REVOLVING DOOR:

Thank you for everyone’s well wishes on our “divorce”.

As our dad used to say: the best is yet to come. I’m grateful to return to my mom’s mandate to serving the community’s needs through the launch of the Loretta Rogers foundation. Huzzah!

— Martha Rogers (@MarthaLRogers) January 17, 2024

Melinda Rogers-Hixon and Martha Rogers have made the decision to retire from the Rogers Board of Directors as part of a private settlement between members of the Rogers family. Rogers-Hixon joined the Rogers board in 2002 and was named Deputy Chair in 2018. She previously spent 15 years in management at Rogers Communications in roles including Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development and founder of Rogers Venture Partners in 2011. Martha Rogers joined the board in 2008 and has served as Chair of the ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) committee since 2021. 

Dany Meloul is CBC/Radio-Canada’s new Executive Vice-President of French Services. Meloul has been serving in the position in an acting capacity since Oct. 2023 when Michel Bissonnette abruptly departed the public broadcaster. Previously, she had served as General Manager, Television since Oct. 2019. Prior to joining the public broadcaster, she held the positions of Vice-President, Programming, for French-language television and Deputy Chief Legal Officer at Bell Media; and Vice-President, Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Affiliate Relations, for Astral TV channels. Read more here.

Mike Miner, Executive in Charge of Production, CBC Docs, is among those impacted by job cuts underway at the public broadcaster. Miner had been with CBC since 2011 when he joined the corporation to help launch CBC Music. Prior to CBC, he was a senior producer at TVO.

Anthony Germain has announced his upcoming departure from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador afternoon current affairs show, On The Go, in March. Germain has been with the public broadcaster for 32 years, starting his career with CBC in Halifax in 1991. He moved on to report in Moncton, Saint John and Quebec City, and for the local morning show in Ottawa, where he also hosted The House. Germain joined CBC NL in 2011, initially as the host of the St. John’s morning show, following five years as CBC’s foreign correspondent in China.

Omayra Issa is joining the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) as an anchor at the end of the month. A senior reporter with CBC News, Issa has been working with the public broadcaster since 2014, including co-creating and producing award-winning multi-platform series Black on the Prairies. Born in Morocco and raised in Niger and Saskatchewan, she started her career with Radio-Canada in Saskatchewan, anchoring Téléjournal Saskatchewan and filing across television, radio and digital in both French and English. Read more here.

Brishti Basu says her one-year contract with CBC News has been cut short by budget cuts after just five months. Basu signed on as a senior writer with CBCNews.ca in August. She previously reported for Overstory Media Group’s Capital Daily in Victoria and briefly served as deputy editor at New Canadian Media.

Lauren McNabb has moved into the role of Executive Producer at 680 CJOB Winnipeg, meaning she’ll be departing The Start with Mackling, Megarry & McNabb. Brett Megarry and Greg Mackling will continue co-hosting the morning show. McNabb, a former Global National Middle East correspondent, has been with CJOB since 2018. 

This morning @MarilynDenisCTV, @JamarJNiice and @caitiegreen welcomed our newest host, @josiedye, to the CHUM 104.5 family! 💖 We are so excited to listen to Josie weekdays from 3pm to 6pm starting Monday. ✨ pic.twitter.com/MWH8N8b6PJ

— CHUM 104.5 (@Chum1045) January 12, 2024

Josie Dye has joined the lineup on Toronto’s CHUM 104.5. The Josie Dye Show is airing weekdays from 3 – 6 p.m. Dye, most recently, had been heard in mornings on Indie88 (CIND-FM) Toronto for the last seven years. She’s best known to GTA listeners for her 14-year run as an announcer on 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM). Read more here.

Did you hear!? 🥰 @meredithshaw has a brand new show on CHFI 📻 ‘The Feel Good Brunch’🍳🎶 Join her every Sunday 9a – noon, you’ll catch up, talk about the week, and hear some fantastic music 🕺💃 How about it… ready to grab brunch this week? 💙😊 #FeelGoodBrunch pic.twitter.com/Z8qniuvvwY

— 98.1 CHFI (@981CHFI) January 15, 2024

Meredith Shaw is coming back to radio as the host of The Feel Good Brunch, a new Sunday morning show set to air across Rogers Sports & Media’s Adult Contemporary stations. The new show will air Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon on 98.1 CHFI Toronto, STAR 95.9 (CHFM-FM) Calgary, CHYM 96.7 Kitchener, Ocean 98.5 (CIOC-FM) Victoria, STAR 98.3 (CKSR-FM) Chilliwack, KiSS 107.7 (CFRV-FM) Lethbridge, Mountain FM 107.1/102.1 Squamish & Whistler (CISQ-FM), Easy 101.3 (CKOT-FM) Tillsonburg, and 106.5 Mountain FM (CHMN-FM) Canmore & Banff. Shaw takes on the new show in addition to her co-hosting duties on Citytv’s Breakfast Television. Read more here.

