The Weekly Briefing

 

REVOLVING DOOR:

Matt Mise has been named Director, Podcasting & Head of Pacific Content at Rogers Sports & Media. Mise has been with Rogers since 2018, previously holding the title of Director, Commercial Integration, News & Entertainment. Prior to that, he held digital, sales and promotions roles with Indie88 (CIND-FM) Toronto and Larche Communications.

Phil Darlington has joined Global Edmonton’s Global News Morning. Previously the weather specialist for Global News at 11, Darlington succeeds long-time weather specialist, Mike Sobel, who retired at the end of December. Born and raised in Toronto, Darlington’s journalism career began at York University newspaper, Excalibur, before he transitioned to television at Rogers TV in Mississauga as a general assignment reporter. A stint as a video journalist and weather anchor at CKPR Thunder Bay followed, before Darlington joined CTV Regina as a host and weather specialist. He’s been with Global Edmonton since 2018.

Colton Praill has started a new position as an anchor/reporter with CTV News Ottawa. Praill has been working as a multi-platform reporter with Bell Media’s 580 CFRA for the past two years. Prior to that, he was an anchor and weather specialist with Global News Regina.

Mark Brennan aka “Mark B” is among the on-air staff caught up in a round of layoffs at Acadia Broadcasting’s Country 94 (CHSJ-FM) Saint John, NB. Brennan, the host of afternoon drive, had been with the station for 21 years. Also released was Country 94 and  97.3 The Wave (CHWV-FM) news anchor Tamara Steele, who had been with the stations since 2007, in addition to morning show co-host Bobbi Lee Gray, who had been with “The Breakfast Club” morning show for more than a decade. Zach Perry, who previously helmed middays on 97.3 The Wave, joins the morning show.

Jocelyn Martin has parted ways with Vista Radio’s Country 90.5 (CFCH-FM) North Bay and the Moose FM network. Martin had been with Vista since 2021, hosting middays across a total of seven stations, including the Ontario South Moose FM network, Country 90.5, and most recently 2Day FM (CHGK-FM) Stratford.

Keith Leask has retired from his full-time position at Air 106.1 (CFIT-FM) and Discover Airdrie. Leask, who’d been with Air 106.1 for the last six years, is continuing to work with Golden West Broadcasting part-time as the provincial news announcer for Alberta and Saskatchewan. Prior to rejoining the company in 2017, Leask previously worked with Golden West as a station manager, among other roles, from 1983 to 2009.

Jason Manaois is moving on from 980 CKNW Vancouver. Manaois has been a chase and content producer with the station since 2020, most recently serving as lead producer on The Simi Sara Show.

Colm Cobb Howes has joined CBC Nunavut. Howes, who graduated from Western University’s Master of Media Studies program in 2021, has been an associate producer with CBC Toronto for the last two years.

Jeff Vanderwal has been promoted to Vice President, Scripted at Cineflix Productions. Based in Toronto, Vanderwal reports to J.C. Mills, President and Head of Content, Cineflix Productions. Since moving to the Cineflix Productions scripted team in 2018, he has developed and produced a wide range of projects including I Was Lorena Bobbitt and Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey, along with crime thrillers Stolen by Their Father and Left for Dead: The Ashley Reeves Story. He is currently developing a crime series based on the Wakeland novels by Vancouver author Sam Wiebe.

Rick Lewchuk, who most recently served as Senior Vice President, Creative Marketing and Brand Standards for CNN Worldwide, has unveiled his new firm Film at 11 Marketing, providing coaching for news, sports, and entertainment marketers. For over a decade, Lewchuk oversaw on-air and off-channel brand and marketing for all CNN Worldwide businesses including CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español, HLN, CNN Go, and CNN Digital. He joined CNN in 2012 after serving for nearly 20 years in senior-level executive positions at Bell Media, including SVP of Bell Media Agency and Brand Strategy, and SVP of Program Planning and Promotion at CTV.

