The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Michelle van Beusekom has been named the new President and CEO of British Columbia public broadcaster, Knowledge Network. van Beusekom has had a more than 25-year career in broadcasting and film production, including stints with the National Film Board (NFB) as Head of English Language Production, Executive Director of the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), and as a senior advisor working behind-the-scenes of the launch of Inuktut language broadcaster, Uvagut TV. She’s also held management roles with Women’s Television Network and CBC. She succeeds Rudy Buttignol in the role, who parted ways with the network at the end of June after 15 years, following an equity audit that found a distinct lack of representation in its commissioned programming. She takes up her new appointment, effective Feb. 6. Read more here.

Peter Hill has been hired by Sony Pictures Entertainment as the new Executive Director of TV Distribution for Canada. Hill leaves Corus Entertainment where he was Director of Programming, Global and Drama for the past two years. Prior to that, he served as Director of Acquisitions & Program Strategy at Bell Media, in addition to roles with CBC and BBC Worldwide. Christina Deguara takes on Hill’s former role at Corus, moving over from her most recent position as Senior Manager, Revenue Management.

Tanuka Roy has joined Super Channel as Chief Revenue Officer. Based in Toronto and reporting to President and CEO Don McDonald, Tanuka will be a member of the company’s executive team, responsible for leading Super Channel’s deployment into new platforms and related revenue streams, including FAST channels, and developing relationships with BDU Affiliates through co-operative marketing campaigns. Tanuka arrives at Super Channel from WildTV, where she consulted on the launch of a new Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) app. Prior to that, she was Associate Director, OTT Digital Products at Bell Media for eight years, as product development lead for Crave and led the launch of the DTC versions of TSN and RDS, as well as leading the digital expansion of several Bell Media brands.  

Paul Riismandel has joined Signal Hill Insights as Chief Insights Officer and Partner as the audience research company expands its podcast measurement practice. Riismandel arrives from SXM Media, the ad sales division of SiriusXM/Pandora, where he led podcast advertising research for the last three years as Senior Director of Insights. Signal Hill says Riismandel’s focus will be on furthering innovation in podcast measurement, combining ad effectiveness, creative analysis, and audience insights. He’ll continue to be based in Portland, heading up Signal Hill’s American operations, which currently account for about 70% of its business. Read more here.

Allya Davidson is the new Executive Producer of CBC’s The Fifth Estate. With the program as Senior Producer since 2021, Davidson first joined The Fifth Estate in 2013 as an Associate Producer. She went on to work as a producer/director with VICE News and contribute to VICE’s nightly HBO news program, “VICE News Tonight.” She then moved on to CTV’s W5 in 2016, where she worked as a senior producer, winning a 2021 Canadian Screen Award for her investigation into the international criminal gangs behind online romance fraud. Davidson takes up her new role Jan. 30. Diana Swain moves from leading The Fifth Estate for two seasons to the role of Managing Editor of Investigative.

Brittany Greenslade has left Global News Winnipeg after 11 years to join CBC Manitoba as a reporter. The BCIT alum has held various roles at Global since 2011, including hosting and producing weekly public affairs program, Focus Manitoba.

Josh Crabb has joined CBC Manitoba as a reporter. Crabb arrives from CTV News in Winnipeg and Brandon where he’d been a reporter for the last 12 years. 

Raji Sohal, the host of weekend mornings on 980 CKNW Vancouver since early 2021, has moved on to another opportunity. Prior to joining CKNW, Sohal was an arts and culture reporter across radio and television with CBC Montreal for 16 years. Market veteran Stirling Faux moves into the 6 a.m. weekend time slot.

Alan Regan has joined CBC Radio Vancouver as an Associate Producer. Regan was previously with 980 CKNW for four years, up until this past June, most recently as the Senior Producer for The Jas Johal Show. Prior to that, he worked as a producer with Newstalk 106-108 Dublin.

Jeremy White has parted ways with Cogeco’s 92.5 The Beat (CKBE-FM) Montreal after nine years where he’s been hosting swing. White, who joined the station at age 17, says it was time for a change. He will continue to voice track evenings on Corus Radio’s Energy 95.3 (CING-FM) Hamilton and host The Jeremy White Podcast.

Jeremy Baker, Charis Hogg and Jason Manning have been released by Pattison Media in Vancouver. The move comes following CKPK-FM’s flip to the NOW! Radio format over the summer and an effort to keep The Peak brand alive on HD Radio and online. Baker and Hogg had been helming the alt-rocker’s morning show since 2021, while Manning had held various on-air roles at the station over the last eight years, in addition to serving as Music Director and APD.

