The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Sid Seixeiro has announced he’s leaving Tim & Sid, the Sportsnet radio & TV simulcast he’s hosted alongside Tim Micallef since 2011, to join Citytv’s Breakfast Television morning show in Toronto as a co-host. Tim & Sid originally started as a podcast before becoming an afternoon show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan (CJCL-AM) Toronto. The television simulcast launched in 2013 on The Score. It was relaunched on Sportsnet in 2015 and returned to simulcasting on The Fan in the fall of 2019 in late afternoon drive. Seixeiro’s last day on the show will be Feb. 26. Micallef will continue to anchor the 5 to 7 p.m. ET timeslot on Sportsnet television and radio, “alongside a rotating panel of friends of the show, until further details are announced,” according to a Rogers Sports & Media release. Seixeiro’s first official day as part of BT is March 10. Read more here.

Hollywood Suite has upped two of its internal staffers to new executive roles. Sharon Stevens is promoted to Vice-President of Programming, the title formerly held by longtime VP Ellen Baine, who retired in Feb. 2020. Upon Baine’s retirement, Stevens was initially promoted to Senior Director of Programming after serving as Director of Programming for three years. Julie Kumaria is promoted to Senior Vice-President, Marketing and Content Distribution. Kumaria has been with the company since 2013, holding the role of Vice-President, Marketing and Content Distribution for the last five years. Read more here.

 

May Lam has been promoted within Bell Media from Regional Marketing Manager, Western Canada to Operations Manager and Manager of Marketing & Promotions, Local Radio & TV. Based in Vancouver, Lam has been with Bell Media since 2014. She previously held various roles with Rogers Radio in Vancouver, served as promotions director at CFOX, and worked several contracts in communications with CBC. 

Anton Koschany, the Executive Producer of W5 and CTV Elections, is another casualty of recent layoffs at Bell Media. Koschany had been with CTV News since 1993 after a 12-year run as a producer for CBC’s The Fifth Estate.

Thor Diakow has joined Vancouver Is Awesome (VIA) as its first full-time video reporter. Diakow was a producer and host on Citytv’s Vancouver edition of Breakfast Television for 14 years, up until Rogers Sports & Media’s most recent round of layoffs in November.  

 

Kasia Mychajlowycz, Canadaland’s Senior Producer, is
joining The Globe & Mail editorial team as Senior Producer of its forthcoming daily podcast. Mychajlowycz had been with Canadland since May 2019. She’s previously consulted for The Globe & Mail, with previous podcast production experience at MTV Networks in New York City, The Atlantic, and WNYC, among other stops. 

Robert Lothian has joined 91.9 The Bend (CKNI-FM) Moncton as a news reporter and weekend anchor. Lothian is a graduate of the Fanshawe College Class of 2020 Broadcast Journalism program.

marblemedia has expanded its unscripted development team with the appointment of Mike Armitage as its new Development Producer, Factual & Factual Entertainment, while Kelsey Espensen sees her role expanded to become Development Producer, Unscripted Entertainment & Formats. Armitage arrives from Proper Television, where he was Director of Development responsible for conceiving and creating series like Tougher Than it Looks and Last Stop Garage for Discovery and Under New Management for CBC. Espensen led creative development on upcoming sand sculpture series Race Against the Tide for CBC and has a number of original competition series currently in development with broadcasters. 

Jane Rimer has been named SVP, Canada at Banijay Rights. Rimer, who joined the company late last year, will oversee Canadian sales. She was formerly with Insight Productions until departing in 2019 to launch her own New York City-based broadcast media consultancy.

David Workman has joined Montreal’s Embrionix, a subsidiary of Riedel Communications, as global OEM sales manager. Reporting to Rik Hoerée, director Americas at Riedel, Workman will collaborate with manufacturers of high-end broadcast electronics equipment to help them deliver advanced, multiformat I/O solutions to their customers. Most recently, he was Director of Sales and Business Development for camera robotics manufacturer, Telemetrics Inc. He’s also served as VP, News Automation Systems for Vizrt USA; Senior Director, Segment Marketing for Grass Valley; and as a Business Development Consultant for LucasFilms’ THX Ltd. 

