Evan Kosiner, Canadian broadcaster and philanthropist, is suing the CRTC for refusing to unpublish allegedly defamatory statements. The suit pertains to Accessible Media Incorporated (AMI) and president and CEO David Errington’s alleged defamation of Kosiner in AMI’s response to interventions regarding its licence for AMI-tv and AMI-audio.
Jeremy Cohn, the Global News cameraman arrested by Hamilton Police while covering a fatal May 2017 accident, has filed a wrongful arrest suit against the officer and police service. Cohn’s lawsuit seeks $700,000 in general damages for negligence, false arrest, false imprisonment, assault, battery, intentional infliction of mental suffering and breach of Charter rights, as well as $200,000 for punitive damages. According to the statement of claim, Cohn was held for 45 minutes without being told why or informed of his right to contact a lawyer, before being released without charge.
Halifax Regional Police have arrested a man in connection with a Dec. 29 incident in which a man walked into a CTV Atlantic live shot featuring reporter Heather Butts and uttered the offensive “FHRITP” phrase. CTV News at Six was on location at a Halifax pub, reporting on the World Junior Hockey Championship. Police have charged Nash John Gracie, 25, with public mischief and causing a disturbance. He’s due to appear in court Mar. 1.
Brian Masse, the NDP’s Innovation Critic, is calling on the Parliamentary Committee on Industry Science and Technology (INDU) to invite Apple to defend its 10.2.1 Operating System software update. Apple recently acknowledged that the performance of the iPhone 6 or older was deliberately slowed down in the update, it says to avoid device shutdown caused by a decline over time of the output capability of lithium-ion batteries. Masse says Apple should have been more transparent with consumers.
Bell has acquired Quebec’s Groupe Maskatel LP. The regional telecommunications company provides internet access, digital television and phone services for residential and business clients. The company also operates community cable channel ZoneTV which broadcasts to Saint-Hyacinthe, Drummondville, and surrounding areas.
Bell is doubling its annual Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund to $2 million. The fund supports local mental health programs that improve access to care. Since it was established in 2011, it’s provided 414 individual grants of up to $25,000 to registered Canadian charities. Bell Let’s Talk Day is approaching on Jan. 31.
The CBC/Radio Canada president’s position has been re-posted with a new deadline of Jan. 29. The independent committee charged with finding Hubert Lacroix’s successor has asked the federal government to reopen the posting to include qualified Canadians living abroad, after clarification of the parameters. The original deadline for applications was Aug. 15, 2017. Lacroix, who has served in the role since 2008, has agreed to stay on until his replacement is chosen.
The new CJF-Facebook Journalism Project News Literacy Award is now accepting applications. The deadline is Feb. 16. A joint initiative by The Canadian Journalism Foundation and the Facebook Journalism Project, the award was established to promote news literacy among Canadians and carries a $10,000 prize. It will be presented at the annual CJF Awards on June 14 at the Fairmont Royal York. Early-bird tickets and tables are available until Jan. 31.
