The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Lisa LaFlamme has revealed that Bell Media terminated her contract at the end of June after 35 years with CTV, the last 11 as Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor. In its own release, Bell announced LaFlamme’s departure Monday afternoon, saying that “Recognizing changing viewer habits, CTV recently advised LaFlamme that it had made the business decision to move its acclaimed news show, CTV National News, and the role of its Chief News Anchor in a different direction.” LaFlamme, 58, took to social media with her own version of events, saying she’d been “blindsided” by the company and asked to keep her release quiet. She began her career at CTV Kitchener affiliate, CKCO, as a copywriter and script assistant, going on to serve as a foreign correspondent, and co-host Canada AM in the early 2000s, among other roles. LaFlamme’s unceremonious departure has dominated headlines and spurred numerous editorials, including insights from former CTV colleague Kevin Newman, Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley, and our own editor Connie Thiessen. 

Omar Sachedina has been named incoming Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor of CTV National News, effective Monday, Sept. 5. Sachedina, who holds a Master of Science degree from Columbia Journalism School, is currently the network’s National Affairs Correspondent and has been with CTV since 2009. Among other roles, he’s served as Parliamentary Correspondent, contributed to W5, and served as a fill-in host for both CTV National News and CTV Power Play. Sachedina’s began his career as an intern at Global in Vancouver and Montreal. He’s also worked for CTV Northern Ontario, Citytv, and CP24.

Alicia Barin has been appointed the CRTC’s interim Vice-Chair of Broadcasting for the next six months. The Quebec commissioner temporarily succeeds Caroline J. Simard, who in June was named the new Commissioner of Canada Elections. Simard’s term was set to end in September.

 

Darren Throop, President and CEO of Entertainment One (eOne), will step down at the end of the year when his contract runs out. Throop began his career in Halifax when he opened Urban Sound Exchange, building an independent chain of music stores, which led to the purchase of ROW Entertainment which eventually become eOne. The company went public in 2007. His exit follows Hasbro’s acquisition of the company in 2019.

Catherine Cullen is the incoming host of CBC Radio’s The House, succeeding Chris Hall who retired as National Affairs Editor at the end of June. Cullen has been a senior reporter in the Parliamentary Bureau since 2014 and with the public broadcaster since 2005, starting as a researcher and eventually TV reporter at CBC Montreal.

Julie Nolin has left CTV Vancouver for Global BC. Nolin had been a multi-platform journalist and anchor with CTV Vancouver since 2013. She started her career as an intern with the network before moving on to print and eventually A-Channel in Calgary and Edmonton, Citytv Vancouver and CHEK News Victoria, among other stops. Nolin previously worked as a technical producer at Global BC from 2009-12.

Robin LaRose has returned to the time slot he first held when he joined Vancouver’s Rock 101 (CFMI-FM) in 1992. Following 25 years in middays, the veteran personality moves into afternoon drive, which Dean Hill vacated with his retirement earlier in the summer after 26 years. LaRose’s show also airs in the 6 – 10 p.m. time slot on Q107 (CFGQ-FM) Calgary. Read more here.

Sara Orlesky has joined the Winnipeg Jets content team as a host and producer. Orlesky was previously with TSN for 14 years, including 11 seasons as host of the Jets on TSN broadcasts and the network’s roving Winnipeg reporter. She’d also served as the sideline reporter for the CFL on TSN since 2008. As part of a partnership with TSN, Orlesky will make regular appearances on Jets on TSN broadcasts and co-produce and host a new post-game show delivered on all Jets media platforms, in addition to pre-game hits.

Will Nault has stepped away from Sportsnet 960 (CFAC-AM) Calgary after 10 years, where he’s most recently been a co-host on The Big Show in the Morning. Nault is moving on to a new opportunity outside media. He’s the fourth host to leave the station this year following the departures of Boomer in the Morning co-hosts Rhett Warrener in mid-March, and Dean “Boomer” Molberg in June. Ryan Pinder, co-host of Pinder & Steinberg and Flames Talk, departed in mid-July.

