Radio & Podcast News – Save JAZZ.FM91 wins bid to replace troubled Toronto station’s board of directors

Save JAZZ.FM91, the group making a bid to replace the board of directors of troubled Toronto not-for-profit JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM), has been successful. At a Friday morning meeting at the Toronto Public Library, the station’s donor members elected an alternate slate of board members by a vote of 446 to 435. They include communications consultant Brian Hemming, who has been the face of the Save JAZZ.FM effort; Rohit Bhardwaj, CFO of Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund; Christopher Churchill, former president of Churchill Cellars; Dave Cole, founder of Specialty Data Systems (SDS); Pat Holiday, former VP of Programming for Astral Media; Noëlle Jenkinson, an agent and manager at AMI – Artist Management Inc.; former JAZZFM board member Joseph Manzoli, founder of Colourfast Corp Inc., who resigned in early 2018 over governance concerns; Catherine Mitro, a professor in the Humber College Music Department; Lorie Russell, former GM of Newcap Radio’s Toronto stations, who is now self-employed as a consultant; and Bryan Snelson, Vice-president, Associate Portfolio Manager with RBC Dominion Securities. Snelson is a former station fundraiser and on-air financial commentator. Read the full story here.

Corus Entertainment and Bell Media are named in a class action lawsuit filed Jan. 22, representing at least 30 people who were duped by so-called foreign exchange experts who bought airtime on a number of radio stations throughout southern Ontario in 2016 and early 2017. The “Trans-Atlantic Direct” infomercial investment segments were heard on Corus’ AM 900 CHML Hamilton, AM 980 CFPL London and Bell’s NewsTalk 610 CKTB St. Catharines, among other stations. The Ontario Securities Commission says on-air experts Stewart Price and Martin Schwartz are actually Mark Lee Singer and Bernard Justin Sevilla, who have a history of investment fraud and theft in the U.S. The allegations have not been proven in court.

Stingray has expanded its distribution deal with Telus. The agreement brings five new music television channels, Stingray Festival 4K, Stingray Now 4K, Stingray Hits!, PalmarèsADISQ par Stingray, and Stingray Classica to Optik TV subscribers in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec. Stingray’s music video channels Stingray Loud, Stingray Vibe, Stingray Retro, and Stingray Juicebox also become available to all Optik TV customers in HD. Stingray Festival 4K and Stingray Now 4K are now available to subscribers with a 4K digital box.

George Garrett, longtime investigative reporter with CKNW Newstalk 980 Vancouver, has written a new book about his life and career. George Garrett – Intrepid Reporter will be released Mar. 2. The book explores Garrett’s rise from Saskatchewan farm boy to legendary radio reporter.

Earl Seitz is being inducted into the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame. Seitz started his career in 1968 as a radio DJ in Cranbrook, BC, later making his foray into sports when he landed in Nelson in 1970. He arrived in Kamloops in 1974 to be the play-by-play man for the Kamloops Chiefs on 910 CFJC, before going on to become the TV face of CFJC Sports. Seitz, who is celebrating 51 years in broadcasting this year, was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the RTDNA in 2011.

The 2019 Care from the Heart Radio-a-thon raised over $235,000 on Feb. 14 for the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation. Six Lethbridge, AB radio stations came together to donate airtime to live broadcasts from Chinook Regional Hospital, including Pattison stations Country-95 (CHLB-FM) and B-93.3 (CJBZ-FM); Vista’s 94.1 CJOC-FM and 98.1 The Bridge (CKBD-FM); and Rogers’ 106.7 Rock (CJRX-FM) and KiSS 107.7 (CFRV-FM). Over the past decade, the Care from the Heart Radio-a-thon has raised nearly $2,200,000, funding new equipment, various programs and special projects.

Corus Entertainment’s Curiouscast network has announced a content partnership between its original podcast When Life Gives You Parkinson’s and the 2019 World Parkinson Congress (WPC). Hosted by Larry Gifford, who is also senior PD for Corus stations AM 730 (CHMJ-AM) and CKNW NewsTalk 980 Vancouver, the special series launches Feb. 27, highlighting topics and speakers leading up to the summer event in Kyoto, Japan. The international forum on Parkinson’s disease hosts more than 3,600 world-renowned neurologists, neuroscientists, and health care professionals, along with those with Parkinson’s and their caregivers.

Not A Subscriber? Subscribe Now – Free!

Broadcast Dialogue has been required reading in the Canadian broadcast media for 25 years. When you subscribe, you join a community of connected professionals from media and broadcast related sectors from across the country.

The Weekly Briefing from Broadcast Dialogue is delivered exclusively to subscribers by email every Thursday. It’s your link to critical industry news, timely people moves, and excellent career advancement opportunities.

Let’s get started right now.