Canadian Media Guild (CMG) employees at TVO in their seventh week of strike action have voted to reject the Ontario public broadcaster’s so-called “final offer.” The offer included a 7.7% wage increase over three years, including 3.0% in the first year, a 2.75% increase in year two, and a 1.75% increase in the final year. TVO says the offer would have brought the average salary for a unionized employee with more than five years of service (excluding The Agenda host Steve Paikin) to approximately $89,000, with Canadian Media Guild (CMG) members in their first five years of employment with TVO continuing to be eligible for annual “step” increases, which the broadcaster says average 4.3% per year, on top of the proposed annual wage hike. Union leaders said in a statement Monday that the offer still amounts to a wage cut after inflation and that binding arbitration appears to be the only path forward. Read more here.
The CRTC is moving forward with its regulatory plan to implement Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, setting a Nov. 28 deadline for streaming services operating in Canada to register with the commission. The Act will only apply to those streamers that earn $10 million or more in annual revenue. The CRTC has also set out conditions for online streaming services to operate in Canada, which take effect immediately, requiring them to provide the commission with content and subscriber information and make content available in a way that is not tied to a specific mobile or internet service. Read more here.
RTDNA Canada has announced this year’s National Lifetime Achievement Award winners, presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of their career in broadcast and digital journalism. This year’s honourees include former CBC foreign correspondent Carol Off, the longtime host of CBC Radio One’s As It Happens, who stepped away from the show last year; Dave Budge, the retired VP of News and Information at Rogers Sports & Media, and past News Director at CBC Calgary and Global Calgary; and Rose Kingdon, Director of Broadcast News at The Canadian Press (CP). RTDNA will also present a posthumous award to former CTV Senior Director Allan Myers, who passed away suddenly in August 2022. Read more here.
RTDNA Canada is recognizing Joanne McPherson with its 2023 Distinguished Service Award, presented to a member who has played a major role in the continuing success of the organization. McPherson, the Managing Editor for Program and Content Strategies for CBC News, currently sits on the RTDNA board overseeing sponsorship for the organization. Her resume with the public broadcaster includes stops as an associate producer with CBC’s Washington bureau; acting as a producer on Joe Schlesinger’s program, Foreign Assignment; serving as assignment editor for the Ontario region; and working for CBC Newsworld (now CBC News Network) as a line up and control room producer and executive producer of Morning Live. Read more here.
RTDNA Canada has announced three finalists for its inaugural Emerging Journalist Award, presented to an emerging journalist who displays excellence in the coverage of original (enterprise) journalism on a single topic, investigative reporting, or continuing coverage of a beat or a major breaking and developing story. The three finalists are: Bobby Hristova, CBC News; Kier Junos, CityNews; and Lisa Steacy, CTV News. The winner will receive their award in-person at the President’s Reception on Oct. 20, following Day 1 of the National Conference.
The Radio Television Digital News Foundation of Canada (RTDNF) has announced scholarship winners for the 2022-23 school term: Jeremy Hull, University of King’s College (Atlantic Association of Broadcasters Scholarship awarded to a student from the Atlantic provinces); Kate Otterbein, Fanshawe College (BNN/Jim O’Connell Scholarship awarded to the best business story); Macenzie Elizabeth Da Silva Rebelo, Toronto Metropolitan University (CBC/Barbara Frum Scholarship award to the best interview); Farkhounda Azizullah, Toronto Metropolitan University (Global News Diversity Scholarship); Brittany Weaver, Toronto Metropolitan University (JJ Richards Scholarship awarded to a radio documentary); KarlaXena Jubaily, University of British Columbia (Narcity Media Digital Journalism Scholarship awarded to a news story published on a website and/or social media platform); and Maham Hashmi, BCIT (RTDNF Scholarship awarded to a second, third year, or graduating student, who was also the RTDNA George Clark Scholarship overall winner).
CBC/Radio-Canada will host its Annual Public Meeting on Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. ET. This year, journalists including Thomas Deshaies, ICI Estrie; Avneet Dhillon, Producer, CBC News; Alexane Drolet, Digital Reporter, ICI Québec; Farrah Merali, Reporter, CBC Toronto; Wildinette Paul, Journalist, RDI Vancouver; Pascal Raiche-Nogue, Journalist, ICI Acadie; and Juanita Taylor, Host and Reporter, CBC North will answer questions about their roles, the challenges they encounter, and CBC/Radio-Canada’s commitment to deliver responsible and trustworthy news content. The virtual event will be broadcast on CBC/Radio-Canada’s corporate website and YouTube channel.
Rogers Communications has turned on 5G service for transit riders in the busiest sections of the TTC subway system. As of this week, customers of all major Canadian wireless carriers can connect to 5G and talk, text and stream in the TTC subway system in all stations and tunnels in the Downtown U; plus Spadina and Dupont stations and 13 stations from Keele to Castle Frank, in addition to the tunnels between St. George and Yonge stations. In April, Rogers acquired the cellular network in the TTC from previous operator BAI Canada and committed to invest hundreds of millions to roll out 5G service and more reliable 9-1-1 access across all 75 subway stations and nearly 80 kilometres of track.
