REVOLVING DOOR:
We love you, @dinapugliese ❤️ pic.twitter.com/e0kVwhXqR6
— Breakfast Television (@breakfasttv) February 15, 2023
Dina Pugliese has announced she’s stepping down as co-host of Citytv’s Breakfast Television after 16 years with the show. The veteran Toronto television personality made the announcement Wednesday morning, citing burnout and the toll the early morning live show has had on her health over the years. Pugliese says she plans on spending more quality time with her family, travelling with her husband, and devoting more of her schedule to her clean beauty line, The Care Principle, which she launched three years ago. Pugliese’s last day on the show will be Friday, Feb. 24. Read more here.
Tammie Sutherland is officially the new full-time news anchor on Citytv’s Breakfast Television. Sutherland has been filling in since Melanie Ng’s departure in October of last year to spend more time with her family. Sutherland has been with Citytv since 2008.
Jed Kahane, the former long-serving CTV Montreal news director, has a new position as Manager of Media Relations for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Bell Media cut his position last summer concluding a 33-year journalism career that included time reporting for both CBC News and CTV National News in Calgary and Montreal.
Jill Krop, who stepped down from her role as BC Regional Director of Global News in September 2020, capping a 35-year journalism career, has been named Executive Director of the B.C. Lacrosse Association. Krop, whose 14-year-old son is a player and has volunteered with BCLA, succeeds Jeff Gombar in the role.
Griffin Jaeger has been hired as the first-ever dedicated Social Media Reporter for CBC flagship newscast, The National. A 2022 graduate of Western University’s Master of Media in Journalism and Communication program, Jaeger has been working with the public broadcaster since last year as an associate producer and web writer.
Leila Wright has been appointed Executive Director, Telecommunications, at the CRTC. Wright began her career practicing competition law and commercial litigation. She joined the Competition Bureau in 2013, where she has held a number of increasingly senior executive roles, most recently Deputy Commissioner for Digital Enforcement and Intelligence. Prior to that, she was the Associate Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Planning and Advocacy, where she led major initiatives aimed at promoting competition.
Doug Burnett, SaskTel President and CEO, will retire in June after 30 years with the company. Burnett joined SaskTel in 1990 as Corporate Counsel and after seven years became General Manager, Human Resources and later VP, Human Resources and Corporate Services. He served as Acting President for several years, before being appointed President and CEO in 2019. The executive search for a new President will be led by the SaskTel Board of Directors and begin shortly.
John Manley has been named Chair of the Board of TELUS, effective following his re-election at TELUS’ annual general meeting in early May. The former Deputy Prime Minister and Senior Business Advisor with Bennett Jones LLP, will succeed Dick Auchinleck who is retiring after 20 years of service on the TELUS Board, including eight as Chair. Manley was previously the president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada from 2010 to 2018, and formerly chaired the boards of CIBC and aviation and aerospace company, CAE.
Ana Serrano and Victoria Wing Chi Chan have been named to the National Film Board (NFB) by Canadian Heritage. Both will serve three-year terms, the latter on a part-time basis. Serrano is the President and Vice Chancellor of OCAD University and a managing director of the Canadian Film Centre’s IDEABOOST digital accelerator.
Terry DiMonte is continuing his recovery at home after post-op complications following a heart valve operation at Vancouver General Hospital in January. The former CHOM Montreal and Q107 (CFGQ-FM) Calgary morning man, who retired to the West Coast in 2021, spent 25 days on a ventilator in the ICU. DiMonte, 65, has most recently been co-hosting Standing By: The Terry & Ted Podcast with Ted Bird, and co-hosting Saturday Mornings with Terry & Ted on Lite 106.7 (CHSV-FM) St. Lazare.
RADIO & PODCAST:
The CRTC has found that Yellowknife, NWT cannot support an additional commercial radio station at this time. The Yellowknife radio market is currently served by one commercial radio station operated by Vista Radio, CJCD-FM, one French-language community radio station operated by Société Radio Taïga, CIVR-FM, and one Indigenous (Type B Native) station operated by the Native Communications Society of the N.W.T., CKLB-FM. The commission noted that the market is generally underperforming in terms of revenue and profitability when compared to the Whitehorse and Iqaluit markets, as well as nationally. Furthermore, the decision reveals CJCD-FM had declining revenues the five years prior to the pandemic and subsequently. The decision effectively ends a bid by online station, Cabin Radio to secure an FM licence.
