REVOLVING DOOR:

Corus Entertainment has named Tammy Cole as National Director of FM Programming, as the company announces changes to its FM radio leadership team. Cole will now oversee all Corus FM stations, in addition to retaining her current FM Program Director responsibilities in Toronto. With the change, Regional Program Director Dave Blezard takes over Energy 95.3 (CING-FM) Hamilton, and Program Manager Samantha Payne assumes the role of Senior Program Manager in Toronto, with additional oversight of the Barrie market. Senior Brand Associate Maggie Tulecka will now cover Hamilton stations 900 CHML, Energy 95.3 and Y108 (CJXY-FM) Hamilton. Ekta Patel, currently Promotions Manager in Hamilton and London, takes on the role of National Promotions Director and manages 102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM), Q107 (CILQ-FM) and 640 (CFIQ-FM) Toronto. Chelsea Robinson, Promotions Manager in Kitchener and Guelph overseeing 107.5 Dave Rocks (CJDV-FM), The Beat 91.5 (CKBT-FM) and Magic 106 (CIMJ-FM), will add London and Hamilton stations Country 104 (CKDK-FM), 103.1 Fresh (CFHK-FM), Energy 95.3 and Y108 to her promotions portfolio. Lisa Fuoco will take on the newly-created role of National Sales Promotions and Integrations Manager, Audio. Read more here.

Harvard Media has cut several senior positions in its Alberta operation. Those departing the company include X92.9 (CFEX-FM) Calgary Program Director Jim McCourtie, who also held the title of Vice-President, Local Media; Music Director and APD Matt Berry; and Creative Director Darren Ollinger. At Cruz 95.7 (CKEA-FM) Edmonton, morning show host Lochlin Cross and afternoon drive personality Pam Kirby were casualties. Kris Mazurak, who joined the company earlier this year as Director of Local Media & Experience Products, now takes charge of the X brand, while Danny Kid, Vice President of Local Media, overseeing Harvard’s Cruz branded stations and Regina’s 104.9 The Wolf (CFWF-FM), will take on the Play stations. Read more here.

James Lewis has been appointed to the newly-created role of Executive Producer, CP24 and CTV News Toronto. Lewis has been with CTV News Toronto since 2017, initially as the weeknight producer of CTV News at 11:30. He was promoted to senior producer in 2019 and had held the role of News Director since 2022. Read more here.

Francis D’Souza has started a new role at CBC News as Managing Editor of Original Video and Investigative, continuing to oversee The National and now adding The Fifth Estate, Marketplace, the Investigative Unit and About That with Andrew Chang. Since joining the public broadcaster in 2019, he’d been overseeing the direction of flagship network news programs including The National, World at 6, World Report, World this Weekend, World This Hour, and Front Burner, in addition to CBC News specials. 

Bo Gordon and Jessica Hoy, the morning show duo released from 101.5 Today Radio (CKCE-FM) Calgary this week, headline changes happening within Pattison Media’s organization. Gordon and Hoy had been paired together in mornings for the last six years. Gordon was laid off just two weeks shy of a previously determined mid-March departure date for another opportunity outside the industry.

Lee Haberkorn has departed afternoons at Virgin Radio (CJFM-FM) Montreal to spend more time with his family. Haberkorn, who also dabbles in real estate, had been with Bell Media since 2014, including a brief stint on-air with Virgin Radio (CFCA-FM) Kitchener.

Cat Divaris is moving on from Central Ontario Broadcasting’s Rock 95 (CFJB-FM) Barrie to concentrate on her family. Divaris had been hosting the morning show alongside Craig Ross since 2015.

Jody Jessome, technical producer at CTV Atlantic, has retired after nearly 45 years. Jessome started with the station while still in high school, holding roles from cameraman to directing and working in the control room.

Keith Johns has retired from CTV Atlantic. Johns had been with the station for the past 39 years, primarily working as a cameraman and editor.

Ahmar Khan is leaving Global News after two and a half years with the national online team. For now, his reporting can be found on his Substack blog, The Dogged Reporter.

Marty Hastings has joined CFJC-TV Kamloops. Hastings was previously with Kamloops This Week and has been freelancing for CBC News.

Mack Lamoureux, Evelyn Kwong, Manisha Krishnan and editor-in-chief Josh Visser are among the Canadian staff who’ve announced their departures from VICE Media, following the release of several hundred employees. The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) has confirmed it’s still representing 27 members at VICE as the company reorganizes. CMG says two of those members were impacted by the layoffs.