RADIO & PODCAST:

The CRTC has written a letter to Corus Entertainment questioning its recent move to simulcast 770 CHQR programming on CFGQ-FM Calgary. Corus debuted QR Calgary: Talk on FM on Jan. 9, abandoning the former Q107 Classic Rock format. In its letter, dated Jan. 24, the CRTC questions whether the licencee is in compliance, saying that according to its records and the station’s 2014 licence renewal, there are no rebroadcasting transmitters authorized to simulcast CHQR’s programming. Additionally, CFGQ-FM-1 Banff is the only transmitter authorized to broadcast CFGQ-FM Calgary. The commission has asked Corus if it intends to keep both stations in operation, saying thus far it “has not received an application nor made a determination authorizing CFGQ-FM Calgary to be added as a rebroadcasting transmitter on CHQR Calgary’s broadcasting licence.” Corus has not applied for a licence amendment to operate CFGQ-FM in the Specialty format. Read more here.

Q with Tom Power has launched a daily, podcast-first format, available to stream or download each morning as of Jan. 30. Upcoming episodes will feature in-depth interviews with Alexander Skarsgaard, Anna Kendrick, James Cameron, M.Night Shyamalan, Pamela Anderson, Sam Smith, Sarah Polley, Shania Twain, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and Tegan and Sara. The show is broadcast on CBC Radio One, weekdays at 10 a.m. (10:30 NT) and available each morning in podcast format

Front Burner Presents: The Naked Emperor is a forthcoming short-run series from the team behind CBC Podcasts’ daily news podcast, Front Burner. Set to debut in March, The Naked Emperor follows the case of crypto trader, Sam Bankman-Fried, the 30-year-old billionaire behind the FTX trading platform, who is now facing charges. Author and New Republic contributing editor Jacob Silverman hosts, leveraging his knowledge of the crypto world and personal interactions with Bankman-Fried.

Toronto Star true crime podcast, Suspicion: The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman, returns for a second season on Feb. 10, continuing its in-depth look at the high-profile murders of Honey and Barry Sherman. Hosted by the Star’s chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan, Suspicion, Season 2, will feature eight original episodes with friends and family who knew the Shermans best, continuing to probe the case of the famous Toronto couple found strangled in their home in 2017. Donovan has covered the Sherman case from day one and on top of reporting on the murders for the Star, has written a book about the case, The Billionaire Murders. Toronto Star subscribers will get exclusive early access to behind-the-scenes bonus episodes.

SiriusXM Canada has announced its fifth annual SiriusXM Top of the Country competition, through an ongoing partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA). Registration is now open to emerging solo artists and groups until Feb. 13. In addition to the $25,000 grand prize, SiriusXM is furthering its commitment to elevating Canadian talent by awarding $10,000 prizes to the competition’s two runners-up. New this year, all three finalists will also head to Nashville for performance spots at the 2023 CMA Fest, plus showcase and mentorship opportunities with key industry members. They will also receive stage performances at Lasso Montréal this August and participate in a Nashville SOCAN songwriting camp. Last year’s winner, SACHA, had her single What The Truck (with The Reklaws) become the fastest-ever Canadian country song to go gold, following her victory.

The CFNY Spirit of Radio documentary is now in production. Spearheaded by former 102.1 The Edge program director Alan Cross, those who’ve been interviewed for the doc thus far include David Marsden, Ivar Hamilton, JR (Jim Reid), Liz Janik, Scot Turner, Humble and Fred, Phil Evans, Brother Bill (aka Neil Morrison), Andre Tilk, and Roger Powell, in addition to numerous artists sharing their recollections of the station. Cross shares in an update on his A Journal of Musical Things blog that they hope to have a first cut done by early November with the goal to submit a 90-minute version to SXSW (South by Southwest) for screening consideration next year.

Orbyt Media has debuted a new look, returning the word “Media” to the Bell Media-owned syndication network’s branding, which the company says asserts it as a destination for “all things media, including promotional and trafficking software, imaging and production, podcasts, social media, and other digital offerings.” Orbyt Media’s slogan for 2023 is “Experience Beyond.”

