The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

CBC Music has unveiled a chorus of new voices that will helm its classical programming, following the retirement of longtime host and opera tenor Ben Heppner over the Labour Day Weekend. Heppner, 65, leaves the CBC after eight years hosting both Saturday Afternoon At The Opera and Backstage with Ben Heppner. The public broadcaster is bringing in three new hosts including Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Principal Education Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, who took over hosting Centre Stage earlier this summer; Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations mezzo-soprano Marion Newman, the incoming host of Saturday Afternoon At The Opera; while Montreal-born soprano Frédéricka Petit-Homme joins CBC Music for Choral Concert. Former Choral Concert and Centre Stage host Katherine Duncan moves into a new producing role. On CBC Radio One, Rosanna Deerchild also returns as host of Unreserved. Read more here.

Global News Radio has announced new morning shows across all three of its Ontario AM stations. Greg Brady officially takes over 640 (CFMJ-AM) Toronto mornings with Toronto Today; Good Morning Hamilton with station veteran Rick Zamperin is airing on 900 CHML Hamilton; and The Morning Show with Devon Peacock on CFPL London. CFPL also has a new afternoon drive show, London Live with Mike Stubbs, while newly expanded regional shows include The Bill Kelly Show, airing weekdays on both 980 CFPL and 900 CHML from 9 a.m. to noon; The Alan Carter Radio Program, airing weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. across all three stations, followed by Jeff McArthur from 1 to 3 p.m. weekdays. Read more here.

Althia Raj has joined the Toronto Star where she’ll be contributing political coverage. An Ottawa-based multimedia journalist and member of CBC’s At Issue panel, Raj was previously HuffPost Canada’s senior editorial manager and its Ottawa bureau chief from 2011 until its closure in March. Raj has also worked as a national political reporter for Postmedia, served as Ottawa bureau reporter for QMI/Sun Media, and produced for CTV and CBC Radio.

Chris Johnston, formerly of Sportsnet, has joined Nordstar’s new gaming company. Johnston will be taking a leadership role covering the Toronto Maple Leafs and NHL at large for the new gaming company’s sports betting business. His work will also be syndicated to other publications, including the Toronto Star. Johnston began his career in 2000 at The Canadian Press, moving to join Sportsnet in 2013. He was a frequent contributor to Sportsnet’s TV and radio platforms, in addition to regularly guesting on the “Puck Talks“ live speaker series. 

William Lou is joining Sportsnet where he’ll cover the Toronto Raptors across audio and digital platforms. Lou has covered the NBA for Yahoo Sports Canada and theScore, among other sites, and is a co-host of Yahoo Sports’ Raptors Over Everything podcast. 

Kelsey Lehman has a new role as Music Director for KiSS 92.5 (CKIS-FM) and National Music Curator for Rogers Sports & Media’s CHR/HOT AC brands. She joins the KiSS 92.5 team from KiSS 91.7 (CHBN-FM) Edmonton where she’s been the Music Director and Assistant Program Director since 2017. She’s been with Rogers since 2015 when she started as KiSS Vancouver’s Music Director. 

Shemroy Parkinson has an expanded role as Assistant Content Director in addition to his Executive Producer duties for The Roz and Mocha Show. Parkinson started out at Rogers Sports & Media in 2011 as an intern and has held roles from working on-air evenings and weekends to becoming Technical and Content producer for Roz and Mocha. He was promoted to Executive Producer last year, helping the show expand across the country. 

Nikki Balch is out at Montreal’s The Beat 92.5 (CKBE-FM) with Nikki and The Morning Show rebranded as simply The Morning Show. Balch had been with the station since 2016. Claudia Marques, who was formerly co-hosting afternoon drive, joins Mark Bergman and Stuntman Sam, with morning news and traffic reporter Kim Kieran also officially added to the show’s roster.

 

Frank McGwire and Ray Walker have joined the on-air lineup at Westman Communications’ Q Country 91.5 (CKLQ-FM) Brandon. McGwire, who previously worked for Craig Broadcasting in Brandon, Red Deer and Dauphin, returns to the airwaves in afternoon drive, while Walker will hold down swing, hosting evenings and Weekend Wake-Up. Walker was also a longtime morning host at Craig’s stations in Brandon, as well as Magic 99 (now Bob FM) Winnipeg. 