 

ACTRA National has appointed two new directors to its senior management team. Natalie Clancy takes on the role of Director of Public Affairs and Communications, while Linda Noelle Bush moves into the position of Director of the Performers’ Rights Society and the ACTRA Recording Artists’ Collecting Society. Clancy joins ACTRA from Unifor where she served as Director of Communications for the past five years. She previously spent more than 25 years with the CBC as a journalist, anchor and investigative reporter. Noelle Bush most recently served as a Vice President of Artist and Label Relations at Toronto’s Cadence Music Group. Her background spans major label, publishing and film and television experience, including seven years as Music Manager at children’s entertainment provider WildBrain and five years as Creative Manager at Universal Music Publishing. Read more here.

Carlyn Staudt is among the Blue Ant Media execs promoted in an effort to boost commissioning capacity following a year of growth for the company in the FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) space. Staudt moves into an expanded role as General Manager, Love Nature and Head of Commissioning, Global Media. Julie Chang has been promoted to EVP, Business Strategy and Co-productions, Global Media, overseeing commercial deal negotiation and strategic co-production opportunities for the original content slate. Sam Linton moves up to VP, Production and Development, Global Media, serving as the main point of contact for production companies developing and producing content for Blue Ant brands and networks. James Manfull has been promoted to Commissioning Editor, Love Nature, responsible for growing the brand’s pipeline of original series and documentaries. Read more here.

Youth Media Alliance (YMA) has appointed six new members to its board of directors: Julie Derome (Director, Youth and Family Content, Télé-Québec), Agustin Guevara Mastretta (Production Executive, TVO), Drew Mullin (Executive in charge of Production, Children’s Content, CBC), Mike Omelus (Executive Director of Content & Strategy, APTN), and Claude Sauvé (VP, Content and Production, Groupe Média TFO). Athena Georgaklis (Head of Development, Nelvana) will also take on a new role as co-chair. Outgoing board members include Monika Ille (APTN), Nadine Dupont (TFO), Marie McCann (CBC), Marney Malabar (TVO), Nathalie Chamberland (SRC), and Marysol Charbonneau (Télé-Québec).

RADIO & PODCAST:

Corus Radio has rebranded Q107 (CFGQ-FM) Calgary to QR Calgary: Talk on FM. The pending format flip of the Classic Rock station, that had been a staple on the city’s airwaves for nearly two decades, was first announced Dec. 16, the last day Q107 featured on-air announcers, including local talent Tarzan Dan and Cam Sullivan. Simulcast of 770 CHQR began Monday morning. The news/talk station has been a high ratings performer for Corus, tied with CBC Radio One for first place, A12+, in the fall PPM ratings with a 9.7% share, down from 10.3% in the spring book. By comparison, Q107’s ratings had been soft, particularly with women in the key 25-54 demo. John Vos, Regional Program Director, told Broadcast Dialogue that attracting a wider audience was the main motivator behind the decision to simulcast. Vos said core talent will remain the same weekdays and weekends, adding that there are no plans to drop the AM signal. Read more here.

100.1 Moose FM (CKFU-FM) in Fort St. John is celebrating 20 years of broadcasting to B.C.’s Peace Region by relaunching with a refreshed sound. One of the only low-power commercial radio stations in the country, serving the community of just over 20,000, owner and general manager Adam Reaburn brought in the Country station’s first program director, Chris Walker, this past fall following a staffing-up over the pandemic as the independent station weathered COVID-19 much better than its larger market counterparts. Walker said the station’s milestone anniversary presented an opportunity to put “every little detail under the microscope.” Those programming changes start with a tweak to a more current Country Hits playlist. The refresh also includes an earlier start for the station’s morning show team, Dub & Catarina, who will now be heard starting at 5:30 a.m., offering the region’s first available newscast and morning show of the day to appeal to early risers. Read more here.

Canoe FM (CKHA-FM) Haliburton, ON has been recognized by the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce with its Not-for-Profit of the Year Award. Powered by more than 100 volunteers, the community radio station gives a free-of-charge platform to local organizations, charities and other non-profits to get their message out about events and activities. In the last year, station fundraising efforts have also allowed it to support 36 other not-for-profits in the area with donations totalling almost $150,000.