Kerry Appleyard has joined eOne as Senior VP of Scripted and Unscripted as Lionsgate reorganizes after acquiring the business from Hasbro in January. Appleyard was formerly Senior Vice-President and Head of Scripted for Canada at Boat Rocker Studios. The changes see Canadian Executive Vice-President Tecca Crosby leave eOne after 12 years. Other moves see Darren Giblin promoted to SVP of Current and Co-productions, with Andrew Kelly taking on the role of VP of Scripted Development and Scott Boyd and Christine Diakos serving as VPs of Unscripted Development.

Briana Carnegie is joining Lead Podcasting as the Toronto branded content company’s new Business Development Lead. Carnegie was previously with Global Toronto for the past five years, holding roles including Network Content Producer and Managing Editor, Online and Radio.

Jamil Jivani is headed to Parliament Hill. The former iHeartRadio talk network host, was elected as the Member of Parliament for Durham in a by-election, the seat previously held by former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole. Jivani parted ways with Bell Media in early 2022 and launched a wrongful dismissal suit against the broadcaster later that year. 

Konrad von Finckenstein’s interim appointment as Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has been made permanent. The former Federal Court judge, CRTC Chair and Competition Bureau Commissioner had been serving in the interim role since last September. Von Finckenstein has been appointed to a seven-year term.

RADIO & PODCAST:

Nielsen’s newly-released Total Audience Report for Q3 2023 says AM/FM radio is now reaching 40% more American consumers, 18-49, than TV. Radio’s weekly reach with the 18-49 demo tied social media for first place at 81%, slightly ahead of online video (79%) and connected TV devices (78%), with live and time-shifted TV placing a distant fifth at 58%. Among the report’s insights are that 59% of tuning is happening outside of drive times with midday radio tuning (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) outperforming other dayparts, accounting for 26% of total time spent with AM/FM. Read more here.

Numeris’ winter PPM release reflects the 13-week period covering Nov. 23, 2023 to Feb. 25, 2024. In Toronto, bragging rights go to CHFI, delivering a 15.4% share, A12+. CHFI is on top with women 25-54 with a 15.2% share, followed by boom 97.3 at 12.7%. For M25-54, boom leads with 10.4%, followed by CHFI with 9.0%. In Vancouver, CKNW grabs #1 A12+ with a 13.7% share of hours tuned (down from 15.1%). Taking the top spot for F25-54 is 94.5 Virgin Radio with 16.8%. CKNW holds the lead for M25-54 listeners, delivering a 12.4% share. In Edmonton, CBC Radio One takes #1 with A12+, posting an 8.7% share of hours tuned. NOW! holds top spot for F25-54, delivering a 14.8% share, while The Bear was #1 M25-54 with 11.9%. In Calgary, CBC Radio One leads the way, A12+, with a 12.6% share. Star 95.9 is popular with F25-54, delivering an 18.3%. For M25-54, X92.9 rules with 12.3%. For Montreal, CHMP 98.5 FM is #1 for A12+ (Franco) with a 22.3% share. With A12+ (Anglo), CJAD 800 is #1 with 28.4%. Read David Bray’s breakdown here.

Radiodays North America and Canadian Music Week have opened nominations for the Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year Award. Awarded annually in memory of legendary radio programmer Steve Young, anyone working in the Canadian radio industry can nominate any worthy broadcaster who was under 30 years of age as of Dec. 31, 2023 and works in On-Air, Programming, Promotions, Production or Creative, among other criteria. Nominations close April 22. Read more here.

Sarah Nick is the host of the Weekly Top 25 Countdown, a new show airing on Pattison Media’s 102.3 The Wave (CKWV-FM) Nanaimo; 101.3 The River (CKKN-FM) Prince George; B100 (CKBZ-FM) Kamloops; BIG105 (CHUB-FM) Red Deer; My96 (CFMY-FM) Medicine Hat; B93 (CJOC-FM) Lethbridge; Power 99 (CFMM-FM) Prince Albert; Q98 (CJCQ-FM) North Battleford; and StarFM (CKLF-FM) Brandon. The Weekly Top 25 Countdown with Sarah Nick can be heard twice each weekend, Saturdays from 10 a.m. – noon and Sunday afternoons from 4 – 6 p.m. local time.

The Zone @ 91-3 (CJZN-FM) Victoria is hosting a benefit event for longtime former morning man Dylan Willows, who stepped down from his position in February following an ocular cancer diagnosis. Some of Victoria’s best bands are getting together to honour the veteran announcer, 44, with the sold out concert to be held at the Royal Theatre on Tuesday, March 19.