Britt Prendergast has joined TSN 1260 (CFRN-AM) and Virgin Radio (CFMG-FM) Edmonton as a producer and on-air personality. She arrives from a marketing position at the Edmonton Stingers basketball club. Prendergast was last in radio in 2020 when she left 660 News (CFFR-AM) Calgary to join Western Hockey League franchise the Calgary Hitmen as associate digital producer. Prior to that, she was on-air at EZ Rock (CFTK-AM) and Pure Country (CJFW-FM) Terrace, BC.

Stevie De La Rose has joined STAR 98.3 (CKSR-FM) Chilliwack in afternoon drive. She arrives from KIX FM (CKKX-FM) Peace River, AB. De La Rose has also done stints at The Rush 96.1 (CKRW-FM) Whitehorse, New Country 98.1 (CFCW-FM) Edmonton, and Vista Radio in Quesnel, BC.

Laura Hampshire is taking a break from broadcasting after more than 25 years to spend more time caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with dementia late last year. Hampshire most recently has been serving as News Director for Bayshore Broadcasting East, doing morning news on 89.1 Max FM (CISO-FM) Orillia, 97.7 Max FM (CHGB-FM) Wasaga Beach, and Country 102 (CJMU-FM) Bracebridge. Hampshire has also spent time at 900 CHML Hamilton, 107.5 KOOL FM (CKMB-FM) Barrie, and 680 News (CFTR-AM) Toronto, among other stations.

Paul Brar has been suspended from Sher E Punjab AM 600 (CKSP-AM) Richmond, BC after comments interpreted by some listeners as minimizing the role of domestic abuse in the suicide death of a South Asian woman in New York. The station has launched an internal review into the matter.

Great Pacific Media (GPM), the unscripted content arm of Thunderbird Entertainment Group, has moved up Lindsay Macadam to Executive Vice President of GPM from the role of Senior Vice President of Content & Business Development. Reporting to GPM President David Way, Macadam will lead business development and third-party partnerships, as well as oversee key new and current series. Macadam has more than 15 years’ experience in film and TV production, including serving as a leading executive producer on drama series Motive (CTV, NBCUniversal International). Moving up to Vice President, Creative, Todd Serotiuk previously served as Executive Producer and showrunner for six seasons on Heavy Rescue: 401 (Discovery Canada, The Weather Channel). Reporting to Macadam, he’ll now be responsible for overseeing creative on new key series, help foster professional development of team members, and consult on the creative direction and execution of projects in development. Additionally, Lori Massini has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs from Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs at Thunderbird Entertainment, overseeing a team that supports Atomic Cartoons and Thunderbird Distribution and the business affairs team at GPM.

Erin Burke, Associate Director, Programs & Content at the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), has left the organization after 20 years. Burke’s career at the CFC began in 2001 as an Administrative Assistant for CFC Features (previously called The Feature Film Project). She rose through the ranks to Creative Executive, Features Comedy Lab and Executive in Charge of Production & Post, among other roles.

 

 

RADIO & PODCAST:

CBC Podcasts launches Pressure Cooker on Sept. 5, a five-part series hosted by Dan Pierce that takes listeners deep undercover into a sprawling anti-terror investigation, drawing on more than 100 hours of police surveillance tape and interviews with John Nuttall and Amanda Korody, the couple convicted in 2015 of planting explosive devices on the grounds of the B.C. legislature in Victoria. Early access to Pressure Cooker is available to Canadian audiences via CBC Listen. Those outside of Canada can gain early access via CBC True Crime, a premium subscription channel available exclusively to international subscribers via Apple Podcasts. Launched in May, CBC True Crime is available in the U.S., UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Germany, with listeners still able to access CBC’s sponsorship-supported podcasts for free. 

