REVOLVING DOOR:
Corus Entertainment has announced further streamlining of its leadership structure, announcing it’s eliminating the role of EVP and Chief Revenue Officer. As a result, Greg McLelland will step down, effective Aug. 31. Barb McKergow will take on the expanded role of SVP, Advertising for Corus, starting Sept. 1. McKergow has been a national sales executive with Corus since 2019. Prior to Corus, she spent 14 years with Shaw Media in sales and marketing. In her expanded role, she’ll oversee all Advertising Sales, Revenue Management, Research, Advanced Advertising and Data teams. Read more here.
Leslie Campbell has been named Creatorade Media’s Regional Vice President for Saskatchewan. Up until earlier this month, Campbell had served as the General Manager for Golden West Broadcasting’s radio stations in Moose Jaw, as well as its Homefield marketing agency. The influencer marketing agency says under Campbell’s leadership, Creatorade aims to continue its rapid expansion across the prairies and North America.
Rachel Olson is joining Creatorade Media as a Sales Specialist. Based in Winnipeg, Olson was formerly an account manager with Golden West Broadcasting for the past three years.
Andrew Lawton has launched his campaign for the federal Conservative nomination in Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, currently held by Karen Vecchio who is not seeking re-election. The former 980 CFPL London and Corus Radio network talk show host, has been an editor and podcast host with the right-leaning True North Centre for Public Policy since 2018 and more recently served as Editor-in-Chief of True North Wire Service.
Andrew Johnson has joined Rogers Sports & Media as Content Director for CHYM and Country 106.7 (CIKZ-FM) Kitchener. Johnson leaves his business development role with JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto after just seven months.
Aaron Sousa has joined The Canadian Press (CP) as a reporter, just weeks after getting laid off by Global Edmonton. Sousa had been an online journalist with Corus Entertainment for just three months after leaving an associate producer position at the CBC.
Brandi Boxall has left her weather specialist role with CTV Regina to accept a position with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health. Boxall had been with CTV Morning Live Regina since the fall of 2022 and in radio and television for the last 14 years.
Shelby Proznick is moving within Golden West Broadcasting from hosting the morning show at 920 CFRY Portage La Prairie, MB to mornings on Magic 103 (CKRC-FM) Weyburn, SK. Proznick is a 2022 graduate of Western Academy Broadcasting College in Saskatoon.
Madison Reeve is vacating her videojournalist role within Castanet Media in Kelowna to move into an off-air sales role with the company. Reeve has been with the digital outlet since 2016.
Lacy Atalick has joined Village Media as Community Manager of Spaces, its community-powered social network, set to be integrated with Village Media’s local news sites. Atalick has most recently been a Page Designer at The Canadian Press (CP) and Digital Editor at Public Policy Forum. She’s also worked as an Audience Growth Editor at The Globe and Mail and with Global News as a Social Media Supervisor.
Alethea Bakogeorge has been hired by the Disability Screen Office (DSO) as Director of Programs & Development. A physically disabled access professional, fundraiser, and actor with cerebral palsy, Bakogeorge arrives rom the National accessArts Centre in Calgary, where she was Director of Development & Performing Arts. Prior to her time at the NaAC, she worked in fundraising and access for The Musical Stage Company in Toronto, where she was the first full-time Accessibility Manager to be appointed at an Ontario theatre company.
Andrew Akman has been hired by Paquin Entertainment Group as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). The Husk Media co-founder and former Cineflix Media COO, joins the live entertainment company as it expands into film and television. He’ll be based in Toronto.
Susie Hedrick has been promoted at WideOrbit to Chief Executive Officer. Founder and current CEO Eric Mathewson will continue in his strategic role as a member of the Board of Directors for Lumine Group, which acquired WideOrbit last year. Hedrick had held the role of President & Managing Director since Feb. 2023 arriving from the CEO position at vCreative. She previously worked at WideOrbit from 2014-19 as Senior Vice President of Sales, North America.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Corus Entertainment has reinstated a local morning show on [email protected] (CKNG-FM) Edmonton. Station personality Graham Mosimann is hosting the new live and local The Morning Thing with Graham Mosimann, weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. He was previously heard in afternoons. The Adult Hits format had been airing Willy in the Morning since August 2020, originating from Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) Vancouver. Prior to that, [email protected] had aired syndicated Seattle morning show, Brooke & Jubal (now Brooke & Jeffrey in the Morning). Read more here.
JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto is celebrating Canadian jazz icon Oscar Peterson on his birthday Aug. 15 with special programming and a live to air performance from 7-8 p.m. ET. The concert will feature JUNO Award-winning musicians Robi Botos on piano, Jim Doxas on drums, and acclaimed bassist Pat Collins. The trio will also speak to Peterson’s legacy and his influence not just on them, but on jazz overall. Peterson’s daughter, Céline, will take part in the storytelling. John Devenish, the host of Dinner Jazz, will guide the hour.
