The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Brett Adnum has been named the new President of Golden West Broadcasting. Adnum has held the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) since 2022 following the departure of former President & COO Carter Friesen earlier that year. Since that time, longtime CEO Elmer Hildebrand has also been serving as company president. Read more here.

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I could yak about TFSAs, RSPs, ETFs, jobs and grocery prices forever

But after decades of talking about how money is made, saved and invested, it seems on brand to retire early

So I am doing it. TODAY.

“Jeannie Lee, CBC News, Toronto”

🧵How it started; how it’s gone so far pic.twitter.com/KuCrAwsSSe

— JeannieLee@CBC (@JeannieLee88) May 30, 2024

Jeannie Lee has announced her retirement from CBC News after more than 27 years covering business and the markets for both radio and television. Lee was already working full-time as a researcher and reporter for CFCF TV (CTV Montreal) by the time she graduated from the Broadcast Journalism program at Concordia University. She eventually joined CBC Toronto, helping launch the new “5:30 Live” news program and contributing as reporter, producer and back-up host. That was followed by a move to the business beat on Newsworld and by 1997 she’d been named co-host of new program “Working Day” and “After the Bell” featuring news companies would announce just after the markets closed. She also served as host of “The Money Show.” 

Daniele Hamamdjian is joining the NBC News London bureau as a freelance correspondent. Hamamdjian was formerly CTV’s UK correspondent, up until getting caught up in layoffs at Bell Media in June 2023.

Jack Morse has joined CityNews Vancouver as a videojournalist. Morse has held a similar role with CTV in Charlottetown for the past two years and prior to that was an anchor and reporter with Acadia Broadcasting’s stations in Nova Scotia.

 

 

Kelly Peter has joined Jeff Kelly and Backstage Ben on the Virgin Radio 97.5 (CIQM-FM) London and Virgin Radio 105.3 (CFCA-FM) Kitchener morning show. Jeff, KP & Backstage Ben is airing weekday mornings from 5:30 – 10 a.m. ET. Peter is familiar to audiences in London and Kitchener-Waterloo as the former host of Virgin Radio 97.5 afternoons. After beginning her career with the station in 2008, she has since hosted a variety of shows on both Virgin Radio and Pure Country 93 (CJBX-FM) London. Jeff Kelly and Backstage Ben have been co-hosts on Virgin Radio mornings since 2016 in London and 2021 in Kitchener-Waterloo. 

Natasha Gargiulo will be heard on Montreal’s The Beat 92.5 (CKBE-FM) this summer supplying vacation relief in various dayparts. The former ET Canada host and reporter has more recently been hosting Cineplex’s “Hello Movies” podcast, among other projects.

Mitch Bunda has left Corus Radio Vancouver where he’s served as the Chief Broadcast Engineer for the last five years. Bunda joins B.C. public broadcaster Knowledge Network as Director of Broadcast and Information Technology.

Erika Kennair has been appointed Head of Scripted Content and Pam Healey as Head of Unscripted Content, reporting to Studio Head Juan (JC) Acosta, as Mediapro establishes its Los Angeles-based leadership team for Mediapro Studio U.S. / Canada. Acosta has now set his North American leadership team with Kennair and Healey, together with new hires Ari Tan as Head of Strategy and Operations and Robert Haiat as Head of Commercial in LA. Additionally, Leslie Cohen, Head of Global Acquisitions, and Juan Pablo Santos, SVP Content and Business Development, both based in New York, join the new leadership team.

RADIO & PODCAST:

SiriusXM Canada has reached a settlement with the Competition Bureau over so-called “drip pricing” that will see the satellite radio provider pay a $3.3 million penalty. A bureau investigation found that outside the province of Quebec, SiriusXM advertised its satellite radio and streaming subscription plans at prices that were not attainable to consumers due to an additional mandatory “Music Royalty and Administrative Fee” which increased the monthly cost of a plan by 10 to 20%. The bureau says the offer was promoted across the company’s website, as well as in promotional emails and direct mail. As part of the agreement registered with the Competition Tribunal, SiriusXM will also cover the cost of the bureau’s investigation (an additional $30,000). Read more here.