Curiouscast has released a new podcast series in partnership with Porsche Canada, called Driven By Her. Part of the Ongoing History of New Music, hosted by Alan Cross, the five- episode series explores the contributions made by some of the women who have changed modern music – from those who rocked the ‘90s to guitar heroes, female drummers, songwriters and producers. New episodes will be released monthly.

 

Jack Dawes is being inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame. Dawes has been a key voice of agriculture in eastern Saskatchewan since the 1980s and is still working part-time at the age of 81, producing agricultural programming for The Rock 98.5 FM (CJJC-FM) Yorkton. Over the years, he worked at CKOS-TV and CJGX-FM Yorkton, before joining the Prairie Oat Growers Association as Executive Director from 2002-11. His induction ceremony will take place Nov. 12 in Saskatoon. 

Behind The Mic: Five Decades Covering the News in the Maritimes by veteran talk show host Rick Howe is now in stores. Published by Pottersfield Press, Behind The Mic takes readers into radio newsrooms from the 1970s and on, drawing from Howe’s five decades on-air in Campbellton, NB, Saint John and Halifax. The RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award honouree also publicly discusses his ongoing battle with cancer that resulted in his decision to retire earlier than planned. Howe, 69, stepped away from his News 95.7 (CJNI-FM) morning talk show in May 2021 and officially retired in September of last year.

Buzz Bishop, morning host on Stingray’s XL 103 Calgary, has published a children’s book he wrote with his son. Out this week, My First Book of Sharks, is published by Callisto Media and explores fun facts about sharks around the world. 

SiriusXM Canada and Jaguar Land Rover Canada have announced that beginning with the 2022 model year, SiriusXM is now a standard feature in all Jaguar and Land Rover models sold in Canada. Most Jaguar Land Rover models, including the New Range Rover, will include SiriusXM with 360L – SiriusXM’s advanced audio entertainment platform – as a standard feature. The standard availability is part of a new agreement that extends the relationship of the two companies into 2027. The Land Rover SiriusXM with 360L experience will also feature Pandora Stations, which gives the user the ability to create their own ad-free music stations based on the artist they are listening to.

Pacific Content’s Pippa Johnston asks Do you hear that hum? in her latest blog post exploring the risk of hearing loss for podcasters and what can be done to prevent further damage. Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety regulations recommend capping audio exposure at 87dBs over eight hours a day.

Voices, the London, ON-headquartered voice marketplace, has a released a new report indicating voice assistant applications are the top priority for more than 40% of marketing departments polled. The 2022 Voice Branding Trends Report also found that more than 35% cited social audio as a priority, while a little over 20% identified podcasting as their priority in 2022. 40% of respondents said they plan on using voice or sonic branding in their 2022 marketing strategy. Angela Hawkins, Voices’ VP of Marketing, says the report affirms that every industry is now being touched by and beginning to use sonic branding across tech, education, tourism, and other sectors.

LISTEN: Broadcast Dialogue welcomes Stephanie Donovan, Global Head of Revenue, at Triton Digital to the podcast to dive into current audio listening trends, including how smart speaker growth is driving listening habits, the revenue opportunities presented, and why this year’s Infinite Dial Canada is a great story for radio. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

LISTEN: Jenn Dalen-Gordon, Operations Manager for Stingray Radio’s B.C. Interior stations, is on the latest Sound Off Podcast. Dalen-Gordon also oversees about 20 other Country stations under the Real Country and New Country moniker. Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

SIGN OFFS:

Andy Sandilands, 64, on Aug. 12, after a short battle with cancer. Sandilands graduated from Ryerson’s Radio and Television Arts program in the early 1980s, going on to a career in radio broadcast sales. When Standard Broadcast Sales and Western Broadcast Sales merged to create United Broadcast Sales (UBS), he was one of the first members of the UBS sales team. UBS eventually became Canadian Broadcast Sales (CBS), Canada’s largest radio rep house. While Sandilands briefly left for CBC, he returned to his CBS family where he wrapped his more than three-decade career, retiring in 2019.

