REVOLVING DOOR:
JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto has cut four hosts including Jaymz Bee, a 16-year station veteran; Mark Wigmore, morning host and senior arts editor; and weekend hosts Walter Venafro and David Basskin. David Wall, director of community outreach and education, and two other employees were also affected. The station’s board has also seen a shake up. Chair Renah Persofsky has been replaced by David McGown. Persofsky had only been chair since March, after Bernard Webber stepped down during the investigation into station CEO and president Ross Porter. As previously reported in Broadcast Dialogue, Porter resigned his position earlier this month, but retains the title president emeritus and will continue to host Saturday morning program Music To Listen To Jazz By.
Rogers has laid off 75 staff, axing one-third of its digital and publishing team. In addition, Chatelaine editor-in-chief Lianne George and Steve Maich, senior VP of digital content and publishing, resigned. Sarah Trimble, former senior director of digital marketing has been appointed to Maich’s position. Among the layoffs were Today’s Parent senior editor Valerie Howes; Krista Hessey (Macleans); Diana Duong (Chatelaine); Erinn Stewart (Flare/Chatelaine); Laura Hensley (Flare/Chatelaine); Laura Brown (Chatelaine); and Sarah Boesveld (Chatelaine).
Priya Sam is replacing Lindsey Deluce on CTV’s Your Morning while Deluce is on maternity leave. Sam has been with CTV Atlantic since 2015 as a CTV Morning Live co-host, noon news anchor and segment producer.
Scott Turnbull is retiring after a 43-year broadcasting career. Turnbull had been away from the morning show on KiSS 100.5 (CHAS-FM) Sault Ste. Marie since November after undergoing heart surgery. Rogers Media announced Turnbull’s retirement on Friday.
John Donabie has signed off from University of Toronto campus station CIUT 89.5 FM Toronto. Donabie’s broadcasting career started at CKLB Oshawa where he began hanging around as a teen. From CKLB, he went on to work at Toronto stations CKFH, CHUM-FM, Q107 (CILQ-FM), CFRB-AM and JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM). Donabie also dabbled as a television host on CBC’s Afternoon Delight and contributor to Canada AM. He was inducted into the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2013.
Catherine Hanrahan is leaving radio to pursue a new career. Since 2010, she’s been co-host of Fresh Mornings on 100.5 Fresh Radio (CKRU-FM) Peterborough. Her last day on-air will be July 12.
Dave White is leaving News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver to take on afternoon news presenter duties on CBC Radio One Calgary. White has been a reporter, anchor and editor with Rogers Vancouver since 2008.
Shane Magee has left his Moncton City Hall reporting gig with Brunswick News to join CBC Moncton. Prior to Brunswick News, Magee spent two years in Yellowknife with Northern News Services.
Élaine Giroux is taking over for Daniel Brouillette as GM and sales director at Cogeco’s Rhythme FM (CJEB-FM) and 106.9 FM (CKOB-FM) Mauricie, Que. Stéphane Gasse becomes director of programming.
Michel Langevin is leaving 91.9 Sports (CKLX-FM) Montreal to become the new morning man at 104.7 FM (CKOF-FM) Gatineau. Langevin covered the Ottawa Senators for many years on the station’s AM predecessor CJRC 1150. He later moved to Montreal, where he worked at CKAC-AM, TQS, RDS and TVA Sports.
Scott Lunn has been appointed regional GM/revenue manager for Vista Radio’s stations in the B.C. North region. Lunn has been manager of broadcast operations with Global Calgary since 2014. He arrives in Prince George on July 3.
Amy Judd is the new online supervisor at Global BC. Judd has been an online reporter and on-air contributor with Global BC since 2011 and has also been a segment host with News Talk 980 (CKNW-AM).
Samantha Berdini has taken over as evening assignment coordinator for Global News Toronto. Berdini has been with Global since 2017 as an editorial assistant.
