CBC & Radio-Canada Media Solutions has launched a new offering dedicated to creating branded content, including promotional podcasts, under the name CBC/Radio-Canada Tandem. Its first branded audio offering is Athabasca University podcast Go the Distance, hosted by CBC personality Leah Simone-Bowen – a six-episode series sharing student online learning experiences and the positive impact on their lives. Accompanying the launch, Tandem has hired two content editors: Adam Owen, former Director, Content and Strategy, for Postmedia Network, and Samuel-Olivier Barrette, who was previously Executive Director, Strategy and Client Solutions, at Montreal’s Groupe KO, and a former Content Solutions Manager and Multiplatform Sales Strategist with Rogers. Read more here.
The Canadian Media Guild (CMG), the union representing CBC employees, is questioning the public broadcaster’s move to expand into branded content. CMG says it will be demanding answers from CBC management regarding the launch of the new service offering and have put the issue on the agenda for the September National Joint Committee meeting between the union and management. “We are disappointed that we were not advised, nor consulted about the new service given the ongoing concerns many Canadians and journalists have about the blurring of lines between advertising and product promotion, and news,” reads a statement signed by Kim Trynacity, CBC/Radio-Canada Branch President, and Carmel Smyth, CMG National President. “In these critical times when fake news and misinformation are a global threat, we believe the national public broadcaster is uniquely placed to be a leader in safeguarding trust and reliability in our news services, on all platforms.” Read more here.
Acast is expanding into Canada and hired Heather Gordon, CBC/Radio-Canada’s former Digital Sales Director, to lead its buildout in the market. The podcast hosting, analytics and ad tech giant already has Canadian publishing and advertising partners that include TPX (The Podcast Exchange), CBC, Corus, Entertainment One (eOne), and Terry O’Reilly’s Apostrophe Podcast Company. Brian Danzis, Managing Director, Americas at Acast, said with Gordon at the helm, they’ll be looking to scale podcasting’s ad potential. “As more and more podcasts become borderless, capturing interest from listeners in multiple territories, it’s increasingly important to offer ad partners cross-market campaigns that reach consumers in North America and beyond,” said Danzis. Read more here.
Jim Pattison Broadcast Group’s Prince George stations, 99.3 The Drive (CKDV-FM), 101.3 The River (CKKN-FM), and CKPG-TV, in cooperation with The Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation, teamed up for Spirit Day 2020 on Sept. 17. The 16-hour on location broadcast, which included live hits during CKPG-TV News at Noon and 5 p.m., initially raised over $90,000 with the help of a phone bank of socially-distanced volunteers. CKPG FunChaser (and 1st year BCIT Broadcast Student) Sylvia Masich issued a challenge during Thursday’s event, pledging that if $100,000 was raised, she would shave her head. Over the weekend, donations exceeded that mark (double the $50K raised in 2019) and Masich kept her promise, donating her hair for wigs for medical patients.
Evanov Radio Group (ERG) flagship station Z103.5 (CIDC-FM) Orangeville is now available on HD Radio, joining CKPC-FM Brantford as the second station in the broadcast group’s portfolio to be offered in HD. ERG says in addition to a substantial improvement in signal quality over the station’s broadcast area, listeners will receive more feature-rich “Artist Experience” and text information. CKPC-FM launched on HD Radio in Nov. 2019 and currently carries Christian station Arise 1380 and newly-launched Hot Country 93.9 on its digital sub-channels.
LISTEN: Piya Chattopadhyay joins the podcast this week to talk about her new role as host of CBC Radio One’s The Sunday Magazine. Taking over the Sunday morning timeslot from veteran broadcaster Michael Enright, who wrapped the long-running The Sunday Edition in June, the former Middle East correspondent talks about “walking her own path, in her own shoes” as the show moves to a live format.
LISTEN: Voice actress Lili Wexu is now based in Los Angeles, but started in Montreal as an imaging talent at Mix 96. Wexu talks with Matt Cundill about her evolution through the voice industry, how it’s changed, and has some tips on navigating the voiceover world in 2020. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