Allan Myers, 59, suddenly on Aug. 10. Originally from One Hundred Mile House, BC and a graduate of BCIT, Myers started his career at BCTV (now Global BC). He went on to roles at Al Jazeera, Washington, D.C. CBS affiliate WUSA 9, Temple Street Productions, and TVO, among other freelance work. Myers also worked as a producer/director for National Geographic Canada from 2000-07, directing series “Inside Base Camp” and 2004 documentary “China’s Lost Girls.” He took up the position of Senior Director, CTV National News in 2014. He also directed more than 50 episodes of CTV’s W5 and 2012 reality series, “Canada’s Great Know It All,” in addition to 2012 docuseries “Over the Rainbow,” which aired on CBC and followed Andrew Lloyd Webber as he searched Canada for the girl to play Dorothy in Mirvish’s production of The Wizard of Oz.

Terence McCartney-Filgate, 97, on July 11. Born in England, Macartney-Filgate joined the Royal Air Force as a flight engineer during WWII, flying more than a dozen operations in Europe. After attending Oxford University, he immigrated to Canada. A longtime fan of National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentaries, he was eventually hired as a script assistant in 1954 and by 1956 had directed his first film. Among his early projects was NFB’s “Candid Eye” series, 14 half hour shorts that were broadcast on the CBC between 1958 and 1961. In 1963, he was tapped to direct “Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel with the World” when original director Shirley Clark left the project. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, however Macartney-Filgate was not credited. Among other accolades, he won a Peabody Award for his 1964 documentary, “Changing World: South African Essay.” In the 1970s, he taught in the film department at York University. He eventually retired, but continued to work with Adrienne Clarkson on her CBC-TV program, Adrienne Clarkson Presents. Macartney-Filgate was presented with Hot Doc’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2011 and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada the same year.  

TV & FILM:

The Black Screen Office has released Being Counted, its study centred on the experiences, screen media preferences, and viewing habits of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour audiences – a first in Canadian audience research. Among its findings are that systemic biases are embedded in traditional audience research methodologies, limiting the discovery of new and innovative insights, and rationalizing existing practices. The report says there is also an undeniable link between what is on screen and who occupies decision-making and creative roles in the sector. Key takeaways include that there is an urgent need for representative content that has complex characters, especially as the volume of diverse entertainment content available on other platforms continues to increase. It also recommends that viewing behaviours of BIPOC audiences be disaggregated from typical audience research data in order to be visible to broadcasters. 

Academy Award–winning filmmaker Sam Mendes will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award. The TIFF Tribute Awards will return as an in-person gala fundraiser during the 47th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 11. TIFF will be presenting the Canadian Premiere of Mendes’ most recent work Empire of Light, which he wrote, directed, and produced. Mendes made his feature film debut at the festival in 1999 with the World Premiere of American Beauty, a TIFF People’s Choice Award winner, for which he was honoured with an Oscar in the Best Director category. The TIFF Ebert Director Award recognizes filmmakers who have exemplified greatness in their careers. Named after legendary film critic Roger Ebert, the Award marks an evolution of the festival’s Roger Ebert Golden Thumb Award, which in past has gone to visionaries like Martin Scorsese, Claire Denis, Ava DuVernay, and the late Agnès Varda. 

The Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC) will host the Canadian Screen Music Awards, celebrating excellence in scoring original music for the screen on Sept. 21. Open to all Canadian and permanent resident composers, the Guild has released this year’s nominees across nine categories. Additionally, the SCGC special award for Distinguished Service to the Industry will be awarded, as selected by the Guild’s Board of Directors

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is accepting recommendations for its Special Awards until Sept. 15. They include the Academy Board of Directors’ Tribute, presented to a Canadian individual for their extraordinary impact on the growth of the Canadian media industry; the Industry Leadership Award; and Gordon Sinclair Award for Broadcast Journalism.