Radio-Canada and RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse) are teaming up to offer listeners the best in French-language podcasts as they broaden their audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Radio-Canada OHdio is now streaming three RTS productions: Faces Nord, Voyage au Gouinistan and Nuit blanche, while RTS is promoting OHdio’s Résistance, Anna Caritas and L’incroyable histoire. The two public broadcasters are also collaborating on an RTS-led podcast series set to debut this fall about the Order of the Solar Temple, the former cult active in Switzerland and Canada. RTS becomes the latest broadcaster to join Radio-Canada’s circle of European partners alongside Radio France and RTBF, all members of Médias Francophones Publics (MFP).

Clayton Kroeker, former morning show co-host on 96.3 Cruz FM (CFWD-FM) Saskatoon, has premiered the Sask, Sports & Food Podcast, featuring local guests talking all things Saskatchewan. The first episode features Les Lazaruk, the voice of the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades. Kroeker is now working with influencer marketing agency, Creatorade, creating Saskatchewan content. Creatorade launched last month, co-founded by former Golden West Broadcasting President & CEO Carter Friesen and former Chief Revenue Officer Doug Campbell.

LISTEN: Steve Jones, Senior Vice-President of Brands & Content for Stingray Radio, returns to Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast as Stingray and a coalition of 20 independent broadcasters – including Pattison Media, Vista Radio, Evanov Communications, Acadia Broadcasting and others – join forces in an appeal for a greater share of the federal ad spend to go to local media. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

LISTEN: Matty Staudt is the owner of Jam Street Media, and a board member of the Podcast Academy, about to launch Podle.co. Staudt and Matt Cundill discuss the pros and cons of remote work in the podcast industry, his experience starting a network, and concern about the lack of monetization in podcasting, particularly in comparison to video content.

The Pro Bono Group has released its latest Feed Ontario PSA titled “Bells Ring,” featuring award-winning Canadian actress Julie Khaner (Street Legal, Videodrome, Chloe, Shimmer Lake). Pro Bono Group, led by broadcast industry creative and production veterans Larry MacInnis, Mike Occomore and Mike Tennant, has also launched a new website where stations can download previously released PSAs.

SIGN OFFS:

Paul Houde, 69, on March 2. Houde had a long career in Quebec media, starting out as a radio host in 1975 at Montreal’s CKAC 730. He went on to host more than 600 radio shows, heard on stations including 98.5 FM (CHMP-FM), CKMF-FM and Rythme FM (CFGL-FM). He briefly returned to radio last fall on the BPM Sports network, but left on the recommendation of his doctor. Over the years, Houde also appeared in the series “Les Boys,” among other TV and film roles, in which he played a goalie able to prolifically recite player stats.

Ron St. Hilaire, 75, on Feb. 29. Under the on-air pseudonym of Ron Hill, St. Hilaire covered news and sports for Vancouver’s CKVN (CFUN) in the early 1970s before heading to Winnipeg and CFRW in 1980 where he served as News and Sports Director. A move to CJOB Winnipeg followed. In 1993, St. Hilaire transitioned out of broadcasting to teach Journalism, Marketing and Public Relations in Red River College’s Creative Communications program. He went on to work in communications for Misericordia Health Centre and Director of Development for the Misericordia Health Centre Foundation. Since 2007, he’d been consulting under the banner of his own company, Hill Media Solutions.

Dave Renaud, 50, on Feb. 25. Renaud worked as a camera operator, editor and producer for CTV, CBC and Cogeco over a 25-year period. He had most recently been serving as a producer at Cogeco community channel YourTV for the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. The Spitfires dedicated their Feb. 29 game to Renaud.

David MacLeod, 69, on Feb. 24. MacLeod’s foray into film began in catering on film and television sets in Alberta, before moving into a production manager role and his first credit as a Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) member on CBC series North of 60. He joined that series’ producers Wayne Grigsby and Barbara Samuels in Nova Scotia to produce CBC series Black Harbour, choosing to settle in nearby Chester, NS. MacLeod was a partner in Big Motion Pictures, alongside Grigsby, producing numerous series including Call Me Fitz and Haven. More recently, he’d produced two seasons of the TV series Pure for CBC and Hulu. MacLeod was a founding board member of Screen Nova Scotia and had also served on the board of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).