LISTEN: Dean Blundell joins this week’s Sound Off Podcast to talk about his newest venture: Crier Media, a cooperative of podcasters, writers, bloggers, and former radio industry pros. Crier Media wants to shift the focus back to the talent and give them a springboard to do whatever they want with their own content. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

SIGN OFFS:

Jim Hault, 84, on Feb. 4. Born in Calgary, Hault started his radio career with CJCA Edmonton in 1962. In 1967, he relocated to Vancouver, first joining CJOR, with stints to follow at CKLG in 1968, CFUN in 1973, and CKNW in 1983. After parting ways with CKNW in 1992, Hault continued to serve as the imaging voice for Global BC until 2011. He also lent his voice to many documentary projects over the years, including Battle for the Trees (1993), Coquihalla – Highway 5: 20 Months Through the Mountains (1986) and Vancouver: Focus on Expo 86 (1986).

George Ross Robertson, 89, on Jan. 29. Born in Brampton, ON, over the course of a more than 60-year stage, film and TV career, Robertson enjoyed over 80 roles, best known for appearing in the original Police Academy film and six sequels as Chief Hurst. Robertson held roles in three separate films nominated for Best Picture, including Airport (1970), Norma Rae (1979) and JFK (1991), in addition to appearances in Rosemary’s Baby (1968), National Lampoon’s Senior Trip (1995), and Murder at 1600 (1997), among other film and television roles. He was honoured with the Margaret Collier Award in 1993, recognizing his writing work in film and television. A UNICEF ambassador, among other causes he was dedicated to, Robertson was named Humanitarian of the Year at the Gemini Awards in 2004. He received the Danny Kaye UNICEF Canada award in 1990.

George C. Robertson, 93, on Jan. 1. Robertson sold his first radio play to CBC Vancouver in the late 1940s while studying at UBC with Canadian poet Earle Birney’s Creative Writing class. After completing a post-graduate fellowship in Creative Writing at Iowa State, Robertson returned to Canada and took up work as a writer with the National Film Board in Ottawa. He returned to Vancouver in 1953 and joined CBC as a radio producer, directing shows like” Jazz Workshop”, “Hotel Downbeat”, and drama series “Don Quixote” and “The Amateur Gentleman.” Robertson eventually moved into television, working on network documentaries for “Explorations” and “Here And Now” and producing variety program, “A Show Called X”, as well as interview music series, “Night Beat.” He went on to join CBC Ottawa as executive producer of current affairs series “Something Else”, followed by CBC Toronto in 1971 where he produced several historical programs before joining Current Affairs the following year. From 1984 until his retirement in 1989, Robertson was a producer for the “fifth estate”, specializing in short documentaries.

TV & FILM:

BDC has announced a new $30 million financing envelope aimed at medium-sized businesses in the creative and cultural industries across media and audiovisual, video games, motion picture and sound production, sound recording, and radio and television broadcasting. The new financing, which will typically start at $2 million, is specifically targeted at rapidly growing businesses with business consolidation, business transition, or the development of original content in mind. BDC is partnering with Telefilm Canada to identify and develop untapped business potential and joint initiatives, including a financial support referral program. Over the next year, BDC says it will aim to intensify its reach across the creative and cultural industries by forging additional partnerships in different sub sectors in support of inclusive growth. 

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Thank you for the tour, @SenecaCollege. Wish something like this existed when I was starting out. #SenecaProud pic.twitter.com/6dSiCoFLZH

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) February 1, 2023

Seneca College welcomed actor, producer and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds on campus on Feb. 1 where he met with students and toured the labs, studios and classrooms at the Seneca Film Institute (SFI) within the Faculty of Communication, Art & Design. Reynolds’ visit caused quite a stir among those on campus as he generously posed for photos and videos, while complimenting the FCAD facilities and programs. Recently launched, the Seneca Film Institute brings together FCAD faculty, industry partners and alumni to provide a cross-disciplinary experience, including applied research and co-productions with external partners.

Samantha Bee will host the Canadian Screen Awards on Sunday, April 16 at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. AT, 9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC and CBC Gem. The Canadian comedian will host the broadcast show, marking the final day of Canadian Screen Week 2023, following a week of seven genre-based awards shows taking place in-person in Toronto for the first time in four years, Tuesday, April 11 through Friday, April 14.