Boat Rocker has struck a first-look deal with actor, writer, director, and producer Jay Baruchel. Under the deal, Baruchel will develop and produce original television, film and digital projects. Baruchel, who starred in all three seasons of Simon Rich-created Man Seeking Woman on FXX, is also known for voicing Hiccup in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, co-writing and starring in the Goon movie franchise, and his roles in blockbuster comedies Tropic Thunder, Knocked Up, and This is the End. Baruchel most recently hosted LOL: Last One Laughing Canada from Boat Rocker’s Insight Productions for Amazon Prime Video. He’ll also be a series regular in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s upcoming spy adventure series for Netflix. Baruchel joins other first-look deals recently struck with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s Maroon Visions, Dakota Johnson and Ro Donnelly’s TeaTime Pictures, and Shamier Anderson and Stephan James’ Bay Mills Studios.

Global has announced premiere dates for the fall 2022-23 primetime season. Among the new series joining the schedule are dramedy So Help Me Todd (Sept. 29), starring Marcia Gay Harden and Skylar Astin; action drama Fire Country (Oct. 7), starring Max Theriot; music drama Monarch (Sept. 14) with Susan Sarandon, Trace Adkins and Anna Friel; and The Real Love Boat, (Oct. 5) hosted by Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell, in which viewers set sail for love and nostalgia.

Showcase and W Network have announced fall premiere dates for new and returning programming, including Peacock titles and Hallmark Channel programming. Among the Showcase highlights are the modern reimagining of classic sci-fi novel, The Midwich Cuckoos, premiering Sept. 1, starring Keeley Hawes and Max Beesley. Peacock comedic thriller The Resort debuts Sept. 11, a multi-generational, coming-of-age love story from the creators of Palm Springs and Mr. Robot. Premiering Oct. 17 is Peacock’s true-crime limited drama series A Friend of The Family featuring an all-star cast including Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton, Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey. Premiering on W Network is Peacock’s Vampire Academy on Sept. 18, based on the Richelle Mead novels; Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin on Nov. 24, a new comedy series starring Adam Devine who reprises his role as Bumper Allen from the hit film franchise as he moves to Germany to revive his music career. Corus Entertainment’s Sex with Sue also premieres Oct. 10, a feature-length documentary on the decades-long career of sex educator Sue Johanson. 

CTV Original comedy Children Ruin Everything returns for its second season, Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, beginning Sept. 19. Created and executive produced by Emmy and Golden Globe-winner Kurt Smeaton (Schitt’s Creek), and set and filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, confirmed to guest star on the series’ second season are Kim Coates (Bad Blood, Sons of Anarchy) and Aaron Ashmore (Ginny & Georgia, Killjoys); with Anna Hopkins (The Expanse, Shadowhunters) reprising her role as “Disaster Mom.”

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) has unveiled the AMI-tv schedule for the 2022 fall broadcast season, with a lineup of new and returning AMI originals available in described video for the blind and partially sighted community. They include Double Tap TV, which returns for a fifth season on Sept. 13, bringing viewers discussions on everything tech with an eye on accessibility. New series Healthy at Home makes its debut Sept. 14. Produced by Honey Cut Studios, fitness instructor Bobbi Janzen – a member of the blind and partially sighted community – guides viewers through a home workout giving step-by-step detailed instruction, often focusing on the muscle groups overused when using a white cane or guide dog. 

CBC and CBC Gem are set to premiere Summit 72 on Sept. 14, telling the definitive story of the legendary ‘Super Series’ through a modern lens, and exploring its legacy and lasting influence on Canadian national identity. In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the tournament and with exclusive rights from Team Canada ‘72, multiple filmmakers collaborated to create the 4 x 60-minute documentary series. Series producer, Nicholas de Pencier, shares writing and directing credit across all episodes with the team of author, musician and director, Dave Bidini; multi-award-winning writer, producer and director, Robert MacAskill; and nine-time Emmy-winning journalist and news anchor for Chicago’s ABC News, Ravi Baichwal. Among the hockey legends participating are Phil Esposito, Ken Dryden, Serge Savard, Paul Henderson, Vladislav Tretiak, and Boris Mikhailov. The remaining three episodes of the docuseries will air on consecutive Wednesdays at 8 p.m. local time (8:30 NT). 

