BREAKING: Bell has announced it’s reducing its workforce by 4,800 positions and selling 45 of its 103 radio stations, pending CRTC approval. Representing 9% of the company’s workforce, the restructuring initiative is the company’s largest in nearly 30 years, which BCE says will drive cost savings of $150 million to $200 million. Subject to regulatory approval, seven buyers are in line to purchase its divested stations. Read more here.
REVOLVING DOOR:
Ronnie Stanton has joined Virgin Radio International as Chief Content Officer. Stanton, who left Corus Entertainment in December, will be working with the Virgin Radio brand in Canada, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Oman, Romania, Lebanon, and the UAE. The veteran programmer had most recently held the title of Vice-President, Audio at Corus, in charge of its 39 FM and AM radio stations, as well as the Curiouscast Podcast Network. Read more here.
Mackay Taggart has been promoted at Global News to Director, Eastern Stations. Most recently, the Ontario Regional Director of News, he’ll now oversee the newsrooms at Global Montreal, Global Halifax, and Global New Brunswick, along with the four Global Ontario stations – Global Toronto, Global Durham, Global Kingston, and Global Peterborough – he currently manages. Sherri Clark, who has been in the Managing Editor role at Global Toronto for the past year, moves into the Global TO News Director role, bringing experience as the former News Director for Global Regina and Saskatoon, in addition to serving as Managing Editor in Calgary.
Gabriela Panza-Beltrandi has joined CTV Vancouver as a reporter. Panza-Beltrandi arrives from CBC, where she’s held various roles in both the Edmonton and Toronto newsrooms since 2021.
Scott Moore has been appointed CEO of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, leading delivery of the first-ever winter hybrid edition of the multi-sport event for serving armed forces personnel and veterans. The former President of Broadcasting and Sportsnet at Rogers Sports & Media, Moore also served as General Manager of Sports and Network Revenue at CBC. He joins the Invictus team prior to the One Year to Go Participating Nations Camp in Whistler and Vancouver which gives members of the international community a chance to experience winter adaptive sports ahead of next year’s games.
Vanessa Case has started a new position as Vice President of Content for Paramount+ and Pluto TV Canada. Case assumes the role previously held by Katrina Kowalski, who was promoted last fall to SVP, Content Programming & Acquisitions, Pluto TV International. Case arrives from VICE Media where she most recently held the title of SVP, Global Head of Unscripted Production. She’s also held roles with Blue Ant Media, Shaw and Canwest.
Greg Johnson has been appointed EVP Americas and Asia Pacific at Cineflix Rights. Reporting to CEO Tim Mutimer, L.A.-based Johnson will lead the distributor’s scripted and unscripted sales strategy across North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Working alongside James Durie, Head of Scripted and Richard Life, SVP Acquisitions and Co-productions, Johnson will also be responsible for identifying creative partners and IP, as well as securing financing from U.S. and global networks to package and greenlight projects through co-productions, pre-sales, and co-financing. Johnson will join Cineflix Rights in April from his current role of EVP, Distribution, Americas at ITV Studios.
Yoann Sauvageau has been named Director of TVA Films. Sauvageau previously worked in movie distribution with Alliance Films and Sony Pictures before joining Entertainment One in 2012 as Director, Theatrical Sales, in Quebec, with his role extended nationwide in 2019 when he became Vice President, Theatrical Sales, working with exhibitors across the country. In 2022, he moved to Maison 4:3 as Vice President of Sales.
A.J. Cote has joined Ottawa’s BIG JUMP Entertainment as EVP of Production and Operations. He’ll lead BIG JUMP’s pipeline and production strategies alongside Chief Creative Officer Cory Morrison. Cote arrives from Toon Boom Animation where he was most recently Director of Professional Services.
David Lazzarato has joined Thunderbird Entertainment Group’s Board of Directors as the newest independent member. He’s also been appointed Chair of the Strategic Advisory Committee. Lazzarato currently serves on the board of Dublin-based Flutter Entertainment’s and as Chair of its Risk and Sustainability Committee, and on Canopy Growth’s board and Chair of the Audit Committee. His career includes senior executive positions with Alliance Atlantis Communications, Allstream, Bell Canada and CAE.