Pluto TV and Blue Ant Media have announced a content partnership with four Blue Ant Media-owned channels now live on Pluto TV in Canada. The new channels include HauntTV, Crimetime, HistoryTime and Homeful, giving viewers in Canada free access to Blue Ant’s extensive library of paranormal, true crime, home improvement, and historical events programming. Blue Ant Media currently has its global free streaming channels available in other Pluto TV markets with Nature Time available in France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Spain; HauntTV available in the UK; and Love Nature launched as a branded block on Pluto TV in the U.S. 

Pluto TV and Fuse Media, a Latino-owned multi-platform entertainment company dedicated to amplifying young multicultural voices around the world, have secured the first North American distribution deal for OUTtv Proud. In addition, the companies have partnered to bring the Shades of Black channel to Pluto TV Canada, streaming later this month on the service. The OUTtv Proud channel serves 2SLGBTQ+ audiences with an extensive collection of OUTtv original series, documentaries, films and specials, launching with more than 400 hours of content. The Shades of Black Channel celebrates Black culture with an exclusive collection of studio and independent films, scripted and reality series, documentaries, and specials that authentically represent global Black culture. Shades of Black is a partnership between Cinedigm, Quincy Newell’s TwentyOne14 Media and Fuse Media. 

Corus Studios is extending its partnership with Canadian-born icon Pamela Anderson. The network has renewed Pamela’s Garden of Eden, continuing the star’s renovation of her grandmother’s six-acre legacy property on Vancouver Island. Aired on HGTV Canada last fall where it performed within the Top 10 original Canadian specialty programs (according to data provided by Corus), the series is currently in production on Season 2 (8×60) and will also see Anderson travel back and forth to L.A. to help son, Brandon Lee, renovate his first property. Corus has also greenlit new entertaining series, Pamela’s Cooking With Love (working title) (8×60), which will begin production this summer. Read more here.

Rubble & Crew, a spinoff of preschool franchise PAW Patrol, has debuted on Corus kids networks Treehouse and STACKTV. Produced by Spin Master Entertainment, the spinoff series follows the adventures of fan-favorite English bulldog Rubble and his construction crew family. The series is set in the community of Builder Cove, a neighbouring town to PAW Patrol’s Adventure Bay.

Crave has released the trailer and key art for its upcoming original drama series, Little Bird. From Crave, APTN, Rezolution Pictures, and OP Little Bird, in partnership with global producer and distributor Fremantle, the six-part, one-hour limited series follows an Indigenous woman on a journey to find her birth family, and uncover the hidden truth of her past. The series is set to debut on Crave and APTN lumi. Led by an Indigenous creative team, Little Bird is developed by showrunner Jennifer Podemski and Rezolution Pictures, and created by Podemski and head writer Hannah Moscovitch. 

The 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts gets underway Feb. 17 on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN app. Play-by-play commentators Vic Rauter and Bryan Mudryk are on-site in Kamloops, BC, delivering the call alongside analysts Cathy Gauthier, a three-time Scotties champion; and Russ Howard, a two-time Brier and World Championship winner and 2006 Olympic gold medallist. Joining them is analyst Joanne Courtney, also a former Scotties winner, Women’s World Champion, and 2018 Olympian. TSN’s Curling Day in Canada returns Feb. 25, following the first page playoff at the Scotties. Hosted by TSN’s Lindsay Hamilton and Bob Weeks, the hour-long program shines a spotlight on diversity and inclusion within the curling community, highlighting a curling program in Winnipeg for Ukrainian refugees and how curling organizers are seeking to provide greater opportunities to play within racialized and Indigenous communities. TSN’s complete curling broadcast schedule is available here. 

The Blue Jays on Sportsnet season gets underway March 30 as the squad meets the St. Louis Cardinals for a three-game showdown. On April 11, the Jays return to Canada for their Home Opener at the newly-renovated Rogers Centre against the Detroit Tigers. Both broadcasts will kick off with a special edition of Blue Jays Central with Jamie Campbell and Joe Siddall on Sportsnet and SN NOW.  Sportsnet is also bringing Canadians exclusive Spring Training coverage live from Dunedin with all 16 Blue Jays home games available across TV and streaming platforms, plus select road game broadcasts. Fans can  tune in to all 30 Spring Training broadcasts on the Sportsnet Radio Network, sportsnet.ca and the SN app. On TV & SN NOW, Dan Shulman delivers the play-by-play call alongside analyst Buck Martinez throughout the season. Siddall will also serve as game analyst for select series. At the Desk, Campbell, Siddall and Caleb Joseph return with their pre-, mid- and post-game insights on Blue Jays Central. On the Field, reporters Hazel Mae and Arden Zwelling provide the latest updates, while Tim & Friends break down the headlines weekday afternoons. Evanka Osmak, Ken Reid and the Sportsnet Central crew cover the post-game wrap up. Ben Wagner returns as the radio voice of the Blue Jays.