 

Allan Delaurier has joined cloud and IP-based live video solutions provider, TVU Networks, as VP of sales for Canada and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Based in the Greater Toronto Area, Delaurier most recently served as Sales Manager for Canada at Avid Technology. He’s also held leadership roles at Grass Valley, Harris Corporation, and Evertz Microsystems.

 

 

RADIO & PODCAST:

Triton Digital is reporting new data that indicates listening to AM/FM radio on smart speakers was up 29% in 2020, compared to 2018, while listening on mobile devices remained flat at 48%. Triton compared the consumption of U.S. AM/FM streams on smart speakers in Dec. 2018, Dec. 2019, and Dec. 2020. Additionally, it analyzed share by device type for the same period, indicating a slight shift to use of “other devices” like Apple HomePod, Sonos, Bose, and Roku. Notably, use of Amazon Echo declined, while Google Home usage remained flat.   

Rogers Radio has expanded the JACK FM brand to Medicine Hat. JACK 102.1 replaces 102.1 CJCY Classic Hits. All on-air talent remain with the station, including Mornings with John & Steve, Steve Stax in afternoon drive, JACK Up the ‘80s with Carlos Benevides in middays and the Saturday Night House Party with Kenny, as well as Warren Affleck in news.

ReelWorld, the Seattle-based radio jingle and imaging production house, has struck a new partnership with Calgary’s Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), the alma mater of ReelWorld RED Hits Director Ron Tarrant. The former Howard Stern Show Head Imaging, Sound Designer and voice, will provide hands-on instruction to all students participating in the Radio, Television and Broadcast News program. Reelworld will also present a scholarship to the top graduating student of the program each year. Tarrant will coach students on imaging production, voiceover techniques and radio station workflows and best practices. “SAIT played an instrumental role in my own radio education, so it’s an immense privilege to offer advice and help mold the next generation of radio producers, while at the same time giving back to the community that helped me get my start,” Tarrant said in a release.

 

99.3 County FM (CJPE-FM) Prince Edward
County, ON has enlisted Rihanna Harris, an 11-year-old PECI (Prince Edward Collegiate Institute) student, as a special correspondent on The County Grapevine during Black History Month. Harris will interview a different guest each Monday on the show between Feb. 1 and March 1, including former Etobicoke-Lakeshore MP Jean Augustine and Olympic sprinter Donovan Bailey. The County Grapevine airs weekdays on 99.3 County FM, following the news at noon, and is repeated after the 6:10 p.m. farm report. It’s also available for streaming at 993countyfm.ca.

SiriusXM Canada has announced a multi-year agreement with Ford Motor Company of Canada, extending their relationship through the 2025 calendar year and seeing 360L – the next generation of SiriusXM – included in Ford vehicles equipped with the all-new SYNC 4 communications and entertainment system. With the purchase or lease of any new Ford vehicle, customers will receive a complimentary three-month SiriusXM All Access trial subscription. Ford’s all-new SYNC 4 – which debuted in the 2021 Ford F-150 – will roll out to additional models this year, combining satellite and streaming content delivery in a single in-vehicle entertainment experience. 

Foo Fighters Radio, a limited-engagement channel on SiriusXM, launches Feb. 3. Hand-crafted by the band, the channel features a new, live concert performance and special commentary from Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, and Rami Jaffee, coinciding with the release of the band’s 10th studio album, Medicine at Midnight. When Medicine at Midnight drops, at the stroke of midnight on Feb. 5, the channel will broadcast the album in its entirety, as a part of a track-by-track album special, hosted by the band. Foo Fighters Radio will also feature the band sharing insights and stories behind some of their biggest songs, as well as demos, b-sides, rarities, and a weekly series of live concerts from the band’s vaults. It will air on channel 105 through Thursday, April 4.