Andrew Murdoch is joining 630 CHED Edmonton as the new Manager of Talk and Talent. Murdoch was most recently Assistant Regional Program Director, B.C. Interior, for Bell Media. In addition to programming, he has a long resume in production with stops at Q104 (CFRQ-FM) Halifax, CHOM/CKGM Montreal and Silk FM (CILK-FM) and Power 104 (CKLZ-FM) Kelowna, among other stations. His first day in Edmonton is Sept. 20.

Christa Dao is leaving Global News Calgary to join Global BC. Dao has been a digital journalist with Global Calgary since 2017. Prior to that, she reported for Global Regina and CFTK-TV Terrace.

Melanie Nagy, the CTV National News B.C. Bureau Chief, has announced she’s on compassionate leave as of this week to care for her mother who is battling cancer. Nagy, who was raised in Kamloops, was with CBC for a decade, prior to joining CTV News in 2012. 

Jody Vance is joining Al Jazeera English TV as a freelance Canadian correspondent with her first assignment to cover the federal election. Vance was most recently serving as interim host in Lynda Steele’s former time slot on 980 CKNW Vancouver and also freelances for publications including TheOrca.ca.

Annette Clarke is stepping down as Executive Producer of the National Film Board (NFB) Quebec and Atlantic Studio. A veteran Newfoundland producer, she’ll remain with the studio to complete her ongoing projects before retiring at the end of March. John Christou, Director of Production & Operations for the NFB English Program, has been named Interim Executive Producer, effective Sept. 24. Clarke first joined the NFB in 1987 in St. John’s, and in 1989 moved to Montreal to work with Studio D, where she began her producing career. She was later named National Manager for women’s marketing in English Canada before leaving the NFB in 1997 to return to Newfoundland, where she founded Ruby Line Productions. She returned to the NFB in 2003.

Jennifer Holgate has been appointed Director, Cross Media Measurement, at the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA), where she’ll drive collaborative implementation of a cross media measurement (CMM) solution in Canada. The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) is overseeing the development of a common system for global use, called Project Halo, that can be adapted locally, with Holgate to head up implementation in Canada, working with advertisers, agencies, broadcasters, and others. Her past positions include Vice President, Marketing Communications and VP, Walmart Media Group at Walmart Canada; VP, Product Innovation at Rogers Media; SVP Digital & Integration at Starcom MediaVest Group and VP, Digital & Broadcast at CanWest Media. She is currently a professor of content strategy at Humber College.

Perry Nyhus has added the title of Business Development Manager, specializing in Agriculture Services, to his responsibilities at Harvard Media. With the company since 1984, Nyhus will be responsible for growing Harvard’s footprint in the ag services sector, in addition to his current media marketing consultant role. Prior to moving into sales in 2010, Nyhus started his career on-air at CJSL Estevan, with stops at CJWW Saskatoon, CKRM Regina, and MX92.1FM Regina. 

Jeremy Bradley has signed off from his syndicated radio show, Top of The Charts, after 15 years with a farewell broadcast in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry. Over its run, the show has broadcast from events including the American Music Awards, JUNO Awards, and the Canadian Country Music Awards. His guests have ranged from Stevie Wonder and Betty White to Sugar Ray Leonard, Kermit the Frog and Kenny Rogers. Bradley, who is also the author of The Official Guide to Being a Winnipeg Cheapskate, plans to start writing a book this fall recounting stories from his broadcast career.

RADIO & PODCAST:

Pattison Media has rebranded five more of its stations under Classic Hits banner “REWIND Radio.” Joining 106.7 Rewind Radio (CFDV-FM) Red Deer, which rebranded in December, are former “The Drive” stations 99.3 REWIND Radio (CKDV-FM) Prince George, BC; 102.9 REWIND Radio (CHDR-FM) Cranbrook, BC; and 99.1 REWIND Radio (CJDR-FM) Fernie, BC; as well as 98.9 REWIND Radio (CIKT–FM) Grande Prairie, AB (formerly Q99); and 94.5 REWIND Radio (CHBW-FM) Rocky Mountain House, AB (formerly B94). Focused on hits of the ’80s and ’90s and artists like Bon Jovi, Alanis Morrisette, AC/DC, Prince, Bryan Adams, and Queen, the stations will also play a range of Classic Hits from the ’70s through 2000s, including The Eagles, U2, and The Tragically Hip. The stations retain their local morning and afternoon drive shows, while Charlee Morgan is hosting middays across the brand and Carla Rider is heard weekday evenings. Dom Simard and Darren Shaben do double duty on mornings and afternoons, respectively, for both Cranbrook and Fernie.