Canadian Music Week (CMW) President Neill Dixon has announced he’s retiring after 42 years. Dixon, 78, made the announcement at the opening of this year’s music and radio industry conference in Toronto, which runs through June 8. He’ll be selling the business to Loft Entertainment – the artist management and content company co-founded by Randy Lennox, a former president of both Bell Media and Universal Music Canada, and music industry veteran Kevin Barton – and venue management and hospitality provider Oak View Group, which doubles as the owner of global concert industry trade publication Pollstar. Read more here. More Radiodays North America coverage to come.

LISTEN: Luke Rodriguez has been named the 2024 Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year. Currently the host of afternoon drive on Edmonton’s 104.9 Virgin Radio (CFMG-FM) and the station’s Assistant Program Director, he was recognized at Radiodays North America during Canadian Music Week. He joins us to talk about his broadcast journey thus far, chasing a radio career in uncertain times, and he shares his advice to other young broadcasters. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

 

Numeris’ spring PPM release completes the 13-week period covering Feb. 26 – May 26 2024. As David Bray writes in his breakdown for Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, radio remains consistently popular with an average weekly reach of 84% for Canadians A12+. Read more here.

Numeris’ latest diary ratings release covers the period from May 1, 2023 to April 28, 2024. Radio reached 81% of A12+ and 82% of Adults 25-54. In Quebec, specifically, weekly reach is at 84% for A12+ and 88% for A25-54. Canadians, 12+, in the top markets spent an average of 13.3 hours per week listening to radio, while Quebecers, 12+, spent 15.9 hours weekly listening to radio. See David Bray’s sample breakdown for Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax, Quebec City and Victoria here.

The BC Lions have announced a return to their broadcast roots as Corus Radio’s 980 CKNW Vancouver takes over as flagship station of the Lions Audio Network encompassing CFAX 1070 Victoria, AM 1150 Kelowna and Radio NL Kamloops. For an eighth consecutive season, Bob “The Moj” Marjanovich and Giulio Caravatta will deliver the call, including one-hour pre- and 30-minute post-game shows. 980 CKNW will also serve as the new home of BC Lions On Tap every Tuesday evening from 10-11 p.m. Hosted by Marjanovich and Lion personalities Matt Baker and Nik Kowalski, the show serves as a primer for upcoming games featuring players, coaches and club executives. Head coach Rick Campbell also makes a weekly appearance on the Monday Morning Quarterback with Simi Sara, in addition to a dedicated game day segment on the Jas Johal Show. The Lions’ history with CKNW included airing games from 1988-2003.

Triton Digital has released its second Canadian Podcast Trends Report, reflecting shows and podcast networks measured by Triton’s Podcast Metrics over the past year. Canadians, 18+, averaged 3.6 podcasts per week and 8.2 episodes, with weekly listeners consuming 5.9 hours of podcasts. That’s up from Triton’s 2023 Mid-Year Podcast Trends Report which found Canadians listened to an average of three hours of podcast content per week, equating to an average 4.4 episodes weekly. YouTube was the top platform used to access podcasts in the past year and the top platform for discovery, with 43% of listeners first listening in the past year. According to the report, Canada’s most popular podcast genres were True Crime (18% of downloads), followed by Comedy and News, which each account for 16% of downloads. Read more here.

Canadaland has introduced three-part podcast series Canada Obscura, in collaboration with The Atlas Obscura Podcast. The triptych explores Canada’s real-life Winnie-the-Pooh, the feral horses of Sable Island, and the Montreal fast-food oddity that is Orange Julep.

Maverick Makers, a podcast uncovering the journeys of bold innovators, has announced a partnership with the Sound Off Podcast Network. Hosted by Michelle Daides, Maverick Makers delves into the personal and professional lives of notable trailblazers, with the first season featuring conversations with former MuchMusic VJ Erica Ehm, marketing guru Tony Chapman, entrepreneur Mike Fata, CEO Mark Samuel, and culinary expert Andrea Buckett. Daides is CEO & Chief Storyteller at Maverick Makers Content Creation Collective, an award-winning video production and full content agency that produces strategic content for clients across North America. 