TV & FILM:

Crave Original limited series Little Bird leads both television and overall 2024 Canadian Screen Award nominations with 19, as the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television announced nominees across 156 TV, film and digital media categories Wednesday morning. The final seasons of CBC comedies Sort Of and Workin’ Moms followed Little Bird with 18 and 12 nominations, respectively. In film, Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry tops nominations with 17, making it the most nominated film in the history of the awards. The awards will be presented over four days during Canadian Screen Week, May 28-31. Read more here. CBC led nominations by network with 288 nods, followed by Bell Media with 165, 65 for Corus Entertainment, 32 for Rogers Sports & Media, and 30 for APTN. Check out our breakdown here highlighting nominations across news, sports & entertainment.

Jennifer Podemski has been named this year’s ACTRA National Woman of the Year. An award-winning actor, writer, director and producer, her on-screen credits include: The Rez; Degrassi: TNG; Blackstone; Departure; and Reservation Dogs (Disney+). Behind-the-camera she’s been at the helm of TV series including: The Seventh Generation; Rabbit Fall; The Other Side; Moccasin Flats; and Future History (CBC Gem), in addition to co-creating award-winning mini-series Little Bird (Crave/APTN). Her advocacy work includes founding the SHINE Network Institute, encouraging all those working in film and television to take the 45 minute PACT (Pledge – Activate – Cultivate – Thrive) online course, providing valuable training preparing non-Indigenous screen industry workers to work on Indigenous productions.

9 Story Media Group is reducing its global workforce by about three per cent, across its teams in Toronto, New York and Dublin, in the name of navigating market challenges. 9 Story has an estimated global workforce of 1,000 employees.

CTV will broadcast the 96th Oscars live Sunday, March 10. ETALK is planning extensive multi-platform coverage with Tyrone Edwards anchoring the network’s prime red carpet interview position – second only to host broadcaster ABC. Meanwhile, ETALK senior correspondents Lainey Lui and Traci Melchor have a birds’-eye view, reporting across ETALK’s social channels from their balcony position at the Dolby Theatre. For the first time, ETALK continues the celebration with ETALK After the Oscars, a 30-minute live show breaking down big moments from the evening. 

Bell Media streaming service, Crave, has made its Premium, ad-free plan available for purchase through Prime Video Channels in Canada, joining platforms, including Crave.ca and Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, select LG and Samsung Smart TVs, PlayStation, Roku, and Xbox One. Crave’s Premium, ad-free plan can be purchased by Prime members directly through their Prime account for $21.99/month.

XITE has introduced seven new channels on Samsung TV Plus in Canada. The new music video offerings include XITE 80s Flashback; XITE 90s Throwback; XITE Hits; XITE Country Today; XITE Country’s Finest; XITE R&B Classic Jams; XITE Rock On; XITE Icons; XITE Just Chill; XITE Only Love; and XITE Celebrates, featuring timely content throughout the year based on cultural celebrations, pop culture moments, seasons, and holidays.

Blue Ant Media has launched its free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, Love Pets, on The Roku Channel in Canada. Since the pet-themed channel debuted last year, it has rolled out in 27 countries. Featuring heartfelt and compelling stories about the animals and pets in our lives, programming highlights include: Hope For Wildlife, a look at the Nova Scotia wildlife rescue team, led by Hope Swinimer, that rescues thousands of sick, injured and lost animals and returns them to their natural habitats; Bondi Vet, which immerses viewers in the drama of emergency vets at a clinic in Australia; and Pick-a-Puppy, which follows families as they visit breeders and animal shelters in search of the perfect canine companion.

CBC Kids is bringing Canadian audiences Gangnam Project (10×30) —a new coming-of-age series co-commissioned with CBBC and produced by Pillango Productions and Aircraft Pictures that offers audiences a glimpse behind the curtain of what it takes to become a K-pop superstar. All episodes begin streaming March 8 on CBC Gem. The series is told through the eyes of 16-year-old Korean-Canadian Hannah Shin (Julia Kim Caldwell).

The CBC Music Live at Massey Hall concert series is now on CBC Gem. Performances available to stream include: The Beaches, Charlotte Day Wilson, Donovan Woods, Jeremy Dutcher, July Talk, Matt Andersen & The Big Bottle of Joy, OMBIIGIZI – a collaboration between Anishnaabe artists Zoon (Daniel Monkman) and Status/Non Status (Adam Sturgeon), Wild Rivers, and the 2023 Polaris Music Prize Gala featuring Aysanabee, Begonia, Gayance, The Sadies, Dan Mangan, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Debby Friday. 