Radiodays North America has announced the first round of speakers appearing at the inaugural conference, June 8-9 in Toronto, as part of Canadian Music Week (CMW). Taking place at the Harbour Castle Westin Hotel, the expansion of the Radiodays radio and audio industry conference brand to North America, replaces the long-running Radio Active conference. Featured speakers will include: Aled Haydn-Jones, Head of Radio 1 at BBC, on successfully attracting youth audiences; Catherine Burns, Artistic Director of The Moth Podcast, on the journey of storytelling vs. story taking; James Cridland, Radio Futurologist and Editor of Podnews, on the best new podcasting tools and how radio stations can utilize them; and Dennis Clarke, Vice President of Talent Development, iHeartMedia, on developing on-air personalities. Read more here.
Country Music Alberta has announced the nominees for their 12th annual awards to be handed out April 1-2 in Calgary. Among those nominated for Radio Station of the Year (Large Market) are Country 105 (CKRY-FM) Calgary; 840 CFCW Edmonton; CJWE FM Calgary; CFWE FM Edmonton; and WILD 95.3 (CKWD-FM) Calgary. In the Small/Medium Market category: Sun Country 99.7 (CFXO-FM) High River; CKFM 96.5 Olds; 104.5 More Country (CKMR-FM) Strathmore; Real Country 95.9 (CKSA-FM) Lloydminster; and New Country 98.1 (CFCW-FM) Camrose. Among those nominated for Industry Person of the Year are Real Country 95.9 FM Lloydminster afternoon drive host Sarah Scott, who also hosts the Studio B Podcast, as well as digital creator Codi McIvor.
CF Montréal and BPM Sports have a new two-year partnership agreement as the club’s French-language radio broadcaster. BPM Sports, via 91.9 (CKLX-FM) Montreal, will once again broadcast all CF Montréal regular season and playoff matches. Coverage will include a half hour pre-game show, as well as a half hour post-game show for road games and an hour-long show for games played in Montreal. The new agreement sees the introduction of a new broadcast team comprised of Maxime Van Houtte as play-by-play commentator, Sydney Fowo as colour analyst and Georges Laraque as the sideline reporter. For a seventh consecutive year, BPM Sports will also air dedicated soccer show, FC 919, with Olivier Brett returning as host.
CBC Podcasts and Kelly&Kelly have launched Let’s Make A Rom-Com, the sequel to hit comedy podcast, Let’s Make a Sci-Fi. Hosts and comedians Maddy Kelly, Mark Chavez, and Ryan Beil are back, inviting listeners to follow along as they try to write a successful script for a romantic comedy feature film. Let’s Make A Rom-Com features interviews with screenwriter Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith (Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You), writer-director Ol Parker (Ticket to Paradise, Mama Mia II), comedian Phoebe Robinson (Everything’s Trash), and actor Karan Soni (Deadpool, Always Be My Maybe), among others. New episodes will be released every Monday. Let’s Make A Sci-Fi was highlighted as a “Best Podcast of 2022” by both The New Yorker and Vulture Magazine. Later this year, Kelly&Kelly will release the first-ever podcast sitcom, also written by Maddy Kelly.
Cynthia Loyst, co-host of CTV’s The Social, and Josie Dye, host of The Josie Dye Show on Indie88 (CIND-FM) Toronto, launched their new podcast, Unmentionables, on Valentine’s Day. Unmentionables tackles taboo topics from cheating to sexual fantasies. It will air episodes weekly on iHeart Media Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google, in addition to a short form video series where the hosts will answer fan questions.
CPAC (Canadian Parliamentary Affairs Channel) has relaunched the Today in Politics podcast with new host Julie Van Dusen. Van Dusen spent three decades on Parliament Hill with CBC, reporting on every major political convention, election, leadership race, and First Ministers’ conference during her career. She left the CBC in 2020 to author “You Can’t Write the Script,” a book about her mother, artist and author Shirley Van Dusen. Listeners can subscribe to Today in Politics on all major podcasting platforms.
