The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Sophie Morasse has been appointed General Manager, Radio-Canada Television, a role she has held on an interim basis since Oct. 2023. Morasse previously served as Senior Director of Arts, Variety and Factual Programming, starting in 2016, and took on the added responsibility of managing original productions for the ICI ARTV and ICI EXPLORA specialty channels in 2020. 

Simon Dingley is retiring from CBC News after 30 years as a reporter and producer with the public broadcaster. Over the years, Dingley filed more than 150 stories for The National, worked for CBC Newsworld, CBC Sports, and filled in from time to time in Washington, London, Mexico and NYC. Dingley started his career as an intern at CKO all-news radio in 1981, followed by reporting positions at CFCF TV 12 (CTV Montreal) and Global Toronto. 

Kyle Moore has joined CBC Cape Breton. Moore was previously a Sydney-based videographer with CTV Atlantic, up until February’s layoffs at Bell Media.

Elizabeth Zogalis has left Global News Montreal to join the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) as Marketing and Communications Manager. Zogalis had been reporting for Global for the last three years. Prior to that, she was a reporter with CJAD 800 and worked as an associate producer at CPAC in Ottawa.

Carly Conway is leaving CHCH Hamilton to join CP24 as Supervising Producer. Conway had been with CHCH since 2012, most recently in the role of assignment editor.

Jeremy Baker has joined Pattison Media’s 91.3 The Zone (CJZN-FM) Victoria in middays, where he previously was on-air from 2003-14. Baker, who is best known for his time at CFOX and 102.7 The Peak (CKPK-FM) Vancouver, was most recently on-air filling in on mornings at Surge 105 (CKHY-FM) Halifax.

Justin Crouch has been released from Harvard Media’s X92.9 (CFEX-FM) Calgary. Crouch had been hosting middays since Jan. 2022 and with Harvard since 2021, previously hosting drive on X100.7 (CKEX-FM) Red Deer.

Kirk LaPointe has rejoined Glacier Media as a columnist, writing bi-weekly for Business in Vancouver (BIV) and North Shore News. The former CBC Ombudsman and CTV Senior VP of News previously held the roles of Vice-President, Editorial, BIV Publisher and BIV Executive Editor, up until late last year when he parted ways with the company. 

Shane Smith has started as a full-time TVO Docs programmer after consulting with TVO since December. The former Hot Docs Artistic Director and TIFF Special Projects Director will steer documentary acquisitions and serve as a production executive on TVO commissions. Aidan Denison also joins TVO Docs as a programmer, arriving from Sphere Media where he was Director of Unscripted Development. Darcy MacQuarrie joins in the new role of Digital Channel Specialist, following seven years helping launch CBC Gem. Abbi Sharvendiran has also joined TVO as Docs Coordinator. She has previously worked on projects including The Great Canadian Baking Show, The Social, and Workin’ Moms. 

Robert Schildhouse has been named President of BritBox North America and general manager of BritBox International, effective April 1. As part of leadership changes, Schildhouse takes on an expanded role at the streaming service where he most recently served as General Manager, North America and Group Editorial for Britbox International. The changes follow BBC Studios agreement to buy ITV’s 50% stake in BritBox for $322 million.

 

 

 

RADIO & PODCAST:

The CRTC has issued a call for applications to serve the Calgary radio market after receiving an application by Fraser Media Diversity for a broadcasting licence to operate a community ethnic FM radio station to serve the city. The commission found that the market has the capacity to sustain at least one additional radio station, in its view best served by proposals for ethnic and Indigenous communities given those growing populations in the city and increased tuning to stations serving those communities.

Cabin Radio, the Yellowknife online radio station denied an FM licence last year, is getting another shot as the CRTC reopens applications to serve the market after an appeal for an exception. The commission says circumstances have changed since Cabin Radio’s original application, “Specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic and the wildfires in the Northwest Territories have highlighted the importance of having increased access to radio content in the north.” The regulator says it will consider various factors, including how the station will reflect local community, diversity and language; its business plan to ensure longevity; and its impact on the existing market, including projected audience share overlap.