LISTEN: Sue Haas, President and COO of NLogic, returns to the Sound Off Podcast, one year after taking the helm of the company. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

SIGN OFFS:

Saul Jacobson, 70, on May 26. Originally from Canora, SK, Jacobson started working in radio as a teen while still in high school. He went on to study music performance at Regina University and taught for a short period of time, but was pulled back into the radio business going on to a 35-year broadcast career. In addition to stops in Melfort, Brandon, Saskatoon and Regina, Jacobson is best known for his 13-year run as an afternoon drive host at CHUM’s Majic 100 Ottawa from 1992 to 2006. He went on to host mornings at Jewel Radio Ottawa for three and a half years. Other ventures included founded Prairie Broadcast Training Institute while in Regina. Following his retirement from broadcasting in 2011, he launched SuccessPro International, writing and public speaking. He also served as volunteer music director at Broadview Avenue Public School for the last 12 years, receiving the Sovereign’s Medial for Volunteers in 2014.

TV & FILM: 

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television wrapped up Canadian Screen Week on Friday evening, marking the end of four days celebrating Canadian film, television, and digital media. Crave/APTN’s Little Bird led television honours, winning 13 awards including: Best Drama Series, Best Direction, Drama Series, Best Supporting Performer, Drama for Braeden Clarke, and Best Lead Performer, Drama Series for Darla Contois. CTV’s Children Ruin Everything claimed Best Lead Performer, Comedy for Meaghan Rath and Best Supporting Performer, Comedy for Ennis Esmer, while Crave’s Letterkenny and the final season of CBC’s Sort Of received Best Ensemble Performance, Comedy and Best Direction, Comedy for Fab Filippo. The first season of Crave’s Bria Mack Gets A Life took home Best Comedy Series, while Best Reality/Competition Program or Series went to Crave’s Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. The World. Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry led the film categories capturing a record 14 Canadian Screen Awards. Read more here.

The Guild of Music Supervisors, Canada (GMSC) and Canadian Music Week (CMW) have revealed the winners for the 2024 Canadian Sync Awards which took place Monday at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. Celebrating the craft of music supervision in filmed media in Canada, Everton Lewis, Jr. of Wracket Music won a leading four awards. Find the full list of winners here.

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has announced that the 2024 Indiescreen Awards, recognizing excellence in Canadian independent feature film production, will be handed out as part of the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) in Halifax this September. The CMPA has also opened applications for the Established Producer award, which includes a $20,000 prize, and the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer award, which includes a $10,000 prize. The lead producer (or production team) of a Canadian feature film that has or will premiere in the 2024 calendar year is eligible to apply for nomination. The deadline to apply is July 19.

Just for Laughs (JFL) and ComediHa! have reached an agreement for ComediHa! to acquire select JFL assets under ongoing restructuring proceedings. The agreement is subject to approval from the Québec Superior Court. Founded in 1997, ComediHa! stages the annual ComediHa! Fest-Québec, the largest French-language comedy festival in the world, and also produces live shows, television programs and films.

Sportsnet and the Calgary Flames have announced a new agreement that sees the sports network continue as the team’s exclusive regional broadcast partner for 11 more seasons through to 2035. Since Sportsnet’s inception in 1998, the network has been the home of the Flames’ regional broadcasts. A radio rights agreement was also reached with Sportsnet 960 The Fan (CFAC-AM), but terms of that deal have not been disclosed.

Jonas Brothers are headed to the 111th Grey Cup at BC Place in Vancouver on Sunday, Nov. 17. As headliners of the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime Show, the band’s latest effort, in collaboration with country rocker Bailey Zimmerman, Strong Enough, was released last November. Jonas Brothers’ headlining performance adds another chapter to the CFL’s ongoing partnership with Universal Music Canada, which has included in-game broadcast music, the stadium concert series and collaborations with the league’s nine member clubs. The Halftime Show will be broadcast live on TSN and RDS.