Thomas Nelson has been promoted to Global Vice President of Key Accounts at Vizrt. With a focus on expanding the Americas’ market, Nelson will be responsible for key accounts as well as business development. Beginning his career at TV 2 Norway in sports production, he moved to Vizrt Australia in 2008 and has since held senior leadership positions in Asia Pacific and Europe before increasing his remit to the U.S. in 2023. His appointment comes after a period of transformation for Vizrt, including the unification of the organization’s product portfolio, bringing together its NewTek and Vizrt brands.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Vista Radio has launched 98.1 The Ranch (CKBD-FM) Lethbridge, formerly branded as 2DayFM. Carrying a Country format spanning songs from the last three decades, 98.1 The Ranch will also feature news coverage from the MyLethbridgeNow.com newsroom. The station’s on-air lineup includes the Mike Maguire Show, featuring Kass Patterson; Carly Kincaid during the workday; and Ridin’ Home with Scott E.
Sports 1440 (CKJR-AM) Edmonton is airing The Basketball Show, starting Saturday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. MT. Hosted by Paul Sir, the show covers basketball at all levels — from grassroots to college, the NBA, international basketball, 3×3, and beyond. Sir, the former Executive Director of the Alberta Basketball Association and Managing Director of 3×3 Development for Canada Basketball, previously hosted The Basketball Show on the former TSN 1260 (CFRN-AM) Edmonton from 2015 to early 2022.
Radio Connects’ Radio on the Move fall 2023 update finds radio is holding its own in the age of digital disruption. Looking at ad-supported audio consumed by Canadian adults, Radio on the Move says three out of every four hours is currently going to live AM/FM, three times the total number of hours going to ad-supported podcasts and streaming services combined. In-car, radio is accounting for 59% of all audio consumption, followed by personal music (15%), SiriusXM (11%) and other paid streaming services (9%). The study found even among those who have access to connected car technology, radio still makes up the majority of time spent with audio. Radio on the Move asked Canadians how Meta’s ban on links to news had impacted them, finding that while many sought out other online news sources, a quarter (24%) have started consuming more news from radio, TV and newspapers. Read more here.
Flightpath, the Hamilton, ON-based podcast revenue optimization startup, has signed YMH Studios, home of nine podcasts including Your Mom’s House, featuring comedians Tom Segura and Christina Pazsitsky; 2 Bears, 1 Cave with Segura and Bert Kreischer; and First Date, hosted by Lauren Compton. Flightpath says the partnership will provide the YMH team with trusted available inventory, tools to manage baked-in and DAI opportunities, and insight into how to better drive revenue growth.
The True Canadians is a new podcast from the authors of acclaimed 2023 Métis book The True Canadians: Forgotten Nevermore, hosted by one of its co-authors, former journalist David Wylynko. The podcast series was conceived by co-author and former CBC reporter Patricia Russell and focuses on the breadth of topics covered by the book, including Métis economic development, tourism, veterans and elders, Métis health, housing, and environmental initiatives.
Doug Elliott, Program Director of 94.9 the Rock (CKGE-FM) Oshawa, has a new side hustle, founding DECM Management Group and DECM Records with songwriter Casey Marshall. Based out of Toronto, the pair has already signed three artists to their talent roster: post hard core band, Judgement; alt/pop artist Bad Child, and contemporary rockers, Lear Haven.
LISTEN: Josie Dye, who recently joined Toronto’s 104.5 CHUM FM, is on the latest Sound Off Podcast. In this episode, the longtime Indie88 (CIND-FM) and 102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM) host shares why she made the move, the growing audience for her podcast with Cynthia Loyst, Cynthia & Josie’s Unmentionables, and more.
SIGN OFFS:
Connie Sinclair, 77, on Feb. 2, after an ongoing battle with cancer. Sinclair, best known for her time as a news reader at CBC Radio in Toronto, was a third generation broadcaster as the daughter of former CJAD Montreal news director and Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Famer Gord Sinclair Jr. and granddaughter of CFRB host, author, and “Front Page Challenge” staple Gordon Sinclair Sr. She anchored at Newstalk 1010 (CFRB-AM), before joining CBC Toronto. Sinclair dedicated herself to animal welfare causes outside of her journalism pursuits.
Rick Howe, 69, on Jan. 31. An army brat, who grew up on bases in Canada and Europe, Howe started pursuing his passion for radio in rural New Brunswick, landing his first professional job at CKNB Campbellton in 1972. From there, he joined CFBC Saint John as a reporter before moving on to CJCH Halifax in 1978 where he served initially as a reporter, then news director, and eventually as host of the “Hotline.” Following the station’s move to an all-sports format, Howe took his last Hotline call in 2008 and shortly thereafter joined Rogers Sports & Media news/talk station News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax (now CityNews). Following some health issues, he stepped away from his morning talk show in May 2021 and officially retired in September of that year. Howe was awarded the RTDNA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Read more here.
