OAB‘s 2017 Connection Conference and Gala Awards are getting underway this morning, Thursday Nov. 9, in Toronto. If you hurry, you might catch the Sales Session starting at 8:00 a.m. featuring RAB‘s Brandeis C. Hall who will reveal What Top Sellers Do. Audience Insight‘s Jeff Vidler will present Understanding Generation X (25-54) – A Focus Group. Gary L. Miles will posthumously be recognized with the OAB‘s Ontario Hall of Fame Awardat The Gala Awards Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. The Executive Town Hall moderated by Maureen Holloway will feature industry leaders Julie Adam (Rogers Radio), Elmer Hildebrand (Golden West Broadcasting), Michele Pauchuk, David Phillips (nLogic), and Chris Sisam (Corus Radio). See the entire program here.
According to the CRTC’s annual Communications Monitoring Report for the Broadcasting Sector, 2016 revenues ($17.85 billion) decreased by 0.5 per cent relative to 2015. Total television revenues increased 1.7 per cent. The discretionary and on-demand sector was the main source of growth, with reported revenue of $4.4 billion and a PBIT margin of 21 per cent in 2016, a $126-million increase year-over-year. CBC conventional television also contributed to television revenue growth, reporting $1,185 million in revenue, a $78-million increase over 2015. The report says overall, private commercial radio stations are profitable, reporting $1,551 million in revenues and a profitability margin of 18.6 per cent. Revenues for CBC/SRC’s radio unit have steadily declined from $326 million in 2012 to $291 million in 2016. Country and contemporary music formats continue to garner the largest national listener share. Read the full report here.
Steve Vogelsang is facing another bank robbery charge in connection with a robbery in Saskatoon on July 31. The former CTV Winnipeg sports broadcaster and Red River College journalism instructor is currently being held in Medicine Hat, AB in connection with two other bank robberies last month. Regina Police also allege he robbed three banks there in July and October.
TVO will introduce two new Ontario Hubs in Sudbury and Kingston by Jan. 2018 to expand its in-depth regional journalism across the province. Funded with support from The Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust and Goldie Feldman, the new Northeastern and Eastern hubs join the Northwestern and Southwestern Hubs that launched this fall in Thunder Bay and London. TVO will hire two additional journalists to develop current affairs articles and videos for tvo.org, and segments for TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin every Friday.
TVA Group Inc. recorded a net loss attributable to shareholders in the amount of $15.3 million or $0.35 per share in the third quarter of 2017, compared with $32.5 million or $0.75 per share in the same quarter of 2016. Third quarter highlights include $19,902,000 in adjusted operating income in the Broadcasting & Production segment, a favourable variance of $8,653,000 mainly because of an increase in TVA Sports subscription revenue growth, as well as higher operating revenues at TVA Network; the Magazines segment had adjusted operating income of $3,189,000, an unfavourable variance of $2,523,000 mainly because of a decrease in operating revenues; the Film Production & Audiovisual Services segment saw $9,844,000 in adjusted operating income, a favourable variance of $6,112,000 because of increased income from soundstage and equipment rental. TVA Group’s total market share increased by 3.1 points to 37.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2017, compared with 34 per cent in the same period of 2016.
Cogeco has released its financial results for the fourth quarter ended Aug. 31, 2017. Revenue increased by $6.5 million, or 1.1 per cent, to reach $578.5 million, driven by growth of 1.4 per cent in the Communications segment. Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $6.9 million, or 2.7 per cent, to reach $251.4 million compared to the same period of fiscal 2016. The numbers reflect a decrease in revenue combined with one-time favorable impact last year of $3.3 million in non-recurring media activities.
CBC/Radio-Canada is releasing a hardcover collection of profiles and portraits the public broadcaster received from Canadians in every province and territory to mark Canada 150. What’s Your Story? – A Canada 2017 Yearbook is available at Indigo, Chapters, Coles and independent booksellers for $29.99. A free downloadable, digital version will also be made available in early December.
Newzapalooza: Battle of the Media Bands returned to Toronto’s Opera House on Nov. 3 featuring seven bands, made up of staffers from CBC, Chatelaine, Thomson Reuters, CTV, National Post, BNN, The Canadian Press and Huffington Post, taking to the stage to raise money for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada. The event raised around $13,000, bringing the total over the event’s 13 years to $180,000. While NP’s Conrad Black Sabbath took home the trophy for a third year in a row, honourable mention goes to CTV’s Highway to Bell featuring Lisa LaFlamme on lead vocals. Watch here.
The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) has released an open letter to Corus Entertainment as efforts to negotiate a collective agreement that started in March drag on.
BCE Inc. has announced it will acquire AlarmForce Industries Inc. in a transaction valued at approximately $166 million. A statement from BCE president and CEO George Cope says acquiring the home security and monitoring company is the “natural next step for Bell” as it pursues growth and innovation opportunities for the connected home. Bell currently provides residential and business security and monitoring in Atlantic Canada and Manitoba through Bell Aliant NextGen Home Security and AAA Security, a Bell MTS company.
Distributel Communications Limited has received CRTC approval to acquire 100 per cent of IPTV service provider Zazeen Inc. Zazeen TV is currently available in all major markets in Ontario and Quebec. In conjunction with the move, the company is adding telecommunications veteran Bradley J. Fisher to its Executive Team as Chief Revenue Officer.
