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The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Caroline Jamet

Caroline Jamet will assume the role of President of Cogeco Media, effective Feb. 3. Jamet arrives from Radio-Canada, where she served as Executive Director of French Radio, Audio, and Greater Montreal. Prior to joining the public broadcaster in 2017, she held executive roles at La Presse, Éditions Gesca, TVA International and L’Équipe Spectra. Read more here.

 

Paul Thomas

Paul Thomas has been appointed the Corus Audio division’s new Toronto Program Director for FM radio. Thomas, who arrives from ZoomerMedia, where he served as General Manager and Program Director for The New Classical FM (CFMZ-FM) and Zoomer Radio (CFZM-AM), is overseeing programming for Q107 (CILQ-FM) and 102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM), as of Jan. 6. Other changes see Dave Blezard take on a new role as co-host of the morning show on 91.5 the Beat (CKBT-FM) Kitchener, alongside Kat Callaghan. He’ll also serve as Program Manager for the Kitchener/Guelph cluster. Blezard previously held the title of Regional Program Director for Kitchener, Barrie and Collingwood. Stephanie Hunter expands her Regional Program Director role to cover all Ontario stations, excluding Toronto. The changes see Scott Fox, Callaghan’s longtime co-host on The Scott & Kat Show, depart the company. Read more here.

Christian Hall

Christian Hall will join Toronto’s CHUM 104.5 as Heidi Baiden moves over to the company’s syndicated programming arm, Orbyt Media. Baiden will transition from Program Director at CHUM 104.5 to Senior Manager of Orbyt, with a focus on content development, partnerships & revenue growth. Hall will assume the role of Program Director at CHUM 104.5. He was most recently with Rogers Radio in Vancouver, serving as National Programmer for Classic Hits, as well as Content Director for JACK 96.9 (CJAX-FM) and SONiC RADiO (CKKS-FM), up until management changes in late October. Read more here.

Tiffany Lizée

Tiffany Lizée will join Global Calgary’s News at 5 and News Hour at 6 time slots, as well as Global Lethbridge’s News at 5 and News at 6, beginning Jan. 13. Lizée, who has been with Global Calgary since 2018 and Chief Meteorologist since 2021, succeeds weather anchor Paul Dunphy, who retired from the station on Dec. 23 after 51 years in broadcasting.

Al Wright

Al Wright, Global BC Operations Manager, has retired after four decades with the station. Wright started with the station under the CHAN-TV banner in the early 1980s as a production editor and technical director. He moved into the role of News Operations Manager in 1987 and had held his current role since 2014.

Kalina Laframboise

Kalina Laframboise has departed Global Montreal where she’s primarily been an online producer for the last seven years. She’ll be joining the Montreal Gazette as a reporter.

Robert Brilz

Robert Brilz has retired from CTV Edmonton where he’d been an assignment editor for 24 years. Prior to joining CTV in 2000, Brilz was a producer with ITV/Global TV Edmonton; an anchor and assignment editor at 630 CHED; and news director at MG 1200 and FM 105. Brilz will continue to do communications consulting.

Ioanna Roumeliotis

Ioanna Roumeliotis is joining CBC’s The Fifth Estate as the investigative program’s full-time host, alongside Mark Kelley and Steven D’Souza. A reporter with The National since 2000, Roumeliotis started her career with CBC Montreal in 1995. A past guest host of The Fifth Estate, the first episode featuring the veteran reporter in her new hosting role will air Friday, March 7. Read more here.

Roy Green

Roy Green is set to depart the Corus Radio talk network later this month. Green, who continues to battle cancer, will host the final episode of The Roy Green Show on Jan. 26. Green, 77, started his career at CKGM Montreal as a teenager, going on to hosting stints at CHML Hamilton and AM 640 (CFIQ-AM) Toronto. He previously retired from daily broadcasting in 2007.

Clayton Dreger

Clayton Dreger has officially retired 40 years to the day he first joined Golden West Broadcasting on Jan. 7, 1985. The longtime sports director and champion of amateur sport, who was inducted into the Western Association of Broadcasters (WAB) Hall of Fame this year, signed off with a column thanking those who’ve listened over the years.

Angela Valiant

Angela Valiant is joining 107.3 The Edge (CFGQ-FM) Calgary in afternoon drive. Valiant, who most recently helmed the morning show on SONiC RADiO (CKKS-FM) in Vancouver, will be heard from 2 – 6 p.m. MT weekdays.