Vista Radio has launched 102.7 Moose FM (CJFB-FM) in Bolton, ON, a community of about 30,000 northwest of Toronto that’s experiencing growth as more people choose to leave the city for small town living. Playing a “true” Variety format featuring high energy hits from the 1960s to today, this is the 19th Vista station in Ontario to carry the Moose FM brand. Vista has owned CJFB-FM since 2012 when it acquired what was a community/tourist information station that as a condition of licence was formerly required to played 70% CanCon selections. The rebrand sees CJFB-FM move down the dial from its former position at 105.5 MHz and get a power boost from 50 to 1,100 watts. Read more here.

The Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAOntario) celebrated the talent and achievements of Ontario’s country music industry at the 9th Annual CMAOntario Awards with a drive-in award show at Ancaster Fairgrounds in Hamilton. This year’s Music Industry Person of the Year is Randy Owen, afternoon drive announcer at Country 107.3 (CJDL-FM) Tillsonburg, who celebrated 40 years in radio last year. Radio Station of the Year (Large Market) was claimed by Country 104 (CKDK-FM) Woodstock; Station of the Year (Medium Market) went to Cool 100.1 (CHCQ-FM) Belleville; while Pure Country 106 (CICX-FM) Orillia claimed the small market honour.

MILESTONE: Glen Woodcock celebrated 45 years of hosting The Big Band Show on the JAZZ.FM91 (CJRT-FM) airwaves last weekend. Consistently one of the station’s most-supported radio shows, Woodcock has hosted the weekly, five-hour Sunday night program since the first weekend of Sept. 1976. The Big Band Show has been on the air with the same host longer than any other current program on Toronto radio. Part of the program’s lasting appeal is in Woodcock’s own vast collection of LPs which he’s collected since his teenage years. Over the years, he’s met jazz greats like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald, and Mel Torme. 

TSN 1050 (CHUM-AM) Toronto premiered Game Play on Sept. 7. Hosted by Matthew Cauz and airing daily from 1 – 4 p.m. ET, Game Play is billed as Canada’s first daily radio show focused on sports betting & fantasy.

CBC Podcasts has unveiled its fall slate featuring six all-new originals spanning true crime, politics, health, and an investigative trilogy exploring extremism in North America and around the world. The podcasts included in the “Red, White and Blue” trilogy examine three different strands of the radical right, including The Flamethrowers, hosted by Justin Ling, which tracks the rise of right wing radio in the U.S. from fringe preachers and conspiracy peddlers of the 1930s to today’s political firestorm. Read more here.

CBC Radio has introduced new podcast, The Q Interview, that features extended long-form conversations and commentary that doesn’t make it to air on the radio show. Hosted by Tom Power, the first three episodes are available to stream now on CBC Listen, with new episodes to drop weekly. Featured so far are Marvel star Simu Liu, musician/producer St. Vincent, and comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

Danielle Smith is the host of Fraser Forum, the first podcast from right-leaning think tank The Fraser Institute. The former leader of Alberta’s Official Opposition and the Wildrose Party, Smith departed Corus Entertainment’s 770 CHQR Calgary in February, saying that in a “hyper-sensitive social media environment” it had become increasingly difficult to express honest opinions. Fraser Forum promises to explore the economy, environment, health care, and government policy, among other topics.

 

Terry Dimonte and Ted Bird have dropped the first episode of their podcast, Standing By: The Terry & Ted Podcast. After 14 years apart professionally, the recently retired DiMonte reunites with his former CHOM counterpart and longtime friend. Bird currently helms mornings at CHSV Lite 106.7.

