Ward Smith is being honoured with RTDNA Canada’s 2023 President’s Award, the organization’s highest honour recognizing those who have brought distinction to electronic and digital journalism in Canada. Smith, the Senior Vice-President of Global News, oversees news operations across the Corus Entertainment network, including 15 local TV news stations, five national news programs, and news programming across the Corus Radio talk network. He celebrated his 30th anniversary with Global News in 2020. Read more here.

Carleton University is now accepting applications to the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship for a project to be completed in 2024. The application deadline is Jan. 4. Established to provide an annual award of up to $25,000 to cover travel, reporting and research expenses, the fund is administered by Carleton through its School of Journalism and Communication in the Faculty of Public Affairs. The fellowship commemorates the career and ideals of Jim Travers—reporter, foreign correspondent, general manager for Southam News, editor of the Ottawa Citizen, and executive managing editor and national columnist for the Toronto Star. 

Bell is asking the Federal Court of Appeal to review whether the CRTC was allowed to automatically renew its broadcasting licences without notice or consultation. The CRTC approved all of the broadcaster’s 66 television and specialty channel licences through August 2026 on an administrative renewal basis, however Bell is among the broadcasters with open Part 1 applications before the commission asking it to reduce Canadian programming and news expenditures based on changes in the financial climate for broadcasters since the last five-year term renewal in 2017. Bell is accusing the regulator of breaching section 18(2) of the Broadcasting Act, which stipulates the need for a public hearing before a renewal decision. “The Renewal Decision is likely to have serious adverse impacts on Bell Media,” states the application for leave to appeal. “It will impair Bell Media’s ability to evolve in the competitive landscape of the Canadian broadcasting industry in the face of a growing presence from digital media broadcasting undertakings (DMBUs, or companies who provide consumer broadcasting services over the internet).”