The Great Canadian Suite, presented by Broadcast Dialogue and CARTT.ca, returns to Las Vegas during NAB Show on Monday, April 15 at the Flamingo Beach Club Pool. The 60+ year NAB Show tradition annually draws more than 500 Canadians from across the broadcast, audio and screen industries, and the vendors that serve them. Advance tickets are now on sale at GreatCanadianSuite.ca.
REVOLVING DOOR:
We’re excited to welcome Award-Winning Journalist and Broadcaster @HannahThibedeau to our team.
Hannah brings more than 20 years of experience in media covering seven elections and four Prime Ministers. pic.twitter.com/DD2E1RfRpD
— Global Public Affairs (@GPAinsights) April 3, 2024
Hannah Thibedeau is leaving journalism after 25 years, the last 15 with CBC, as she joins Global Public Affairs as Executive Communications Officer. Thibedeau first joined CBC in 2009 as a local reporter and then as a producer for Politics with Don Newman, before moving to the network’s national bureau in 2012. She had been the afternoon anchor on CBC News Network for the past year and a half.
46 ans de carrière : bonne retraite à notre ami et collègue Jacques Bissonnet. pic.twitter.com/x5bkvqULAW
— Patrice Roy (@PatriceRoyTJ) March 27, 2024
Jacques Bissonnet has retired from Radio-Canada after 46 years. Bissonnet, 77, joined the public broadcaster in 1977 after stints with CJSA Sainte-Agathe, CJLM Joliette, and CKAC Montreal. As the husband of anchor and former foreign correspondent Céline Galipeau, Bissonnet also traveled with his wife, serving as the Radio-Canada French-language correspondent in London, Moscow and Beijing, and as the National Correspondent in Vancouver in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Stewart Young has retired after 37 years with the public broadcaster. Young started working with CBC as a producer in 1987. He’s held Executive Producer roles with CBC Maritimes since 2006, most recently as EP, Arts & Documentary Programming, CBC Atlantic.
Greg Bruce, longtime cameraman at CBC Toronto, is retiring after a five-decade career in television. Bruce worked across scripted television, specials, news and sports, including serving as the camera operator on The Red Green Show, The Rick Mercer Report, and numerous Olympic games.
Jenn Dalen is moving into the role of General Manager for the B.C. Interior with Stingray. Dalen, who previously held the title of Operations Manager, succeeds Pete Angle who is retiring from the role.
Rob Seguin has revealed he parted ways with Corus Entertainment in February when his position as Program Manager and Brand Director in Peterborough was eliminated. Seguin had been with the Peterborough stations since 2012 and with Corus since 1996.
An important message from @koltertalks pic.twitter.com/y8PSBVeZMr
— 102.1 The Edge (@the_edge) March 28, 2024
Kolter Bouchard is wrapping up six years with 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) Toronto as he moves into content development full-time. Bouchard had been with Corus Entertainment since 2017, initially as an on-air personality with Q107 (CILQ-FM) before joining The Edge a year later in afternoon drive, most recently alongside Casey-Jo Loos. A cancer survivor, Bouchard has amassed a TikTok following of 589K and another 272K on Instagram.
Tim Denis has announced his retirement after 37 years in broadcasting. With CKTB 610 Niagara since 1995, Denis’ career has also taken him to Welland, Simcoe, St. Catharines, Kitchener and Michigan.
Adam Toy has left Global Calgary for a new opportunity. Toy had been working with Corus Entertainment off and on since 2017, initially as a board op and producer at 770 CHQR, City Hall reporter, co-host of national radio program “This Is Why,” and most recently an online journalist at Global News.
Don McCracken, the longtime News and Sports Director at Golden West Broadcasting’s High River, AB stations, has retired after 39 years in radio. After graduating from SAIT in the early 1980s, McCracken started his career in Brooks, AB, and then did a stint hosting afternoons in Grand Forks, BC, before landing in High River and AM 1140 (CHRB-FM), 99.7 Sun Country (CFXO-FM) and The Eagle 100.9 (CKUV-FM).
Tim Black is no longer hosting mornings on 103.9 The Lake (CKOV-FM) as Pattison Media officially took over operations on April 1, completing the station’s sale by Paul Larsen. Black, who had been heard on The Lake for the past two and a half years, is now co-hosting mornings on Pattison’s Q Country (CKLQ-FM) Brandon, alongside Shelley Thompson. Read more about Pattison’s latest acquisition in our Radio & Podcast column.