SiriusXM Canada says it won’t be offering its Free Access plan on this side of the border in step with a move by its American counterpart to introduce the ad-supported offering in the U.S. During its Q2 2024 earnings call stateside, the satellite radio provider announced a major shift in its subscription model as the battle for dominance in-dash continues amidst more competition from audio streamers and a continued command held by traditional AM/FM. Free Access, which offers a limited selection of popular ad-supported music and talk channels – including SiriusXM Hits 1, Alt Nation, ESPN Radio, xL Conan O’Brien Radio, The Highway and ’90s on 9 – is only available in vehicle models equipped with a SiriusXM 360L hybrid radio, which in the case of General Motors, Chrysler, and Subaru means 2023 or newer. Read more here.
SmartLess, which consistently ranks among the most-listened to podcasts in Canada, will make its debut on SiriusXM with a live event featuring Howard Stern as their special guest in Amagansett, NY. The live podcast taping in front of an audience of fans and SiriusXM subscribers will feature SmartLess hosts Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes sitting down with Stern for a wide-ranging interview. The episode will be released exclusively to subscribers Sept. 9, airing first on SiriusXM and then available on demand in the SiriusXM app and to SiriusXM Podcasts+ subscribers in Apple Podcasts. It will be released widely Sept. 16 wherever podcasts are available. SmartLess, which launched in 2020, was previously signed to Amazon’s Wondery. The SiriusXM deal, purported to be worth north of $100M, also includes SmartLess Media podcasts Just Jack & Will, Bad Dates and Owned.
Chris Van Vliet has been confirmed as a speaker at PodSummit YYC, Sept. 20-21. The four-time Emmy Award winning TV host, content creator and entrepreneur – born and raised in Pickering, ON – has worked for WOIO, WSVN, KLAS, SUN-TV, MTV2 Canada and TNT, and reported from the Oscars, Grammys and Cannes Film Festival. His YouTube channel has amassed more than 1 billion views and his podcast, Insight With Chris Van Vliet is #1 on the wrestling chart. He joins speakers including Jeremie Saunders, Kattie Laur, Fede Vargas, and Tchadas Leo.
LISTEN: Kolter Bouchard has undergone a reinvention this year, leaving his afternoon gig on 102.1 The Edge (CFNY-FM) in Toronto to move forward as a digital content creator, amassing a following of more than 730,000 on TikTok alone. Kolter joins Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, opening up about his time at Corus Toronto, their eventual parting of the ways, and working to overcome bitterness. We also get in to why he thinks radio talent is uniquely positioned for success in the content creator space.
LISTEN: Rob Grant from 101.5 Today Radio (CKCE-FM) Calgary is on the Sound Off Podcast. His conversation with Matt Cundill spans radio, politics, history, and football, how he wanted to do radio since the age of nine, and his time in Nelson, Kelowna, Edmonton and Calgary.
SIGN OFFS:
Gordon Skuttle, 104. Skuttle’s fascination with radio started young. By his early teens he had built a crystal set, by 18 he had secured his amateur radio license with the call letters VE4DG, and a year later had completed, by correspondence, the Radio and Television Diploma Program of the National Radio Institute in Washington, D.C., with a specialization in radio communications. Skuttle went on to study at the Radio College of Canada in Toronto, earning his Commercial Radio Operation Diploma and his Commercial Radio Operator license from the Department of Transport. While still a student, he started working at CKCL Toronto as a Special Events Operator, operating events ranging from big band performances to church broadcasts. Skuttle returned to Edmonton in 1943, working at CJCA as a Studio Operator. In 1957, he was named Chief Engineer. During his time with CJCA, he supervised the construction of two studio buildings and two new transmitter sites, installed a 200KW ERP FM transmitter, and managed the increase of AM power to 50KW. Skuttle was heavily involved with the Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) and recognized with WABE’s highest honour, the R.W. Lamb Award, in 1993.
Pamela (Timothy M.) Burge, 79, on Aug. 3. Burge started their career at CKDA Victoria in the mid-1960s. Stints at CKLG Vancouver as a “Boss Jock” and CJOR followed. From there, Burge was heard on CKVN Vancouver and by the 1980s was serving as program director at CFMI-FM Vancouver. In the late 1980s, Burge moved to CKOV Kelowna to do middays. Burge eventually left radio and underwent gender affirmation surgery. In more recent years, they had been known as “Pamela.”