Doyle Potenteau has joined Global News Okanagan as an online journalist. Potenteau has been with The Daily Courier in Kelowna the past 17 years, where he held positions from sports writer to managing editor.
Sue Bailey, longtime Newfoundland and Labrador reporter for The Canadian Press, has retired. Bailey Tweeted that she’s pursuing “other labours of love in health and wellness, along with freelance writing and research.”
Tony Grace is leaving CTV Barrie after eight years in the anchor chair. Grace has been with CTV since 2001 in roles from National Parliament Hill correspondent to morning show co-host and producer at CTV Ottawa. Grace says he’s returning to the Ottawa Valley.
Matt Stein is the new chairman and president of the Canadian Network Operators Consortium (CNOC). Stein is the former vice-chair and treasurer of CNOC and CEO of Distributel Communications. Peter Rocca, president and CEO of Start.ca will become board vice-chair, while Ian Stevens, president and CEO of Execulink, steps into the treasurer role. Michael Garbe, who had been CNOC president since 2016, will continue as a board member.
Jill Golick has been named Women In View’s new executive director, following the departure of Rina Fraticelli this Spring for a position at McMaster University. Golick was previously president of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and a member of the Women In View board of directors.
Taran Parmar is joining News 1130 (CKWX-AM) Vancouver part-time as a weekend reporter and anchor. Parmar had been with the now-defunct Roundhouse Radio (CIRH-FM) since 2016 as a reporter, weekend anchor and content creator.
RADIO/AUDIO/PODCAST:
Canadian Broadcast Sales research indicates radio is outperforming television and digital in delivering encoding and memorability. Conducted in partnership with neuro-marketing measurement firm Brainsights, the study looked at the way the human brain hears and processes radio commercials. While radio performs at comparable levels to TV and digital in delivering awareness and connection in advertising, radio’s core competency is in memorability. Conducted in April, respondents were exposed to 32 commercials across a variety of categories ranging from automotive and finance, to entertainment and personal care.
APTN is set to soft-launch new Indigenous radio brand ELMNT.FM in Toronto on 106.5 FM and in Ottawa on 95.7 FM later this summer. Corus Radio will provide space to the stations in its Toronto and Ottawa studios. Aimed at adults 25-to-45, the station will play 25 per cent Indigenous-created music, alongside non-Indigenous pop, R&B and rock. ELMNT.FM will also air talk programming including Moment Of Truth with David Moses and weekday evening show Panic In The Night, hosted by bohemian Métis pop artist Janet Panic.
The CRTC has renewed the broadcast licences for Jim Pattison Broadcast Group radio stations Wild 95.3 (CKWD-FM) Calgary and 102.3 NOW! (CKNO-FM) Edmonton. The commission has renewed the licences for a full seven years through Aug. 2025.
The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has concluded that an Oct. 12 episode of open-line program Doc Mailloux et Josey broadcast on 106.9 FM (CKOB-FM) Mauricie did not contravene the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ (CAB) Code of Ethics or Equitable Portrayal Code. Hosted by psychiatrist Pierre Mailloux and Josey Arsenault, during the episode in question, Mailloux commented that people of an older generation “lie to themselves cheerfully, daily, copiously, abundantly” and expressed frustration with older callers. He also discussed sexual issues with some callers. A listener complained that Mailloux made disparaging and discriminatory comments about old people, and that the program had contained sexually explicit material. The French-language Panel concluded the comments about old people did not reach the level of abusive or discriminatory material and any of Mailloux’s comments were counter-balanced by his co-host who emphasized that he should not generalize.
Giant FM (CIXL-FM) and Country 89 (CKYY-FM) Niagara, ON are recipients of a 2018 Ontario Fire Marshal’s Public Safety Council Award, presented in Toronto recently. The awards recognize individuals and organizations who go over and above to support fire and carbon monoxide safety in their community. Giant FM and Country 89 were recognized for their tireless efforts in getting the safety message out through contesting, public service announcements, interviews and announcer segments. The Country 89 morning crew has also done home ride-alongs with the fire department to ensure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were properly installed.