Spotify has announced that Premium subscribers in the UK and U.S. won’t be exempt from hearing podcast ads. Podcast ads will be heard by all UK platform users, while U.S. Premium subscribers are already hearing commercial spots during shows like The Joe Rogan Experience. The news comes as an investigative report from The Verge reveals that Spotify-owned Anchor has been bankrolling podcast sponsorships to entice creators to stick with the platform.

LISTEN: On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we talk to Ken Farrell, General Manager, of our Canadian Radio Awards’ Small Market Station of the Year winner, 98.9 XFM (CJFX-FM) Antigonish, NS. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

LISTEN: Big Kris Bawden of 101.1 Big FM (CIQB-FM) Barrie is Matt Cundill’s guest on the latest Sound Off Podcast. Bawden talks about his two decades in radio and shares how he balances radio, voice work, his comedy performances, podcast, new video venture, and more. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

SIGN OFFS:

John Copsey, 53, on Jan. 24. Originally from Manitoba, Copsey’s broadcasting career started with a brief stint at CFAR 590 AM in Flin Flon in 2007, holding multiple roles from morning show host to news. That same year, he joined 680 CJOB Winnipeg as a weekend news and sports announcer. In addition to holding several sales roles, Copsey briefly filled in as a news anchor on 100.7 The Breeze (CFJL-FM) Winnipeg during ‘The Morning Breeze with Don Percy’ in 2012. He relocated to Vancouver in 2015, anchoring at News 1130 (CKWX-AM) until 2018, before joining the Global News Radio Network. Based out of Global BC in Burnaby, Copsey anchored national newscasts across the Global News Radio network during the Charles Adler Show and The Shift. 

Warren Woods, 66, on Jan. 20 of complications from COVID-19. Growing up in Sudbury, “Woodsy’s” future in broadcasting was decided upon his introduction to play-by-play at age 12 when he attended his first game at Maple Leaf Gardens during the Toronto Maple Leafs’ championship 1966-67 season. By the time he was in high school, he was working as a board op at CKSO-FM. While majoring in radio in the Communication Arts program at Mohawk College, he was offered full-time work at the station. He went on to join CFCL-TV in Timmins four years later, and then Thunder Bay Television. In the late 1980s, he joined Regina’s STV as host of ‘Sportsline’, through the station’s transition to become part of the Global TV network. He covered sports for the station, including the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Regina Pats, for 25 years. He went on to work with Rawlco Radio newstalk station CJME in various roles. He also served as the longtime voice of the provincial Tankard and was inducted as a member of CURLSASK’s “Legends of Curling” in 2014.

Allan Anaka, 85, on Jan. 14. Anaka’s radio career started in 1963 at CKLG Vancouver. He was appointed General Sales Manager a year later, going on to hold similar positions at CJOR and CKNW. In 1985, Anaka made the move to CHQR Calgary, starting in the position of General Sales Manager and moving up to take on the role of President. He saw WIC Calgary through its acquisition of CKIK-FM in 1996 and was recognized that year with the Western Association of Broadcasters’ Broadcaster of the Year award. The following year, he left Alberta to return to Vancouver as GSM at CKNW/CFMI-FM before retiring at age 65.

TV & FILM:

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) Prime Time conference starts streaming Thursday through Feb. 10, kicking off with a virtual opening reception. Among this year’s schedule highlights are a keynote conversation with Canadian Heritage Min. Steven Guilbeault (Feb. 8) and a debate between Janet Yale and Michael Geist on Modernization of the Broadcasting Act (Feb. 1), among other highlights. Other panels of note feature the co-founders of The Black Academy, Shamier Anderson and Stephan James (Feb. 2), in addition to a session about the collection of race-based data (Feb. 4). CMPA President and CEO Reynolds Mastin will also engage CBC/Radio-Canada President Catherine Tait in a fireside chat (Feb. 10). Find the schedule and a link to sign up for your FREE registration, here.