The Ted Bird Morning Show has now infiltrated Ottawa via @lite985 in addition to Hudson and the West Island on @lite1067fm. My plan for world domination continues unfolding apace. 😎 pic.twitter.com/E8eITe5cte

— Ted Bird (@manofbird) January 15, 2024

Ted Bird, morning show host at Lite 106.7 (CHSV-FM) Montreal, and the co-host of Standing By: The Terry and Ted Podcast with Terry DiMonte, has added morning duties at Ottawa’s Lite 98.5 (CJWL-FM) to his remit. Former Lite Ottawa morning host Codi Jeffreys moves to middays across Evanov Communications’ Hot Country network in Clarence/Rockland, Brantford, Hawkesbury, and the GTA.

Taylor Tsakoniatis is joining Mark LeBel on the morning show on London’s 103.1 Fresh Radio (CFHK-FM). The Morning Rush with Mark and Taylor will air weekday mornings from 6 to 10 a.m. LeBel has been waking Londoners up on Fresh Radio since 2017, while Tsakoniatis is a former producer for The Morning Show with Devon Peacock on AM 980 CFPL, and also works with the London Knights Hockey Club as a host on the Ontario Hockey League team’s Knights TV. 

Hank Idsinga is joining 640 Toronto (CFIQ-AM) and Global News as a regular commentator. The retired Toronto Police Services (TPS) homicide investigator will discuss items in the news related to crime, policing, community safety and policy review. Idsinga, who retired at the end of 2023 after 34 years with TPS, has investigated some of the city’s most prolific homicide suspects including “The Village” serial killer Bruce McArthur.

David McTeague has joined CINA Radio Group as Brand Manager and FLOW 98.7 (CKFG-FM) Toronto as an Account Executive. McTeague was most recently Promotions Manager and Sponsorship Development Lead at JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM), and has worked at FACTOR, and held Marketing & Promotions roles at the former G98.7FM, FLOW 93.5 (CFXJ-FM), Newstalk 1010 (CJRB-FM), and Blackburn Radio.

Michel Jodouin has joined Cogeco Media’s sales team as Director of Local Sales in Montreal. Jodouin arrives from Bell Media where he most recently held the position of Deputy Director of Local Sales for Montreal, Montérégie and Estrie. He’s also held sales positions with Astral Radio and CKOI-FM Verdun, Que. 

Pat Gonsalves has joined REV TV, Canada’s motorsports network, as an account rep. Gonsalves, who is in the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame for his motorsports announcing work on TV and at various speedways, retired from Corus Entertainment in 2021 where he’d been a Toronto-based radio sales rep since 1984.

Big Ginger, aka Kieran Wilkie, is expanding his on-air footprint with Pattison Media. In addition to Beach Radio 103.1 (CKQQ-FM) Kelowna, he’ll be heard weekdays from 2 – 6 p.m. on the Beach Radio stations in Prince Albert, Melfort, and North Battleford, SK.

Jennifer McGuire has moved into the role of Managing Director at Pink Triangle Press (PTP). The former CBC News General Manager and Editor-in-Chief, has been with the publisher since Jan. 2022, initially in the role of Chief Content officer.

Habiba Nosheen has been appointed to the role of the Newsday/Laventhol Visiting Assistant Professor of Journalism at Columbia Journalism School. The former co-host of CBC’s The Fifth Estate, and a 60 Minutes and PBS Frontline contributor, Nosheen is a three-time Emmy winner and Peabody Award recipient. Most recently, she was the host and creator of eight-part investigative podcast, Conviction: The Disappearance of Nuseiba Hasan for Spotify and Gimlet Media. 

Esfandiar Baraheni, the lead NBA reporter for the SDPN podcast network, has been laid off. Baraheni, who is also a freelance sideline reporter for the Canadian Elite Basketball League, Forbes, and Raptors Republic, had been with SDPN since November.