Leanne Page

Leanne Page has moved into middays on 107.5 KOOL FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie. Page, who has held numerous roles with the station over the last 12 years – including Sales & Marketing Coordinator and more recently Director of Community Parnterships – will be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 

Erik Wedekind

Erik Wedekind has joined the team at CoOL 94.5 (CIBU-FM) Wingham, ON. Wedekind will be heard in afternoon drive from 2 – 6 p.m. weekdays, before a planned move to mornings. He was most recently heard on Pattison Media’s Nanaimo stations, 102.3 The Wave (CKWV-FM) Nanaimo and 106.9 The Wolf (CHWF-FM).  

Richard Zurawski

Richard Zurawski has announced that his Friday morning science segment on Stingray’s Q104 (CFRQ-FM) Halifax is coming to an end after eight years. In a post to social media, the broadcaster says his mobility has deteriorated as he awaits a third joint replacement surgery. Zurawski was a longtime meteorologist for News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax and other Rogers’ radio stations before being elected to Halifax Regional Council in 2016.

Emma Witkowski

Emma Witkowski has been named Vice-President, Media Solutions, at WildBrain. In the newly-created role, Witkowski will lead WildBrain’s Media Solutions team, driving advertising sales for the company’s global inventory across digital platforms including YouTube, FAST and AVOD, as well as brand integrations on gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. Based in Los Angeles, Witkowski reports to Kate Smith, Executive Vice President, Audience Engagement. Most recently, Witkowski was Global Head of Strategy and Client Success at Moonbug Entertainment, where she was responsible for building and scaling their brand partnerships business.

Stéphane Cardin

Stéphane Cardin has joined the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC) as President and CEO. Cardin was, until recently, Director, Public Policy for Canada at Netflix. Previously, he held the position of Vice President, Industry and Public Affairs at the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and served as Director General, Tax Credits at the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC).

Kate Ziegler

Kate Ziegler will succeed David Gale as the new President of ACTRA Toronto for a two-year term. Ziegler joined ACTRA in 2011, shifting her focus to become a leading voice talent, lending her skills to thousands of commercials and has served as the brand voice for major national campaigns, including Rogers, Ford and Lotto 6/49. Her previous on-screen credits include roles in Flashpoint, God & Country, Man Vs. and The Divide

Mike Pappas

Mike Pappas is now Senior Vice-President of Global Sales at Orban as the company undergoes management restructuring. Pappas has handled U.S. sales along with corporate development for the past eight years as VP, Business Development. Orban Labs President David Day says under Pappas’ sales leadership, 2024 was the company’s best year ever in the U.S.  

Todd Beswitherick, Mike Delayen, Barry Waldbillig, Tharindu Dissanayake

Todd Beswitherick has departed Pippin Technical Service as an RF Tech/Installer after 10 years to pursue an opportunity outside the broadcast industry. Other changes within the company see Mike Delayen’s duties shift as he hands over the reins to the Shipping department. He’ll now be hitting the road as Studio/RF Tech, while retaining his position as Service Manager. Barry Waldbillig joins the team covering off Logistics, while Tharindu Dissanayake arrives to add to the depth in the technical and engineering department by serving in the dual roles of installer/technician and designer for PTSGear.

RADIO & PODCAST:

The CRTC has approved the transfer of ownership and control of six Bell Media radio stations to Maritime Broadcasting System (MBS). The deal encompasses English-language commercial radio stations CKTO-FM and CKTY-FM Truro, NS and CKBC-FM Bathurst, NB, CJCJ-FM Woodstock, NB, and CIKX-FM Grand Falls, NB and its transmitter CIKX-FM-1 Plaster Rock. The purchase price for the assets of the stations is $4 million.

The CRTC has approved Bay of Islands Radio’s application for a broadcasting licence to allow the Corner Brook, NL community broadcaster to operate a full-power station to replace existing low-power station, CKVB-FM. The station will continue to operate at 100.1 MHz (channel 261A) with an average effective radiated power (ERP) of 2,760 watts (non-directional antenna with an effective height of the antenna above average terrain [EHAAT] of 14.6 metres). The station will maintain its adult contemporary format and serve the same community and the same target audience of Corner Brook.