SiriusXM and SoundCloud have teamed up to launch SoundCloud Radio, a limited engagement hip-hop channel airing through Sept. 30 on the SXM App. On the heels of launching TikTok Radio, SoundCloud Radio features hip-hop hits and new tracks from artists who came up on SoundCloud like Megan Thee Stallion, Trippie Redd, Doja Cat, Lil Tecca, NLE Choppa, CJ, and emerging talent that hasn’t reached mainstream stardom. The station will be available thru Sept. 17 in-vehicle on SiriusXM channel 105.

SiriusXM and Coldplay have announced the return of Coldplay Radio ahead of the band’s ninth studio album Music Of The Spheres, scheduled for release Oct. 15. The channel showcases music from the band’s catalogue, including live performances, collaborations and musical influences. Coldplay Radio is available now through Monday, Nov. 1 on the SXM App and channel 105 via satellite radios Sept. 24-30. To celebrate the album release, Coldplay Radio will also take over channel 28, Oct.15-17.

LISTEN: On the latest Sound Off Podcast, Matt Cundill shares some radio notes as we enter September, “an exciting month that comes complete with the hopes and promise of a new year.” Listen on your favourite podcast app or here:

SIGN OFFS:

Bruce Cowie, 83, on Sept. 7 in Kelowna. Cowie’s broadcasting career began in 1953, at age 15, with CKOM Saskatoon. After three years, he made the move into television at CKCK-TV Regina and by 1972 was General Manager of the station. Following CKCK-TV’s sale to Baton Broadcasting, he joined Electrohome Limited to head CFRN-TV Edmonton and after Bill McGregor’s retirement, was appointed President and COO of the Electrohome broadcast group, encompassing both CFRN and CKCO-TV Kitchener. When Electrohome’s assets were acquired by Baton, Cowie transferred to Toronto where he rose to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of CTV. He eventually returned to Alberta where he went on to serve as Vice-President of Harvard Broadcasting and remained a Special Advisor to the President. Over the years, he served as president of the North American Broadcasters’ Association; chair of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Board of Directors; and president of the Saskatchewan Association of Broadcasters and Western Association of Broadcasters, in which he received an honorary lifetime membership. Cowie was inducted into the CAB Hall of Fame in 2001. Read more here.

TV & FILM:

Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures have announced the start of production on Canadian Amazon Original drama and second original scripted series, Three Pines. Filming in Montreal and rural Quebec until December, the series stars Alfred Molina and is based on Canadian author Louise Penny’s best-selling Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. Directors on the series include Sam Donovan as lead director, Tracey Deer, and Daniel Grou. John Griffin will series produce. Deer is also serving as Indigenous consultant, alongside Katsitsionni Melissa Fox and IllumiNative. Read more here.

TIFF has launched Every Story, a new fund to support initiatives that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in film. The Every Story fund will support filmmakers and creatives from under-represented groups, focused in three key areas: challenging the status quo by leading important conversations within the film industry and creative communities; celebrating diverse storytellers and building inclusive audiences; and creating opportunities for under-represented filmmakers to share their voice through talent, networking, and project development

WarnerMedia Access Canada has announced WarnerMedia Access Festivals, a new initiative to demystify the festival experience for mid-level filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Launching across Canada, starting with TIFF, the program will provide selected participants with an industry accreditation pass as well as an exclusive opportunity to meet with an experienced filmmaker and to discuss practical strategies with a festival programmer. A curated guidebook will also offer networking advice from WarnerMedia execs on how to prepare, pitch and follow-up on crucial festival connections. Other participating film festivals include Ottawa International Animation Festival, Calgary International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, Reelworld Film Festival, Rendezvous with Madness Festival, Vancouver Asian Film Festival, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, and Fantasia International Film Festival.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) has announced the eight participants selected for the fourth cohort of the Canadian Academy Directors Program for Women, a bilingual professional development program intended to advance the careers of Canadian directors. The fourth edition of the six-month program kicks off with industry accreditation at TIFF. The cohort will then participate in monthly online sessions with key industry players and on-set placement to observe a director on a professional feature film or scripted series. The directors selected for the fourth cohort are: Josiane Blanc (ON), Katia Café-Fébrissy (ON), Joy Haskell (BC), Yuqi Kang (AB), Jules Koostachin (BC), Katerine Martineau (QC), Fawzia Mirza (ON), and V.T. Nayani (ON).

