The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Ashley Greco, who announced her departure from Toronto’s CHUM 104.5 last month, has joined the morning show on Ottawa’s Pure Country 94 (CKKL-FM). Greco, who helmed middays on CHUM for the last 12 years and had served as the national midday host on Bell Media’s MOVE Radio stations, is co-hosting The Morning Pickup with Ashley & Gord, alongside Gord St. Denis. The Pure Country 94 morning show is also heard on Pure Country 99 (CKLC-FM) Kingston. In addition to her new role, Greco will continue to host Back in the Day Brunch on MOVE Radio and CHUM 104.5. Read more here.

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Diane Sauvé couvrait à #Paris2024 ses derniers #Jeuxolympiques, ce qui met fin à une carrière de 38 ans à @iciradiocanada. Elle revient sur ses impressions des Jeux de Paris, et sur son parcours personnel 👇

Toute l’équipe te souhaite une bonne retraite @DSauve_rc! pic.twitter.com/iIo6Gzz3nc

— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) August 10, 2024

Diane Sauvé has wrapped up a 38-year career with Radio-Canada. Based in Montreal, Sauvé had been covering sports for the network since 1988.

Nathalie Sturgeon has left Global News New Brunswick after three years. She’ll be joining independent community station CHCO-TV Charlotte County/St. Andrews. Prior to Global, Sturgeon had worked with Brunswick News in Saint John and Sussex and CBC in Fredericton.

Patrick Lagacé is helming new morning show Lagace le matin on Cogeco Media’s 98.5 FM (CHMP-FM) Montreal. He succeeds Paul Arcand, who stepped away from his popular show Puisqu’il faut se lever in June. Lagace le matin leads 98.5’s revamped schedule.

Tony Marinaro is bringing back his midday radio show, The Forum, on BPM Sports 91.9 (CKLX-FM) Montreal, 100.9 (CHXX-FM) Quebec City and 96.5 (CFTX-FM) Gatineau. The show will air from 10 a.m. – noon weekdays, starting Aug. 26. Marinaro left TSN 690 (CKGM-AM) Montreal in June 2022 after a 20-year run with the network. 

Chantal Dunn has joined SONiC 102.9 (CHDI-FM) Edmonton in middays. Dunn takes over the 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. slot from Taylor Smith, who is now part of The Garner Andrews Show in mornings. Dunn has been working as a host and in promotions with Rogers Sports & Media’s Rock stations in Alberta since 2019.

Srushti Gangdev has been named Assistant News Director at 1130 News Radio (CKWX-AM) Vancouver. Gangdev joined the station last year as an anchor and producer after stints with Global BC, the Burnaby Beacon, and CBC Vancouver.

Ben Bouguerra has joined 1130 News Radio (CKWX-AM) Vancouver as an anchor and reporter. A 2024 BCIT Broadcast and Online Journalism graduate, Bouguerra previously interned with the station.

Wendy Gray is being heard on the morning news on 98 FM CKHD Assiniboia, SK. Gray, who left her position at Vista Radio in January, where she served as Director of News and Regional Cluster Manager for Ontario South, is also continuing her work as a fundraising lead with L’Arche Stratford.

 

Damian Smith has joined the CFTK-TV Terrace news department. A 2024 graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University, Smith joins the team as a reporter and back-up anchor and will assist with radio news in the mornings. He’s previously had bylines with The Hockey News, among other outlets.

Patty Hutton has retired as Director of Finance, Administration and Human Resources at CPAC after 24 years. Prior to joining CPAC In 2001, Hutton worked with APTN as Director of Finance.

Ricardo Gomez-Insausti, Numeris’ VP of Research for the last 18 years, is retiring. With the departure of VP of Operations Derek Matisz earlier in the summer, Derrick Gray has been named to the newly-created role of Chief Research & Operations Officer. Gray was most recently with BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India where he held the position of Chief of Measurement Science and Business Analytics. Prior to joining BARC, he was with Numeris for 15 years, leaving as Senior Director, Audience Measurement Science.

Ivan Pehar has joined Roku as its new Ad Sales Director, Canada. Most recently, Pehar served as Head of Canada Ad Sales at Spotify, where he helped develop its go-to-market strategy for Canadian brands. Prior to Spotify, he spearheaded Twitter’s Canadian office as Head of Revenue and Agency Partnerships. In his new role, he’ll be responsible for Roku ad revenue and strategy in Canada, with a focus on fostering collaboration and relationships with agencies. 

