The Weekly Briefing

REVOLVING DOOR:

Bob McKeown will retire from CBC’s The Fifth Estate after 31 years as the face of the investigative program, and more than five decades in journalism. His final turn as host of the show will culminate in a 50th anniversary special looking back at the award-winning program’s investigations over the decades, set to air Friday, Nov. 29 on CBC and CBC Gem. McKeown started his broadcast career in 1971 as a freelance sports commentator in his hometown of Ottawa after graduating from Yale University, while also playing as a league all-star for the Ottawa Rough Riders. After retiring from football, he delved into journalism full-time, hosting on both CBC radio and TV in Ottawa and Montreal. He joined The Fifth Estate in 1981. McKeown headed stateside in 1990, working for CBS News in New York for news magazine shows, Street Stories, America Tonight and 48 Hours, as well as The CBS Evening News, and went on to spend eight years as an NBC correspondent for Dateline. McKeown returned to The Fifth Estate in 2002 as a two-time Emmy winner. Read more here.

Paul Dunphy, the weather anchor for Global Calgary’s Global News at 5 and Global News Hour at 6, is retiring after 39 years with the station. His last broadcast will air on Dec. 23. A broadcaster for 49 years, Dunphy started in radio in 1974 at CFAC-AM and CHFM-FM as a DJ and commercial announcer/producer, before joining Global Calgary in 1985. He received an RTDNA Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

Rogers Sports & Media has made a round of job cuts spanning multiple markets. More than two dozen staff are impacted across the company’s radio and podcasting divisions, including managerial and administrative positions at some stations. Among the markets impacted is Vancouver where JACK FM National Music Curator Terry Chan has been released after almost 35 years with the company. Alex Carr has also been released by SONIC 104.9 (CKKS-FM) Vancouver, as has Jeff McKnight, the Imaging Producer behind its SONiC branded stations in Edmonton and Vancouver, STAR 95.9 (CHFM-FM) Calgary, and its Adult Contemporary network. Meghan Spotswood, part of JACK Mornings for the past five and a half years on JACK 102.3 (CHST-FM) London, ON, has announced her departure from the company. On the podcasting side, Jordan Heath-Rawlings, who hosted and executive produced the Frequency Podcast Network’s daily news pod, The Big Story, has parted ways with the company, in addition to Audience Development Specialist Mary Jubran, producers Joseph Fish and Robyn Simon, showrunner Stefanie Phillips, and sound designer Mat Keselman. Read more here.

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Zenga McCurdy, who was heard on the 96.3 CRUZ FM (CFWD-FM) Saskatoon morning show, as well as on Harvard Media’s stations in Edmonton and Yorkton, is among those departing the company after a series of “strategic staff adjustments” to offset escalating operational costs. Impacting just under 10% of the company’s total staff count – between job cuts and attrition – the staffing changes affect every market Harvard Media operates in, including Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Fort McMurray and Red Deer. Read more here.

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Well, it’s been an amazing ride but after 27 years my time at Corus Radio come to an end. I’m the latest, but sadly not the last, casualty of cuts/ restructuring in the media industry. Thanks so much to all the listeners who allowed me into their lives for a few hours each day 1/

— Rob Breakenridge (@RobBreakenridge) November 20, 2024

Rob Breakenridge, the longtime afternoon host at QR (CHQR-AM) Calgary, is among those confirming their departures from Corus Entertainment as the company made numerous cuts in its radio news division on Wednesday across stations in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver, as well as some smaller markets. “We can confirm that, as part of programming refresh across our AM portfolio, we have made some difficult but necessary changes to our radio teams in various markets across Canada to ensure a sustainable future for Corus,” a Corus spokesperson told Broadcast Dialogue. “As a result, certain roles have been impacted but others have been added or changed.” The 640 (CFIQ-AM) Toronto newsroom was especially hard hit losing four staff members. Read more here.

Nicole Savage and Graeme Gordon have been released from Pattison Media’s 93.7 JR Country (CJJR-FM). Savage co-hosted afternoons with Docc Andrews for five years, prior to the duo moving to mornings in May 2022. Gordon had been with the station since 2016 and paired in afternoons with Dana Thompson since the fall of 2022. Thompson continues in the 1 – 7 p.m. time slot solo.

“Tarzan Dan” Freeman is back on the airwaves after taking a hiatus from his network midday show on Bell Media’s BOUNCE Radio to undergo cancer treatment. Freeman had been on leave since mid-May after a multiple myeloma diagnosis.