Ron “Woody” Wood, 81, on Jan. 17. Wood had his sights set on studying veterinary medicine when he was offered a job at CKMP-AM Midland, ON, and apparently flipped a coin and accepted the offer. He arrived in Ottawa nine months later, getting his start as a news reader at CKPM-AM. By 1965, he was the station’s Parliamentary correspondent and was later named Bureau Chief for United Press International Radio. He also worked as eastern Ontario stringer for the Globe & Mail and did voiceover work for commercials and documentaries. In 1967 he left radio for a job at what was then CJOH-TV News in Ottawa. In 1971, he was promoted to the position of Promotions Manager and then Director of Creative Services, a position created for him where he was responsible for on-air promotion, corporate public relations, commercial production, sales and viewer community relations. Wood eventually returned to Calgary, serving as News Director for CKXL and CHFM until 1989. In 1990, he went to work for Reform Party leader Preston Manning as his press secretary and communications advisor, and later served as executive assistant and communications advisor to Opposition Leader John Reynolds, in addition to communications assignments for Stephen Harper during his tenure as Leader of the Opposition. Wood published “And God Created Manyberries” in 2007, which was Shortlisted for the Howard O’Hagan Award for Short Fiction and the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal.
TV & FILM:
9 Story Media Group has acquired Portfolio Entertainment’s library, production slate, and development projects. The acquisition brings 9 Story’s total distribution library to almost 5,000 half-hours. Toronto-headquartered Portfolio was founded in 1991 by CEO Lisa Olfman and the late Joy Rosen. Olfman will join 9 Story in an Executive Producer role, reporting to President & CEO Vince Commisso. She’ll continue to oversee all active Portfolio projects and look to broaden 9 Story opportunities across key business areas. Lauren Evans-Bell, Associate Producer at Portfolio, will also join 9 Story as a Development Manager/Associate Producer, working with Olfman to shepherd Portfolio development and production properties forward. Read more here.
Producing for the Planet, a first-of-its-kind Canadian climate change initiative for the screen-based industries, was announced at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s Prime Time conference in Ottawa. More than 40 Canadian independent media producers have come together to support the industry initiative, including 9 Story Media Group, Amaze Films, Attraction, Banger Films, Blink49 Studios, Blue Ant Media, Boat Rocker Media, Cedar Island Films, Cineflix Media, Conquering Lion Pictures, Counterfeit Pictures, Cream Productions, Eagle Vision, eOne Canada, Frantic Films, Good Measure Productions, Great Pacific Media, Idéacom International, IoM Media, Iylond Entertainment, Kickstart Entertainment, KOTV, Kybele Films, Lark Productions, MG StopMotionGraphics, Muse Entertainment, New Metric Media, Nomadic Pictures, Omnifilm Entertainment, Original Pictures, Panoramic Pictures, Pier 21 Films, Prairie Dog Film + Television, Productions Pixcom, Quadrant Motion Pictures, Remembrance Pictures, River Road Films, River and Ridge Productions, Rusty Halo Productions, Screen Siren Pictures, Seven24 Films, Shaftesbury, Shut UP & Colour Pictures, Silverlight Entertainment, Sphere Media, Thunderbird Entertainment, Understory Films, Wango Films, WildBrain and Wind Sun Sky Entertainment.
CBC has announced the second round of AccessCBC: A CBC Initiative for Creators with a Disability, a national program for deaf and disabled creators that will provide pre-development training, mentorship and financing support through three programming streams – scripted comedy/drama, unscripted and kids. For the second iteration of AccessCBC, the public broadcaster is collaborating with the Disability Screen Office (DSO). Detailed information about the program is available on the AccessCBC site, with submissions open now through March 15.
Bell Media has reached an agreement with Amazon to make its Crave streaming service available on Prime Video Channels in Canada. Launching soon, Crave’s Premium, ad-free plan will be offered directly to Amazon customers through their Prime Video account. Subscribers gain access to HBO and Max Originals; the DC universe; the Wizarding World of Harry Potter; blockbuster movies; and library series including Friends and The Office, in addition to Crave Originals like Canada’s Drag Race, Shoresy and Little Bird.