Vista Radio has launched 91.7 ICON Radio, a Classic Hits format spanning decades and genres, hosted by veteran on-air talent including Brother Jake Edwards and Gerry O’Day. ICON Radio went live at noon Friday on CKAY-FM Sechelt on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast. Formerly branded as Coast FM, programming will also include artist spotlights and musical history segments. In addition to longtime Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) morning man Brother Jake and former CFOX music director and AM 650 (CISL-AM) personality O’Day, the on-air lineup includes CKLW Windsor and CKXL Calgary alum Gentleman Jim Jackson, and Barb Montgomery. Read more here.

Stingray has rebranded Fredericton’s CIHI-FM as HOT 93.1. The station had formerly carried the Rewind Classic Hits format since Feb. 2021. Jennifer Evans, Director of Operations for Stingray New Brunswick, says the launch addresses the changing needs of consumers, with the CHR format bringing more diversity to the Fredericton radio market. The station joins Atlantic HOT stations in Charlottetown, Sydney, and St. John’s, in addition to Ottawa and Sudbury.

Corus Audio launched new network weeknight show @Night with Mr. D on March 18, hosted by Damian Rickards. Airing from 7 – 10 p.m. on nine Hot AC and CHR/Top 40 stations across Ontario, Corus says the show will feature curated playlists spanning today’s hits and new releases, in addition to artist interviews and discussion about trending topics. Listeners are able to dial in to join the interactive show. It’s airing on JUMP 106.9 (CKQB-FM) Ottawa, 104.5 Fresh Radio (CFLG-FM) Cornwall, 104.3 Fresh Radio (CKWS-FM) Kingston, 100.5 Fresh Radio (CKRU-FM) Peterborough, 93.1 Fresh Radio (CHAY-FM) Barrie, Energy 95.3 (CING-FM) Hamilton, Magic 106.1 (CIMJ-FM) Guelph, 91.5 The Beat (CKBT-FM) Kitchener, and 103.1 Fresh Radio (CFHK-FM) London. Read more here.

Radioplayer is entering the American market with former Audacy and Paramount Pictures executive Ken Lloyd named U.S. Partnerships Lead. Building on its success in Europe and Canada, Radioplayer says it aims to enhance the radio experience for U.S. listeners across connected cars, smart speakers, and mobile apps, in collaboration with brands like Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, and Renault. Meanwhile at Radiodays Europe in Munich this week, Radioplayer announced a Google Assistant integration and the launch of a Data Platform with an extensive Insight Dashboard that continuously collects and analyzes listener data, content engagement metrics, and ad performance.

Pod the North has announced the debut of new flagship podcast Canardian on April 8. “The podcast gossiping about Canadian hometowns” will feature podcasters like Frequency Podcast Network’s Jordan Heath-Rawlings and Arshy Mann of Canadaland’s COMMONS, promising discussion on the inner turmoil of Southeast Calgary’s fake lake communities, Whitehorse’s Trumpy history, and the unruly teens of Ancaster, ON.

Flightpath, the Hamilton, ON-based podcast revenue optimization startup, has announced that Glassbox Media has selected the company as its inventory and campaign management platform. Established in 2021, Glassbox has rapidly expanded its podcast portfolio, touting 15 million monthly downloads across shows including Everything Everywhere Daily, rSlash, Proof: True Crime Podcast, LISK: Long Island Serial Killer, and Investing for Beginners. 

LISTEN: “Murphy’s Logic” is the title of longtime Maritime broadcaster and CTV Atlantic anchorman Steve Murphy’s latest book, named for his long-running opinion segment on CTV Atlantic News at Six. Murphy joins us on Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to share his insights after 45 years in the news business, including his takes on media bias, the future of journalism, and more. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

LISTEN: Seth Resler joins the latest Sound Off Podcast to explore the dynamic intersection of podcasting and community marketing. Reflecting on radio’s digital evolution, he discusses content overload and the challenges of standing out in a saturated market; the pivotal role of community building, particularly in the pandemic era; and shares his insights on podcast monetization and social media dynamics.