AJ Leite has moved over from middays on Evanov Communications’ Energy 106 (CHWE-FM) Winnipeg – a position he had held since 2020 – to replace Adam West on middays on sister station HOT 100.5 (CFJL-FM). West, who took on additional duties earlier this year when he was upped from PD to Content & Operations Manager, is now running operations for all three Evanov Winnipeg stations. Macie Hall, who was most recently heard on Pattison Media’s former 94.3 NOW! Radio (CHNW-FM) in the market, is the new Energy 106 midday host. 

Matt Barron has joined Stingray St. John’s, NL as a part-time remote host. Barron, who left KiSS 102.3 (CKY-FM) Winnipeg over the summer to move his family to his home province, had previously been in the Winnipeg market since 2016.

Joceylyn Laidlaw has announced she won’t be returning to CTV Calgary. Laidlaw, who hasn’t been on-air since Dec. 2022 following a cancer diagnosis, has revealed she was part of restructuring earlier this year at Bell Media. Originally from Vancouver, Laidlaw had been with CTV Calgary since 2003, anchoring and producing the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts.

Nick Murray has joined The Canadian Press (CP) in Ottawa. Murray previously spent nearly a decade with CBC News in Iqaluit, before joining the public broadcaster’s Parliamentary Bureau.

Moira Wyton has left CBC Vancouver to join The Globe and Mail as an Audience Editor. Wyton had been a reporter with CBC for the last year following three years as The Tyee’s health reporter.

Johnny Mah, Supervisor, Marketing & Community for Global BC, has parted ways with Corus Entertainment as part of organizational changes that see Rhonda Halarewich upped to Senior Brand Manager, Global News. Mah had worked with Corus since 2015, starting out as a Promotions Coordinator for 980 CKNW. He was recently the recipient of the 2024 CKNW Kids’ Fund Gina Steeves Award, recognizing his work on behalf of the fund.

 

RADIO & PODCAST:

Sher E Punjab Radio AM 600 (CKSP-AM) Vancouver made history on Sunday, hosting the first Grey Cup broadcast in Punjabi. Harpreet Pandher and Taqdeer Thindal – both staples on Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi – had the call. The duo have been broadcasting BC Lions games in Punjabi all season.

Pattison Media’s 51 radio stations are now available on the iHeartRadio Canada platform. Listeners across Canada can now listen to Pattison Media radio stations on iHeart.com and the iHeartRadio Canada app. Pattison stations will also continue to be available on the Radioplayer Canada app and platform.

New Metric Media is expanding into podcasting and standup comedy, with SiriusXM veteran Ben Miner joining the Toronto studio as Vice President, Standup & Podcasts. Best known for producing Crave/Hulu series Letterkenny and its spinoff Shoresy, Miner – a more than 25-year standup veteran himself – will lead development and programming of live standup opportunities, while working with talent to produce audio and video content for New Metric’s direct to consumer channels. He’ll also support its new digital studio operations at its Queen St. West headquarters. Miner arrives from SiriusXM Canada where he’s had a two-decade run as a producer, programmer and host, most recently holding the title of Manager, Comedy, Sci-fi and Gaming Content. Read more here.

Spotify has renamed its Spotify for Podcasters program, Spotify for Creators. Eligible creators in Canada, the U.S., UK, and Australia are able to join the new Spotify Partner Program, which will pay out based on podcast audio ads and how much your video podcast is streamed by Premium users, starting in the New Year. The platform is also introducing video clips for creators to enhance discoverability and promote podcast episodes.

Canadian Music Week (CMW) is being rebranded as the Departure Festival + Conference,  following its recent acquisition by Loft Entertainment and U.S.-based venue developer and management company Oak View Group. Taking place May 6-11 at Hotel X in Toronto, the reimagined event is set to feature new programming including music, art, comedy and tech, alongside Radiodays North America.

LISTEN: Lisa Brandt is on the Sound Off Podcast talking about her early days in small-town radio to her time at some of Toronto’s most iconic stations, navigating the evolving landscape of the industry with determination. Among other things, she touches on her openness to try new things, her approach to managing the constant influx of news and information and prioritizing her own well-being over obsessing over current events, and her venture into podcasting, alongside Erin Davis.

ADVERTORIAL: The radio industry is facing a significant challenge in proving its return on investment (ROI) in today’s digital age. Advertisers, drawn to the measurable results and precise attribution capabilities of digital platforms, are increasingly shifting their budgets away from traditional media. Radio, specifically, has struggled to demonstrate its effectiveness in a landscape now dominated by clicks and impressions. That’s where Validate comes in. Validate is a specialized radio attribution tool designed to overcome this challenge by providing quantifiable data that showcases radio’s true impact on conversions and sales. Read more here.