Crave has made a 10-episode order for new, half-hour adult animated comedy, Super Team Canada, its first commission of an animated series. The Crave Original series is produced in partnership with Thunderbird Entertainment’s Atomic Cartoons and Will Arnett’s Electric Avenue, and is currently in production with a premiere set for 2025. Created by Canadian Emmy-winning writers and brothers, Robert Cohen (HBO’s Someboyd, Somewhere, The Big Bang Theory) and Joel H. Cohen (The Simpsons), the animated comedy focuses on the exploits of six, little-known Canadian superheroes trying to save the world from evil giant robots, an unemployed octopus, and needy hardware store clerks.
The CW has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with Network Entertainment for its library of feature documentary films under the I AM banner. In addition, the agreement includes the production and delivery of three new I AM titles that will make their global premieres on The CW Network. Network Entertainment’s slate of 15 I AM films began in 2012 with I Am Bruce Lee.
Global has added new late-night series After Midnight, hosted by Taylor Tomlinson, to its nightly lineup. The new series originally premiered on CBS and Paramount+ earlier this year and made its debut on Global and STACKTV following The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Feb. 5. It will air weeknights at 1:07 a.m. ET. Inspired by Comedy Central’s Emmy Award-winning series @midnight, After Midnight explores what set the internet abuzz that day with a game show feel. Colbert is among its executive producers.
Eagle Vision and Spike & Sadie Media are partnering on a new factual series based on the award-winning children’s book Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge. The 10 x 30 youth-driven show, will shoot across North America with authors Deidre Havrelock and Edward Kay part of a creative team that includes Lisa Meeches, Rebecca Gibson, Dinae Robinson, Ira Levy and Kyle Irving, with Shaw Rocket Fund and the CMF as development partners. It will celebrate the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) contributions of Indigenous Peoples revealed in the book, balancing traditional ideas and contemporary technology, with humour and adventure at its core.
APTN lumi will stream Jason, an Indigenous romantic comedy, on Feb. 14. Written and directed by Andrew Genaille (Rehab) and shot in Vancouver, with many Vancouver-based cast and crew, the quirky rom com stars Peter Robinson (Hey Viktor!), alongside Métis actor Tanis Parenteau (Billions), as a young writer who moves out of his parent’s place on the rez to attend university in the city. With his newfound freedom, he’s making choices that challenge the expectations of his family and friends, including romantic involvement with his sister’s best friend, a woman twice his age.
National Canadian Film Day will be back on April 17, with a spotlight on Canadian movies. The 2024 programming theme is Films That A.I. Could Never Make. Once again, hundreds of screening partners across the country will host free in-person events, along with major broadcasters and streaming services, and a livestream for 15,000+ high school students. Those who’d like to host a free event for their community, can visit canfilmday.ca/register.
The Hollywood Reporter has announced that its Women in Entertainment brand is expanding into Canada with the launch of a new event in May. Women in Entertainment Canada will be a first-of-its-kind summit bringing together the Canadian industry across television, film, and music to celebrate and recognize the achievements of women driving the industry forward in their respective fields. The Hollywood Reporter will also be releasing its first Canadian Women of Power List in conjunction with the summit.
Global BC will air the 58th annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon on Sunday, Feb. 25 from 1 – 5:30 p.m. PT., raising funds for B.C. children with disabilities and complex health needs. This year’s television event will bring together a roster of celebrity and musical guests, including appearances by Adam Beach, Evan Goldberg, Joe Jonas, Barenaked Ladies, Eric McCormack, Natalie Portman, Seth Rogen, Martin Short, George Stroumboulopoulos, and musical performances by Aysanabee, Tom Cochrane, The Reklaws, and Walk Off the Earth.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
OYA Media Group and OYA Black Arts Coalition (OBAC) founders and producers Ngardy Conteh George and Alison Duke won the Silver Anthem Award for Black Community Mixtapes at the Anthem Awards ceremony on Jan. 30. The web series, nominated under the Education, Art & Culture – Film, Video, Television or Show category, celebrates Black history in Canada through community archives. Commemorating purpose and mission-driven work, the Anthem Awards are an initiative of the Webby Awards, recognizing social impact work across media; fundraising; community engagement; product, innovation and service; and leadership.