Andrew Phung will be reunited with former Kim’s Convenience co-stars Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Nicole Power in upcoming episodes of the CBC original comedy series Run The Burbs, currently in Season 3. In the tenth episode of the season, entitled Phirst Love, Power will appear as Lisa, the ex-wife of the Phams’ neighbour Hudson (Jonathan Langdon). In the season finale, Summer Phorecast, Lee guest stars as Andrew’s personal hero, municipal councillor Vernon Park.

Bryan Baeumler takes viewers on a road trip this spring with eight all-new episodes of Bryan’s All In, beginning Sunday, March 31 on HGTV Canada and STACKTV. In the series, which viewers got a sneak peek of last fall, Baeumler spends a week guiding budding business owners through a make-or-break point in their renovation. He picks up his journey this Spring in Arnprior, ON, where he meets the owners of a local bowling alley who are working against the clock with a big list of renos. Additional episodes include a craft brewery in Kenora, a fishing resort in Pollard’s Point, NL, and a maple syrup business in Coldwater, ON.

Canada’s Got Talent premieres March 19 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Citytv. This season sees 116 acts from all corners of Canada compete for a life-changing prize of $1M – the biggest cash prize in Canadian television history – thanks to Rogers, in addition to financial advice from CIBC. Every Golden Buzzer recipient will also receive $25,000, courtesy of CIBC, to help realize their ambitions. Hosted by Lindsay Ell, Canada’s Got Talent culminates in a live two-hour finale on Tuesday, May 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT from OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls.

Groupe Juste pour rire, which operates the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, has cancelled this year’s event as it begins formal restructuring under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. The company is moving operations forward in a scaled-down format, laying off about 70% of its workforce. Among the challenges cited are inflationary factors and a changing media industry landscape, that with consolidation and reduced budgets at the networks and streaming platforms, have made television production more challenging.

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is permanently moving its fall festival to June, corresponding with Indigenous Peoples’ Month. Postponing the 2024 event, the new dates run from June 3-8, 2025 in Toronto and June 9-15, 2025 for the online festival. Leading up to the festival, imagineNATIVE will host events including extending the imagineNATIVE Tour to the end of November 2024. Further programming will be announced later in the year.  

Paramount+ in Canada has announced that its first Original Documentary, 500 Days in the Wild will premiere on March 15. The documentary, from award-winning filmmaker Dianne Whelan, tracks her incredible adventure as the first person to travel 24,000 km on the Trans Canada Trail. The film has received numerous awards including the Audience Award at the 2023 Whistler Film Festival. Following a limited theatrical release, Paramount+ is partnering with Hot Docs to host an exclusive screening event March 14, featuring a special Q&A with Whelan.

Super Channel has acquired Australian drama series Prosper (8X60) from Lionsgate Television. The family drama will make its Canadian premiere on Super Channel Fuse on March 24, with each episode available to stream On Demand the following day. Produced by Lingo Pictures, and commissioned by Lionsgate and Australia’s Stan, Prosper is set in the inner sanctum of evangelical megachurch, U Star. This year’s biggest Australian summer original premiere for Stan, it stars Richard Roxburgh (Elvis, Van Helsing) as the charismatic founder and pastor of U Star, and Rebecca Gibney (Halifax: Retribution, Back to the Rafters, Wanted) as his wife.

ONLINE & DIGITAL:

TSN digital brand BarDown is celebrating its 10th anniversary creating online sports content. Launched in 2014 to serve a growing cohort of younger fans turning to social media platforms to share their passion for sports, BarDown milestones include attaining a following of more than 8.4 million across all platforms; more than 70 million views on BarDown YouTube videos, with 34 videos surpassing 1 million views; and the highest engagement of any hockey-specific account on social media in 2023.

Luminate has partnered with Variety to create new weekly streaming viewership charts. The partnership is designed to bring the most accurate and timely viewership measurement to original series and films across the major streaming providers in the U.S. Beginning March 24, Variety will publish two weekly Top 10 Charts, one covering original TV series and the other original films produced for streaming platforms. The data will be fueled by Luminate’s new Streaming Viewership (M) product, which tracks total minutes watched across AMC+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Discovery+, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Netflix, Paramount+ and Peacock.