SportsGrid, the 24-hour streaming network serving the sports wagering audience, has launched on FuboTV in the U.S. & Canada. Hosted by a team of on-air personalities, sports and betting experts, and guest contributors, the network features real-time sports news, data, analytics, and statistics, including daily odds, matchups, injury reports, and more across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college sports, golf, tennis, and soccer. The network’s live programming originates from television production facilities adjacent to Madison Square Garden in New York City and at the SG Studios & Production Hub in Holmdel, New Jersey.

TVA Sports has extended its deal with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for four more years until 2026, including all 250, 500 and 1000-level women’s tennis tournaments. The extensioh ensures Quebecer Leylah Fernandez, Canadian Bianca Andreescu and other stars of women’s tennis will continue to been on TVA Sports, as the exclusive French-language broadcaster.

Netflix is adding more than a dozen classic Canadian television series to its library, starting this month and available through January. Among the series coming to the streamer are 1994’s “Due South,” starring Paul Gross; 2010 crime drama “Rookie Blue”; and 2014’s “Sensitive Skin,” starring Kim Cattrall as a woman coming to terms with aging.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

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If this is our last issue, I couldn’t be prouder. It’s my favourite one yet with the the best collaborators and such powerful voices:@LamarJohnsonn + Kiana Madeira@realsarahpolley + Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers@kdeveryjacobs @samchizanga @nataliamanzocco @clevack & on & on … pic.twitter.com/nQrfxqmiGp

— Radheyan Simonpillai (@JustSayRad) August 17, 2022

NOW Magazine’s acting editor Radheyan Simonpillai has shared that the August print issue may be the publication’s last. Simonpillai revealed in a tweet that the team behind the alt-weekly and its website have now gone without pay for 21 weeks. Media Central Corp., the parent organization of both NOW and Vancouver alt-weekly The Georgia Straight, filed for bankruptcy in March. Since then, NOW has been printing monthly rather than weekly. NOW was founded in 1981 by Michael Hollet and Alice Klein.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) J-Talks Live series kicks off its fall season on Sept. 13 with a two-part virtual event focused on Canadian news startups. The CJF will showcase 10 visionaries who will share their insights on the growing media sector, new business models and current challenges, including Erin Millar, Indiegraf; Emma Gilchrist, The Narwhal; Chuck Lapointe, Narcity Media Group; Farhan Mohamed, Overstory Media Group; Brandi Schier, Discourse Community Publishing; Linda Solomon Wood, Canada’s National Observer; Brett Chang, The Peak; Matthew DiMera, The Resolve; Eden Fineday, IndigiNews; and Anita Li, The Green Line. 

Substack is piloting Substack Threads, a feature that gives writers a dedicated space to host private conversations with subscribers and share text, images and links directly from the app that readers can react and reply to. Prompted by the evolution of several Substacks that have evolved “into far more than just an email newsletter,” including book clubs and live events, the platform says Threads essentially gives writers their own “private social network” where they set the rules of engagement and own the relationships with members without having to compete with an algorithm. A select group of publications and their readers are currently testing the feature. 

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

Global Reporting Centre, the University of British Columbia-based independent, not-for-profit media organization dedicated to innovating global journalism, is a 2022 Edward R. Murrow National honouree: The centre’s short film series, Turning Points, about alcohol use, addiction, resilience and healing in Yellowknife – directed by the storytellers themselves – was recognized for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The series was broadcast in partnership with PBS NewsHour. Turning Points was also awarded a Silver Medal at the inaugural Anthem Awards in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion category.

Cheryl McKenzie, Executive Director of News and Current Affairs at APTN, has been selected as the winner of the 2022 NAJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award. Awarded by the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, the award recognizes responsible storytelling and journalism. McKenzie has been with APTN for the last 21 years, starting as a reporter, producer, and host before being promoted to her current role.