24 Shades of Blue, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) podcast intended to give listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the department, has cost TPS more than $330,000 so far, according to a CBC News investigation. Produced by Obie & Ax Inc., which has offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Delaware, the sole-source contract was initially awarded in 2020, according to the report by CBC, which had to file a freedom of information request to obtain the financial details. TPS says the podcast has reached fewer than 95,000 people across its platforms.
SCTV character duo Bob & Doug McKenzie have resurfaced to support a new national, radio-anchored Beer Canada campaign urging Ottawa to freeze the federal tax on beer. Beer Canada, the national voice of Canadian brewers and beer consumers, has been lobbying against a planned April 1 federal tax increase of 6.3%. While Dave Thomas (Doug) and Rick Moranis (Bob) rarely appear as the fictional Canadian brothers that rose to fame in the 1980s as the hosts of SCTV sketch “Great White North,” the organization was stunned when they responded after reaching out to Thomas’ agent. Among the creative team working on the campaign was veteran comedy writer and creative director Larry MacInnis. The campaign, which also includes print and digital media placements, is anchored by three 30-second radio spots, running coast-to-coast, in which Thomas and Moranis revive classic “Bob & Doug-isms” like “take off, eh” and signature call “Coo loo coo coo, coo coo coo coo,” a nod to the vintage Hinterland Who’s Who wildlife vignettes that aired on Canadian TV. Read more here.
LISTEN: There are few modern radio programs in the storytelling genre that have resonated with audiences like The Vinyl Cafe. Hosted by the late Stuart McLean, the long-running CBC Radio show aired from 1994 to 2016. For the first time, The Vinyl Cafe’s longtime producer Jess Milton is sharing behind-the-scenes stories from her 15 years working on and touring with the show. She joins us on this episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe, her new podcast – produced with the Apostrophe Podcast Company – diving into the making of the legendary radio show. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
LISTEN: Cathy Faulkner, former Music Director at KISW Seattle, joins Matt Cundill on the latest Sound Off Podcast to talk about championing the local music scene and her front row view to the ascension of Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and other Seattle bands like Queensryche and Candlebox, who shaped the soundtrack of rock radio in the ‘90s. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:
SIGN OFFS:
Bob Sharples, 85, on Jan. 26. Sharples held numerous jobs, including working as aircrew for the Royal Canadian Air Force, before he got into broadcasting with his first radio job at CFGP Grande Prairie, AB in 1962 where he quickly ascended to the role of news director. Sharple’s 37-year career continued at CBC Vancouver where he transitioned into television in 1967 as an anchor and host. He went on to host “The Good Morning Show” on CBC Radio, going on to develop the new “Daybreak” program, which had a 13-year run before it was cancelled. Over the years, he also provided the narration for many skits on radio and television comedy series “Double Exposure,” alongside impressionists Bob Robertson and Linda Cullen. Following the conclusion of Daybreak, Sharples continued working with the public broadcaster as a news presenter for eight more years, retiring in 1999.
TV & FILM:
Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund (CMF) have launched their new MADE | NOUS campaign “MADE Better” with a series of Hollywood billboards celebrating Canadian filmmakers that have been erected near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue in Los Angeles. Amid the sea of “For Your Consideration…” billboards in L.A. that pop up during awards season, the MADE | NOUS billboards share the visual of four directors’ chairs with the names (Denis) Villeneuve, (Sarah) Polley, (James) Cameron, and (Domee) Shi, accompanied by the message “Need Direction? Look North.” Other billboards in the campaign play on our collective reputation for politeness sharing the message that Canadians are “Politely Kicking Ass. (Sorry.)” Read more here.
Super Bowl LVII attracted an average audience of 8.6 million viewers across CTV, TSN and RDS, up 6% from last year’s game, according to preliminary data from Numeris. Overall, Bell Media says 17.3 million unique Canadian viewers or 45% of Canada’s population, tuned in to some or all of the the NFL championship game. Audiences peaked at 11.8 million viewers at 8:40 p.m. ET during Rihanna’s halftime performance. That compares to an average audience of 8.1 million viewers and 16.9 million unique Canadian viewers in 2022. The most-watched show of the 2022/23 broadcast season to date, combined live streaming of the game was up 26% compared to last year. Read more here.
The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has announced George Cheeks, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports for Paramount+, is confirmed to participate in the festival’s Summit Series on June 12 in a fireside conversation. The 44th edition of the festival will take place in-person June 11-14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Prior to joining CBS, Cheeks served more than seven years at NBCUniversal in senior executive positions that spanned creative, business and operational roles.