TSN and TSN+ are the new Canadian home for the 2023 NTT Indycar Series, with eight races available on TSN’s national television feeds, including the Indy 500 and Honda Indy Toronto. The season opens with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 5. TSN’s coverage of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship begins with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 5 on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN app, highlighted by the Canadian Grand Prix, live from the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montréal on Sunday, June 18. French-language coverage of F1 is available on RDS. Exclusive live companion feeds for each F1 race, including Pit Lane, Driver Tracker, Timing Feed, Mixed On-Board Cameras, and unique in-car driver feeds are available on TSN+. TSN also delivers the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series and 2023 NASCAR XFINITY Series, with live coverage of practice and qualifying available exclusively on TSN+.

Beach House Pictures, a Blue Ant Media production company, has announced the launch of its new natural history and wildlife content unit with the appointment of Claire Clements, a former zoologist turned award-winning wildlife filmmaker. Clements will serve as Head of Wild. Beach House Pictures is known for outputting unique wildlife stories from across Asia and the people who dedicate their lives to it. 

 

Super Channel has announced that two new original docuseries from Winnipeg’s Black Watch Entertainment are headed to Super Channel Fuse. Finally Caught, a new 26-episode true crime docuseries that explores cold cases and the personal journeys of those impacted, is set to premiere Feb. 17 as part of the Friday night true crime block. Secrets, Lies & DNA Ties, a 13-episode docuseries that follows two owners of the company DNA Confidential as they unravel family secrets and mysteries for their clients, will make its premiere March 6 in the channel’s Monday night docuseries block. All episodes of both series will drop On Demand the same day as their linear premiere for viewers to binge in their entirety.

299 Queen Street West will make its debut at SXSW (South by Southwest) on March 13. With unprecedented access to the MuchMusic archives, the documentary tells the story of the television upstart from the perspective of the VJs, including Steve Anthony, Rick Campanelli, Monika Deol, Denise Donlon, Erica Ehm, Namugenyi Kiwanuka, Sook-Yin Lee, George Stroumboulopoulos, Bill Welychka, and Michael Williams. Sean Menard, known for The Carter Effect (2017), Fight Mom (2016) and The Perfect Storm: Story on the 1994 Montreal Expos (2015), directs, with Justin Stockman, VP, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media, serving as Executive Producer.

AMI, in partnership with Anaïd Productions, will debut Ness Murby: Transcending on March 8 on AMI-tv and on demand at AMI.ca and the AMI-tv app. The six-part documentary series follows groundbreaking Paralympian Ness Murby as he trains, vying to become the world’s first openly trans man to compete at a Paralympic Games. 

The Moose Knuckles Heatmakers x Prism Prize Music Video Production Grant has been launched to encourage the production of high-quality music video content from the Canadian hip-hop community. The program is exclusively focused on applications in the rap and hip-hop genre, though artists who blend genres may also be considered. Review the program guidelines here.

LISTEN: The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has released its 11th annual Key Trends Report, exploring how the screen-based industries might evolve in the coming years, including where advertising, viewer habits, and media technology are headed. On the latest episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, we welcome the CMF’s Richard Koo, VP, Analytics & Strategic Insights, and Florence Girot, Manager Foresight and Innovation, to discuss this year’s findings; why the death of traditional TV is overstated; and the potential impact of AI on media creators.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

Brunswick News’ English-language daily newspapers will appear in print just three days a week, starting March 7, according to a Postmedia announcement. Citing the logistical and economic challenges of print and changing reader consumption habits, the move was announced in a note to readers on the websites of the Saint John Telegraph-Journal, Moncton Times & Transcript, and the Daily Gleaner in Fredericton. Print editions will be published Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with the note saying that Brunswick News “will continue to cover the news of our province seven days a week on our website.” Postmedia Network acquired Brunswick News from J. D. Irving in early 2022 for $7.5 million in cash, plus $8.6 million in Postmedia shares.