Bob Kronbauer has announced he’s stepping away from Vancouver Is Awesome after 16 years as publisher and editor-in-chief to work as an independent creator. Kronbauer leaves VIA in the hands of Glacier Media Group, which he sold to in 2017. Managing Editor Lindsay William-Ross will head up editorial. Kronbauer will continue to produce content on TikTok and Instagram, launching a new Patreon community with which he’ll be sharing exclusive content.

Heidi Tao Yang has been named Hot Docs new Managing Director. Yang has been with Hot Docs since 2015, initially as Industry Funds Manager. Most recently, she’d served as Director of Funds & Labs, overseeing the disbursement of over $4M in funding to filmmakers. Over the past 18 months, she has executive produced 15 short films, including seven for the second series of Citizen Minutes—a Hot Docs-produced collection of short Canadian social impact docs, now streaming on Crave and CBC Gem. Yang also designed and developed the inaugural Hot Docs Incubator, a Netflix-supported program tailored for documentary filmmakers showcasing creative and market potential. 

Marine Ksadzhikyan has been appointed to the newly-created role of VP, Content Sales, at Blue Ant Studios as it expands its global rights team. The appointment coincides with Blue Ant Studios’ upward trajectory of sales in the U.S. Based in Los Angeles, Marine reports to Bryan Gabourie, SVP International Sales and Partnerships, where she will be focused on identifying further growth opportunities across all platforms in the U.S. Her previous roles include EVP, Sales at Rive Gauche Television and Director of International Sales at GRB Entertainment. She was also an International Sales Consultant for Rocket Rights, out of the UK.

Jennifer Frees has been named to the new role of Chief Business & Marketing Officer at TIFF, overseeing Brand & Media, Development, Loyalty & Engagement, and Corporate Partnerships. Frees was most recently working with the Toronto Board of Trade in business development, but previously worked with TIFF for a decade, ending her tenure as VP of Partnerships. Judy Lung, currently TIFF’s Vice President, Public Relations & Communications, has been promoted to the newly-created role of Vice President, Strategy, Communications & Stakeholder Relations. 

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has added three media leaders to its Board of Directors: Lisa Kramer, President, International TV Licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution; Bing Chen, Executive Chairman, Founder AU Holdings, CEO & Co-Founder, Gold House and General Partner, Co-Founder Aum Group; and Patrick Vien, Group Managing Director, International, A+E Networks. Long-standing member Sandra Dewey, former WarnerMedia President of Business Operations and Productions for HBO Max, TNT, TBS and truTV, is retiring from her position on the board.

RADIO & PODCAST:

Harvard Media has expanded its play brand to more markets, rebranding kraze 101.3 (CKIK-FM) Red Deer and Mix 103.7 (CFVR-FM) Fort McMurray under the format, which blends throwback pop with current hits. It first introduced the brand to Edmonton in 2019 and expanded it to Regina in 2020. The format changes come with a revamped lineup that sees play92 (CHMX-FM) Regina morning show team Mark and Jess extend their footprint to the new play101 Red Deer. Mark and Jess are also heard in afternoon drive on play107 Edmonton. Jake Ryan handles middays across the play network, while Edmonton morning show duo Ryder and Lisa, are now also heard in afternoons on play in Red Deer and Regina. Kierstyn Pare moves into evenings across the brand. Handling mornings on play103 Fort McMurray are Steph & John (Steph Seidel formerly hosted mornings on Mix 103 and serves as APD) with Mike Booth (formerly heard in mornings on Kraze Red Deer) in afternoon drive. Meanwhile, X100.7 (CKEX-FM), Red Deer’s Alternative, also sees some lineup changes. Read more here.

Luminate has released its year-end metrics for 2023, reflecting audio listening growth in Canada and the U.S. over the past year. Total on-demand song streams were up 33.7% globally, with on-demand song streaming in Canada up 18.3% from 2022 to 145.1 billion and on-demand audio streaming up 15.3% to 130.2 billion. Total album consumption in Canada was up 15% year-over-year, while total album sales – both physical and digital – dropped 1.9%. Canadian artists increased their share of total album consumption by 9.1% with total consumption of the Canadian album catalogue also up by 17.4%. Ranked by overall streaming volume, Canada comes in ninth globally with total streams of 145.3 billion. Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” secured the most on-demand audio streams in Canada in 2023. Read more here.