Pro Bono Group has released a new PSA for the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. Released free to Canadian radio stations, “Musical Chairs” is the fourth PSA unveiled since the launch of the campaign in October.  

https://broadcastdialogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/CAEH_Musical-Chairs_ENG_30Sec_English_Full-Mix_080423.wav?_=1

SIGN OFFS:

George Garrett, 89, on March 18. Raised on a farm near Chaplin, SK, Garrett got his start in broadcasting at CJNB North Battleford in 1954, before a short stint at 800 CHAB Moose Jaw, where he had auditioned years earlier as a 15-year-old. By age 20, he had joined CKNW in New Westminster, BC, where his 43-year run with the station began in 1956. His dogged pursuit of local stories in the Lower Mainland and insatiable curiosity earned him a reputation as an “Intrepid Reporter,” the title of his 2019 memoir. Garrett was known for his risk-taking and willingness to go undercover to get a scoop, including baring it all to get an interview with a local nudist colony. Among other big stories, he became an authority on the Clifford Olsen child serial murders in the early 1980s and was infamously a victim of an assault during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992 that left him with a broken jaw and subsequent titanium plate. He retired from the station in 1999. Over the years, he received many accolades for his work, including the Jack Webster Foundation’s Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award. Read more here.

Andrew Martens, 91, on Feb. 21. Martens spent the early part of his career with CBC as a producer, working on broadcasts from Hockey Night in Canada and the 1972 Summit Series to touring with the Irish Rovers producing their overseas specials and coordinating the public broadcaster’s coverage of the Royal visits. After retiring from the CBC, Martens undertook numerous entrepreneurial ventures with his children ranging from real estate development to running a chain of optical stores and a hotel.

TV & FILM:

Insight Productions CEO John Brunton, broadcaster Marilyn Denis, Reelworld founder Tonya Williams, and late filmmaker Jeff Barnaby have been revealed as the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s 2024 Special Award recipients. Presented to trailblazing individuals within Canada’s screen-based industries, they’ll be recognized during Canadian Screen Week, May 26 through June 1. Dennis is being recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while Brunton is being presented with the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute Award, honouring a Canadian individual for their impact on the growth of the Canadian media industry. Barnaby, who passed away in 2022 at age 46, will also posthumously be recognized with the Tribute Award. Williams is the recipient of this year’s Changemaker Award, which recognizes those using their voice or platform to call out systemic racism and discrimination. Read more here.

Canadian Heritage has announced permanent funding to support the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) to the tune of $65 million over five years starting in 2024–25 and $13 million per year ongoing. In 2022–23, the ISO disbursed a total of $11.8 million to 191 recipients across 12 provinces and territories, including another $1.02 million in funding through strategic partnership programs. Read more here.

 

Global News and Corus Audio pay tribute to former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on Saturday, March 23 with special presentation, Remembering Brian Mulroney, featuring live television and online coverage of his state funeral. Anchored by Global National’s Dawna Friesen, who’ll be joined by Senator Pamela Wallin, the commercial-free special will air at 10:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. PT, and conclude as the procession departs Notre-Dame Basilica. Mercedes Stephensen, Eric Sorensen, and Mike Armstrong will be reporting along the procession route. Corus Talk Radio stations across Canada will provide a funeral recap during The Roy Green Show from 2 – 3 p.m. ET, followed by Remembering Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney: A Family Tribute, an homage to the former Prime Minister produced and hosted by his eldest son, Ben Mulroney. The show will feature special guests including former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Grammy winner Michael Bublé, and actress and singer Reba McEntire.

CBC, Netflix and APTN have started production on North of North in Nunavut. Co-commissioned by CBC and Netflix in association with APTN, North of North is produced by Red Marrow Media and Northwood Entertainment. Mary Lynn Rajskub (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 24), Maika Harper (Law and Order: Toronto, Burden of Truth), Braeden Clarke (Little Bird, Outlander), Jay Ryan (It: Chapter Two, Mary Kills People), Kelly William (Portraits from a Fire, Motherland), Zorga Qaunaq, Doreen Simmonds (True Detective: Night Country), and Tanya Tagaq (Bootlegger, Thoroughbred) join already announced cast members Anna Lambe (True Detective: Night Country, Trickster) and Keira Cooper in the series about a young Inuk mother struggling to build a new future for herself.