Jean-François Lescadres has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Videotron and Freedom Mobile, while Jean B. Péladeau becomes Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Lescadres has been with Quebecor since 2003, adding to his duties as head of finance for Videotron and Freedom. He’ll also be responsible for the Retail Network. Péladeau, who has been VP of Operational Convergence since 2021, will helm marketing of all Videotron, Videotron Business, Fizz and Freedom products. His new duties will be in addition to his current responsibilities for Freedom Mobile’s digital marketing, digital customer experience and branding teams.

RADIO & PODCAST:

Corus Entertainment has announced it’s shuttering Hamilton heritage station, 900 CHML, and making a format adjustment at 980 CFPL London. CHML’s closure was announced in a post to the station’s social media channels on Wednesday, saying the decision had been made after “years of financial losses.” CHML has been serving the community since 1927 and celebrated its 95th anniversary last September. The move follows the closure in late June of 880 News (CHQT-AM) Edmonton and Vancouver all-traffic station AM 730 (CKGO-AM). Read more here.

Leclerc Communication has released its on-air staff at Montreal’s WKND 99.5 (CJEC-FM) as it prepares for a rebrand. Leclerc has reached a content distribution agreement with Quebecor Media’s NumériQ, which launched the multi-platform QUB talk radio and public affairs digital channel in 2018. Starting Aug. 26, 99.5 will broadcast QUB programming including Mario Dumont’s new morning show, starting at 6 a.m., accompanied by Alexandre Dubé and Antoine Robitaille. He’ll be followed by Isabelle Maréchal from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and Benoît Dutrizac from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sophie Durocher will be heard from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and Richard Martineau from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. WKND, which carried a Modern Adult Contemporary format, launched in June 2020 after Leclerc acquired Radio Classique.

JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) Toronto says the not-for-profit has made significant progress toward “closing the gap,” following an urgent fundraising appeal in early July to make up a $150,000 budget shortfall. General Manager Dana Wigle says thanks to a 24-hour live appeal and the support of artists and listeners, that shortfall has been reduced to $50,000. Like other broadcasters, the not-for-profit is adapting to the shifting media landscape and running lean, but in no way is in dire financial straits, Wigle asserts. With a smaller team, the station no longer needs the 10,000 sq. ft. Liberty Village studios it first took over in 2006. As it looks ahead to celebrating CJRT-FM’s 75th anniversary in November, it has put that space up for sub-lease. Read more here.

Corus Entertainment’s 980 CKNW Vancouver is celebrating 80 years on Aug. 15. Hosts past and present will be sharing memories from the past eight decades. The station, originally located in New Westminster, BC, signed on-air on Aug. 15, 1944, and was the first in the region to have hourly newscasts. In 1947, it became the first station in B.C. to broadcast 24 hours a day.

AMI has unveiled its AMI-audio lineup for the 2024-25 broadcast season that includes returning favourites, new programs and audio and video podcasts. Highlights include the debut of AMI Today, hosted by Jacob Shymanski (AMI Audiobook Review). AMI Today will promote literacy, tech knowledge and advocacy through interviews, digging into audiobooks and debuting the latest AMI video podcasts. Also available as an audio and video podcast on YouTube, it’s available weekdays at 11 a.m. ET.

LISTEN: At least once a year, Matt Cundill gets the urge to do an episode about career management and what to do when there are mass layoffs at companies like Bell, Audacy, iHeart, Corus, Rogers, or Cumulus. Mac Prichard of the Find Your Dream Job podcast is on the Sound Off Podcast, talking about networking, applying for jobs, and managing your online presence. 

SIGN OFFS:

Michael Hall Caine, 75, on July 22. Caine was a second-generation broadcaster as the son of Whiteoaks Communications founders Howard and Jean Caine, who first started dreaming of owning a radio station while working together at CKOC Hamilton. They founded CHWO Oakville in 1956. Following Howard’s death in 1967, Jean and later Michael – who had been raised in the business and groomed to take over – succeeded him in management, going on to found CJMR in 1974, the first station licenced to the newly-incorporated city of Mississauga. In June of 2000, Michael achieved a personal goal, winning approval for an Adult Standards station at 740 AM, the former CBC Toronto frequency, known as “Primetime Radio.” It was sold to ZoomerMedia founder Moses Znaimer in 2008. At the time of his death, Michael was still serving as CEO of Whiteoaks Communications. The company is now under the guidance of his son Matthew, the third generation of Caines in broadcasting.