Arsenal Media has rebranded its Plaisir and WOW radio stations in Quebec as VIVA, a format combining an Adult Contemporary sound with New Country. Launched on Jan. 7, the new VIVA stations include CHRM-FM 105.3 Matane, CFDA-FM 101.9 Victoriaville, CKLD-FM 105.5/107.1 Thetford, CKCN-FM 94.1 Sept-Îles, and CHOA-FM 96.5/103.5/103.9 Abitibi.

CBC/Radio-Canada has crunched the numbers following the Numeris fall 2024 radio diary release, indicating the public broadcaster has the #1-ranked morning show in 14 out of 17 markets. The broadcaster says 12 of the network’s 17 stations are the most listened-to each week in Victoria, Kelowna, Regina, Winnipeg, London, Ottawa-Gatineau (both English and French), Sherbrooke, Québec City, Trois-Rivières, Moncton, and Halifax. CBC/Radio-Canada stations in three communities — Ottawa-Gatineau, London, and Sherbrooke — recorded their highest audiences ever. ICI PREMIÈRE and ICI MUSIQUE saw their second-highest shares ever (17.2% and 7.2%, respectively).

SiriusXM Canada has announced that electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has launched SiriusXM’s audio entertainment experience to all new and existing Rivian R1T and R1S models. The collaboration directly integrates SiriusXM into Rivian’s in-vehicle software. New and existing Rivian owners will be able to opt in and activate a three-month SiriusXM trial subscription directly on their vehicle’s centre display.

The “On Air for Healthcare” Radiothon, hosted by Evanov Communications’ Lite 99.3FM (CJGB-FM) Meaford, ON on Saturday, Dec. 21, raised an incredible $90,000 in support of the Meaford Hospital Foundation. Funds will be used to purchase a new ventilator for the hospital, enhancing critical care services for the community. Listeners and community members contributed through phone-in, online, and in-person donations, responding enthusiastically to special challenges and matching donation opportunities throughout the event. 

(l-r): Station Manager Dinah Hiebert, Marketing Consultant Blair Romas, Host Brandon Houck, Marketing Consultant Masud Rana

Stingray’s New Country 105.7 (CIBQ-FM) and boom 101.1 (CIXF-FM) in Brooks, AB teamed up in late November for a six-hour radiothon in support of the local Adopt-A-Family and Food Bank programs. Nearly $52,000 was raised during the annual “Turkey Drive, totalling over $475,000 raised in the stations’ history. The weekend prior, they also raised $20,000 for the Brooks Rotary Club through their annual auction.

(l-r): Wolf Leonhardt – Camrose Kinsmen; Scott Mitchell – Morning Host/Rural Alberta APD & Kinsmen Radio Auction Chair

Stingray’s New Country 98.1 (CFCW-FM) Camrose, AB hosted the 70th Annual Camrose Kinsmen Radio Auction in late November. Originally started on sister station 840 CFCW in its inaugural year in 1954 with nine items, the auction has moved over the years to its current home. A record-breaking $90,000 in retail value was donated by local businesses, totalling 500 items, and at the end of the night, over $60,000 (also a record) was on the board.

The Canadian Podcast Awards has announced the winners of its 7th annual competition, led by story-driven, play podcast, No Quest for the Wicked. No Quest for the Wicked was a winner in both Outstanding Artwork for a Series and Outstanding Leisure Series, while Niall Spain was named Best Host in a Series. Among other multiple award winners was Erika Casupanan, the first Canadian winner of CBS’ Survivor, whose podcast Happy to See Me with Erika Casupanan, took home two awards in the Debut and Television & Film categories. Paranormal exploration pod, Geist, also claimed two awards – Outstanding Arts Series and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for a Series, while Lullaby: The Fear Podcast took home the People’s Choice Award and Outstanding Production for a Series. Find the full list of winners here.

PodSummit YYC 2025 is set to return to Calgary’s The Grand, Sept. 19-20. This year’s PodSummit Advisory Board includes Jeff Humphreys, Jeremie Saunders, Jess Schmidt, Brian Stever, Fede Vargas, Tchadas Leo, Meg Wilcox, and student advisor Ava Free.