CBC Kids has renewed Canadian Screen Award-nominated live-action preschool series Bestest Day Ever With My Best Friend for a second season. Created and produced by Lopii Productions for kids aged 3-6, the new season (20×7) is scheduled to premiere in winter 2025. In every episode, host Lisette meets up with a young pet owner and their beloved pet, teaching owners how they can say thank you with a DIY toy, treat or enrichment that will make their day. Lopii Productions is now casting kids for the new season, with production to commence in April in Toronto. 

The National Film Board (NFB) is making a strong showing at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, June 9 – 15 with four short films, including three in official competition. The latter are the highly anticipated Maybe Elephants by Torill Kove; Le tableau (The Painting) by Michèle Lemieux, made using the Alexeïeff-Parker pinscreen; and Ryo Orikasa’s Miserable Miracle. 

Crave has announced that Season 2 of its award-winning original docuseries We’re All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel) premieres with all six episodes on Friday, April 19. In the Canadian Screen Award-winning, half-hour series about the various ways the world could end, Baruchel (Blackberry, Goon) is once again joined by top scientists, activists, and experts to explore the global crises that could cause civilization’s demise, journeying below the surface of his own anxieties and fears, to explore artificial intelligence, coronal mass ejections, insect die-offs, nanotechnology,and  the simulation theory.

Paramount+ has picked up a third season of SKYMED, the medical drama series that follows young medics and pilots who fly air ambulances across the remote skies of Northern Canada. Produced by Piazza Entertainment, production for the nine-episode third season begins March 25 in Manitoba and Ontario with the ensemble cast returning for more jaw-dropping rescues. The upcoming season will be available to watch exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and internationally outside of Canada, and on CBC in Canada. Anthony Grant (Star Trek: Discovery, Polar) and Nicola Correia-Damude (Shadowhunters, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent) join the cast this season in recurring roles.

Kensington Communications’ latest project Fluid: Life Beyond the Binary premieres on The Nature of Things on March 28 on CBC and CBC Gem. Hosted by non-binary comedian Mae Martin, the film explores the little-known science of gender and sexual fluidity in the natural world. Guided by biologists Joan Roughgarden and Justin Rhodes and primatologist Frans de Waal, Martin discovers a hermaphroditic ginger plant, sex-changing clownfish and kobudai, and mammals that display surprisingly non-normative sexual traits.

The TVO Telethon is happening March 23-24. Supporting TVO’s fundraising efforts is a lineup of celebrities including actor and comedian Colin Mochrie, actor and writer Zaib Shaikh, singer-songwriter and author Jann Arden, singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, OBGYN and author Dr. Jen Gunter, and more. The telethon can be streamed from 6:30 p.m. to midnight ET both days via YouTube, the Telethon website, TVO Today mobile or smart TV app or on TVO’s broadcast channel in Ontario.

Nick Davis Productions and Apatow Productions have begun shooting the first-ever-feature-length documentary about the influential 1972 Toronto production of the musical Godspell and its legacy. The production was the first-ever professional job for college friends Martin Short and Eugene Levy, and marked early professional highlights in the careers of Gilda Radner, Victor Garber (who played Jesus), Don Scardino, musical director Paul Shaffer, Jayne Eastwood, and future SCTV stars Andrea Martin and Dave Thomas. Making extensive use of never-before seen footage, personal archives, audio recordings Short made of the musical itself, as well as intimate gatherings where the young cast drank, partied, and fell in love, the film will detail the incredible ferment of creativity in Toronto in those years with the group’s friends also including future comedy legends John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Dan Aykroyd and his comedy partner Valri Bromfeld, and Harold Ramis. 

Paramount+ is introducing its “Basic (with ads)” plan in Canada in April, with Australia to follow in June. It will be priced at $6.99 CAD/month, offering streaming on one device at a time in full HD. The “Standard” stream, allowing viewing on two devices at once, including download and watch on the go, is priced at $10.99 (CAD)/month, while the “Premium” offering, accommodating four devices at once, is priced at $13.99 month.