Meta will start labeling images generated by AI across Facebook, Instagram and Threads in the coming months. The digital giant says it’s been working with industry partners to align on common technical standards that signal when a piece of content has been created using AI, including adding a feature for people to disclose when they share AI-generated video or audio. “We’re taking this approach through the next year, during which a number of important elections are taking place around the world, ”wrote Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, in a company announcement. “This work is especially important as this is likely to become an increasingly adversarial space in the years ahead. People and organizations that actively want to deceive people with AI-generated content will look for ways around safeguards that are put in place to detect it. Across our industry and society more generally, we’ll need to keep looking for ways to stay one step ahead.”
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
CBC/Radio-Canada has unveiled the public broadcaster’s first-ever National Indigenous Strategy. Strengthening Relations, Walking Together is a three-year plan committing to better reflect and serve First Nations, Inuit and Métis Canadians. The strategy is built on four pillars, including Narratives, grounded in principles of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the story and content development process; People, increasing Indigenous representation at all levels of the organization; Relationships, involving more Indigenous-owned vendors and creators in the broadcaster’s procurement process; and Truth & Reconciliation, which will include a study on more respectful, inclusive, and accurate portrayals of Indigenous Peoples. Former CBC Radio host and Equity and Inclusion Advisor Robert Doane has been named Senior Director, National Indigenous Strategy, tasked with leading a new Indigenous Office responsible for the oversight and implementation of the plan. Read more here.
Cogeco Connexion is acquiring Niagara Regional Broadband Network (NRBN), an internet, telephone and television service provider serving the Niagara Region. The sellers, the City of Niagara Falls and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, will both remain minority shareholders in the company. Cogeco says the acquisition will strengthen its presence in the Niagara Region and allow it to support the continued growth of NRBN.
Western Association of Broadcasters (WAB) will be hosting their 88th Annual Conference from June 5-6 at the Fairmont Banff Springs. You can now submit your award nominations for the following categories: Broadcast Hall of Fame Award, Broadcast Order of Achievement Award, Leaders of Tomorrow Award, and the Gold Medal Award. Learn more here.
The RTDNF Canada Scholarship program is accepting applications for more than $19,000 in scholarship money. All applications must have been produced for a school assignment in 2023-24 for a journalism or communications program at a Canadian college or university. There is no fee to apply. For scholarship details, click here. The deadline is April 4.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
Banyan Software has announced the acquisition of PromoSuite, to be merged with vCreative. Headquartered in White Plains, NY, PromoSuite was founded in 1992 by Rocco Macri and Chris Bungo as the radio industry’s first paperless efficiency tool designed to manage station on-air contests, sales promotions, and events. By combining their unique strengths, Banyan says vCreative and PromoSuite will form one unified entity positioned to reach new heights in broadcast and media industry innovation.
Dark Slope, the Toronto-based virtual production and spatial gaming company, has announced a strategic partnership agreement with SideFX Software, makers of Houdini VFX software. The partnership includes a material investment to be directed towards the launch of an advanced virtual production smart stage in Toronto, set to open this spring.
Mila and Bell have announced an 18-month collaborative project to apply deep learning neural network algorithms to Bell’s systems and data. Mila researchers will work alongside Bell’s Machine Learning and AI teams using cutting-edge deep learning neural network techniques to identify opportunities for improving business performance and customer experience. By advancing its understanding of deep learning AI techniques, Bell says it aims to continue enhancing its customer experience and accelerate its transition from a traditional telecommunications company to a technology services leader. As part of the collaboration, Bell and Mila will write a paper highlighting their findings in support of global AI advancement. Founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio of the University of Montreal, Mila is a research institute in artificial intelligence that now brings together over 1,200 specialized researchers in machine learning.
Rise, the advocacy group for gender diversity in the broadcast media technology sector, has announced its 2024 global mentoring initiative spanning North America, the UK, Europe, ANZ, APAC, and India. Rise is actively seeking both mentees and mentors to expand its community. Interested parties are invited to submit applications until Feb. 29. The program is open for applications from women currently working or aspiring to work in the broadcast and media technology industry. Rise mentors will be senior professionals with significant working experience in a variety of roles across the broadcast and media technology industry, who demonstrate leadership and a commitment to diversity. The program is open to female, male, and non-binary mentors alike.
WABE (Western Association of Broadcast Engineers) has announced dates for its fall conference, set to take place Sept. 23-25 at the JW Marriott Edmonton Ice District. In the meantime, WABE will host a free Monday May Media Mixer in Winnipeg on May 6, an accessible local event bringing professionals working in the industry together at the Canadian Brewhouse. Register to come or sponsor the event.