The Sox That Rock Sock Drive, led by Harvard Media’s X92.9 (CFEX-FM) Calgary and X100.7 (CKEX-FM) Red Deer, hit a record 2,115 donations this year in support of Calgary’s Inn From The Cold and The Outreach Centre in Red Deer, a far cry from the event’s humble beginnings of 584 pairs in its first year in 2016. This year, the station partnered with Canadian sock company, Sock Rocket, who agreed to triple donations if over 929 pairs were collected, bringing the total number of socks donated to 6,345 pair. Charlesglen Toyota, students at The Edge School, Southside Dodge and Gasoline Alley Farmers Market also supported this year’s campaign.

BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts have announced the launch of new original true crime podcast, Love, Janessa, premiering Jan. 23 on BBC Sounds, CBC Listen and most podcast apps. Hosted by journalist Hannah Ajala and produced by Antica Productions and Telltale Industries, the eight-part series delves into the murky world of online romance scams to find adult entertainment star Janessa Brazil, the unwitting face of several global catfishing schemes. 

The Gent’s Talk podcast series, an extension of the Toronto-based Gent’s Post men’s lifestyle publication – co-hosted by editor Samir Mourani and contributor Matthew Chapman – is now available on Air Canada’s in-flight entertainment system, in addition to everywhere podcasts are streamed. New episodes drop every Monday featuring guests like comedian Russell Peters, Toronto FC’s Jonathan Osorio, and director Justin Wu. The podcast has obtained sponsorship from BULOVA Canada.

Podcamp Toronto is set to return Feb. 24-26, following a pandemic hiatus, and is currently accepting speaking proposals. Celebrating its 15th year, the free digital media “unconference” will return to its host venue at Toronto Metropolitan University. Learn more here.

LISTEN: On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we welcome Zane Schwartz, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the newly-launched Investigative Journalism Foundation to talk about the not-for-profit’s mission to help Canadian journalists uncover government waste and corruption and facilitate more investigative journalism. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

LISTEN: Randi Chase returns to the Sound Off Podcast. Chase, whose morning show on Real Country 95.5 (CKGY-FM) Red Deer with Vinny Taylor is now simulcast across 15 stations in the Stingray radio group, talks about how Alberta has changed and weathering the pandemic, in addition to discussing her podcast collaboration with Canadian actress and podcaster Sarah Edmondson (A Little Bit Culty). 

SIGN OFFS:

Hélène Tanguay, 70, on Jan. 7. A longtime employee of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and an animation champion, Tanguay first joined the NFB’s Festivals unit in 1970, at the age of 17. In 1979, she began volunteering for ASIFA, the International Animated Film Association, working with the organization’s Canadian and international bodies. In 1984, she was named Marketing Manager for the NFB’s English Program Animation Studio in Montreal. She retired in 2007 after almost 40 years of service bringing the work of NFB creators to a wider audience. Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis’ award-winning 2022 animated short, The Flying Sailor, which was recently shortlisted for an Oscar, is dedicated to Tanguay.

Jack Carpenter, 96, on Jan. 5. Born in Wiltshire, England, Carpenter became involved at a young age with acts heard on BBC radio during wartime Britain in the 1940s. It was through performing that he met his wife Joyce and the two started performing, while he also worked as a draftsman for an airplane company. The couple moved to Acton, ON in 1956 when Carpenter was assigned to work on the AVRO Arrow project in Malton. Following its cancellation, he found work at CJOY-AM Guelph, and then as a film reporter for CKCO-TV, going on to host his own Sunday night variety show on CFCA-FM, called “Music Hall” for more than 25 years. An avid “community booster,” over the years Carpenter staged many events including the “Lighten Up, Canada – Wear a Red Nose” initiative in the early ‘90s, aimed at getting Canadians through the dreary month of February. He also spearheaded the launch of local Rotary Club event, the Acton Trunk Sale, which continues as an annual tradition. He was recognized as Citizen of the Year in 1995.

Irv Shore, 94, on Jan. 5. Born and raised in Medicine Hat, AB, Shore attended the Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto following high school. He returned to Medicine Hat in 1949 and began his radio career at CHAT as a staff announcer. In 1953, he moved to Edmonton spending the next 20 years at CFRN as the host of popular morning show “Shore’s Early.” He went on to join CHQT-AM in 1973 as the host of the mid-morning show for 17 years. Over the course of his career, Shore interviewed many celebrities with his personal highlights including Jack Benny, Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Liberace, Chuck Connors and Lou Ferrigno. Following his broadcast career, he moved into sales and promotional advertising.