Tubi, Fox’s ad-supported streaming service, has expanded its content offering in Canada with the addition of over 200 movies to its video-on-demand library, including newly-executed library content deals with NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery. Find the full list of titles coming to Tubi through the end of June, here.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

Harvard Media has announced its acquisition of SaskToday.ca from Glacier Media, as the company enters into a longterm partnership with the publisher. With a radio and web presence already established in Regina, Saskatoon, and Yorkton, in addition to four Alberta markets, Harvard says the acquisition extends the company’s reach to 13 additional Saskatchewan markets including Weyburn, Estevan, The Battlefords, Humboldt, Assiniboia, Canora, Preeceville, Kamsack, Carlyle, Outlook and Unity/Wilkie. Read more here.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Unifor rallied in Ottawa on Tuesday, calling out Bell Canada (BCE) for postponing a scheduled appearance before the House of Commons Heritage Committee a second time, to answer for the recent termination of 9% of its workforce. The union represents more than 19,000 telecommunications workers at BCE and its subsidiaries and more than 2,100 members at Bell Media. Roughly 800 of the 4,800 jobs the company announced it was eliminating in February are Unifor members. Bell executives, including CEO Mirko Bibic, Chief Financial Officer Curtis Millen, and Bell Media President Sean Cohan, were among those invited to appear before the committee, initially scheduled for Feb. 29 and then postponed to March 19. Among those who appeared at a press conference on Parliament Hill in support of Unifor’s “Shame on Bell“ campaign was Kevin Newman, the former host and managing editor of CTV’s W5. The long-running investigative news program was among the casualties of February’s programming changes. Read more here.

George Stroumboulopoulos headlines a newly-announced list of speakers set to address the 74th BC Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Conference, May 6-7, at the River Rock Hotel Resort in Richmond. Stroumboulopoulos, currently the host of STROMBO on Apple Music Hits, was recently named to the Order of Canada. Additionally, Sean Ross, the broadcast industry researcher and consultant behind music and programming newsletter Ross On Radio, is slated to speak at this year’s conference. Read more here.

Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has been announced as the keynote speaker for The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada event, slated for May 30 at the Park Hyatt Toronto. The appearance comes on the heels of the release of her first book, Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other, which includes personal anecdotes from her career as a speaker and television host, and her time as the “de facto ‘first lady.’” Following the keynote interview, Grégoire Trudeau will take part in a book signing for delegates.

The Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma has announced the finalists for the 2023 Mindset Awards for Mental Health Reporting. The Mindset Award for Reporting on Workplace Mental Health finalists include: Jana Pruden (with Kasia Mychajlowycz) for “Helen in Hell” from Globe and Mail podcast series In Her Defence; Jeremy Hainsworth in Vancouver is Awesome for five-part series “Existential crisis: There’s a mental health problem in B.C.’s courts“; and Odette Auger in Windspeaker for “Ask water to help you cope with anger.” The juries’ choices will be announced in April and celebrated at a luncheon May 31 at the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) national conference in Toronto. Winners will discuss their work with special guest Kevin Newman.

Jaclyn Hall, Odette Auger and Savannah Ridley are the recipients of this year’s CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships. The award provides three early-career Indigenous journalists with the opportunity to explore issues of interest while being hosted for one month at the CBC News Indigenous Unit in Winnipeg. Hall, a self-taught journalist from Akwesasne, plans to use her time at CBC to cover the ongoing impacts of Indian Day Schools on survivors and communities. Auger, a freelance Sagamok Anishnawbek journalist currently living on the west coast, impressed jurors with a pitch on exploring patterns of colonial misogyny with voices from women chiefs and elders. Ridley, a student journalist currently studying at Toronto Metropolitan University, is reconnecting with her community in the Turtle Tribe of the Seneca proposing a feature on the effects of “pretendian” unmaskings on Indigenous people reconnecting with their cultures.