Mel Hoyme, 88, on July 6. Hoyme, who grew up on a small farm outside of Camrose, attended the radio and electronics apprenticeship program at SAIT in Calgary, leading to a six-decade career in radio and broadcasting. While still in school, Hoyme started working part-time as a technician in 1957 at CKXL. Among his biggest accomplishments was helping launch CHQR Calgary in 1964. He built CHQR’s first state-of-the-art 50,000 watt transmitter in 1975. After retiring from the station as Vice President of Engineering at the age of 65 in 2000, he returned to assist with the technical requirements for the McMahon Stadium broadcast booth, still used for every Calgary Stampeders home game. He fully retired in 2020. Hoyme received a Retirement Award from the Western Association of Broadcast Engineers (WABE) in 2005.
TV & FILM:
Aircraft Pictures has bought back a majority of its shares from Corus Entertainment. The Toronto-based production company’s co-founders Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen have been returned as its sole shareholders. Corus purchased a majority stake in the independent scripted content company in 2022 as part of a plan to accelerate its expansion into the global content business. The share repurchase comes as Corus continues its focus on cost-cutting, which includes completion of a 25% workforce reduction by the end of August. Read more here.
CBC/Radio-Canada has shared Numeris data indicating women’s sport has dominated the most-watched moments of Paris 2024. Led by the Team Canada Women’s Soccer quarterfinal against Germany last Saturday, which drew an audience of 3.4 million Canadians, the end of the match was also the most-watched moment on CBC to date, attracting 2.53 million viewers. More than 1.9 million tuned in to watch Summer McIntosh’s second gold medal win, in the women’s 200m butterfly; Team Canada Women’s Soccer win against France; the women’s 4x100m medley relay in the hopes of a fourth gold medal for McIntosh; and the Canadian Women’s Soccer team win against Colombia. Read more here.
Netflix has announced the start of production of Wayward, a limited series thriller by co-showrunners Mae Martin and Ryan Scott, in the Toronto area. Set in a bucolic but sinister town, the series explores the underbelly of the “troubled teen industry.” Previously announced cast members include Martin, Toni Collette, Sarah Gadon, Sydney Topliffe, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Brandon Jay McLaren, Patrick J. Adams, Joshua Close, and Patrick Gallagher. The eight-episode series is being produced by Sphere Media.
Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, co-founders of The Black Academy, alongside CBC, Insight Productions and Bay Mills Studios, have announced that actor Adrian Holmes (Bel-Air) is set to anchor the third edition of The Legacy Awards. The live 90-minute special will be broadcast on CBC and CBC Gem on Sept. 29. The Legacy Awards return for a third year to Live Nation Canada’s HISTORY. This year’s honourees, performers, and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. Submissions for the Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award, which allows fans to choose their favourite Black-identifying Canadian digital content creators, are now open.
Tilt 9 Entertainment has started production in Vancouver on Any Other World, a sci-fi coming-of-age drama written and directed by Ben Pickles and featuring a Canadian cast that includes Bruce Greenwood, Erin Karpluk, and Graham Verchere. Set against Vancouver’s “City of Glass,” a troubled teen loses his father in a car accident only to discover that his reflection managed to survive the crash. Pickles is an award-winning writer, director, and visual effects supervisor from Vancouver, who has worked on the BAFTA-nominated TV show Timewasters and designed the 2018-23 Doctor Who title sequence. Any Other World is executive produced by Rachel Talalay, whose portfolio includes Doctor Who, Riverdale, and Ally McBeal, as well as cult classic films Tank Girl and Cry-Baby.
Hollywood Suite will air the Canadian broadcast premiere of The Burning Season, directed by Sean Garrity and starring Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries) and Jonas Chernick (My Awkward Sexual Adventure). The film will premiere on Hollywood Suite’s 2000s Movies Channel on Aug. 20. Telling a story of hope set against a cycle of self-destruction through infidelity, betrayal and love, the film received critical acclaim across its festival and theatrical release, winning Best Feature Film from the Writers Guild of Canada, Best Screenplay at the Canadian Film Fest, and the Borsos Award for Best Screenplay at the Whistler Film Festival.
Asian Television Network (ATN) has acquired the Canadian distribution rights for one of India’s most popular OTT streaming platforms – Sony LIV. Owned by Sony Pictures Networks India, it carries content from local networks, including Bollywood blockbusters, television series, reality shows, comedy and original programming. Sony LIV will be available via TELUS. ATN subscribers will have access to all of Sony LIV’s content at special rates when bundled with ATN Sony Linear Entertainment Channels.
MTM 18+ has launched a new report which delves into SVOD subscriptions in Canada. Highlights from Gauging Demand For On Demand include that: Nearly four out of five anglophone households (78%) and more than seven out of 10 francophone households (72%) subscribe to at least one SVOD service. Although Netflix remains the most popular, its share has declined, dropping to 52% from 59% among anglophones and to 60% from a peak of 72% among francophones in the fall of 2022. The report also finds advertising is increasingly being integrated into SVOD content. Around 21% of anglophone and 26% of francophone Crave viewers are choosing a cheaper subscription option that includes ads. Similarly, 17% of both anglophone and francophone Netflix viewers see ads, as do 13% of anglophone and 10% of francophone Disney+ viewers.