Irene Madoche, 88, on Aug. 6. Madoche worked in Edmonton radio for more than five decades, starting at CJCA in 1959, spending the bulk of her career with K97 (CIRK-FM), Mix 96 (CKRA-FM), and CFCW, through the ownership of Selkirk Communications and Newcap Radio. Madoche was the first point of contact to anyone who visited the stations and was known for her remarkable memory for names, voices and phone numbers. She retired in 2010 around her 75th birthday.

TV & FILM:

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has unveiled the nominees for its annual Indiescreen Awards, recognizing excellence among Canadian independent feature film producers. This year’s winners will be announced at the 2024 Indiescreen Awards ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 12, during the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF). Read more here.

Boat Rocker will acquire the remaining 30% of Insight Productions it didn’t already own for CAD $7.5M. The deal was announced during Boat Rocker’s Q2 earnings call this week, six years after it acquired a majority stake in the unscripted prodco which produces shows like The Amazing Race Canada and Top Chef Canada. The transaction is expected to close within the next six months.

Videotron has announced it will consolidate its French-language entertainment offerings, Club illico and Vrai, under a single platform this fall. Dubbed illico+, the single subscriber-based video-on-demand (VOD) platform, will launch Oct. 23, promising a seamless transition for existing subscribers of both platforms on Helix and illico. Videotron says the illico+ catalogue will include scripted, unscripted and specialized content, as well as Quebec and international exclusives. Read more here.

CBC/Radio-Canada has released Numeris data indicating seven in 10 or more than 27 million Canadians tuned into the Paris 2024 Olympic Games over 17 days. CBC says it delivered the highest all-day audience share of any English-language network in Canada for the duration of Paris 2024, among both audiences 2+ and 25-54. The games set new digital viewing benchmarks as well, with Canadian audiences consuming a record-breaking 24.3 million hours of Paris 2024 content on CBC/Radio-Canada’s digital and streaming platforms, an increase of 170% over Tokyo 2020 and 121% over Beijing 2022. Connected TVs accounted for about 65% of the total time spent streaming Paris 2024 content on CBC Gem. The event’s most-watched moment was the conclusion of the Closing Ceremony, featuring actor Tom Cruise jumping out of a plane, viewed by 2.572 million viewers. Read more here.

Corus Entertainment has announced its fall lineup of Canadian original unscripted series with 12 new and returning titles, representing 95 hours of fresh programming. New series for HGTV Canada include House of Ali (8x60min), introducing viewers to luxury designer Ali Budd, beginning Thursday, Sept. 5. The HISTORY Channel delivers two new series, including paranormal offering Repossessed (8x60min) starting Friday, Sept. 6 featuring a team of experts, led by popular paranormal investigator Moe Sargi, as they travel across North America in search of the most haunted objects and the desperate owners who need their help. On Nov. 7, HISTORY Channel will debut new series Yukon Rescue (8x60min) following multiple emergency response teams in Canada’s rugged north. 

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has partnered with Peacock, to officially launch three of its redknot-produced animated kids’ television series in the U.S. Starting Aug. 15, U.S. viewers will be able to stream all three seasons of Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, followed by The Dog & Pony Show in September and Super Wish in October.

Prime Video has released the trailer for upcoming four-part docuseries The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, an unvarnished look at the 40-year journey of Canada’s most beloved rock band. Directed by Mike Downie, the series chronicles the triumphs, trials and bonds of brotherhood that defined The Hip’s rise from basement shows to arena rock legends. The docuseries will have its world premiere at TIFF before screening at film festivals nationwide. The Prime Video launch date will be announced at a later date.

Prime Video is also teasing upcoming reality series, Elisabeth Rioux: Unfiltered. Set to premiere Sept. 6 (6×30), the series follows the French-Canadian social media star and entrepreneur as she jet-sets the globe building her Quebec based international swimwear company, while trying to balance romance, family, and motherhood. Produced by Trio Orange, in association with Amazon Studios, and filmed in Montreal and throughout Quebec, the series travels to Miami, Costa Rica and Italy.

Crave has announced that production is underway in Sudbury on the six-episode, fourth season of Shoresy. Created by and starring Jared Keeso, and produced by New Metric Media in association with Play Fun Games and Crave, the hockey comedy continues to follow the fan favourite character and the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs of the Northern Ontario Senior Hockey Organization (NOSHO). The fourth season drops Winter 2025 on Crave with guest stars to include TSN hockey reporter Kenzie Lalonde; TSN reporter and Olympic gold medalist Tessa Bonhomme; Meghan Chayka, co-founder of Stathletes; and former NHLers Doug Gilmour, Marty McSorley, and Sean Avery. 