OnAir Coach’s RadioStar ‘23 has come to a conclusion naming Grace Nicoll, the host of weekends on Heart Scotland, as the winner of the 6th edition of the global talent search. Sarah Nick, co-host of the morning show on Kelowna’s 104.7 The Lizard (CKLZ-FM) placed third in the competition, which sees talent develop their skills through a tailored series of challenges, voted on by a jury of radio professionals from around the world. Watch the final here.

Radiodays North America has unveiled CRTC Chairperson Vicky Eatrides as one of its keynote speakers at the second annual radio, podcast and audio conference, set for June 2-4 in Toronto, as part of Canadian Music Week. Eatrides, who is one year into a five-year term, has so far dealt with a number of critical issues facing the broadcast industry including Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, Bill C-18, the Online News Act, and ongoing discussions with the radio industry over the Commercial Radio Policy Review released in 2022. 

The National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) and Farm Radio International (FRI) are hosting a World Radio Day event in Ottawa on Feb. 13 to celebrate the importance of radio. The theme for this year’s World Radio Day is A Century Informing, Entertaining and Educating. NCRA/ANREC and FRI are also partnering with Carleton University campus and community station CKCU-FM to host a live broadcast, featuring broadcasters past and present. More details will be forthcoming.

The Community Radio Fund of Canada (CRFC) has opened its grant period with a new round of Radiometer officially open to all community and campus radio stations for content creation, skills development and digital initiatives. Stations that hold a valid campus or community broadcasting licence are eligible for funding of up to $35,000. The deadline to apply is Feb. 20.

The Stu Jeffries $1000 Make-A-Wish Minute on Stingray’s boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM) Toronto raised over $585,000. The average cost to grant a wish for a Make-A-Wish Canada kid is about $10,000. boom was able to grant 56 wishes in 2023. Now in its 9th year, the event has raised over $2.5 million dollars, $1.5 million of that in the last three years.

CBC says $9,024,359 has been raised for local food banks as a result of the public broadcaster’s Dec. 2023 fundraising drives in communities across the country, an increase of 12% from 2022. Twenty-six CBC holiday campaigns across Canada encouraged donations under the banner of Make the Season Kind, featuring special events and programming, including: a holiday market in Montreal; a turkey drive in Happy Valley-Goose Bay; Sounds of the Season across Ontario with the flagship public event at the CBC Toronto Broadcast Centre; and special programming days from Edmonton to Iqaluit, Regina and Moncton. Since 2015, CBC’s local fundraising drives have collectively raised more than $51 million for food banks and other charities.

JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) has launched a new province wide 50/50 draw. As a listener- supported radio station, funds raised will go towards supporting JAZZ.FM91 and Canadian jazz artists through on-air and live performance opportunities, as well as the station’s education and outreach programs to engage youth communities with music. Tickets are available now through Feb. 14 at jazz.fm/fiftyfifty.  

Pro Bono Group has released a new PSA for the Feed Ontario cause, titled “Zoe,” voiced  by JUNO Award-winning jazz artist Molly Johnson. Offered free to Canadian radio stations, the new PSA aims to help increase donations to the more than 1,200 food banks under the Feed Ontario umbrella, which have seen an increase in demand of 36% in the last two years. Find the new spot below and learn more about the Pro Bono Group here.

SIGN OFFS:

John Short, 86, on Jan. 11. A member of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Chester Bell Memorial Award for excellence in sportswriting, and the Fred Sgambati award for university sports coverage, Short was a host on Edmonton’s CFRN 1260 for a decade, a sports columnist for the Edmonton Journal for 21 years and did a stint serving as the Edmonton Oilers public relations director. Following his broadcasting career, he joined Alberta Sport Connection as Chair of the program that assisted athletes and not-for-profit sport and recreation organizations in obtaining financial support.

Terry McPhee, 68, on Dec. 29. An alum of CJIC Radio & TV and CKCY-AM in Sault Ste. Marie, McPhee began his career with CJIC-TV in production while still in high school in the mid-1970s, and later moved over to radio, working as an evening and weekend host. McPhee was familiar to local viewers as one of the hosts of the annual “Easter Seals Superthon” for two decades, which raised thousands for the region’s rotary club to fund services for youth with disabilities. Following his broadcast career, he went on to hold roles as the local General Manager for Coca Cola, Marketing Manager for the Ontario Lottery Corporation, and later GM of the Sault Ste. Marie Casino. 