Aphrodite Salas has been appointed as the second inaugural John Lemieux Faculty Fellow at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University. Her fellowship work will focus on preserving freedom of the media and combating misinformation and disinformation in Southeast Europe. The former CTV, Citytv and Global anchor and reporter is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism and Director of the Graduate Diploma Program. She’s also a research associate at the Concordia University Acts of Listening Lab and a member of the Concordia Centre for Broadcasting and Journalism Studies.

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Enough is enough. Online hate against journalists must be addressed.

Today, the CAJ, @TorontoStar @TheHillTimes & @globalnews sent a list of demands to
– @TorontoPolice, @OttawaPolice & @rcmpgrcpolice
– 4 federal ministers & Ontario’s attorney general

Here’s what we want🧵 pic.twitter.com/J4bZenAopP

— Canadian Association of Journalists (@caj) August 11, 2022

Global News, the Toronto Star and The Hill Times, along with the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), have sent a letter to Ottawa Police interim chief Steve Bell, Toronto Police Chief James Ramer, and Justice Minister David Lametti, among others, following a rise in racist and sexist threats to female journalists. The news organizations are calling for greater coordination and a formal complaint process for media who’ve become targets of harassment and threats. Among those targeted over the last few weeks are The Hill Times columnist Erica Ifill, Global News reporter Rachel Gilmore, and Toronto Star podcast host and producer Saba Eitizaz. Gilmore documented the less than urgent response she received when reporting a death threat to Ottawa Police.

 

The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) says it’s disturbed by new information about a neo-Nazi plot to kill a Winnipeg Free Press journalist, and is calling on the RCMP to clarify what steps it took to investigate the murder plot. In 2019, Ryan Thorpe went undercover to expose Canadian Armed Forces reservist Patrik Mathews as a member of neo-Nazi group, The Base. Mathews subsequently fled to the U.S., where he was arrested and sentenced to nine years in prison for weapons charges and plotting violence. Last week, German newspaper Zeit Online reported that Mathews’ co-conspirators had created a photo montage that fantasized about Thorpe being decapitated, with their “original plan” to kill Thorpe before smuggling Mathews over the border. RCMP were aware of the threat to Thorpe’s life and notified him via letter, but did not offer any protection or give him any indication of how to evaluate the threat. Thorpe only learned about the specifics of the plot to kill him as a result of Zeit’s reporting. CAJ says the incident “raises troubling questions about Canadian law enforcement’s response to these threats.”

Rogers, Shaw, and Quebecor have entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of Freedom Mobile to Quebecor subsidiary Videotron, subject to regulatory approvals and closing of the Shaw/Rogers merger. In a release, the parties say they strongly believe the Freedom transaction provides the best opportunity to create a strong fourth national wireless services provider and addresses concerns raised by the Commissioner of Competition and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry regarding the Rogers-Shaw transaction. 

The Ontario Association of Broadcasters (OAB) CONNECTION 2022 conference will return in-person, Oct. 18-19. Usually held in November, this year’s event is also being moved to a new venue at the Hyatt Luxe Convention Centre in Mississauga. OAB said in an email to members that it’s purposely scheduled the conference earlier in the year and limited registration to a maximum of 200 people to create space for social distancing and alleviate COVID-19 concerns as much as possible. Read more here.

The B.C. Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Awards of Excellence are open for submissions, celebrating the best in radio and TV production, news and community service in British Columbia. The eligibility window for entries is Jan. 1, 2021 – March 31, 2022. Submissions close Friday, Sept. 9.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING

Brightline has announced a companion light to its popular LED upgrade kit motivated by the rapidly decreasing availability and forecasted discontinuation of most fluorescent components. The L1.3X joins the SeriesONE studio series. Brightline says demand has been intense for its recently released retrofit package to upgrade its S1.2 and S1.4 fluorescent fixtures to LED lighting.