KPMG has released a report commissioned by the Motion Picture Association – Canada, indicating global studios and streamers now account for more than half of total film, television and streaming production investment across Canada. Global production fueled employment at a rate three times higher than that of domestic production over the 2012-22 period, with 97% of cast, crew and production personnel working on global productions from Canada. In 2021-22 alone, global studios and streamers invested in Canadian television and film productions to the tune of $874 million.

Global has unveiled its 2024-25 broadcast slate, delivering 18.5 hours of simulcast programming in primetime this fall. New is a modern take on the iconic procedural drama Matlock, starring Oscar-winner Kathy Bates in the titular role, alongside Skye P. Marshall, Jason Ritter and recurring star Beau Bridges. The latest installment in the NCIS franchise, NCIS: Origins, also joins the lineup, in addition to Canadian-produced Murder in a Small Town, a psychological crime drama based on the Karl Alberg book series by novelist L. R. Wright, and shot in B.C. New series Poppa’s House, starring Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. joins the network’s comedy lineup. Corus Entertainment has also announced new and returning series joining its specialty networks and streaming platforms.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

The Macdonald-Laurier Institute has organized opposition to media bailouts with independent publishers Holly Doan of Blacklock’s Reporter, Sam Cooper of The Bureau, Rudyard Griffiths of The Hub, Tara Henley of Lean Out, Candice Malcolm of True North, Derek Fildebrandt of The Western Standard, Claire Lehman of Quillette, Substack commentator Paul Wells, and columnist Andrew Coyne, among those signing a pledge denouncing federal newsroom subsidies. The group is encouraging other digital news outlets to sign the “Ottawa Declaration on Canadian Journalism” and reject payroll subsidies asserting they “damage the independence of the press, stifle much needed innovation and private investment and fail to rebuild readers, listeners and viewers’ trust in our industry.”

The Atlantic has announced a strategic content and product partnership with OpenAI, positioning the publication as a premium news source within the platform. The Atlantic’s articles will be discoverable within OpenAI’s products, including ChatGPT, and as a partner, the outlet will help shape how news is surfaced and presented in future real-time discovery products. Searches that surface The Atlantic will include attribution and a link to read the full article on theatlantic.com. As part of the agreement, The Atlantic and OpenAI are also collaborating on product and tech to shape and improve future news experiences in ChatGPT and other OpenAI products. The Atlantic is currently developing an experimental microsite, Atlantic Labs, to figure out how AI can help in the development of new products and features to better serve its journalism and readers.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

The CRTC estimates the Online Streaming Act (formerly Bill C-11) will bring in an estimated $200 million per year in new funding for the Canadian broadcasting system. The estimate, announced at Radiodays North America in Toronto by CRTC Chair Vicky Eatrides, follows a consultation on contributions during which the commission received more than 360 detailed submissions and held a three-week public hearing where it heard from over 120 groups. Based on that information, the CRTC is requiring online streaming services that make $25 million or more in annual contributions revenues, and that are not affiliated with a Canadian broadcaster, to contribute five per cent of their Canadian revenues to support the Canadian broadcasting system. The commission says the funding will be directed to areas of immediate need, including local news on radio and television, French-language content, and content created by and for Indigenous, official language minority, and equity-deserving communities. Read more here.

CBC/Radio-Canada has released the first progress report on its 2023-25 National Accessibility Plan, Breaking Barriers. Among other highlights, the public broadcaster says in the 2023-24 fiscal year, 11.5% of new hires self-identified as having a disability, up 6% from 2021-22. Among other digital content initiatives promoting disability awareness on CBC and Radio-Canada platforms, the broadaster says it’s completed or started projects to improve the accessibility of many of its stations and is experimenting with text-to-speech functions, allowing people to listen to text news articles on its websites.

CBC/Radio-Canada has responded to a call for additional information requested last month by members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage following the public broadcaster’s appearance on May 7, including further details of job reductions the corporation has made since December 2023, particularly between our English and French Services. Between Dec. 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, CBC/Radio-Canada says it eliminated 346 positions from across the organization, including 205 vacant positions and 141 occupied positions. The letter also outlines audience numbers for all of CBC’s local “supper hour” television news programs across the country, reflecting “live” television viewing only.