CBC has released a report from its study collaboration with CanChild, part of the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, testing three different captioning styles to determine which best supports comprehension. The research, which aims to ensure broadcasters provide the most effective captioning for those audiences, found that the traditional closed captioning style aimed at an able-bodied adult audience did not fall short of serving children with disabilities. It also found that while children preferred karaoke-style captions, that preference did not translate into better comprehension or increased reading time. Regardless of caption style, children’s learning outcomes from the videos remained consistent indicating that traditional bottom-placed captions are as effective for comprehension as the other styles tested. 

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC) have launched a Cinematography Intensive, welcoming five female-identifying Directors of Photography (DOPs) for a comprehensive two-week workshop in collaboration with the 2024 Norman Jewison Film Program. They include Emma Djwa, Iris Ng, Claire Sanford, Kaalya Whachell, and Paola Contreras. The DOPs will take part in a series of workshops and meetings led by CSC cinematographer mentors Zoe Dirse and Arthur Cooper. Following the two-week intensive and over the next month, they’ll take part in a series of post sessions that will see them leave the intensive with high-quality, original material for their reels.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Corus Entertainment has filed a complaint with the CRTC, alleging Rogers’ undue disadvantage in the wake of its merger last year with Shaw Communications, is leading it to engage “in predatory behaviour, enabled by dominant size and scale, to foreclose on potential competition.” The Part 1 application focuses specifically on Rogers move to offer the ad-supported version of Disney+ to existing Ignite TV customers, which Corus says is part of an effort to lure subscribers away from its Disney-themed specialty channels. Corus submits that Rogers’ conduct constitutes a breach of its conditions of service by unduly preferring foreign services such as Disney+, as well as Rogers’ own platforms and channels, while subjecting Corus to an undue disadvantage. Read more here.

Unifor members laid off at Corus Kingston last month will have an opportunity this Saturday to say the goodbye to listeners and viewers they never got. The union has organized a private gathering that will see the two dozen staff who lost their jobs in July, across radio and television, come together with other former employees at the Royal Kingston Curling Club. A public farewell reception will follow from 3 – 5 p.m. Bill Hutchins, the face of Global Kingston’s 6 p.m. newscast and the president of Unifor local 713-M, says the cuts have effectively meant the end of CKWS-TV as the community has known it with 95% of the station’s staff laid off, in addition to local announcers at 96.3 BIG FM (CFMK-FM) and Fresh 104.3 (CKWS-FM). Hutchins hopes Saturday’s event can bring some closure to staff, listeners, and viewers. Read more here. 

Stingray has released its inaugural Sustainability Report for 2024, reflecting the fiscal year ended March 31. Outlining the company’s journey towards a more environmentally and socially conscious future, the report was guided by standards set out by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Among other facets of Stingray’s operations, it includes insights into gender and diversity in the workplace, currently comprised of 40% women and 11% self-identifying minorities, including 32% women in management positions. 88% of Stingray employees hold permanent positions.

The RTDNA Canada National Awards Gala will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 in Toronto. Regional Award winners will be announced next month. As previously announced, there will be no RTDNA Canada Conference in 2024. The organization is instead focusing on holding topical webinars on current industry issues, including content supporting up-and-coming journalists and students.

World News Day, a global initiative by the news media industry demonstrating the value of journalism, will feature new campaign, Choose Truth, created by South Africa’s Daily Maverick. Celebrated on Sept. 28 each year, World News Day was conceived in 2017 by Globe and Mail Editor-in-Chief David Walmsley, and supported by more than 500 newsrooms. This year, co-organizers – the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and the World Editors Forum, the network for editors within the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) – have teamed up with Daily Maverick to present a campaign news organizations can share with their audiences in the days leading up to Sept. 28. News organizations wanting to join or support the initiative can get involved by contacting Cherilyn Ireton, Executive Director of the World Editors Forum @ Cherilyn.Ireton@wan-ifra.org.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

The Association of Central Canada Broadcast Engineers (CCBE) is holding their 71st annual Career Development Conference, Aug. 22-24, at Kingbridge Centre in King City, ON. Some of the topics of this year’s paper presentations include: AI, Cloud and 5G in Broadcasting, Working Virtually, where HD Radio is today, RF Exposure as well as Grounding and Lightning Protection. The conference is open to engineers, technologists and technicians working in the broadcast industry. Learn more at ccbe.ca.

Podbean has unveiled its newest feature, Blog-to-Podcast functionality. The tool empowers users to convert existing blog content into a podcast channel, allowing them to repurpose written content into audio. Podbean says the feature bridges the gap between blogging and podcasting, amplifying content exposure and promoting deeper connections with audiences.