The PEI 2023 Host Society and Canada Games Council have unveiled the broadcast schedule and new streaming platform for the 2023 Canada Winter Games, Feb. 18 – March 5, in Charlottetown. The 15-day broadcast will feature over 1,200 hours of live event coverage and can be streamed for free on any device at CanadaGames.ca/watch, beginning with the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 18 at 7:30 pm AST. More than 140 hours of live competition and events will stream live on CBC Sports and Radio-Canada Sports digital platforms, including CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app.
CBC has cancelled Pretty Hard Cases, the female buddy cop comedy-drama starring Meredith MacNeill and Adrienne C. Moore, after three seasons with the series finale to air on March 8. Created by Tassie Cameron and Sherry White and produced by Cameron Pictures, Amazon Freevee co-produced Season 3, which will air on the streamer in the U.S. later this year.
CTV is adding new original comedy SHELVED to the network’s midseason schedule, airing Mondays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, beginning March 6. Created and executive produced by Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office), SHELVED follows the eclectic staff and patrons of the underfunded Jameson branch of the Metropolitan Public Library. Filmed in Toronto, the first season of the single-camera comedy consists of eight half-hour episodes. Wendy Yarmouth (The Expanse) plays the Branch Head, constantly aiming to provide services for the community despite bureaucracy, underfunding, and a lack of resources. Cast as her unconventional staff are Dakota Ray Hebert (Run Woman Run), Chris Sandiford (What We Do In The Shadows), and Paul Braunstein (Baroness Von Sketch Show).
Hoarders Canada, the highly-anticipated Canadian format of the Emmy-nominated television series Hoarders, lands in Canada on Makeful on March 4. Produced by Saloon Media, a Blue Ant Media production company, the series will tell the real-life stories of people directly affected by compulsive hoarding from Manitoba to Nunavut, Ontario and British Columbia. The series’ team of experts includes psychologist Dr. Murray Anderson, clinical therapist Natasha Sharma, psychotherapist Sarah Ahmed and professional organizers Kim Diamond, Julio Rivera, Ivanka Siolkowsky and Effy Terry. Makeful is on an eight-week nationwide free preview until April 2.
WildBrain Television has unveiled a new live-action slate of Canadian content, including the debut of Life with Derek spinoff, Life with Luca, which picks up 18 years after the original series. Life with Luca premieres on Family Channel on Feb. 20. New series I Woke Up a Vampire and Home Sweet Rome are set to premiere later this spring. WildBrain’s English-language channels are on free preview until March 20.
Vérité Films’ series, Jeremy and Jazzy, has been renewed by CBC Kids for a second season. Launched last fall, Season 1 of the series has been sold to Narrative Entertainment UK for air on indie broadcaster, Tiny Pop. Additionally, the Jeremy and Jazzy debut album, Say Hello, is up for Children’s Album of the Year at the upcoming JUNO Awards with all songs written by singer, co-creator and executive producer Jeremy Fisher and performed by Fisher (Jeremy) and actress, singer and producer Aiza Ntibarikure (Jazzy). Jeremy and Jazzy have plans for a tour and new book in 2023.
3 Story Pictures and Blue Hill Productions have commenced principal photography on Season 1 of Treaty Road, the six-part docuseries that follows Dakota/Anishinaabekwe educator and researcher, Erin Goodpipe (RezX, The Other Side, Bathsheba: Search for Evil), and Métis writer, director and producer Saxon de Cocq (The Other Side, The Invincible Sergeant Bill) as they uncover the truth about the signing of the Numbered Treaties, between 1871 and 1921. To be broadcast on APTN later this year, filming is taking place across Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
Longhope Media and CBC have announced new CBC Gem original comedy You’re My Hero, set to launch March 24. Created by and starring Sean Towgood, the seven-part, 15-minute episode series is about a 20-something with cerebral palsy who navigates the pressures of adult life in a world not designed for wheels. The show was inspired by Towgood’s actual experiences from the frustrating to the weird and downright absurd. You’re My Hero’s cast includes Vas Saranga, Tina Jung, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Ali Hassan, Cassidy Civiero, George Alevizos, Joanne Latimer, Kelsey Flower, and Christian Smith.