Lisa Akizuki, 57, on Jan. 1, following a battle with cancer. Akizuki joined Bohn & Associates as a consultant in the early 1990s, going on to become Program Director at easy listening station, 96.5 SUN FM (CIEZ-FM) in Bedford, NS, one of Bohn & Associates’ clients. In 1997, she moved to Winnipeg to take up the role of VP of Programming at Craig Broadcasting Hot AC station, Hot 103 (CKMM-FM). She left the industry in 2001 and had been living in Vancouver for the last two decades as the owner of a successful dog walking business.

Todd Brian, 59, on Dec. 28, after a brief battle with ALS. Following time in the Film Studies program at Ryerson and Centennial College’s Independent Producer’s Program, Brian started his career with Barna-Alper Productions as a Business Affairs Assistant and Development Coordinator. He went on to do a residency with the Canadian Film Centre in the Prime Time Television Writing Program. That led to writing stints with Breakthrough Animation, Corus Entertainment, Entertainment One, DHX Media, and CBC Television. His credits included 2004 series “Show Me Yours” and “Majority Rules!” (2009-10). He moved into the role of Production Executive at Corus Kids in 2016, where he oversaw 2016 YA series “Ride” and 2017 “Bruno & Boots” TV movies “The Wizzle War” and “This Can’t Be Happening at McDonald Hall,” in addition to “Anne of Green Fables: Fire and Dew.” He went on to join marblemedia as a Development Executive, followed by Alibi Entertainment. Since 2019, he’d served as Director of Development, Animation for DHX/WildBrain.

Sean Vedell, 60, unexpectedly on Dec. 28. After graduating from Mohawk College in 1984, Vedell joined 820 CHAM Hamilton as an on-air announcer, in addition to time at CKOC. In 2000, he moved on to a new career in IT with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board where he held various roles, including Project Coordinator, for nearly 23 years. His death came just weeks after losing his daughter to cancer.

 

 

 

TV & FILM:

Global News six-part finance special, Out of Pocket, will air during local newscasts across the country from Jan. 10 to Feb. 16. With inflation hitting levels not seen in four decades, the series examines the impact that’s having on Canadians – from small business owners to those on fixed incomes – and how the price of goods, particularly food, can be much different depending on where you live. The special explores the steps individual Canadians are taking to get by financially.

Ryan Singh Productions is about to start production on a documentary on former Member of Parliament Rathika Sitsabaiesan. “Ray Of Hope” will bring her story to the screen in a raw and candid look at the trauma endured by many Tamil families who fled the armed conflict in Sri Lanka on their journey to call Canada home. Singh (Memento: A South African Artventure; H.E.N.R.I.) will direct with Patricia Scarlett (Rasta: A Soul’s Journey) executive producing and Nikila Cole (Wanderings; My Father, Joe) serving as a co-director and production consultant. The doc is set to be released in 2023 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of “Black July,” the 1983 pograms that culminated in the 2009 Tamil Genocide. Sitsabaiesan was the first Tamil elected as an MP and the first woman of a visible minority to represent Scarborough-Rouge River.

Blue Ant International has announced a distribution and co-production financing deal with Film.UA, Ukraine’s top production studio; Tilt Media in Australia; and GTV Docs in London for six-part documentary series, CITIZENS AT WAR: A Year in Ukraine. The series features exclusive and personal interviews with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena and details the trauma and triumphs of the war-torn Ukrainian nation and its people. Set to launch in February on the first anniversary of the invasion, the Australian, Ukrainian and British co-production is executive produced by Chris Hilton, Tilman Remme, Victor Mirsky and Kateryna Vyshnevska. Commissioned by ZDF and with pre-sales in negotiation with additional European networks, the six, one-hour episodes include: The First Ten Days, Zelensky, Women at War, The Volunteer Army, The Siege of Mariupol and The Russians.

Blue Ant International has announced a major presale deal with BBC America for two Love Nature original documentary productions, Chasing the Rains and Africa’s Wild Year. Chasing the Rains (4 x 60’; 4K & HDR; Maramedia) takes audiences on a journey into one of the most majestic, unspoiled and rarely-filmed areas of wilderness in Africa, narrated by Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton, Invictus). BBC America previously picked up Africa’s Wild Year (4 x 60’; 4K; Merx International), a  journey set over the course of a single year to 10 different countries on the continent. 

