17 at the Fredericton Convention Centre, in Fredericton, NB. Planning is underway for a virtual conference in May from which $10 from each registration will be donated to relief funds in support of conference centre staff directly affected by the COVID-19 closures.
The Google News Initiative has launched a Journalism Emergency Relief Fund to deliver aid to thousands of small, medium and local news publishers globally. The funding is open to news organizations producing original news for local communities and will range from the low thousands of dollars for small hyper-local newsrooms to low tens of thousands for larger newsrooms. Publishers everywhere can apply until Apr. 29.
The Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) has written an open letter calling on federal and provincial governments to reach out directly to ethnic media with COVID-19 updates. CEMA Chair Madeline Ziniak says many ethnic media are having to rely on coverage from major outlets and is concerned about how hygiene, financial assistance and other information is being communicated to the estimated 250 ethnic groups in Canada, whose first language is neither English or French.
RTDNA Canada regional award winners have been announced online with all four of the organization’s regional awards galas and its annual conference cancelled. In announcing this year’s winners, Fiona Conway, RTDNA Canada President, said recognizing the important work of members in this time of disruption is a reminder that journalism has never been more important. National, Network and Lifetime Achievement award winners will be announced in the coming days.
Kim Bolan, an investigative reporter covering gangs and organized crime for the Vancouver Sun, is the recipient of the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her fearless commitment to truth in the face of threats and intimidation. Bolan has covered a range of stories in her 36 years with the Sun, best known for reporting on some of the biggest criminal cases in Canadian history, including the 1985 Air India bombing. Her work has taken her to wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central America and to northern India to expose the roots of the extremism that led to the Air India bombing. She is also a journalism Instructor at Vancouver’s Langara College where she teaches media and the law, and investigative reporting. Bolan will be honoured at the CJF Awards on Oct. 30 in Toronto.
FEATURE: In Eric Blais’ latest Rethinking Media column, he reflects on the stages of transition as we weather massive global change and looks ahead to strategic foresight and effective brand and corporate recovery. Read more here.
BROADCAST TECH:
NAB Show’s new digital experience, NAB Show Express, will take place May 13-14, 2020. The free, virtual event will feature three unique educational channels, on-demand content and a Solutions Marketplace featuring exhibitor product information, announcements and demos. Registration for the event will open Apr. 20 at NABShowExpress.com. Mirroring the traditional NAB Show experience, the channels include: BEIT Express – focused on broadcast engineering and information technology; NAB Show Experience – offering a variety of educational sessions, product innovation showcases, and interviews with industry trailblazers; and Tech Talks, an NAB Show Live Special Edition, produced by Broadcast Beat and showcasing relevant conversations with NAB Show community influencers. Each channel will feature eight hours of content streamed daily and available on-demand to accommodate the global NAB Show audience. Additionally, three standalone training and executive leadership events will be offered for which separate registrations will be available.
The Captioning Group (TCG) has increased its captioning operations to provide better accessibility where it’s most needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies transition to at-home work environments and remote meetings and events increase in popularity, Calgary-based TCG is now able to provide accessible captioning on Zoom meetings and other online platforms.
Dejero is providing support options to broadcasters and public safety bodies who need to create and deliver reliable live content or communications during the current COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this drive, Dejero is providing complimentary new licenses of its LivePlus mobile app to those who need to deliver high quality content during the crisis until Sept. 30, 2020. To date, Dejero has seen a tenfold increase in the number of live streams from its mobile app over the last month, with a jump of 10,000 streams in the last week alone. Anchors, reporters, and meteorologists working from home are also relying heavily on the ability to view return video and teleprompting feeds from the broadcast facility via smartphone, tablet or computer monitor Additionally, Dejero is helping public safety agencies deploy emergency connectivity in areas where options may be limited.
Videolinq, the Toronto-headquartered streaming video platform that facilitates distributing live video to multiple social media and websites simultaneously, has been tasked with helping broadcast Sunday Mass to thousands of parishioners in West Michigan, among other religious organizations, as congregants shelter-in-place at home. The Diocese of Grand Rapids, home to 191,000 Catholics, is using a single, dedicated feed to distribute its televised mass to Facebook as well as the Diocese website.
Hitachi-Comark (with Comark Digital Services / CDS group) and Seattle startup Airwavz have signed a Reseller Agreement for its TvXplorer™ Suite, to be integrated into the company’s end-to-end NextGen TV turn-key solutions. The Airwavz.tv TvXplorer Suite is a professional test and measurement hardware and software toolkit that allows broadcast engineers to dig deep into the metrics of the ATSC 3.0 signal and provides a confidence monitoring function with playback of the audio and video signal in a pop-out HD player