Kortney Wilson is debuting new podcast, The Shit Stick of Life, on the Women in Media podcast network, inspired by the end of the reality television star’s “perfect” 20-year marriage. The podcast is about those who have used the proverbial “shit stick of life” to launch vibrant, fulfilling, and meaningful next chapters, with each episode promising honest conversations about resilience as Kortney shares her story. New episodes drop every other Thursday, starting in February,

 

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Chris Scheetz has announced plans to launch a podcast this month with his daughter, Baillie. The former CISN Country Edmonton morning show host, who stepped away from radio last May after 35 years, will launch Talking Scheetz on Jan. 13.

LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill discusses the challenges and outlook for radio and podcasting in 2025. He criticizes the current state of radio, advocates for a CRTC-led consultation to enhance radio for listeners – not record companies, and he warns podcasters against adopting every new trend, particularly the shift to video, which can dilute the audio experience and complicate monetization. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

SIGN OFFS:

Tracey Friesen, on Jan. 6, of cancer. After graduating from Ryerson University’s Bachelor of Applied Arts, Radio & Television program in 1990, and later a Liberal Arts degree from Simon Fraser University, Friesen started her career with Vancouver-headquartered Rainmaker Digital Effects as a VFX producer and later Director of Sales & Industry Relations. From there, she joined the National Film Board (NFB) as an Executive Producer for nearly 12 years, earning credits on nearly 40 projects, including award-winning films “Being Caribou,” “ScaredSacred” and “Shameless: The ART of Disability.” In 2014, Friesen detoured into radio, joining Vancouver’s Roundhouse Radio as Director of Programming. She concurrently founded non-profit Story Money Impact, offering mentorship and coaching for documentary development from under-represented creators. After a stint as Director of Communications & Engagement for the David Suzuki Foundation, Friesen went on to join the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) in 2020 as Managing Vice President of the CMPA BC Branch. While at the CMPA, Friesen championed many sustainability initiatives and was the inaugural staff lead on the CMPA’s Sustainability and Climate Action Committee. In 2013, Women in Film & Television Vancouver named Friesen “Woman of the Year.” Read more here.

David Lewis George

David Lewis George, 84, on Jan. 2. Born in Corner Brook, NL, George attended the University of New Brunswick (UNB), before graduating from Ryerson University as a Certified Engineering Technologist. He started his career in the early 1960s at CJON (NTV) St. John’s, before moving his family to Toronto where he led consulting group, Imagineering Limited. George went on to help launch the Global Television Network as its Chief Engineer. Involved in key projects around the globe, he served as president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) in the 1990s and was named a Life Fellow of the organization. He was also an avid Ham Radio Operator, with V0IDS and VE3EU two of his long-time call signs. 

Lezlie Robinson

Lezlie Robinson, 66, on Dec. 31. Robinson had a diverse career that spanned modeling professionally in Canada and the U.S, being part of the CFL Montreal Alouettes cheerleading squad, and acting, among other pursuits. Best known to Montreal audiences as a TV and radio personality, Robinson was a former traffic reporter for CJAD 800 and CHOM, in addition to stints with CFCF AM and CFQR 92.5. She also took on voiceover work, including narrating the Just for Laughs television series and specials.

John Carter

John Carter, 72, on Dec. 24. Carter began his radio career in Lloydminster, with a stop as Music Director at CFCN Calgary to follow, before he landed in Medicine Hat. Carter hosted the morning show at the original 1340 CJCY under Monarch Broadcasting and then Pattison Media. He left radio to work as a realtor and later owned a restaurant in Medicine Hat, before returning to radio when Clear Sky launched 102.1 CJCY-FM in 2011. Shortly thereafter, he was paired with Steve Krysak on “Mornings with John and Steve.” The show was an immediate hit and ultimately ran for over 13 years, right up until Carter’s passing, surviving through Rogers Sports & Media’s purchase of CJCY in 2018 and the station’s rebrand as 102.1 JACK-FM. Carter had been off for the past month with an illness and had hoped to return to work in the New Year. Krysak wrote in a post to social media that “for the last 13 years, John wasn’t just a mentor—he was a source of wisdom, humor, and endless entertainment. On air, we often sounded like a bickering married couple, but beneath the banter was a deep respect and an unshakable bond. John’s larger-than-life personality and wit made him a cherished voice in Medicine Hat and beyond. He had a way of touching lives through a story and laughter. He will be deeply missed by me, by our listeners, and by the countless people fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him. Medicine Hat has lost a legend, and I have lost a dear friend.”