Brad Perry has been upped to Assistant National News Director at Acadia Broadcasting. Perry has been with Acadia, based in Saint John, NB, since 2018. He previously held the title of New Brunswick News Director, overseeing news across four NB stations.
Jason White has joined The Canadian Press (CP) in Toronto as a reporter/editor. White was formerly the Managing Editor and afternoon anchor at CityNews 1310 (CIWW-AM) Ottawa, up until last October when Rogers Sports & Media relinquished the licence. He’d been with Rogers for almost two decades, with stops at 680 News (CFTR-AM) and News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) Halifax, before joining the Ottawa newsroom.
Erik Leijon has wrapped up his tenure with Complex Canada/Buzzfeed where he’s served as Content Lead since 2022. Leijon is continuing to host the Montreal Gazette’s Liveblog during Canadiens games.
Gina Hara has joined Pink Triangle Press (PTP) as Advocacy Program Manager. The new role oversees all PTP Advocacy initiatives including the 2024 PTP Pink Paper examining 2SLGBTQIA+ representation within the screen industries (film, television, streaming and gaming) to be released June 11. Hara comes to PTP with a background in filmmaking and advocacy as Co-Founder and Executive Director of GAMERella Game Initiative. She’s also worked at the Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) Research Centre at Concordia University, where she orchestrated strategic initiatives like the Critical Hit Games Incubator.
Joy Loewen is joining the Canada Media Fund (CMF) as its new Vice-President, Growth & Inclusion. Loewen announced she’d been stepping down from the helm of the National Screen Institute (NSI) last May after serving in the CEO role for almost five years and more than 12 total with the Winnipeg-based not-for-profit, off and on since 2005. Prior to joining NSI, she held programming roles with Vision TV, the Women’s Television Network (WTN) and CBC Manitoba. Read more here.
Christine Kleckner has been named Executive Director at the National Screen Institute (NSI) effective immediately. An alumna of NSI’s training program for emerging producers, Kleckner’s resume includes serving as director at the DOC Institute, more than seven years as a production coordinator with the National Film Board (NFB) in Toronto, and production and producer roles with Primitive Entertainment, Treeline Pictures, and 52Media.
Lori Massini has been promoted at Thunderbird Entertainment Group to General Counsel, moving up from her previous role as Senior Vice-President of Legal and Business Affairs. Massini joined Thunderbird in 2021 as VP of Legal and Business Affairs. Prior to that, she practiced entertainment law for more than 10 years. At the same time, Thunderbird General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Operating Officer Sarah Nathanson has announced her resignation, effective April 9. She had been with Thunderbird since 2018.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Pattison Media has rebranded CKOV-FM Kelowna as OV 103-9, That ’70s station, as the company closed on the sale of the station on April 1. Previously branded as 103.9 The Lake, the passion project of former Clear Sky Radio network owner Paul Larsen had been carrying a Gold-based Soft AC format since its launch in March 2021. The new format features ‘70s favourites from artists like Elton John, Chicago, ABBA, Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac, in addition to select hits from the ‘60s, including Simon & Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and The Beatles. The station will also carry news on the hour. OV 103-9 joins Pattison’s other properties in the market 104.7 The Lizard (CKLZ-FM), 103.1 Beach Radio (CKQQ-FM), and the Kelowna10 app. Read more here.
Vista Radio has grown by three more radio stations and two digital news portals. As of April 1, CAB-K Broadcasting’s Country 96.5 (CKLJ-FM) and Rock 104.5 (CKJX-FM) in Olds, AB and Country 106.5 (CKVG-FM) in Vegreville have been acquired by Vista. This now takes Vista’s independent network to 51 radio stations and 40 digital properties in three provinces and the Northwest Territories. Pending CRTC approval, Vista is also set to acquire 21 of Bell Media’s radio properties in B.C.
The Saskatchewan Country Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2024 SCMA Awards, set to take place in Lloydminster on June 22. Radio Station of the Year – Major Market nominees include Saskatchewan Country CKBI (900 AM) Prince Albert, 620 CKRM Regina, Pure Country 92.7 Regina, 92.9 The Bull Saskatoon, CJWW 600 Saskatoon. Radio Station of the Year – Secondary Market nominees are Country 106.1 FM Estevan, FM Country CJVR (105.1 FM) Melfort, Saskatchewan Country CJNB (1050 AM) North Battleford, Country 106.7 FM Weyburn, and GX94 Yorkton. Up for On-Air Personality of the Year are Chase Hussey, Pure Country 92.7 Regina; Cody Glydon, 620 CKRM Regina; Courtney Fielder, Country 100.7 Moose Jaw; Jason Lee, CJWW Saskatoon; and Matt Ryan, CJNB North Battleford. Fielder also earned a nod for Music Director of the Year, alongside GX94’s Danny Ismond and CJWW’s Matt Bradley.
