Rogers Communications has released financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31. Total revenue and total service revenue increased by 4% and 6%, respectively, driven by revenue growth in Wireless and Media. Wireless service revenue increased by 7%, mainly as a result of higher roaming revenue associated with increased travel as COVID-19-related restrictions abated. Wireless equipment revenue decreased 10% as a result of fewer device upgrades. Cable service revenue increased 1%, primarily as a result of service pricing changes in the quarter and increases in Internet and Video subscribers. Media revenue was up 10% year-over-year to $482 million, mostly due to higher sports-related revenue, partially offset by lower revenue at Today’s Shopping Choice. Media adjusted EBITDA decreased by $7 million, primarily due to higher programming, production, and other operating costs as a result of increased activity as COVID restrictions eased, and the timing of player salaries pertaining to Toronto Blue Jays player trades. RCI says the Shaw transaction remains on track to close in Q2 2022.
Cogeco Communications has announced financial results for the second quarter ended Feb. 28. Revenue increased by 14.8% year-over-year to reach $728.5 million. On a constant currency basis, revenue increased by 15.0% due to a services revenue increase of 31.3% in the company’s American broadband service, mostly resulting from the Ohio broadband systems acquisition completed on Sept. 1, 2021, and from a higher Internet service customer base and product mix. Canadian broadband services revenue increased by 2.1% mainly as a result of the DERYtelecom acquisition completed in Dec. 2020 and organic growth. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 13.7% to reach $349.1 million, compared to the previous year.
The Community Media Advocacy Centre (CMAC) is staging a series of consultative events across the country, starting later this month, aimed at confronting barriers to employment and representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) Canadians in broadcasting and media. “Building an Anti-Racism Strategy for Canadian Broadcasting: Conversation & Convergence” will kick off in Montreal on April 30, the first of five regional gatherings to be hosted in Vancouver, Halifax, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Supported by Canadian Heritage’s Anti-Racism Action Program, the events will culminate in a national conference to be held at Carleton University, Nov. 18-19, in Ottawa. Laith Marouf, Senior Consultant, CMAC, says each regional event will reflect issues in the local community, following a call for proposals earlier this year from the academic, production, and racialized communities in each city who deal with issues around media, communication, journalism and race. Read more here.
CBC/Radio-Canada has scheduled 20 engagement sessions to hear from Indigenous communities about what they want from their public broadcaster. Starting April 26 in Winnipeg and wrapping up Sept. 27 in Thunder Bay, CBC is looking to hear from First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples about how CBC/Radio-Canada represents and reflects Indigenous needs, interests and cultures. Fourteen English-language sessions will be organized by the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, in partnership with CBC, while another eight will be held in French, organized by Acosys Consulting Services, in partnership with Radio-Canada.
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) has announced the finalists for its 2021 awards program. Recipients in each category will be announced at its May 28 awards gala as part of the CAJ 2022 conference in Montreal. Find the full list of finalists here.
The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) has announced its shortlist for the Landsberg Award, which celebrates a journalist, or journalists, providing greater profile to women’s equality issues. The winner receives $5,000 from the Canadian Women’s Foundation. This year’s award finalists are: Robyn Doolittle, with Chen Wang and Tavia Grant, for The Power Gap, a Globe and Mail series examining gender discrimination in Canadian workplaces; Freelancer Christina Frangou for her independent character-driven stories in Chatelaine, Toronto Life and Reader’s Digest revealing discrimination in Canada’s medical and legal systems; Maggie Rahr, with contributions from Nancy Hunter and Janice Evans, for CBC’s Carrie Low VS. podcast on Low’s fight to have her rape properly investigated by police in Nova Scotia; Freelancer Sarah Ratchford for her independent investigations for Reader’s Digest, Refinery29 and Xtra Magazine into limited access to abortions in the Maritimes; and Mercedes Stephenson, Amanda Connolly and Marc-André Cossette for their Global News coverage on sexual misconduct allegations against high-ranking Canadian military officials.
Humber College has issued a statement clarifying it will exempt student journalists from a policy that required administrative approval to film on campus. The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) called on the college earlier this week to rethink the 2019 permit policy that required a minimum of 15 business days to be processed. CAJ President Brent Jolly called the policy “preposterous” for an institution training the next generation of journalists, noting the news rarely gives “15 days advance notice.” Humber News published an editorial in November, highlighting the barriers the policy has posed for campus journalists.