TV & FILM:

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the Canadian Media Producers Association – BC Producers Branch (CMPA-BC), and the Directors Guild of Canada BC District Council (DGC BC) have successfully negotiated a new collective agreement, setting updated terms, conditions and rates for directors and other DGC-represented crew members engaged in film, TV and digital media productions in B.C. Also covering production management, assistant directors, locations and production assistants, 50.3% of eligible DGC BC represented crew voted 90.9% in favour of the deal. The new agreement sees the minimum scale wage rate increase 5.5% in the first year, with an additional 4% increase to go into effect on March 29, 2026, and a final 3.5% increase effective April 4, 2027. Retirement contributions increase 0.5% effective March 29, 2026, with a further 0.5% increase to take effect April 4, 2027. Those contribution increases will not apply to longform television productions under $5.3M. 

Bell Media says Sunday’s Grey Cup broadcast drew an average audience of 3.6 million across CTV, TSN and RDS. That marked a 19.9% year-over-year increase in English audience with the addition of the CTV broadcast, but a 79% drop in viewership on RDS, with last year’s Grey Cup drawing more interest in Quebec with the Montreal Alouettes in the final. Heading into the 111th Grey Cup, the Eastern Final was watched by an average audience of 1.7 million viewers on TSN, CTV, and RDS, and the Western Final watched by 1.2 million viewers on TSN and RDS, together marking an increase of 24% compared to last year.

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History in the making for TSN’s own Kenzie Lalonde, becoming the first female play-by-play announcer on our broadcast in an NHL game! 🗣️🚨 pic.twitter.com/Md0r9YT1TK

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 13, 2024

Kenzie Lalonde has made history as the first female play-by-play announcer to call a game for a Canadian NHL team. Lalonde has been with TSN since 2021 and called Montreal Canadiens games in the past for TSN 690 (CKGM-AM) in Montreal. Lalonde was also the first woman to do play-by-play for the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) during her time at Eastlink TV in Halifax.

Pierre Houde has been recognized with the Foster Hewitt Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame. Houde, 67 has been the Montreal Canadiens French-language play-by-play voice for RDS since 1989. Houde started his broadcasting career at the age of 21 in 1978, hosting a sports program on Radio-Canada, while still a student.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced this season’s Canadian broadcast partners, including the return of TSN, RDS, and CBC/Radio-Canada, while welcoming Prime Video. They’ll collectively deliver all 90 games of the upcoming regular-season, including French-language coverage of all 30 Montréal Victoire games. PWHL coverage begins Saturday, Nov. 30, when the puck drops between the Toronto Sceptres and the visiting Boston Fleet live on CBC, CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca. The opening contest marks the first of 17 weekly Saturday afternoon games on the CBC schedule. Later that afternoon, the Montréal Victoire will host the Ottawa Charge on TSN and RDS, the first of 57 to be carried by TSN. Prime Video will have exclusive Canadian coverage of all 16 Tuesday night PWHL games, beginning Dec. 3. Canadian coverage of the semifinal round of the PWHL Playoffs will be split exclusively between TSN/RDS and Prime Video. TSN and RDS are the exclusive home of the PWHL Finals.

A GoFundMe in support of Global BC ENG photographer Todd Gilchrist has raised more than $23,000 so far. Gilchrist was recently diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and has been undergoing treatment at Vancouver General Hospital. He had been working with Global BC since 2017 and prior to that, was an ENG photographer at CTV Vancouver.

TVOkids has launched Happy Place (43 x 3), a new series teaching kids manners and kindness featuring real-life guinea pigs. The preschool series is being co-produced with Imagine Create Media and is now available for streaming on TVOkids.

ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:

CBC/Radio-Canada and AI-automated sports video technology solutions provider, Pixellot, have announced an expansion of their nationwide streaming site designed to boost exposure of youth sports across Canada. Initially launched last year with 100 Pixellot AI cameras, the online platform encourages young athletes across hockey, volleyball, football, soccer, basketball, field lacrosse and rugby to share highlights and full-game live broadcasts. Since its launch, the platform has streamed more than 1,600 games, earning more than a quarter of a million views. CBC/Radio-Canada has now expanded its partnership to encompass more sports federations and leagues, including Alberta Basketball, Ontario Basketball, Ontario Volleyball Association, and Rugby Canada. With the number of cameras across the country now numbering 300, the public broadcaster says the platform is intended to provide athletes – including those in remote areas – with the opportunity to garner attention from scouts, connect with other sports enthusiasts, and inspire their peers. Read more here.