Radiodays North America and Canadian Music Week (CMW) have opened nominations for the Pat Grierson Radio Sales Person of the Year Award, sponsored by Slaight Music. Grierson, the founder and president of Canadian Broadcast Sales (CBS), passed away at the age of 77 in May 2022. The award will celebrate a Canadian radio sales professional for top notch performance, ability to lead by example and willingness to embrace new technologies and innovation, among other criteria. Submissions are open until April 22. The winner will be recognized at the Radiodays North America President’s Reception at Corus Quay on June 3, and receive a $5,000 cash award. Read more here.
Humor in the C Suite is a new podcast from comic and keynote speaker Kate Davis. Every week, she’ll chat with business leaders on how they use humour to create extraordinary work culture, shedding light on the influence humor has in the corporate environment in promoting trust, confidence, curiosity and success. Guests include author Todd Hirsch, Sugarmoon founder Paola Girotti, and Historic Restoration founder Oskhar Pineda. The podcast is produced by the Sound Off Media Company.
SiriusXM Canada and the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) have opened public voting for this year’s SiriusXM Top of the Country competition. This year’s semi-finalists represent five Canadian provinces: Robert Adam – Bonnyville, AB; Alexa Goldie – Kingston, ON; Parker Graye – Orillia, ON; Zach McPhee – Vernon, BC; Tony Stevens – Surrey, BC; Trudy – Montreal, Que.; Mariya Stokes – Stavely, AB; and Jade Turner – Misipawistik Cree Nation, MB.
SiriusXM is devoting a limited engagement channel to 14-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift. Channel 13 (Taylor’s Version) debuts Sunday, April 7, 13 days ahead of her highly-anticipated new album The Tortured Poets Department. It will feature Swift’s music from her chart-topping 17-year career, including Eras Tour favourites, live tracks, bonus tracks and more. The 13th day of the channel, Friday, April 19, will see the full album played beginning to end continuously throughout the weekend. Swifties will also share their personal and meaningful experiences with Taylor and her music.
Luminate says the Canadian public continues to rank among the world leaders in percentage of the population actively listening to music and the overall percentage of music streamers (premium and subscription). However, Luminate says with an average of 11.1 hours spent with music weekly — a number lower than comparable markets like the U.S., France and Germany — there is an opportunity to grow time spent listening among Canadians. Canadians strongly support homegrown artists, with 71% of music listeners engaging with music from Canada in 2023, compared to 66% in 2022. That increase was aided by new breakout stars like Canadian singer-songwriter Tate McRae and the continued growth of Punjabi music in Canada, including Canadian-based artists like Karan Aujla and Shubh.
Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2024 indicates monthly podcast listening is up by five points (42% in 2023 to 47% in 2024). Just over one-third (34%) of the U.S. population, 12+, say they have listened to a podcast in the past week – up from 31% in 2023. An estimated 98 million Americans now listen to podcasts weekly. Other highlights of this year’s report are that 70% of those 18+, who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month, listen to radio as an audio source in their primary car; 55% listen to online audio and 32% listen to podcasts.
Spotify is rolling out audiobooks to its Premium users in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Beginning April 9, Spotify Premium users in those markets will have access to up to 15 hours of audiobooks per month. The streamer’s Premium audiobook catalog, already available in the U.S., UK, and Australia, includes 250,000 titles and growing. Canada’s Carley Fortune (Meet Me At The Lake) is among the authors recruited to share some of their favourites.
LISTEN: Yellowknife online radio station Cabin Radio was denied an FM licence last year. But then, last summer’s wildfires threatened the community of roughly 20,000. That’s prompted the CRTC to announce that it is re-opening applications to serve the market after an appeal for an exception. Ollie Williams, the editor of Cabin Radio, joins Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about the twists and turns of the regulatory process over the last five years, perseverance, and the enduring impact of local journalism.
LISTEN: Sarah Christie has been in radio for well over a decade, currently serving as the National Music Manager for Virgin Radio Canada. She’s on the latest Sound Off Podcast discussing the changing state of radio programming, adapting to new technology to stay on top of current music trends, and her podcast, Earth Care, which provides listeners with tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint.