Proper Television is returning to in-person casting for the upcoming seventh season of The Great Canadian Baking Show. It also marks the first time that its previously invitation-only events are open call, asking any and all home bakers to attend. After casting the previous three seasons virtually, producers are adding an in-person tour of select cities to meet with local bakers and taste their signature baking with stops in Halifax (Feb. 27), Montreal (Feb. 28), Edmonton (March 1), and Winnipeg (March 3).
The Human Rights Watch Canada Film Festival (HRWFF), in partnership with Hot Docs Cinema, will be held March 8 to 19. All tickets for both in-person and digital screenings are free and accessible to anyone in Canada with internet. The 20th anniversary festival program will consist of five films covering a variety of human rights topics, including the powerful Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, which will open the festival. The screening will be followed by a special discussion for International Women’s Day with Lisa Laflamme, focused on the experiences of women in the Ukraine conflict and the vulnerabilities of women and children in wartime. Feature-length documentary KOROMOUSSO: Big Sister, co-directed by Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan and produced by the NFB, will also have its world premiere at the festival.
The National Screen Institute (NSI) has opened applications for CBC New Indigenous Voices, a full-time, 14-week training program for up to 10 Indigenous creators to learn the essential elements of working in the film, TV and digital media industries. Emerging Indigenous creators looking to explore career opportunities and gain hands-on experience are encouraged to apply. Participants receive minimum wage throughout the program. CBC New Indigenous Voices training will be delivered in-person in Winnipeg with travel and accommodation support provided. The deadline to apply is March 17.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is partnering with Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada for the Warner Bros. Discovery Curatorial Programming Fellowship, a training and development program supporting Canadian talent who are Indigenous, Black, people of colour, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2IA+, and Francophone members of the aforementioned communities. Running from April to September, the successful applicant will take on the role of Programming Associate to one of TIFF’s International Programmers for the duration of the 2023 festival programming cycle. Compensation of $15,000 over the course of the fellowship will be paid to the successful applicant to support their learning experience.
The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) has announced the return of its annual fundraising gala, May 11, at Rebel in Toronto. Back for the first time since 2020, The CFC Gala: Take 35 will celebrate CFC’s 35th anniversary. The organization’s largest fundraising event, the Gala raises funds to enable full resident scholarships and CFC’s suite of programs across film and television, screen acting, composing and songwriting for the screen and digital and immersive media. This year’s reimagined event includes a cocktail reception and dinner, online auction, as well as new after party, CFC After Dark, where guests will enjoy a high-energy dance party and DJ show.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
Unifor says it’s ”extremely concerned” about alleged editorial interference at Queen’s Park Briefing (QP Briefing) that led to the resignations of Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross and writer Charlie Pinkerton. The allegations surfaced last week following purported interference from the top down around the controversial story on Premier Doug Ford’s daughter’s stag-and-doe where a number of developers were on the guest list. Permission to publish the story as written was denied despite journalistic due diligence, according to the union. The story was subsequently picked up by other media outlets. Cross and Pinkerton’s resignations also coincide with layoffs at QP Briefing, including Jack Hauen, Aidan Charmandy and Sneh Duggal. QP Briefing and iPolitics were acquired by Paul Rivett in the splitting of NordStar’s assets as determined by court arbitration last November, while Jordan Bitove retained full ownership of Torstar. iPolitics employees – including QP Briefing staff – organized under Unifor in December.
BBTV Holdings, the Vancouver-headquartered content creator tech solutions provider, has announced that it has closed on a US$16.1 million senior secured term loan from New York investment capital firm, MEP Capital Holdings. The company intends to use the proceeds for working capital and to pay off its overdraft with a Canadian chartered bank. In Q4 2022, BBTV signed agreements with Hispanic Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) franchise, Combate Global, and Wondery, Amazon’s subsidiary podcast network.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
Innovation, Science and Industry Canada has handed down its final policy direction to the CRTC, which stays the course on prioritizing competition across wholesale Internet access and mobile wireless service, improved reliability of services and consumer rights, and accessibility of telecom services for Canadians with disabilities. It also directs the CRTC to increase the transparency and clarity of service plan pricing, making it easier and affordable for Canadians to change or cancel services. Additionally, it calls on the commission to continue to implement and adjust the Broadband Fund to encourage network investment.