FIN has announced the full program for its first hybrid film festival – FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and FIN Stream – taking place Sept. 16-23. Featuring 158 films, 87 in-cinema screenings and 28 online screenings, the festival will be presented in Halifax at Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane and accessible virtually throughout Atlantic Canada. Kicking off this year’s festival is Opening Night Gala, Wildhood. Written and directed by Bretten Hannam, a Two-Spirit L’nu filmmaker, the film redefines the conventional road movie through an L’nu worldview. The festival’s Closing Night Gala is Spanish comedy, Official Competition, directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat and starring Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas. 

Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) celebrates its 40th edition, Oct. 1-11, with a program that includes more than 110 feature films, 77 shorts, and 20 events. All films will be presented in-cinema, in strict compliance with provincial COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and select titles available for streaming across the province and Canada-wide on VIFF Connect. VIFF’s 40th edition will officially open with an in-cinema screening of inventive biopic The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, from U.K. director Will Sharpe, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the Victorian illustrator. The festival will close with an in-cinema screening of Petite Maman, the latest from French director Céline Sciamma. 

Gospelmania is a new Canadian singing competition show, airing every Sunday on Natyf TV. Juried by Sylvie DesGroseilliers, Sebastian Demrey, and JeanJean, who have the weekly task of evaluating the performances of 18 contestants, special guests from Quebec’s gospel music scene are also featured like the Jireh Gospel Choir and Queenie Clement from Star Académie. The show is hosted by Micherose Philosca and Renée Joseph. The first four episodes are available on Natyf’s mobile app.

CBC/Radio-Canada has lifted its subscriber paywalls ahead of the Sept. 20 federal election to ensure Canadians have greater access to campaign coverage. The public broadcaster’s 24-hour news channels, CBC News Network and ICI RDI, are being made more widely available until Sept. 30 to all subscribers of participating distributors. CBC News Network is also accessible via CBC Gem, the CBC News app, and CBC.ca.

Bell Media will carry extensive multi-platform coverage of the 2021 NFL season, available on TSN, CTV, CTV2, and RDS this fall as the exclusive television broadcast partner of the NFL in Canada. The new season begins with pre-game coverage Thursday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. ET on TSN and CTV2 as Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. The game airs live from Tampa Bay at 8:20 p.m. ET on TSN and CTV. NFL programming is also available for live streaming on TSN.ca and CTV.ca, as well as the TSN and CTV apps. RDS delivers live French-language coverage throughout the season.

AMI original series Four Senses, #IGotThis and Postcards from… are now available on Prime Video as part of the Prime Video Direct self-publishing service in Canada, the U.S., Australia and the UK. In Four Senses, celebrity chefs Christine Ha (MasterChef) – who is blind – and Carl Heinrich (Top Chef Canada) team up with special guests for an exciting cooking show with an accessibility twist. #IGotThis features people who have discovered ways to cope with a physical disability or mental health challenges and move forward with their lives, while AMI This Week’s bureau reporters appear on Postcards from… as they travel across Canada, celebrating diverse cultures and experiences.

The National Film Board (NFB) and Rezolution Pictures International have announced that the NFB has acquired international distribution rights for their Gemini and Peabody Award-winning, 2009 co-produced feature doc, Reel Injun, directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond and Catherine Bainbridge. The announcement marks the return of Reel Injun to the NFB’s CAMPUS online streaming platform, where it has been the second-most-viewed title, as well as to its educational sales catalogue for both Canada and the U.S. The return coincides with the groundbreaking Stories of Cinema exhibition at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles in which Reel Injun is featured.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

TikTok has overtaken YouTube in per user time spent, according to a report from app analytics firm App Annie. YouTube still leads in overall time spent with an estimated two billion monthly users, compared to TikTok’s 700 million. The time spent metric is also only available on Android devices, resulting in a skewed metric without iOS data. With video streaming transforming the social media landscape over the last four years, The Evolution of Social Media Apps: Live Streaming: The New Frontier for Social Media, looks at the extent of that change. Beyond live streaming, the report says creator-focused and video-first user experiences are the new must-haves for driving social engagement with consumers craving authentic experiences and creative innovation.

