Rogers, Shaw, the Shaw Family Living Trust, and Quebecor have announced an agreement to extend the outside date of the proposed merger of Rogers and Shaw and the acquisition of Freedom Mobile by Quebecor-owned Videotron, to Feb. 17, 2023. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) must approve the transfer of spectrum licenses from Shaw to Videotron – in connection with the proposed acquisition of Freedom Mobile by Videotron – before the Rogers-Shaw merger can proceed.
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) will award one of its International Press Freedom Awards to the Ukrainian journalists who documented the Russian siege of Mariupol. The award will be presented at CJFE’s 23rd Annual Gala: A Night to Honour Courageous Reporting. The Associated Press team of photojournalists Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, and field producer Vasilisa Stepanenko stayed in Mariupol after the Russians cut all communication lines to the city and after other international journalists left. They were only able to send out a fraction of what they recorded but the impact was huge. Incensed, the Russians hunted them down, but they made a harrowing escape. As previously announced, CJFE’s other International Press Freedom Award will honour two Iranian journalists imprisoned for reporting on the death and funeral of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, attacked by Iran’s morality police for not wearing her headscarf properly. The CJFE Arnold Amber Award for Investigative Journalism and the Tara Singh Hayer Memorial Award will be announced at the Gala on Feb. 15.
RTDNA Canada has extended its awards submissions deadline to this Friday, Feb. 3 at 11:59 PM (PT). Review submission rules and entry guidelines here. The new VJ Award has been added to both Regional and National categories. You must be an RTDNA Canada member to enter the awards.
Staples Canada and Bell have announced a multi-year agreement to sell Bell, Virgin Plus and Lucky Mobile wireless and wireline services to consumers and small businesses through Staples stores across Canada. Staples and Bell will also partner to sell Bell services direct to medium-sized businesses through the Staples Professional sales team, starting later this spring. In-store kiosks will be located in 300 Staples locations, staffed by Staples sales associates. The partnership will see Staples hire 800 full- and part-time employees.
Rogers Sports & Media has partnered with Oongalee to exclusively represent advertising inventory for its tabletop Gateways in bars and restaurants across Canada. The out-of-home (OOH) advertising network’s patented tech is an affordable way for establishments to enhance their guest experience by keeping patrons’ phones charged while providing a high-definition advertising portal for brands to reach those audiences. Restaurants can also generate revenue through advertising and update daily food and drink specials at the touch of a screen. Oongalee currently has an inventory of 7,000 screens, aiming to grow that to 40,000 nationwide by Q2 2023, rolling out in restaurant chains like Boston Pizza, Denny’s and The Canadian Brewhouse.