The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) has announced a new initiative in collaboration with Reel Green at Creative BC, aimed at encouraging ISO program applicants to adopt environmentally sustainable production practices through an Indigenous lens. Creative BC and ISO will each contribute $100,000 towards these sustainability initiatives. The program will launch Aug. 28 as part of the ISO Production Program. Applicants must be based in B.C. and can apply for up to $20,000 to support the hiring of a sustainability coordinator, green workshops, energy efficiency, waste reduction, eco-friendly transportation and sustainable set design and construction.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
Media Ecosystem Observatory has released a data-driven examination of the impact of Meta’s news ban on Canadians and Canadian news media. It finds almost half of news media engagement has disappeared with Canadian news outlets losing 85% of their engagement on Facebook and Instagram. That loss has not been compensated for on other social media platforms, resulting in an overall decrease of 43% in engagement. The report says the ban has reshaped the media landscape in Canada, with 212 or approximately 30% of local news outlets in Canada previously active on social media now inactive. The observatory says less news is being consumed by Canadians overall, who are simply seeing less news online – an estimated reduction of 11 million views per day across Instagram and Facebook. The report finds consumers do not appear to be seeking news elsewhere.
Google has introduced an ad surcharge in response to the federal Digital Services Tax legislation. As of Oct. 1, a 2.5% Canada DST Fee will be added to invoices or statements for ads served in Canada. Google says the fees are being added to cover part of the cost of complying with the new legislation. Originally announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, it applies to big tech firms providing digital services such as e-commerce, social media and online advertising.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
BCE operating revenues were $6,005 million in Q2, down 1.0% compared to Q2 2023, due to an 8.7% decrease in product revenue to $697 million. Bell Media operating revenue was up 0.9% to $812 million in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023, driven by 1.9% higher ad revenue, reflecting stronger year-over-year TV sports specialty performance, higher digital advertising revenue, the financial benefit from the acquisition of OUTEDGE Media Canada completed on June 7, Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix growth, and higher international sales of Bell Media content. Digital revenues grew 23%, the result of strong growth in digital advertising fuelled by Bell Media’s programmatic advertising marketplace as well as continued Crave and sports direct-to-consumer streaming subscriber growth. Crave direct-to-consumer streaming subscribers grew 21%, while sports direct-to-consumer streaming subscribers more than doubled over last year, benefitting from live sports content including UEFA EURO 2024 and CONMEBOL Copa América 2024.
TVA Group reported its consolidated financial results for Q2 2024, including $143,951,000 in revenues, a $5,191,000 (3.7%) increase compared with the second quarter of 2023. TVA reported $7,624,000 in adjusted EBITDA in the Broadcasting segment, a $12,163,000 favourable variance mainly due to a favourable retroactive adjustment of royalty rates for the LCN channel, as well as cost savings that offset a decrease in ad revenues. The Film Production & Audiovisual Services (MELS) segment reported $5,425,000 in adjusted EBITDA, a $5,838,000 favourable variance due to a higher volume of soundstage and equipment rentals. $260,000 in negative adjusted EBITDA was recorded by the Production & Distribution segment, an $842,000 unfavourable variance mainly due to a decrease in gross margin for Incendo, offset by savings in admin expenses.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
Google has unveiled Google TV Streamer, its next-generation 4K TV streaming device which replaces Chromecast. Google TV Streamer also doubles as a smart home hub for Google Home and Matter devices, offering access to movies and shows via streaming apps like YouTube TV, Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV, in addition to live TV with 800+ free channels. To make it easier to find what to watch, Google TV Streamer uses Google AI and user preferences to curate content suggestions across subscriptions, organized in one place. Google TV Streamer offers an improved processor, double the memory and 32GB of storage for faster app load times and promises smoother navigation than previous generation Chromecast. It’s now available for pre-order and will be available from retailers Sept. 24 for $99.99.
Pacific Broadcast – a global broadcast solutions provider based in Australia with offices in the U.S. – is providing live coverage of a major global surfing competition taking place off the Tahitian coast this summer using a mix of Grass Valley LDX 150 Series UHD/HDR cameras. To ensure unobstructed views of surfers riding the waves, Pacific Broadcast built custom waterproof housings for the new Compact LDX C150 camera to enable the capture of quality images—even when submerged. Uniquely, the LDX 150’s live UHD output was used while simultaneously capturing 6x 1080p high-speed replay action shots. Pacific Broadcast is also leveraging LDX 150 RF cameras, which enable wireless transmission of live image signals with low latency.