Edison Research’s 2024 Infinite Dial study is to be presented onstage at Podcast Movement Evolutions on March 28. Among the sneak peek insights released ahead of this year’s data release, is that X (formerly known as Twitter) has experienced a 30% drop in usage, falling from 27% of the total U.S. population in 2022-23 to 19% in 2024.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Canadian Heritage has announced $58.8 million in funding to extend the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) through 2027. Initially launched in 2019 as a five-year, $50 million program, the initiative provides annual funding for more than 400 journalist positions across the country, with a focus on creating original local journalism in underserved communities. The National Campus & Community Radio Association (NCRA) was among the organizations appealing for renewal of the program, saying the new funding “will assist in addressing the news deserts that the Canadian media landscape is challenged with.” Read more here.

Canadian Heritage has announced a call for applications for the position of President of CBC/Radio-Canada. The process to find Catherine Tait’s successor is being led by an Independent Advisory Committee, chaired by former Just for Laughs President & CEO Charles Décarie, which will recommend candidates to the minister “that both reflect Canada’s diversity and can lead at a critical time of modernization,” according to a Heritage department release. Read more here.

Google has initiated an open call to news organizations that wish to receive compensation under the Online News Act. News outlets, whose content is made available by the search engine, have until April 30 to participate. The CRTC has published guidelines on how to participate, in addition to eligibility criteria.

The Competition Bureau has obtained a court order to gather information and advance an ongoing investigation into Google’s online advertising practices in Canada. The Bureau is investigating whether Google has engaged in practices that harm competition in the online display advertising industry in Canada. The Bureau’s investigation initially focused on allegations that Google was leveraging its market power in the supply of video advertising into the market for advertiser buying tools. The Bureau has now expanded its scope to examine whether Google is leveraging its market power across display advertising technology services in a way that harms competition and using predatory pricing in certain display ad tech services.

MTM’s Newcomers and the News report finds the vast majority of newcomers have a substantial interest in news. Nine in 10 (92%) say they have consumed news in some form in the previous month. MTM found newcomers favour online news consumption over traditional platforms. Half get their news via social media and a quarter via online news websites. Women, younger newcomers and those with lower household incomes are the most prone to use social media as their primary news source. Almost half of newcomers (49%) consume news in either English or French and another language. Only three per cent of newcomers who consume news do so exclusively in languages ​​other than English or French.

The Dr. Borna Meisami Commemorative Foundation (DBMF) is recognizing Anna Maria Tremonti with its Shero-Award in recognition of her impactful work amplifying the voices of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors. Tremonti, a domestic abuse survivor herself, will receive the honour at the annual Stride for Survivors Walkathon at Sunnybrook Park on May 26. Through its three programs, Restoring Smiles, Restoring Strength and Restoring Sleep, DBMF provides pro-bono dental, medical, physio and rehabilitative therapy for female survivors of GBV and IPV living in 50 Ontario-based shelters and 37 sexual assault care centres.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario’s (RNAO) annual Media Awards competition has extended the entry deadline until March 8. The competition honours outstanding nursing and health-care journalism in a variety of categories: community newspaper, daily newspaper, radio, television, online, podcast and multicultural. Stories published or broadcast in Ontario in 2023 are eligible.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

The Great Canadian Suite is returning to Las Vegas during the 2024 NAB Show on Monday, April 15, presented by Broadcast Dialogue and Cartt.ca. The networking event, which has been an NAB Show tradition for most of the last six decades, annually attracts about 500 Canadians from across the visual, audio, and production sectors, gathering poolside at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has unveiled its lineup for the NAB Show Welcome Session, taking place on the Main Stage at NAB Show, April 15 at 9:30 a.m. PT. Among the speakers, Futuri CEO Daniel Anstandig will be joined on stage by Ameca, an autonomously AI-powered humanoid robot, to deliver an unprecedented study on audience perspectives on AI’s use in broadcast media. Among others slated to appear on the NAB Show stage this year are YouTube star, digital creator, filmmaker and multimedia innovator Casey Neistat, who will take the Main Stage with Do What You Can’t on April 17. On the exhibit floor, NAB Show will also debut the Creator Lab, featuring panels and workshops on content monetization, video transformation, AI and mobile content creation. 

Parrot Analytics has announced a new partnership with Telefilm Canada that will provide the Crown corporation with TV and movie demand data and insights. Telefilm will be tapping into Parrot Analytics’ suite of audience demand measurement products to make data-driven decisions across a movie’s lifecycle, from concept funding to post-release distribution, empowering the corporation to understand audience demographics and sentiment, assess co-production potential for broader reach, track marketing campaign effectiveness, and measure overall movie success. The partnership builds upon the L.A.-based company’s established relationship with the Canada Media Fund (CMF).