Civilized, the cannabis culture media brand with offices in both Saint John, NB and California, has announced it will produce and distribute a new weekly podcast hosted by Ricardo Baca, former editor of The Denver Post’s award-winning marijuana news site The Cannabist. Cannabis & Main marks Baca’s first return to podcasting since resigning from the Post in 2016. Cannabis & Main will tackle subjects from PTSD and social justice to pesticides and impaired driving.
SOCAN says a record $352-million in total royalties was collected in fiscal 2017 from the use of music by its songwriter, composer, and music publisher members. Year-over-year, royalties were up eight per cent over 2016. Internet revenues increased 44 per cent to just under $49-million, while there was a 13 per cent surge ($76-million) in royalties from countries outside of Canada. A record $295-million was distributed to music creators and publishers.
On this week’s Broadcast Dialogue podcast, publisher Shawn Smith talks to Zach Sang in Los Angeles, the fresh-faced host of the Zach Sang Worldwide Countdown, which made its debut on Rogers Radio stations earlier this year. Sang is being credited with paving the way for the next generation of radio personalities.
Ellie Tevan, on June 12. Tevan, wife of late Montreal radio sports host Ted Tevan, was one of the first women to do sports editorials on radio and in her early career was the only woman in North America covering major league baseball on a regular basis. Featured in a June 1973 article in The Jewish Post and Opinion, Ellie was working at CFOX Montreal when she explained to the paper that women were not allowed on the playing field, even as working reporters. “They’re banned from the press box by a ruling of the all-male Baseball Writers’ Association, and are forced to sit in the stands with the paying customers. I think it’s archaic, but I haven’t made any fuss about it. I probably should, but I haven’t the strength to fight it. The players are very nice to deal with, for one thing. I never have any problems getting interviews, no matter who the players are. So even without the dressing room, I do all right, especially as I’m usually doing a human interest rather than a hard news story.” Ellie and Ted Tevan were married for 52 years, up until his death in 2011.
John Anthony Hello, 64, on June 10. Hello spent many years working in radio with his career culminating at CJFX Antigonish as news and sports director. Hello went on to return to his hometown of Campbellton, NB where he served as a city councillor from 2001-04 and deputy mayor from 2004-08. He eventually retired to Point Michaud, Cape Breton, where he continued to pursue music and photography.
Rodney “Rod” French, 73, suddenly on June 18 at his home in Mount Pearl, NL. French was a news reporter and hockey broadcaster with VOCM Newfoundland in the 1970s and 80s. He’s also remembered for his involvement in the Newfoundland & Labrador music scene as a member of both The Bellaires and The Ravens. The Ravens were a pioneering 1960s rhythm and blues group and the first Newfoundland band to appear on national television on CBC-TV Halifax’s Frank’s Bandstand in 1965. They were also among the first to cut and release a single on Arc Records, a subsidiary of London Records. The foursome was regularly featured on CJON-TV’s biweekly Dance Party and CBC-TV’s High Teens.
TV/FILM/VIDEO:
Trina McQueen has been inducted into the CBC News Hall of Fame. The former journalist and broadcast executive was a true trailblazer as W5’s first female co-host, the first female reporter to appear on CBC’s The National and the first woman to head a TV news organization in North America as president and COO of CTV from 1999-2001. Read more here.
The CRTC has sent a procedural letter to The Bell Fund, asking executive director Nancy Chapelle to comment on how it meets the criteria for a Certified Independent Production Fund (CIPF) because three of its eight board members are Bell employees. The commission’s letter was sparked by a complaint from CBC/Radio-Canada, the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), Groupe V Média, TVO, Groupe Média TFO, OUTtv, Télé-Québec and TV5 Québec Canada.