CRTC Chairperson and CEO Vicky Eatrides has responded to Canadian Heritage Min. Pablo Rodriguez and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne’s welcome letter, highlighting what the commission will focus on in the near future. Eatrides writes that to promote greater competition in the marketplace, the commission will proceed with implementation of its new approach to mobile wireless services and review the wholesale Internet framework, launching a public consultation in the coming weeks on enhancing the reliability of Canada’s telecommunications networks. Eatrides also looks ahead to the anticipated passing of new broadcast legislation, saying the commission “will be ready to build the regulatory frameworks required to ensure the timely and effective implementation of Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, and Bill C-18, the Online News Act, if adopted by Parliament.” “We are mindful of calls for improvement to our processes, and are seeking ways to enhance our timeliness, accessibility, and openness,” writes Eatrides.
The Narwhal and photojournalist Amber Bracken have filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court against the RCMP for the violation of their Charter rights after Bracken was arrested and detained while covering the enforcement of an injunction in Wet’suwet’en territory in late 2021. The Narwhal and Bracken are suing for damages related to her alleged arbitrary arrest and detention. The lawsuit is also seeking acknowledgment that The Narwhal and Bracken’s press freedom rights, pursuant to Section 2(b) of the Charter, were breached. Bracken was on assignment for The Narwhal on Nov. 19, 2021 when she was arrested while covering the contentious construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline through unceded Wet’suwet’en territory. The lawsuit claims RCMP officers used an axe and chainsaw to break through the door of a tiny house where Bracken was working and then arrested her and six other individuals at gunpoint. She, along with documentary filmmaker Michael Toledano, were charged with contempt for violating the terms of the injunction and jailed for three days before being released on bail.
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released two new reports looking at newcomers’ perceptions of news media. Key findings include that the vast majority of newcomers to Canada are keen news consumers and are more likely to say they use social media as their main platform for news than those Canadian-born. Two-fifths who consume news say they get it primarily from social media. A small majority consume news only in English or French, while two in five (43%) say they get news in additional languages, just 4% exclusively in languages other than English or French. When asked to rate their trust in Canadian news media on a 5-point scale, 28% give it the highest trust rating of 5, and 65% either 4 or 5. Newcomers also feel Canadian media does a good job of representing a diversity of opinions. More than half of newcomers (57%) agree news and information provided by Canadian media outlets reflects a variety of opinions.
Stingray Group has announced financial results for Q3 2023 for the three months ended Dec. 31. Revenues increased 18.9% to $89.2 million, year-over-year, credited primarily to the acquisition of InStore Audio Network. Broadcasting and Commercial Music revenues grew 35.1% to $54.2 million in Q3 with radio revenues up 0.4% to $35.1 million, attributed to higher digital revenues. Canadian revenues improved 0.4% to $49.4 million in the quarter, attributed to digital signage installation and higher radio revenue. U.S. revenues were up 111% year-over-year to $26.6 million with other international revenue stable at $13.2 million.
TELUS has released its unaudited results for the fourth quarter of 2022. Consolidated operating revenues and other income increased by 3.8% year-over-year to $5.1 billion, or 13% excluding the $410 million pre-tax gain arising from the disposition of the company’s financial solutions business, as reported in Q4 2021. Growth was driven by higher service revenues at TELUS technology solutions (TTech) and digitally-led customer experiences, TELUS International (DLCX). Net income of $265 million decreased by 60% year-over-year and Basic earnings per share (EPS) of $0.17 were down by 64%, driven by higher financing costs, goods and services, and employee benefit expense. In the fourth quarter, TELUS added 301,000 net customer additions, up 29,000 over the same period last year, and inclusive of 112,000 mobile phones and 106,000 connected devices, in addition to 42,000 internet, 28,000 security and 17,000 TV customer connections.
Western Association of Broadcasters (WAB) has opened registration for its 87th Conference in Banff, June 7-8. Submissions are also open for WAB’s 2023 Gold Medal Awards until March 31. Nominate your station for The Gold Medal Award for Community Service, recognizing the efforts of broadcasters to make positive change in their communities or The Gold Medal Award for Digital Innovation, applauding creative use of non-traditional platforms to support radio and/or television. WAB is also accepting nominations for the Leaders of Tomorrow Award, honouring an exemplary employees of WAB member stations under the age of 30, and inductees for the Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