Overstory Media Group (OMG) has issued a formal statement following a round of staff reductions last week – the digital news startup’s second round of layoffs since early December. In the statement, CEO and co-founder Farhan Mohamed says based on revenue growth in 2022, the company scaled up its team. However, as macro-economic challenges slowed advertising and membership revenue, he says at a January board meeting, it was realized that at OMG’s current rate of losses, “we only had six months of cash left in the bank.” Mohamed says the recent staff reductions at Victoria’s Capital Daily – which included managing editor Jimmy Thomson, journalist and copy editor Jolene Rudisuela, and reporters Brishti Brasu and Shannon Waters – are not related to a parallel unionization drive that saw a majority of OMG employees sign union cards with CWA Canada.

Nunatsiaq News is celebrating 50 years. Launched in 1973 as the “Inukshuk” newsletter with a few hundred readers, it has grown into Nunavut and Nunavik’s newspaper of record with over two million web visits annually. The last independent paper in the Arctic, owned by Nortext, it has modernized Inuktitut language publishing with the first syllabic typesetting, desktop publishing and internet fonts. The paper currently boasts a team of 10, publishing six online stories a day, in addition to weekly updates in English and Inuktitut, covering news in 39 eastern Arctic communities spread over 2.5 million square kilometres and three time zones. Nunatsiaq says half of the newspaper’s readership is now in southern Canada and beyond, demonstrating the increased global interest in Arctic Canada.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Bill C-11 has been referred back to the House of Commons after receiving third and final reading in the Senate. Speaking at the Canadian Media Producers Association’s annual Prime Time conference in Ottawa last Thursday, Canadian Heritage Min. Pablo Rodriguez – who introduced the Online Streaming Act a year ago to the day on Feb. 2, 2022 – suggested that the government would support any or all amendments as long as none of them “weaken” the objective for a “modern bill” that recognizes that “we’ve changed the way we look at things.” Bill C-11 is the second attempt by the federal Liberal government to modernize the Broadcasting Act and recognize digital media, which Rodriguez’s predecessor, Steven Guilbeault, tried to do with Bill C-10 in 2020. Senators made 26 amendments to 12 clauses of the 56-page bill following an exhaustive review by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications. Read more here.

The CRTC has dismissed Bell Media’s complaint against Videotron alleging undue disadvantage and preference regarding the distribution of VRAK and Z. The commission’s decision ends the standstill with regard to the distribution of both services with the CRTC encouraging Bell and Videotron to continue to work towards a resolution.

BCE results for Q4 and the full-year 2022 resulted in a 5.2%, or $0.19 per share increase in the BCE annual common share dividend to $3.87. BCE operating revenue in Q4 increased 3.7% over Q4 2021 to $6,439 million, comprised of 2.1% higher service revenue and a 12.4% increase in product revenue, driven by wireless, residential internet and media growth as well as higher year-over-year business wireline data equipment sales. For the full-year, BCE operating revenue grew 3.1% to $24,174 million with year-over-year increases of 3.0% in service revenue and 3.8% in product revenue. Net earnings in Q4 decreased 13.8% to $567 million, with year-over-year declines due to higher asset impairment charges, mainly related to Bell Media’s French-language TV properties reflecting market and economic-related pressures on advertising demand. For the full-year, net earnings increased 1.2% to $2,926 million.

Rogers Communications has announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2022. Total revenue and total service revenue each increased by 6% in Q4, driven primarily by revenue growth in Rogers’ Wireless and Media businesses. Wireless service revenue increased by 7% in the quarter, primarily as a result of higher roaming revenue associated with increased travel and a larger postpaid mobile phone subscriber base. Media revenue increased by 17% in the quarter, primarily as a result of higher sports-related revenue, including higher Toronto Blue Jays revenue, and higher advertising revenue, partially offset by lower revenue at Today’s Shopping Choice (TSC). Media adjusted EBITDA increased by $83 million in Q4.