 

Canada Media Fund (CMF) has revealed a new visual identity “that signals significant changes underway as the organization inspires, supports and embraces change and inclusion.” CMF says the new logo—referred to as “the spark”— symbolizes its mission to foster, promote and finance Canadian content that reflects innovation and talent. The rebrand also includes translation of 12 Indigenous languages and dialects to its brand identity, including Dene, Gwich’in, Inuvialuit, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Michif, Northern East Cree, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree, Plains Cree, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim (Squamish) Woods Cree, with additional adaptations to follow.

Bell Media specialty channels Fashion Television Channel and Book Television will cease operations on Feb. 22. Book Television offered programming related to books, literature, and various media, while Fashion Television offered programming dedicated to the world of art, architecture, photography, and design.

Times Network is launching ET NOW, India’s English-language business news channel, on Bell Fibe TV in Ontario and Québec through a distribution partnership with Ethnic Channels Group (ECG). Nextologies will transport the ET NOW signal within Canada. The channel offers shows like India Development Debate, Start Up Central, The Money Show, and India Tonight with a focus on the Indian financial markets and global and local trends impacting the economy. ET Now is available on free preview on Bell Fibe TV channel 2335 until March 17.

The Women in Film and Television Canada Coalition (WIFT Canada Coalition) has partnered with Reel Families for Change Canada, with support from the Canada Media Fund, to launch an industry-wide survey on issues and realities faced by women and caregivers in the screen-based industries who are experiencing increased pressure with childcare and family care requirements exacerbated by the pandemic. Caregivers across the industry, regardless of industry sector, are encouraged to fill out the survey. On March 11th at 1 p.m. ET, the WIFT Canada Coalition will host a national webinar to discuss the survey results.

 

The Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University is launching a new independent, three-year research study on Canadian sports fans, in partnership with Sportsnet and in collaboration with the Future of Sport Lab (FSL). The first-of-its-kind academic study, the Canadian Sport Fan Index, will provide insights on attitudes, behaviours and trends with a focus on the post-COVID era and how fans are engaging with professional sports teams and leagues as they deal with limited access to live events, altered schedules and other changes. Initial findings are expected to be shared in Spring 2021.

Bell Media’s The Harold Greenberg Fund has announced the latest round of selections for its newly renamed Northern Shorts Program (previously the Territories Shorts Program). The initiative – developed in partnership with Northwest Territories Film Commission (NWTFC), Nunavut Film Development Corporation (NFDC), and the Government of Yukon’s Media Development Unit – provides filmmakers from the three territories with financing for short film production. The short film projects to receive $20,000 in financial contributions include Irninnu Unikaara from writer/director Ipeelie Ootoova and producer Sarah Jancke; Snow Bear from writer/director Iantha Greer and producer Ely Boivin; nihtâkwikihew/She Gives Birth from writer/producer Sadetło Scott and writer/producer/director Heather Heinrichs.

The Jim Henson Company began production this week on its new Fraggle Rock series in Calgary. Produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with New Regency, the series will reunite original stars – Gobo, Red, Boober, Mokey, Wembley, and Uncle Travelling Matt – “for new songs and adventures, with the same spirit as the classic.” Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford will executive produce the new series for The Jim Henson Company, while others attached to the project include long-time Henson collaborator John Tartaglia (Splash and Bubbles, Johnny and the Sprites), showrunners Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson (New Girl, American Dad, Community), and Rita Peruggi (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Yo Gabba Gabba!), with Harvey Mason Jr. on board as executive music producer for the series.

 

CBC’s Diggstown is the latest Canadian drama to be picked up by Fox as the demand for English-language content continues to be heightened by COVID-19 production disruptions in the U.S. Starring Vinessa Antoine (General Hospital, Being Erica), the Halifax-shot series follows legal aid lawyer Marcie Diggs. Fox has acquired Seasons 1 and 2 of the drama from Entertainment One.