SIGN OFFS:
Bruce Hogle, 95, on March 29. Hogle followed his father into journalism, starting out at the Prescott Journal and the Sudbury Star where his dad was editor, as well as the local radio station in Sudbury. The family moved to Medicine Hat in the late 1940s where he once again went to work for his father as a sports editor with the Medicine Hat News. He went on to join the Winnipeg Bureau of the Canadian Press as a staff writer, serve as editor of the Trail Daily Times, and then news director for CKRM Radio in Regina. In 1965, Hogle’s father passed away after moving to Edmonton to set up the newsroom for Sunwapta Broadcasting’s new television station. He was asked to step in at CFRN-TV and take over his father’s role as Manager of News, Sports and Public Affairs. Throughout his 30-year career with Sunwapta, Hogle produced thousands of radio and TV editorials, particularly drawn to injustice and fighting for society’s underdogs. In 1967, he produced the documentary “What About the Victim,” detailing issues faced by victims of crime. It prompted the creation of the Alberta Crimes Compensation Board, the first of its kind in Canada. His investigative work in the 1970s exposed landlords taking advantage of renters during economic boom times, leading to rent controls. In 1973, he initiated opening up Alberta’s legislative proceedings to live television coverage. In 1981, he also launched “Wednesday’s Child,” a regular feature to find families for difficult-to-adopt children with physical, mental and emotional handicaps. Hogle was also a supporter of women in broadcasting, instrumental in opening the door for Western Canada’s first female news anchor, Daphne Kuehn. He retired from the station in 1995. Hogle was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2011, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Order of Canada in 1998.
“Big Don” Biefer, on March 29, following a long illness. “The Beef” was a mainstay on southern Ontario radio for two decades, starting in the late 1960s. Among his early stops were CKLB Oshawa, CJSS Cornwall, CHIC Brampton, and CKLC Kingston. By 1971, he had landed at CKFH Toronto to do overnights, the first of three stints at the Top 40 station. He left for two short-lived morning show stints in 1973, one at WOLF Syracuse, New York and the other at CHSJ Saint John, NB. He moved on from CKFH for good the following year to join CHAM Hamilton. The remainder of the ‘70s saw him split his time between CFTR Toronto and FM 108 (CING-FM) Burlington where he stayed until 1988. Following his radio career, Briefer owned and operated ProDJ, a Brampton-based disc jockey service.
TV & FILM:
The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Canada has announced that film writer and director Deepa Mehta will receive the Equity in Entertainment Award at this year’s inaugural Canadian event on May 30 in Toronto. The award recognizes Canadian creators and leaders in the entertainment industry who are working to reflect and amplify the voices and stories of underrepresented communities. Being awarded for the first time in Canada, its namesake was created in 2016 by The Hollywood Reporter as part of its Women in Entertainment gala in Los Angeles, with past honourees including Kerry Washington, Issa Rae, and Amy Pascal.
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) is investing $357M in Canadian television and digital media during its new fiscal year. Among other changes, the CMF is expanding the existing Canadian broadcaster market test in linear content programs and allowing Canadian-owned and controlled distribution companies to contribute financing to help unlock CMF funds. To provide broadcasters with more flexibility, the CMF is combining the Development and Performance Envelopes into a single Broadcaster Envelope system. Indigenous producers will now have expanded flexibility in some eligible genres, with Indigenous producers in the North to benefit from expanded market tests and flexibility on current rules related to Canadian key personnel. CMF staff will host webcasts in both English and French on April 11 to provide more information about the changes.
The Black Screen Office (BSO) and Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) have announced the launch of a new Black Producer Accelerator Program focused on increasing representation and supporting the career growth of Black producers in Canada. The program, made possible with financial support from Entertainment Partners, will see six producers participate in 20-week paid mentorship placements, where they will be paired with established producers at CMPA member companies. Black candidates who have a demonstrated interest in working in production and a goal of building a career as a media producer in Canada, are invited to apply, in concert with an experienced CMPA producer with whom the candidate would work alongside throughout the duration of the accelerator program. The application deadline is May 3.
The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has announced that Warner Bros. Television Group Chairman and CEO Channing Dungey is joining the festival’s Summit Series lineup as a keynote speaker. The 45th edition of the festival, taking place June 9–12, will once again include a curated lineup of keynotes featuring global players shaping the future of the media industry. As previously announced, Rob Wade, CEO, FOX Entertainment is also confirmed as a Summit Series speaker.