Rogers Sports & Media’s Women in Production 2022 Annual Report indicates 51% of key in-house creative, editorial and decision-making roles are now held by women. A voluntary action plan to ensure more women have the opportunity to become decision-makers within the Canadian film and television production industry, Rogers Sports & Media says its efforts are focused on its in-house programming and productions where it can effect the greatest change. Of 74 managerial production and news roles, 31 of those positions (42%) are held by women. 80% of programming and planning decision roles are held by women, along with 58% of on-air journalism positions. Read more here.

CBC/Radio-Canada is joining forces with its public broadcaster counterparts in Belgium (RTBF), Switzerland (SRG SSR), and Germany (ZDF) to explore new ways for public service media to support citizen engagement and democratic discourse. The new Public Spaces Incubator (PSI) initiative will develop and test solutions encouraging meaningful online conversations on issues of public interest, free from harassment or bullying. The effort aims to stimulate inclusive exchanges reflecting diverse viewpoints and promote greater empathy and understanding, without suppressing perspectives or ideas. Work on the research and development project will be done in collaboration with New_ Public, a non-profit organization focused on building healthy digital spaces. 

Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) J-Talks Live webcast on Thursday, Feb. 9 features Ros Atkins, News Analysis Editor of BBC News, who’ll join the CBC’s Andrew Chang to discuss the art of the viral news explainer. Atkins is known for his fact-packed news videos, shared widely across social media and BBC platforms, representing a new form of storytelling for the digital age. The free webcast will stream at noon ET. Register here.

 

 

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

NLogic has launched a new Cross-Platform Video Insights tool to help broadcasters better access and understand Numeris’ VAM (Video Audience Measurement) data. The new tool features a dashboard that allows users to quickly access share of tuning data by market, month, incremental reach, streaming share of viewing by device, and duplication across linear TV, OTT services, and online viewing. NLogic says the interactive reports will be offered free for a limited time to help clients build a better understanding of how and where viewers are consuming video content. Those wanting more in-depth access to the data will need to subscribe to NLogic’s IntarVAM application. Launched in the fall of 2021, Numeris’ VAM solution is currently only available in Ontario and French Quebec. A Numeris spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue the audience insights provider is continuing to work on the rollout of a national cross-platform solution. Read more here.

Dark Slope and Immersion Room have joined forces, bringing together Dark Slope’s 2,000 sq. ft. motion capture stage and its team of game engine artists, technologists, and storytellers together with Immersion Room’s 6,500 sq. ft. Toronto studio featuring an 800 sq. ft. LED volume using their leading edge virtual production LED-volume ecosystem. The all-in-one solution leverages virtual production technology allowing studios and agencies to contribute to virtual production sessions through real-time remote collaboration tools. Dark Slope developed its remote-enabled, motion capture and Unreal-engine Flex KS pipeline while working on a production for NBCUniversal, with other creators now able to realize its benefits. Immersion Room’s restructured LED volume technology to be filmmaker-first, removes restrictions, enabling the use of tools and techniques that were extremely difficult inside LED volumes in the past.

NAB Show will feature a new “Broadcast District” in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, a destination for radio and television broadcasters offering educational sessions, networking and special events, April 15-19. Featured exhibitors include AJA, Amagi, AWS, Harmonic, Intelstat, LTN Global, MediaKind, Microsoft, Nautel, Planar, Signiant, Telestream, Vislink, Verimatrix, Veritone, Vislink and Vizrt. The Broadcast District will encompass NAB Show Conference sessions focused on radio and television; the NAB Small and Medium Market Radio Forum; NAB Diversity Symposium; NAB Leadership Foundation’s Focus on Leadership Speaker Series; and the Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference; as well as TV and Radio HQ, a networking destination for broadcasters open Sunday, April 16 – Tuesday, April 18, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

FEATURE: WABE (Western Association of Broadcast Engineers) has secured a venue for its fall conference, Nov. 27–29. WABE’s 73rd annual convention will be held at the Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, including a first-of-its-kind Monday Media Mixer, open to anyone working with media technology who wants to meet, mingle, and make new connections within the industry. Read President Tessa Potter’s February message here.