Corus Studios has announced the sale of over 250 hours of content from its expanding library. The CW Network in the U.S. has picked up dessert competition series, Great Chocolate Showdown (Season 1 – 8×60), set to premiere in 2021. Debuting on Food Network Canada, the show sees 10 bakers take on creative and complex chocolate-based challenges. Quebecor Content has acquired lifestyle series Making It Home with Kortney and Dave (Season 1 – 10×60), Wall of Chefs (10×60), The Big Bake (18×60) and Great Chocolate Showdown (8×60). A number of international deals will also see Island of Bryan and Scott’s Vacation House Rules head to Discovery in Latin America and the Benelux market, among other broadcast deals for South Africa, Spain and Russia.

YTV Original series, The Hardy Boys (13x60min) premieres Friday, March 5 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Based on the books by Franklin W. Dixon, the series is produced by Lambur Productions and Nelvana, in association with Corus Entertainment. Filmed in Toronto and Southern Ontario, the Canadian premiere follows the series’ U.S. debut in December on Hulu. Starring Rohan Campbell and Alexander Elliot, the all-Canadian cast also includes Keana Lyn, Linda Thorson, Bea Santos, Adam Swain, and Atticus Mitchell, among others. 

Super Channel original series, When Calls the Heart, is back for an eighth season on Super Channel Heart & Home. Each episode is available on Super Channel on Demand, the day following its linear broadcast. Canadian fans can catch up on all seven seasons of the series currently available on Super Channel On Demand.

Moosemeat & Marmalade returns to APTN for its fifth season on Feb. 11. Produced by BC-based Mooswa Films, the documentary series chronicles the culinary adventures of bush cook Art Napoleon and classically trained chef Dan Hayes. Season 5 features 13 new episodes taking viewers off-the-grid from under-explored communities in Canada to various regions of Ireland and Wales, profiling a variety of Indigenous cooking styles and culture.

 

marblemedia competition series, Blown Away, has returned for a second season and has been trending of late in Netflix’s Top Ten. Back as host is YouTube science influencer Nickpedia and former America’s Got Talent contestant, Nick Uhas. Glass master, Katherine Gray, also returns for Season 2 as the show’s resident glass evaluator. 

 

 

The Japan Foundation, Toronto, is presenting JFF Plus: Online Film Festival, the Canadian edition of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF). This year, the festival has shifted online and will be available to stream across Canada and in 20 other countries. Organized by The Japan Foundation to promote Japanese films around the world, the festival features the latest films from Japan, and expanded to include 56 cities in 12 countries in 2019-20, with its films watched by more than 170,000 viewers. From Feb. 5–14, 17 feature films from a variety of genres can be streamed, free. Learn more here.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) has released its decision concerning a CTV National News report about former U.S. President Donald Trump last September that it concludes misrepresented a comment. The report concerned a recorded interview between Trump and journalist Bob Woodward in which Trump acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic was serious, but that he wanted to downplay it so as not to instill panic in the American population. The report included the sentence, “Calling the virus a hoax, Trump continued to hold packed rallies, minimizing the danger to young people when he knew better.” A viewer pointed out that Trump had never called the virus itself a hoax; rather, what he had characterized as a hoax was the Democrats’ efforts to politicize Trump’s approach to the pandemic. The CBSC English-Language Panel concluded the mischaracterization was a material error that constituted a breach of code in violation of the RTDNA Code of Journalistic Ethics. With respect to bias, the panel unanimously concluded there was no breach because the overall subject was a legitimate story and did not contain any inherent bias.

Rogers Sports & Media President Jordan Banks has announced that the company is “hiring aggressively” in a blog post widely shared by Rogers management. “Though the pandemic delayed our plans slightly, Rogers Sports & Media will now be hiring up to 100 new roles over the next couple of months to turbo-charge our already terrific team of 3,500+ people,” said Banks in the statement. “We are hiring aggressively and creating a team on the leading edge of sports, tech, and data to deliver on our bold strategy. Our team will be digital first, data driven, and customer obsessed, with a keen focus on delivering impact in everything we do.” The announcement comes roughly two months after an estimated 100 layoffs in the division in November.