David Farrell, 73, on Dec. 19. Born on Vancouver Island, Farrell – the son of two journalists – started his career in the late 1960s, inspired after a backstage experience following a The Who show at The Rockpile in Toronto. That led to syndicated segments with CHUM Radio and newspapers across the country. He went on to become the Billboard correspondent for Canada. Following the closure of trade industry weekly, RPM, in the early 1980s, Farrell started The Record, a go-to for chart information. He navigated the music industry’s upheaval through the digital age, before advertisers dried up. The Record employed a staff of eight full-time, before it was shuttered in 2001 after a 20-year run. Broadcasting executive Gary Slaight underwrote Farrell’s next venture, FYI Music News, which covered the Canadian music industry for 15 years, starting in 2008. The publication’s archive remains accessible via Billboard Canada, which acquired FYI Music News last year, with Farrell staying on as a contributor. Farrell was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award during Canadian Music Week (CMW) in June, recognizing his more than five-decade career covering the music and broadcast industry. He had previously been inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame at Canadian Music Week (CMW). Read more here.

Alden Habacon

Alden Habacon, 50, on Dec. 2, following a tragic accident in Hawaii. After pursuing graphic arts at Ryerson and later completing his Bachelor’s degree in Visual Fine Arts at Simon Fraser University, Habacon worked at Asian Canadian arts publication, RicePaper Magazine, and later founded Schema Magazine in 2004, which focused on pop-culture and identity. A co-founder of the Asian Canadian Journalists Association, Habacon joined CBC Vancouver in 2010 as Manager of Diversity Initiatives & Partnership Manager, managing the national diversity and inclusion portfolio for CBC TV and coordinating the implementation of over 300 diversity initiatives across the country. He went on to spend 14 years working with UBC as the Senior Advisor for Intercultural Understanding. In 2019, he founded Inclusive Excellence Strategy Solutions (IESS), a diversity & inclusion consulting company. Habacon was recognized in 2010 by the YMCA of Greater Vancouver as the Power of Peace Award winner, and the 2011 NAAAP Vancouver leadership honouree for his work in supporting diversity and community service. In 2012, he was recognized with the Maharlika Award in Leadership by the Filipino Canadian Cultural Heritage Society of BC, and in the same year, was a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Award recipient.

(l-r): Bob Cole, Peggy MacDonald, Bob Mackowycz, Dylan Willows, Nerene Virgin, Larry Updike, Rex Murphy, Rick Cluff.

Broadcast Dialogue remembers Broadcasters We Lost in 2024. Find a compilation of our Sign Offs columns from the past year here.

TV & FILM:

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Profile 2024: An Economic Report on the Screen-based Media Production Industry in Canada indicates total TV and film production volume was down by 18.5%, compared to last year. According to the report, between April 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024, the media production sector in Canada created 179,130 jobs, and generated $9.58 billion in production volume, contributing $11.04 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023/24. Despite pandemic growth in 2021/22 and 2022/23, total production volume declined by 18.5% in 2023/24, which the CMPA says reflects a significant downturn in economic activity across domestic and foreign production in Canada, driven in part by two lengthy U.S. labour strikes, and a slowdown in commissioning of Canadian content – most notably in English-language television – from broadcasters. Read more here.

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Canadian Federation of Musicians (CFM) have ratified their first-ever Independent Production Agreement, establishing terms, conditions, and rates for musicians engaged on English-language independent productions in Canada. The three-year agreement, which commenced Jan. 1, expires Dec. 31, 2027. 

Crave has confirmed a Season 2 order for its original comedy series, The Office Movers, set to go into production in 2025. Ranking as one of Crave’s Top 20 titles during its release weeks, the announcement comes on the heels of a successful first season. Created by and starring Canadian comedians and brother duo, Jae and Trey Richards, The Office Movers follows two brothers navigating the chaotic world of Toronto’s commercial office moving industry. 

Crave has confirmed that the puck drops on Season 4 of its smash-hit original comedy series SHORESY on Friday, Jan. 24. The six-episode fourth season premieres with two episodes on, followed by one new episode on subsequent Fridays. Crave has also announced that SHORESY has been renewed for a fifth season, going into production later this spring. Created by and starring Jared Keeso, and produced by New Metric Media in association with Play Fun Games, the new season follows Shoresy (Keeso) as he explores life after hockey, and the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs contend with the distractions of summer.

Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ will mark the 25th annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada, live from Canmore, on Saturday, Jan. 18. Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada matchups, featuring all seven Canadian NHL teams, are available to stream for free in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Tagalog, Gujarati, and Spanish, with Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition airing live on OMNI, and Hockey Night in Canada in Cree live on APTN. Ron MacLean hosts along with Sportsnet’s David Amber, Elliotte Friedman, Kyle Bukauskas, Kevin Bieksa, Jennifer Botterill, Kelly Hrudey and Evanka Osmak. Randip Janda, Taqdeer Thindal, and Gurp Sian also host Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition live from Canmore. Special guests include Calgary Flames alumni Lanny McDonald, Colin Patterson, Matt Stajan, Curtis Glencross, and Jay Bouwmeester as well as NHL alumni Andrew Ference.

APTN and Sportsnet have teamed up once again to bring NHL hockey back to APTN and now APTN Languages. This season, viewers can once again experience Hockey Night in Canada in Cree, with play-by-play commentary from Clarence Iron, joined by analysts Earl Wood, John Chabot and Jason Chamakese. For the first time, APTN will also broadcast three games in Inuktitut, hosted by Pujjuut Kusugak and David Ningeongan. The schedule kicks off Saturday, Jan. 18, in Plains Cree with the Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames for Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada.

National Film Board (NFB) animation, composer and sound designer Normand Roger and late animator and producer Eunice Macaulay, will be honoured by ASIFA-Hollywood with its Winsor McCay Award for career achievement, to be presented at the 52nd Annie Awards next month. The International Animated Film Society/ASIFA-Hollywood is a California non-profit established over 35 years ago to promote and encourage the art and craft of animation. Born in Montreal, Roger began his career as a freelance film composer in 1971 for the NFB. The films he’s worked on have garnered 13 Academy Award nominations, including six Oscar wins. Macaulay, who passed away in 2013, held nearly every position in animation over her 17-year career at NFB, which she joined full-time in 1973. Her NFB highlights include co-writing and co-directing the Oscar-winning short Special Delivery (1978) with John Weldon

Blue Ant Media has launched its free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, Declassified, on VIZIO WatchFree+ for U.S. users. Declassified features stories and revelations from conspiracies and catastrophes to engineering and ancient civilizations. The deal, led by Julio Sobral, SVP, Channel Distribution, Blue Ant Media, is an expansion of the brand’s existing partnership with VIZIO, in which Declassified joins Blue Ant free-streaming brands, Love Nature, Love Pets, Homeful and HauntTV.

Sinking Ship Entertainment has announced its new tween series Media Stamped has been sold to HITN, one of the leading Spanish-language networks in the U.S. The partnership will bring Media Stamped into over 35 million homes across the U.S., amplifying the show’s mission of teaching media literacy to young audiences. Commissioned by Telus in Canada and produced in partnership with the global advocacy group Global Citizen, the series also received support from the Shaw Rocket Fund. Created and hosted by writer and media advocate Nicole Stamp, Media Stamped equips 9 to 12-year-olds with the tools to analyze media content critically and thoughtfully, empowering them to become informed digital citizens. The series will premiere on HITN in the second quarter of 2025.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

Getty Images has entered into a merger agreement with Shutterstock as the still image market faces increased competition from AI. The combined company, valued at approximately $3.7 billion, will be named Getty Images Holdings and will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Getty Images CEO Craig Peters will serve as CEO of the combined business that promises to offer customers expanded event coverage, and customer‑facing technologies and capabilities like search, 3D imagery and generative AI.    

The Athletic is unionizing its workplace in Canada, filing with media union CWA Canada as part of a cross-border campaign. The union filed with the Canada Industrial Relations Board and Ontario Labour Relations Board this week after a majority of more than 30 staff signed union cards. The workers are based in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, B.C., and Manitoba. About 200 of their colleagues at The Athletic in the U.S. have also applied for certification with CWA Canada sister union, the NewsGuild-CWA. The subscription-based sports journalism department of The New York Times, provides national and local coverage in 47 American and Canadian cities, as well as the UK. By organizing, employees say they “want to make sure The Athletic remains one of the best places to work, both personally and professionally, in all of Canadian media.”