Toho International, the American subsidiary of Japanese studio Toho Co., has acquired a 50% stake in three animated productions owned by Frederator Network, a subsidiary of Canadian animation studio, Wow! Unlimited Media. The multi-million dollar investment gives Toho a stake in Netflix series Bee and PuppyCat; Bravest Warriors, which aired on Teletoon and Disney XD in Canada; and Catbug, a spin off of Bravest Warriors still in development. 

 

YouTube Originals has released the official trailer for new kids & family series, Jam Van, from Vancouver animation studio Global Mechanic, its Creative Director Bruce Alcock, Believe Entertainment Group (Dear Basketball) and composer/producer Bill Sherman (Hamilton, In the Heights, Sesame Street). The road-tripping, original music series for preschool kids and families consists of eight 11-minute episodes. It debuts Jan. 19 with new episodes rolling out Thursdays on the YouTube Originals for Kids & Family channel and the YouTube Kids app. The series is a blend of animation and live-action with each episode following animated best friends Lamb (voiced by Pete Lee) and Anne the Alligator (voiced by Nicole Byer) who travel to new locations around the country, where they meet up with famous live-action musical artists like Boyz II Men, Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow, Daveed Diggs, Fitz and The Tantrums, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Old Crow Medicine Show and Trombone Shorty. The series also features the voice of Marc Maron.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

Gonez Media (GMI), the digital media startup helmed by former CTV and CP24 journalist Brandon Gonez, has announced its acquisition of Toronto’s NOW Magazine. Starting Jan. 17, the publication will relaunch as NOW in a digital-only format at nowtoronto.com. Gonez left Bell Media to launch his own news and entertainment show on YouTube in early 2021 with the NOW launch timed two years to the day of the debut of the weekly The Brandon Gonez Show on YouTube, which has since been joined by News You Can Use (NYCU) segments which drop throughout the week. NOW Magazine’s future has been uncertain since last March when parent company Media Central Corp., the owner of both NOW and Vancouver alt-weekly The Georgia Straight, filed for bankruptcy. With a legacy of covering news and culture in Toronto since 1981, Gonez is promising to bring a revitalized vision to the outlet with a renewed digital-first focus on arts, music and entertainment. Read more here.

Bell and Snap Inc. have joined forces, bringing together 5G and AR technology, to create an immersive experience for Toronto Raptors fans. Introducing the first-ever 5G multi-user AR basketball experience on Snapchat, fans in Scotiabank Arena with a 5G device will be able to join a shared AR experience where they can team up and compete against each other, shooting hoops in real time simultaneously. Bell says the Bell 5G Shot Clock Challenge leverages the speed, latency and bandwidth capabilities of 5G enabling several thousand players to connect at once. The Bell 5G Toronto Raptors AR Lens will be available for a limited time during upcoming Raptors games (Jan. 21, Feb. 10, March 18).

The Digital Publishing Awards (DPAs) are now accepting submissions for their 8th annual honours recognizing Canadian digital publishers. Check out the full category lineup here. Digital publishers, including those that support established brands in consumer & B2B magazines, newspapers, broadcast and other journalism, as well as those that serve their audiences exclusively as digital brands—are eligible to participate. The final submission deadline is Jan. 27 at midnight ET.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

The Competition Bureau says legal errors were made in a ruling to allow the Rogers-Shaw merger. The Bureau will argue at a Jan. 24 appeal hearing that the Competition Tribunal erred when it determined there would be no lessening of competition if Rogers is allowed to purchase Shaw. In an amended appeal filed Friday, the competition commissioner said the tribunal incorrectly combined the analysis of both the Rogers-Shaw merger with the remedy sale of Shaw’s Freedom assets to Videotron, rather than first evaluating the competition questions for the former and then the latter. The commissioner said this two-step approach is required by the Competition Act and confirmed by precedent.

Teksavvy, Canada’s largest independent wholesale-based internet service provider, is urging federal Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne to block the transfer of Shaw’s wireless spectrum assets to Videotron over concerns that the latter will receive favourable wholesale rates compared to competitors. The Competition Tribunal, earlier this month, provided reasons for denying an application to block Rogers from purchasing Shaw, saying Videotron – the regional carrier lined up to buy Shaw’s Freedom Mobile as a condition of the deal’s approval – would be a strong competitor in the market and would take market share from the major players in western Canada. The tribunal noted Rogers’ “sweeteners” in the Videotron deal, including providing the prospective western Canadian upstart with access to Rogers’ broadband network at below market rates. TekSavvy has said federal approval for the merger must be contingent upon first enacting the CRTC’s 2019 decision to lower its regulated rates. 