MEDIAPRO Canada has announced it’s launched OneSoccer on fuboTV Canada, the Canadian arm of sports-first live streaming platform, fuboTV. The partnership offers fuboTV Canada subscribers access to Canadian Premier League and Canadian Championship, Concacaf national team and club tournaments, and a wide range of Canada Men’s and Women’s National Team qualifiers and friendlies. The agreement simultaneously expands MEDIAPRO Canada’s audience and makes fuboTV, which recently acquired exclusive Coppa Italia and English-language Serie A rights in Canada, the leading streaming platform for top-tier soccer in the country. fuboTV’s current Canadian channels include beIN Sports, beIN Sports Canada, beIN Sports Español, Benfica TV, Fight Network, Fubo Sports Network, Game+ Canada, MLB Network and Paramount Network Canada.

BBTV has entered into a partnership with digital entertainment studio 3BLACKDOT to provide content management solutions. The deal enables further monetization for a selection of 3BLACKDOT’s most prominent content creators. Vancouver-based BBTV will provide rights management to monetize fan engagement across a wide selection of 3BLACKDOT’s library of creator content, which generates over four billion monthly views in the entertainment and gaming verticals. 3BLACKDOT partners with audience driven creators and community focused brands to create, produce, and finance original, and cross platform entertainment experiences that engage youth centric-audiences. 

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

GM Canada and TELUS are working together to connect GM’s next-generation vehicles to TELUS’ 5G network. This represents the first time GM has selected a domestic communications company to provide connected-vehicle services for Canadian customers. GM and TELUS are collaborating to enable high-performance wireless network capabilities that will meet the needs of an all-electric and autonomous vehicle future. Network enhancements will include improved roadway-centric coverage; faster music and video downloads with higher quality; faster, more reliable, and secure over-the-air software updates; and faster navigation, mapping, and voice services. The first GM vehicles with built-in connectivity to TELUS’ high-performance 4G-LTE and 5G network are expected to be introduced with the 2025 model year. Additionally, through GM’s fifth generation rollout, current 4G LTE-equipped model year 2019 and newer vehicles will be able to migrate to the new TELUS network. 

The Canadian Ethnic Media Association has issued a call for submissions for its 43rd Annual Awards for Journalistic Excellence. The virtual event will take place Thursday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. ET. Entries are being accepted across categories that include Print, Radio, Television, Documentary, Video Series, Photojournalism, Community Engagement, Online, Podcast and Innovation. 

The Jack Webster Foundation has opened submissions for its Student Journalism Awards and Indigenous Student Awards. Up to five Student Journalism Awards of $2,000 each will be available to a student in any year of their program at BCIT, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langara, Thompson Rivers University, or University of British Columbia. Up to three Indigenous Student Awards of $2,000 will be available to an Indigenous journalism student at any of the aforementioned schools. The deadline for applications is Oct. 3.

Ryerson School of Journalism has renamed its newspaper, formerly known as The Ryersonian, to On the Record and their magazine, formerly known as Ryerson Review of Journalism, to Review of Journalism. The changes come following a vote in late August by the university’s Board of Directors to change the school’s name over concerns about founder Egerton Ryerson’s central role in the design and implementation of Canada’s residential schools.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

NeuroMedia Software, a startup specialized in audience measurement, has launched a podcast certification service. Valid across live and on-demand audio and video, NeuroMedia says certification aims to give media agencies, advertising agencies, and advertisers access to reliable and consistent data between them. NeuroMedia is already an accredited certifier for Denmark, where broadcasters set up the DK Podcast Index ranking. In Belgium, the company is working with the Media Information Centre to measure the audiometry of IP radio (streaming internet radio).

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has published an array of free educational resources related to media over IP for the broadcast and Pro AV industries. The collection of presentations, papers, and solutions now available on the AIMS website highlights progress in achieving an all-IP ecosystem using open standards, forward-looking perspectives on IP workflows, and practical solutions for migrating smoothly to IP. Also posted are videos from the May 25-26 AIMS TechFest 2021 Presents: IP Showcase on topics including IP video/audio taxonomy, live production, IPMX for both Pro AV and broadcast, NMOS, and more.