TV & FILM:

The Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA) annual Prime Time summit, slated to take place Jan. 31 – Feb. 2 in Ottawa, will explore Canada’s place in the global content industry and government oversight in the face of huge technological change, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), among other topics. Andrew Addison, Vice President, Communications, Marketing & Membership, with the CMPA, says this year’s gathering of content industry professionals will be the biggest to date, with the most vast lineup of concurrent sessions the event has ever staged. Read our feature story here.

The CMPA (Canadian Media Producers Association), APFC (Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada), and AQPM (Association québécoise de la production médiatique) have joined a group of global media production organizations calling on local governments to regulate streaming platforms and safeguard national media production sectors. Representing thousands of companies that work in the global screen sector with signatories from across the European Union, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand, the group is emphasizing, among other protections, the importance of independent screen businesses owning or retaining intellectual property (IP) rights to their work. The call comes as the CRTC continues consultations on implementing Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. Read more here.

Amazon MGM Studios has signed a landmark contract with Pinewood Toronto Studios for exclusive use of new production facilities in Downtown Toronto for future productions. The deal is the first multi-year commitment by Amazon MGM Studios to Canadian studio space and includes exclusive use of five new state-of-the-art sound stages, accompanying workshops and office accommodation, totalling 160,000 sq. ft. Amazon MGM says the long-term commitment to studio space in Toronto aligns with its strategy to expand its production footprint in Canada. Amazon MGM Studios, as well as MGM Television and MGM+ Studios have produced and commissioned more than 40 series and films shot in Canada, including The Boys, Gen V, Reacher, and The Handmaid’s Tale in Ontario; Fargo and Billy The Kid in Alberta; The Man in the High Castle and Upload in British Columbia; Tales from the Loop in Manitoba; as well as parts of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and The Voyeurs in Quebec.  

Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released three new reports surrounding discoverability of TV shows, movies, music and podcasts. Recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues remain the most popular way of discovering new content for both teens and adults. MTM found Francophones more likely to rely on TV and radio ads than anglophones to discover TV shows (47% vs 32%). Nearly half of music listeners (49%) say that they find new music via AM/FM radio. When it comes to promotional campaigns or marketing, teens are more likely to mention social media than advertising. A third of teens (32%) say they find out about new content via social media. 

Sportsnet presents the 24th annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada this Saturday, live from Victoria. Ron MacLean hosts from Ship Point at Victoria Harbour, along with Sportsnet’s Ken Reid, Evanka Osmak, David Amber, Elliotte Friedman, Kevin Bieksa, Jennifer Botterill, and Kelly Hrudey. Randip Janda and Taqdeer Thindal host Hockey Night in Canada in Punjabi live from Victoria. Special guests include Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Lanny McDonald, and Darcy Tucker, as well as NHL alum Wendel Clark, Vancouver Canucks alumni Nathan LaFayette and Kirk McLean, and current Victoria Royals coach James Patrick. The 12.5-hour marathon broadcast features all seven Canadian NHL teams in action throughout the day.

Hockey Night in Canada in Cree is returning to APTN with an all-new schedule, starting Jan. 27 with Toronto Maple Leafs at Winnipeg Jets, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT; Feb. 24: Calgary Flames at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT; March 30: Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT; April 13: Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. Clarence Iron has the call in Plains Cree, with a team of analysts that includes Earl Wood, John Chabot and Jason Chamakese. 

Nelvana and Toikido, a London based entertainment company specializing in digital design and toys, have announced the greenlight of Piñata Smashlings, a new 2D animated children’s series (26×11). The series is available for international sale and already confirmed to air on YTV in Canada. The comedic adventure, tailored for kids aged six to nine, complements the previously unveiled Piñata Smashlings shorts, currently streaming on Nelvana’s Keep It Weird YouTube channel. Inspired by the popular Roblox game, the series will showcase characters from the game, each possessing unique personalities.

HGTV Canada and McGillivray Entertainment Media have announced the Season 2 greenlight of Renovation Resort. Following the success of Season 1 as the #1 Canadian original series on Specialty in Spring 2023, according to data supplied by Corus Entertainment, the new season will feature four renovation and design duos competing to create the ultimate vacation rental. HGTV Canada’s Scott McGillivray and Bryan Baeumler return as co-hosts and judges in the eight-episode season distributed by Corus Studios, deciding which team takes home the title of Renovation Resort Champion and a prize of $100,000. Casting is currently underway.