Bell has announced an additional $10 million dollar commitment to Bell Let’s Talk, as it makes a fundamental shift for this year’s campaign. The additional commitment will replace the donation of 5 cents per interaction Bell made in previous years as part of the annual initiative – more than Bell has ever committed towards its goal of $155 million for Canadian mental health programs. Bell says the move shifts the emphasis of the day on practical actions one can take throughout the year to create change. In addition, Bell Let’s Talk Day will put a spotlight on mental health organizations across the country providing supports and services for Canadians that Bell Let’s Talk is supporting.

Bill Custers, Senior Manager, Broadcast & Strategy at Hamilton’s Cable 14, is among the latest round of Order of Hamilton recipients. Custer was recognized for the access station’s efforts to provide valuable information to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Order of Hamilton was established in 2019 by former mayor Fred Eisenberger as a way to recognize community volunteers.

 

 

The 2022 Michener Award is now open for submissions until Feb. 17. Presented annually to news organizations, rather than individuals, entries are judged for their professionalism, impact on the public, and degree of arms-length public benefit generated. Winners for both the 2021 and 2022 Michener Award cycles will be announced at the Michener Awards Ceremony on June 14 at Rideau Hall. Learn more about the 2021 finalists here. Submissions for the Michener Fellowships are also open, one in support of investigative reporting and one dedicated to the enrichment of journalism education. Each fellowship is worth $40,000 and up to $5,000 in expenses. Meet past Fellowship recipients and learn more about their projects here. Fellowship winners will be announced in spring 2023.

The 2023 Jack Webster Foundation Professional Development Fellowships are now open to applications. Fellowships will be awarded to members of the media or journalism educators wishing to further their journalistic knowledge and skills. Applicants can choose a course to enhance their leadership, reporting or editing skills here in Canada or choose a course offered by the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in Florida. The deadline to apply is Feb. 26.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING: 

COLUMN: What is WABE (Western Association of Broadcast Engineers) to the organization’s new president, Tessa Potter? “Many of us in Canada work alone and are part of small teams, with little access to the industry outside of our daily tasks list of repairs, installs, and maintenance,” writes Potter in her New Year’s message. “WABE to me has always been a gathering space for technical folks working in media to share what is in their toolbox, explore new ideas, and have an open forum to talk about our industry. I think that real experiences and in-person connections are what help us continue to find fulfillment in our work.” Read more here.

Nextologies has acquired The Video Call Center (VCC), which the Markham-headquartered company says will help it expand its remote production division. The new division will retain the VCC brand and continue serving the New York company’s existing client portfolio. In 2020, faced with their partners’ urgent remote production needs, Nextologies developed NexToMeet, their browser- and mobile app-based remote production solution, an instant web/mobile to SDI video network that allowed them to execute numerous events, including UFC, XFL, WWE, NBA SpaceX, Top Rank Boxing and American Idol. With the VCC acquisition, Nextologies says it brings on an experienced remote interview team as it expands into the remote workflow and production area. As part of the transaction, which was finalized Dec. 23, Nextologies is licensing the global patent portfolio amassed by VCC and held by its affiliate Video River Group LLC.

Octave Communications has been appointed as a Canadian representative for Sacramento-headquartered Jampro Antennas. The Quebec-based engineering consulting firm will also represent Alan Dick, the oldest antenna company in the UK, beginning as part of BBC and EMI and now a leader in manufacturing antennas, combiners, filters, towers, and broadcast infrastructure services for digital and analogue video and audio systems.

NAB Show will host a new conference, presented by TVNewsCheck, entitled “Programming Everywhere: The Content Event for Linear, Streaming and Syndication” on April 15 at NAB Show in Las Vegas. The day-long event will bring together TV station group senior executives, programming, news and marketing leaders, syndicated programming executives, and technology and streaming media leaders to tackle issues like the changing economics of syndicated programming, the relationship between FAST channels and the evolution of broadcasting, transforming television news and strategies for building a programming everywhere business. Participants will also consider their No. 1 challenge: creating more content for a multimedia audience, and how technologies like artificial intelligence, the cloud and IP production platforms can free up creative talent while streamlining costs. More info and a full agenda are available here.