Russell Peters is releasing his tenth stand-up special, Act Your Age, Live in Abu Dhabi, on media and community platform Patreon on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. PST. Peters will be the first comedian to stream a ticketed premiere of a stand-up special on Patreon, bringing the experience directly to fans. Recorded before a sold-out crowd at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi at the end of his Act Your Age World Tour, which was seen by over 300,000 fans in 23 countries over two-and-a-half years, the new special features hilarious personal stories about getting married (again), parenthood, millennials and middle age. 

New Canadian Media is coming to an end as publisher George Abraham announces that there is “no path forward that is financially sustainable” for the non-profit. Founded to give a voice to new immigrants to Canada, the member-based collective encompassed 200 journalists at its peak. “There’s a lot of lip service paid to the idea that Canadian journalism needs to be more inclusive, but when it came time to pay even a single dollar to address systemic issues of representation, there were few takers,” wrote Abraham. “It has been a good run and I have learned a lot from all of you. I’m proud of the organization we built, the creativity and determination that it took to keep this enterprise afloat with so many conditions attached to our funding, and the support I received from NCM’s board of directors and corporate members.”

The Beaverton, the Canadian satire site founded in 2010, is facing its end without reader intervention. The site’s editors say that the algorithms of its main traffic drivers, Facebook and X/Twitter, have been suppressing political satire causing online advertising rates to plummet. After surviving off of one-off PayPal and Interac donations, The Beaverton has launched a Patreon to help continue to publish and pay its writers. If it’s successful, the site says it may be able to bring back its podcast and video content.

REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:

The CRTC is continuing to move forward with implementation of the Online Streaming Act, launching two public consultations – one of which will look at lessening the regulatory burden on radio stations. The first consultation – The Path Forward – will update the definition of Canadian content for TV and online streaming services, looking at how it can better support telling Canadian stories, recognize the role of key creatives, and explore issues like local programming expenditures, data, and whether artificial intelligence can be considered Canadian content and under what circumstances. The consultation will be followed by a public hearing in Gatineau, slated to begin March 31. The second consultation – Modernization of radio processes – will update the rules radio stations follow to offer more flexibility. Read more here.

Bill Haugland has been honoured by the Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists. The former CTV Montreal anchor was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, the first time such an honour has been given to a non-francophone journalist. Haugland started working for CFCF Radio in 1961, before joining CFCF-12 in 1964 as a reporter. He retired from CTV in 2006. Now 82, he lives in Vermont where he’s authored four novels.

Michael D’Souza is the newest inductee of the CBC News Hall of Fame. With the public broadcaster since 1993, working as a senior producer for both radio and television on programs including Metro Morning, As It Happens, Sunday Morning, and The National, D’Souza has also served as a network assignment producer, among other roles.

 

CBC has launched a new campaign featuring a lineup of Canadian stars in support of its annual Make the Season Kind holiday drive, anchored by a spot unveiled during Hockey Night in Canada. In total, more than 25 homegrown actors, athletes and personalities are featured, encouraging Canadians to give to their local food banks, including Jay Baruchel, Mark Critch, Andre De Grasse, Allan Hawco, Eugene Levy, Howie Mandel, Sandra Oh, Catherine O’Hara, Andrew Phung, Martin Short, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Madison Tevlin, Shania Twain and Emily VanCamp. Twenty-four regional CBC stations across the country will run charity drives throughout December in support of local food banks, with 12 community events kicking off efforts on Dec. 5 and 6. CBC’s holiday charity drives have raised more than $51 million for food banks and other charities since 2015.

CTV News Toronto’s annual Toy Mountain campaign returns for its 29th year, in partnership with The Salvation Army. Collecting new, unwrapped toys for families, a two-night launch event kicked off from Oakville Place this week. Leading up to the conclusion of the campaign on Friday, Dec. 20, CTV Toronto’s Andria Case and Jessica Smith lead daily Toy Mountain progress updates on CTV News at Six. The Salvation Army has set a goal to support 70,000 children across the GTHA.

BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:

Bell Media has announced it’s struck a partnership with programmatic ad platform, StackAdapt, that will make its connected TV (CTV), display, video, audio, and digital out-of-home (DOOH) channels available to buy through the platform. Bell says with CTV demand in Canada continuing to grow, the partnership equips advertisers to scale campaigns effectively across its digital offerings, including live sports. Read more here.

Futuri has announced a substantial redesign of its real-time content intelligence solution TopicPulse, based on user feedback. TopicPulse informs content creators, broadcasters, and digital publishers which content their audiences are engaging with in the moment by scanning X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and thousands of other news sources. TopicPulse now includes custom content categories, called “smart pulses,” to track story engagement in categories most important to audiences, and tracks activity in select Facebook groups using a “Community Radar” feature without leaving the TopicPulse ecosystem.