CBC News and Inuit TV, the Government of Nunavut’s educational broadcaster, have announced a new partnership to support their shared commitment to preserving and promoting Inuit languages. As of this week, CBC News: Igalaaq is airing on Inuit TV, increasing access and reach of the public broadcaster’s Inuktitut-language supper-hour news broadcast. CBC North’s supper-hour daily Inuktitut news program broadcasts live each weekday at 6 p.m. ET from Iqaluit, Nunavut, available on CBC Gem, cbc.ca/north, YouTube @CBCNorth and CBC TV. Viewers will now be able to watch a rebroadcast on Inuit TV the following day at 1 p.m. ET and repeat at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday.
WildBrain Television had the Canadian premiere of international co-production Louise Lives Large on Family Channel this week, with new episodes rolling out every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET starting April 17. The series also premiered on Ireland’s RTE on April 3 and will debut on Belgium’s KETNET this fall. The dramatic comedy series for young people follows the inspiring journey of newly cancer-free teen Louise Edgar as she embarks on a mission to make up for lost time, completing items on her “Live Large List.” Shot on location in Ireland, the official Ireland-Belgium-Canada treaty coproduction is produced by Julianne Forde and Mairtín de Barra (Tailored Films, Ireland), Maarten Schmidt and Xavier Rombaut (Storyhouse, Polar Bear, Belgium) and Virginia Thompson and Robert de Lint (Vérité Films, Canada).
National Canadian Film Day (CanFilmDay) returns April 17 shining a spotlight on “Films That A.I. Could Never Make.” Presented by Reel Canada, this year’s celebration of Canadian film will include more than 1,000 screenings in every province and territory and more than 39 countries, in addition to offerings from broadcasters and streaming services spanning CBC and CBC Gem, Hollywood Suite, OUTtv, GameTV, WildBrain, APTN, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment, Super Ecran, Crave, CHCH, Blue Ant Media, Netflix, NFB, TVO, AppleTV+, Shudder, Starz, Mubi, TFO, Hoopla, YouTube, The Roku Channel, Kanopy and others. Programming highlights include several sneak peeks ahead of their official release dates, film festival partner screenings, and community events. Read more here.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS) has announced the nominees for the 28th Annual Webby Awards, honouring excellence on the internet and influential creators and brands at the intersection of tech and culture. The Webby Awards received 13,000 entries from over 70 countries around the world. Among the Canadian nominees are actress and broadcaster Madison Tevlin for Down Syndrome is the Least Interesting Thing About Me in the Best Creator, Features (Social) category, as well as Best Influencer. JAR Audio and Pacific Content each received two nods, while CBC News: Front Burner is nominated in the Podcasts – Limited Series & Specials, Business category for its The Naked Emperor series on the Pornhub empire. CBC Podcasts’ The No Good, Terribly Kind, Wonderful Lives and Tragic Deaths of Honey and Barry Sherman received a nomination in the Crime & Justice category, and The Africas vs. America is up in Documentary. Read more here.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
Bell Media President Sean Cohan made his first public appearance at the inaugural Black Screen Office Symposium in Toronto this week, telling the audience that recent layoffs and programming cuts were necessary to accelerate company goals in the digital media landscape. Cohan told The Canadian Press (CP) in an interview, that he takes issue with how the layoff of 4,800 staff by BCE earlier this year has been characterized as “killing journalism.” Read more here.
The Jack Webster Foundation is accepting nominations for its three, annual special awards: the Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring an exemplary B.C. journalism career; the Bill Good Award, honouring a B.C. individual or organization that makes a significant contribution to journalism in the province; and the Shelley Fralic Award, recognizing a B.C. journalist who identifies as a woman, and exemplifies Fralic’s legacy of concern for excellence in journalism and making her community a better place. Nominations are open until May 26.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), the broadcast standards association, has named Dr. Paul Hearty of Samsung Electronics as Chair of the ATSC technology group that oversees the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards. Hearty succeeds Sony’s Luke Fay, who has been ATSC Technology Group 3 Chair since 2019. Hearty previously served as a Vice-President of Technical Standards at Sony, and began his professional career at the Government of Canada’s Communications Research Centre. Hearty founded the Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory, which carried out tests on behalf of ACATS that led to the development of the ATSC 1.0 digital television standard. Later, as a Vice-President at General Instrument/Motorola, he led in the deployment of commercial and direct-to-home satellite broadcast technologies, as well as digital compression technology for satellite and cable.
MediaValet Inc., the Vancouver-headquartered provider of enterprise digital asset management (DAM), video content management and creative operations software, has announced the completion of its acquisition by an affiliate of STG. All issued and outstanding common shares of the company have been acquired in exchange for CAD$1.71 in cash per share. MediaValet’s shares are expected to be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) shortly.