Serinda Swan (Inhumans, Ballers) will star in new CBC original drama Coroner, created by Morwyn Brebner (Saving Hope). Inspired by the book series by M. R. Hall, the one-hour series centres on a newly-appointed coroner investigating suspicious deaths in Toronto. Production will begin late this summer in and around Toronto with the series set to premiere on CBC in winter 2019.
Global Edmonton’s is starting a new fan-focused movement set to launch this Friday, June 22 with the Edmonton Eskimos home opener game. The station is inviting fans, wherever they are, to record their game experience and share it to social media using the #GNALLIN and #ONEEMPIRE hashtags. The crowdsourced fan experience will then be aired in a 30-minute special on Saturday, July 7, hosted by Global Edmonton sports anchor Kevin Karius.
ONLINE/DIGITAL:
Rogers Media has launched KitchenerToday.com, led by its newstalk station 570 NEWS (CKGL-AM) and featuring live stream video from the Rogers tv community channel. The digital news site is Rogers’ third collaboration with Village Media following the launch of HalifaxToday.ca and OttawaMatters.com.
The Logic, a new Canadian subscription news outlet focused on the innovation economy, has been soft-launched by former Toronto Star and Boston Globe digital editor David Skok. Modeled in part after Silicon Valley news site The Information, The Logic’s initial offering includes a free, weekday afternoon email briefing and two paywalled feature stories per week.
GENERAL:
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Min. Navdeep Bains has launched a national consultation on digital and data transformation. Over the summer, roundtable consultations will take place across Canada with business, academia, and others including under-represented groups, women and Indigenous peoples. All Canadians can participate in the Digital and Data Consultations online.
Adrienne Arsenault, senior correspondent for CBC’s The National, has accepted an honorary degree from Humber College and offered up some encouraging words for aspiring journalists. Arsenault told graduates “the media world that’s waiting for you is not shrinking. It is overflowing with different types of platforms to be filled with good stories told in ways we can’t even comprehend now…we need your skills to call out the lies and those who tell them.”
Cogeco Media and Quebecor have made a joint $100,000 donation over five years to help secure the future of the Bourse d’excellence Jean-Lapierre, a scholarship created in 2017 in memory of the Magdalen Islands native, who was a commentator and political analyst on TVA and LCN, as well as Cogeco radio stations 98.5 Montréal, FM 93 Québec City and 106.9 Trois-Rivières. Scholarships are awarded to young Magdalen Islands residents who wish to leave home to continue their studies, as Jean-Lapierre did at age 16.
Concordia University is launching the Institute for Investigative Journalism, led by Patti Sonntag, a former managing editor in The New York Times’ News Services division. Sontag is billing the institute as a new model of journalism that serves the public interest through cooperation, rather than competition. Concordia’s Department of Journalism is already the host institution for the National Student Investigative Reporting Network (NSIRN), which connects major media outlets with journalism students and faculty from across Canada to investigate and report on large-scale public interest stories. Global News, The National Observer and the Toronto Star are among the institute’s media partners with Carleton, Humber College, Mount Royal University, Ryerson University, University of King’s College, the University of Regina and the University of British Columbia on board for the Fall 2018-19 project.
Radio-Canada was the winner of the inaugural CJF-Facebook Journalism Project News Literacy Award for its weekly program Corde sensible, which confronts misinformation and false stories on social media networks. Other winners at this year’s Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards included The Globe and Mail, this year’s recipient of the CJF Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism in the large-media category, for its Unfounded investigation exposing systemic flaws in the way police handle sexual assault complaints. As previously announced, this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner was former The National anchor Peter Mansbridge.
Stingray has acquired a minority stake in Nextologies Limited, an Ontario-based provider of technological solutions for broadcasters. Stingray says the investment will provide it with access to Nextologies’ secure signal IP distribution network at competitive rates.
Are you a current or former broadcast engineer who likes to write about emerging tech as it relates to the broadcast industry? Broadcast Dialogue is looking for content contributors. Contact our editor Connie Thiessen at connie@momentummediamarketing.com.
