Corus Entertainment has filed a complaint with the CRTC, alleging Rogers’ undue disadvantage in the wake of its merger last year with Shaw Communications, is leading it to engage “in predatory behaviour, enabled by dominant size and scale, to foreclose on potential competition.” The Part 1 application focuses specifically on Rogers move to offer the ad-supported version of Disney+ to existing Ignite TV customers, which Corus says is part of an effort to lure subscribers away from its Disney-themed specialty channels. Corus submits that Rogers’ conduct constitutes a breach of its conditions of service by unduly preferring foreign services such as Disney+, as well as Rogers’ own platforms and channels, while subjecting Corus to an undue disadvantage. Read more here.
Unifor members laid off at Corus Kingston last month will have an opportunity this Saturday to say the goodbye to listeners and viewers they never got. The union has organized a private gathering that will see the two dozen staff who lost their jobs in July, across radio and television, come together with other former employees at the Royal Kingston Curling Club. A public farewell reception will follow from 3 – 5 p.m. Bill Hutchins, the face of Global Kingston’s 6 p.m. newscast and the president of Unifor local 713-M, says the cuts have effectively meant the end of CKWS-TV as the community has known it with 95% of the station’s staff laid off, in addition to local announcers at 96.3 BIG FM (CFMK-FM) and Fresh 104.3 (CKWS-FM). Hutchins hopes Saturday’s event can bring some closure to staff, listeners, and viewers. Read more here.
Stingray has released its inaugural Sustainability Report for 2024, reflecting the fiscal year ended March 31. Outlining the company’s journey towards a more environmentally and socially conscious future, the report was guided by standards set out by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Among other facets of Stingray’s operations, it includes insights into gender and diversity in the workplace, currently comprised of 40% women and 11% self-identifying minorities, including 32% women in management positions. 88% of Stingray employees hold permanent positions.
The RTDNA Canada National Awards Gala will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 in Toronto. Regional Award winners will be announced next month. As previously announced, there will be no RTDNA Canada Conference in 2024. The organization is instead focusing on holding topical webinars on current industry issues, including content supporting up-and-coming journalists and students.
World News Day, a global initiative by the news media industry demonstrating the value of journalism, will feature new campaign, Choose Truth, created by South Africa’s Daily Maverick. Celebrated on Sept. 28 each year, World News Day was conceived in 2017 by Globe and Mail Editor-in-Chief David Walmsley, and supported by more than 500 newsrooms. This year, co-organizers – the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and the World Editors Forum, the network for editors within the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) – have teamed up with Daily Maverick to present a campaign news organizations can share with their audiences in the days leading up to Sept. 28. News organizations wanting to join or support the initiative can get involved by contacting Cherilyn Ireton, Executive Director of the World Editors Forum @ Cherilyn.Ireton@wan-ifra.org.