The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) Career Day is going virtual on Feb. 9. Running from 1- 5 p.m. ET, the event will feature five expert panels encompassing TV News & Sports (feat. Global Toronto anchor Farah Nasser and Sportsnet’s Caroline Cameron); Production & Creative, (feat. Justin Dove of Core Image Studio and Z100 New York Creative Service Director Staxx); News Radio & Digital (feat. CHGK/CJCS Stratford GM (Vista Radio) Wendy Gray and Quinte Broadcasting news anchor Tim Durkin); and Sales Promotions & Marketing with JAZZ.91.FM (CJRT-FM) Promotion Manager David McTeague and Quinte Broadcasting Sales Manager Jody Brooker. The On-Air & Programming panel includes Paul Thomas, Program Director & Assistant General Manager, The New Classic FM & Zoomer Radio, and boom 97.3 (CHBM-FM) PD Troy McCallum. The event is open free of charge to students from member schools. Register here.

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is condemning the Government of Alberta’s attempt to discredit the work of journalists in a new report entitled New Global Paradigm: Understanding the Transnational Progressive Movement, the Energy Transition and the Great Transformation Strangling Alberta’s Petroleum Industry. Produced as part of the provincial government’s $3.5 million inquiry into opposition to Alberta’s oilsands, the report argues that journalists are part of a “disturbing” movement to “coordinate and effectively distribute propagandized climate change issues in their reporting.” It criticizes Canadian outlets including Maclean’s, TVO, and the Toronto Star. The CAJ’s Ethics Advisory Committee is currently working to develop recommendations on how journalists can most responsibly report on climate change.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF), together with CBC News, is accepting applications to its CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships program. The annual fellowships provide a unique opportunity for two early-career Indigenous journalists, with one-to-10 years’ experience, to explore Indigenous issues while being hosted for one month at CBC’s Indigenous Unit in Winnipeg. This year, the fellowships may be conducted remotely. The application deadline is Feb. 19. Fellows receive a $4,000 stipend, while the CJF covers all associated travel and accommodation costs, a per diem for meals and other expenses.

William Southam Journalism Fellowships are open for applications. Offered to outstanding mid-career Canadian journalists, successful candidates are invited to spend a year at Massey College, the graduate college within the University of Toronto. The objective of the fellowship program is to encourage improvement in journalism, offering journalists an opportunity to broaden their horizons by studying in a university setting. Fellows are chosen based on professional competence and future potential as effective and responsible journalists. Applicants must be full-time news or editorial employees with Canadian newspapers, news services, radio, television, or magazines, with at least five years’ experience. Freelance journalists working consistently in the media over a five-year period are also eligible.

The Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award is open for applications from early-career news photographers looking to sharpen their skills and gain national exposure. Offering a unique opportunity to spend six weeks with The Canadian Press, the award is open to Canadian photojournalists with fewer than five years’ experience, including students and freelancers. Working on various assignments, the recipient will be mentored by top photographers and work in a fast-paced environment. Last year’s winner was Marissa Tiel, a freelance photojournalist based in Vancouver. Read about her experience and view her photos and winning portfolio submission. Find the award details here. The deadline to apply is Feb. 19.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana is among the winners of 2020 Emmy Awards for Technology and Engineering, recognizing excellence in engineering creativity. Nelvana is being recognized for its “pioneering secure cloud-based VFX project management and collaboration at scale.” Among the other honourees are SMPTE, which earned two awards, one honouring the organization’s work with Video Services Forum (VSF), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), on standardization of the SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards. The other award acknowledges the society’s work on standardization and commercialization of television – broadcast, hybrid electrical, and fibre optic camera cable and connectors through the SMPTE ST 304 and ST 311 standards. Find the full list of honourees here. The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) will present the 2020 awards at the 72nd Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards Ceremony, which is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 10 as a virtual event, held in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show.