ALIBI Music has signed a new sync agent for Canada. Cadence Music Group is now exclusively representing and licensing ALIBI’s music and sound effects for use by Canada-based businesses and productions.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Rogers leads complaints for the first time in the 15-year history of the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) in its 2022-23 Annual Report. Rogers accounted for about 20% of the 14,617 complaints the CCTS accepted, highlighted by disclosure issues, billing errors and complaints about refunds and credits not being applied. Bell and TELUS follow Rogers on the list of most complained-about service providers. Overall, CCTS says customers are experiencing significant service performance problems, with outage complaints on the rise. Notably, complaints from customers experiencing a complete loss of service increased with 93% more issues reported by wireless customers and 48% more issues from internet customers. Complaints about roaming charges also doubled for the second consecutive year.

Black Press has announced it’s reorganizing under a creditors agreement with the intention to seek court approval to launch a sale and investment solicitation process for its business and assets. The company says the transaction will address its obligations to its creditors and inject capital to enable Black Press to continue serving readers, advertisers and other stakeholders. David Black, president and majority owner of Black Press, has also announced his retirement. Black founded the company in 1975 when he purchased The Williams Lake Tribune, growing the business to 170 newspapers and 14 regional websites, serving communities across British Columbia, Alberta, Canada’s North, Washington State, Alaska and Hawaii. 

Corus Entertainment has announced its first quarter financial results. Consolidated revenue was down 14% for the quarter, while consolidated segment profit decreased 8%. Net income attributable to shareholders was $32.7 million ($0.16 per share basic) for the quarter, with free cash flow of $23.7 million. President & CEO Doug Murphy says television advertising revenue was in-line with the company’s first quarter outlook, offset by reductions in programming and operating costs. “While visibility as to the timing of the advertising recovery remains limited, our supply of premium scripted content will return to normal in the back half of this fiscal year, “ said Murphy, in a release. “The long awaited normalization of our programming supply is foundational to our Video First strategy that aggregates premium video on multiple digital streaming platforms. Our disciplined focus on reducing expenses across the business is evident in the first quarter results, delivering a lower cost base and improving operational efficiencies as our focus on debt repayment remains a priority.”

Cogeco Communications has announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 ended Nov. 30, 2023. Revenue decreased by 1.9% to $747.7 million. On a constant currency basis, revenue decreased by 2.5%, driven by a lower customer base in the American telco segment, which offset revenue growth in the Canadian telecommunications segment. Canadian telecommunications’ revenue increased by 1.2%, mainly driven by the oxio acquisition as well as the cumulative effect of high-speed internet service additions over the past year. American telecommunications’ revenue decreased by 4.9%, mainly due to a lower customer base over the past year with an increasing proportion of customers only subscribing to internet services.

FRIENDS (formerly Friends of Canadian Broadcasting) has rebranded as FRIENDS of Canadian Media. Founded in 1985 on the principle of standing up for Canadian voices in Canadian media, the public broadcaster watchdog says its new name embraces the expanded scope of its mission, while remaining true to its core identity. 

CBC and RTDNF ( Radio-Television Digital News Foundation) have announced the new CBC David Suzuki Scholarship in honour of Suzuki’s lifetime of science/journalism work. Open for the 2023-24 school term, the $5,000 scholarship will go to a student from a racialized community with a demonstrated interest in science journalism in their final year of a college or university journalism program. In exceptional circumstances, the scholarship recipient may also be offered short-term employment at the CBC or on an affiliated independent production.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) will honour Kara Swisher with its annual CJF Tribute, in recognition of her trailblazing journalism career, speaking truth to power within the tech industry. The tribute will be presented at the CJF Awards on June 12 in Toronto. A journalist, author and podcaster, Swisher has informed audiences about the internet business since 1994, earning a reputation as a pointed commentator on the evolving relationship between technology and society. In 2003, she, along with colleague Walter Mossberg, launched the All Things Digital conference and subsequent blog, AllthingsD.com, going on to co-found Recode, covering tech news and events. Her podcast work includes “Recode Decode,” “On with Kara Swisher” and “Pivot” with Scott Galloway.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

Imagine Communications has entered into an agreement to acquire the Marketron REV broadcast sales and order management platform. The product will be re-released as CrossFlight after some key enhancements for broadcast TV and is expected to be available in early 2024. CrossFlight is a cloud-based broadcast sales platform that automates management of ad sales, proposals, pricing and audience forecasting, which integrates with Imagine’s OSI traffic and billing solution.