World Press Freedom Canada (WPFC) has announced American journalist Margaret Sullivan as the keynote speaker for the 2024 Press Freedom Awards luncheon to be held at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre on May 2. Sullivan is an award-winning political columnist for the Guardian U.S. newspaper, executive director of Columbia University’s Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security, and a former media columnist for The Washington Post. WPFC awards are open to nominations until March 22.

Bell has made security enhancements to its network, including the installation of aerial alarms, to protect critical communications infrastructure from vandalism, primarily in the form of copper theft. With nearly 1,000 physical security incidents to Bell’s network since 2022, copper theft continues to increase. The most impacted regions include Ontario with 55% of incidents, New Brunswick (23%) and Québec (14%). On Feb. 26, an aerial alarm in Fredericton successfully notified local RCMP of a cable cut. They quickly dispatched and arrested two suspects with charges are still being finalized.

Cogeco Communications has announced that Breezeline, its U.S. business unit offering broadband services in 13 states, will be adding mobile phone services to its product offering. Breezeline Mobile will be available to Breezeline broadband customers starting this spring through a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement with what Cogeco says is “an industry-leading mobile network.”

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

GS Broadcast Technical Services (GSBTS) has announced its acquisition of Ron Paley Broadcast (RPB), adding the full line of Wheatstone products to its portfolio, including the VoxPro, AudioArts and Wheatstone Processing lines. Led by Richard Sondermeyer and Sarah Haslip, Mississauga-headquartered GSBTS specializes in broadcast facility design, project management, installation and maintenance. In a release, Paley said the sale will allow for more focus on DJB Radio, the automation software the Paley family acquired in 2012 with the purchase of Ohio-based Digital JukeBox (DJB). RPB has represented Wheatstone in Canada for the last 18 years. Read more here.

Blu Digital Group has expanded to Canada, setting up a Montreal operation, offering post-production, localization, and distribution services. Their expansion into Canada follows several strategic acquisitions, including Dicentia Studios in Denmark, which serves as a media management and localization hub for Northern Europe, and localization specialists Haymillian, bolstering Blu’s presence in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. The acquisition of Central Post LA, an award-winning audio recording facility in Hollywood, has also expanded the company’s English dubbing capabilities.

SoCast has launched SoCast Reach Enterprise, a sales solution that connects digital ad sales with existing over-the-air ad sales, created for longtime client Stingray. With digital ad sales now accounting for over 20% of radio’s ad revenue, SoCast says the solution was built to address issues of attaining scale in digital revenue growth while integrating workflow across multiple departments. The toolset integrates with WideOrbit as well as demand-side platforms (DSPs) like Google, Meta and others.

Triton Digital has announced its partnership with ID5, an identity provider for digital advertising, to introduce rich audience data to Triton’s Audio Marketplace. Triton says the  partnership will improve advertising targeting and addressability in the audio space while complying with privacy regulations globally. Australian broadcast and on-demand audio company ARN, a partner in the proof-of-concept phase, says the tech allowed it to convert 60% of its unaddressable audience to addressable, benefiting advertisers.

ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), the broadcast standards association, is working to add the international video compression method Versatile Video Coding (VVC) as an option, in addition to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) technology used in the current roster of ATSC 3.0 broadcast standards. Even more efficient than current methods, VVC could provide a path to 8K broadcasting via ATSC 3.0 and may also be utilized to efficiently deliver broadcast video services while simultaneously conserving bandwidth. As an ATSC “Candidate Standard,” VVC is currently being evaluated as a possible advanced compression system for ATSC 3.0. 

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has announced Sun Sachs, Senior Vice President of Digital Products at Townsquare Media, as the recipient of the 2024 Digital Leadership Award. He’ll be honored during the Broadcasting Hall of Fame ceremony on the Main Stage at NAB Show, April 15. The Digital Leadership Award honors an individual at a broadcast station, group or network who has had a significant role in transforming a traditional broadcast business to succeed on digital media platforms in a measurable way. Since joining Townsquare Media in 2010, Sachs has been instrumental in driving audience expansion and revenue growth, including growing unique visitors from 1 million per month in 2010 to 75 million this year. Sachs previously served as VP of Product at AOL Media.