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

The Competition Bureau is taking legal action against Rogers Communications, alleging they are falsely advertising their Infinite wireless phone plans as offering unlimited data. The Bureau claims Rogers’ ads create the false or misleading impression that the plans provide consumers with limitless data, allowing them to use as much data as they want, while in reality the plans have data caps and once reached, the data speed is reduced, or throttled, by over 99%. As a result, the Bureau has filed an application with the Competition Tribunal seeking, among other things, for Rogers to stop the misleading advertising, pay a penalty, and issue restitution to Infinite wireless phone plan customers. Rogers has responded saying “The advertising of our Infinite plans is clear and truthful, and we will fight this litigation. These plans represent the norm in Canada and the Bureau’s decision to single out Rogers after five years is quite concerning.”

Corus Entertainment paid out $1.8M in bonuses to five top executives, including co-CEOs John Gossling and Troy Reeb, as the company made layoffs (amounting to 25% of its staff) and struggled to stave off insolvency proceedings, according to a report from The Globe and Mail. Corus paid cash bonuses of $555,401 and $438,868, respectively, to Gossling and Reeb, while Executive Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Lee received $221,732 and Executive Chair Heather Shaw received $227,916. Corus shares fell 90% over the last fiscal year, closing near 14 cents at the end of August.

CBC News has launched Welcome to Canada, a new exploratory series offering an in-depth look at experiences and perspectives that the public broadcaster says are often under-reported and under-represented in ongoing conversations about immigration. Welcome to Canada stories will bring context and analysis to the results of a new survey of 1,507 newcomers to Canada, conducted by market research firm Pollara Strategic Insights. Rolling out across CBC platforms throughout January, the first segment looks into underemployment among newcomers, with the survey finding that nearly 9 in 10 of respondents faced challenges when trying to get a job in this country, with many not working in their field of expertise. Key findings of the survey, available in full on the Pollara website, include: that eight in 10 (81%) are satisfied with life in Canada; Newcomers surveyed believe immigrants are good for Canada, but 82 per cent believe “Canada has accepted too many immigrants and international students with no planning for adequate housing, infrastructure, or having sufficient job opportunities.”

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

FEATURE: As WABE, the Association for Media and Entertainment Broadcast Professionals, gears up for its 75th anniversary convention this year, Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary, the organization will host a free meet-up on Jan. 27 from 6:30 – 9 p.m. at Canada Brewhouse in Calgary for an informative evening on IT security, hosted by Blue Warden. This event is open to anyone in the media and entertainment technology industry. Check out WABE President Tessa Potter’s January column here.

Samsung Electronics has announced the integration of Eclipsa Audio — a groundbreaking 3D audio technology developed in partnership with Google — into its 2025 TV and soundbar lineup. Eclipsa Audio allows creators to adjust audio data such as the location and intensity of sounds, along with spatial reflections, to create an immersive three-dimensional sound experience. As the first in the industry to adopt Eclipsa Audio, Samsung is integrating the tech across its 2025 TV lineup — from the Crystal UHD series to the flagship Neo QLED 8K models. Starting in 2025, creators will be able to upload videos with Eclipsa Audio tracks to YouTube. Viewers with 2025 Samsung devices will be able to watch YouTube videos with premium spatial audio when available. To ensure consistent audio quality, Samsung and Google are working with the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) to create a certification program for devices using Eclipsa Audio.

Quickplay, the Toronto-headquartered provider of OTT solutions, has launched Quickplay Shorts, a new product that both creates and syndicates vertical short-form content from LIVE and VOD long form video, and a social infinite vertical scroll front-end experience. Quickplay Shorts enables OTT providers, through the use of generative AI, to identify, create and distribute bite-sized, vertical format content derived from traditional format live streams and VOD content. Integrating into existing OTT ecosystems and apps, it’s aimed at empowering streamers to reach and engage younger audiences and unlock new monetization opportunities as platforms like TikTok and YouTube capture an increasing share across audiences. Data provided by Quickplay says Gen Zs are leading the way, spending over three hours daily on short-form platforms, compared to just one hour on traditional streaming and broadcast, combined.

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Corus Entertainment confirms staffing cuts across Global News, Corus Radio

Corus Entertainment has confirmed another round of staff cuts as part of ongoing efforts to streamline its operations. "We can confirm that as part of...

Ian Hanomansing on the launch of CBC News’ ‘Hanomansing Tonight’

CBC News is launching a new primetime program in the midst of an unprecedented news cycle that has sparked a surge in demand for...

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