News about news

• The Canadian Association of Journalists has agreed to participate in the federal government’s panel to determine eligibility criteria for its media bailout money, after the government agreed not to require members sign confidentiality agreements. The CAJ has appointed former CBC ombudsman Esther Enkin as its representative on the panel. The CAJ says it will continue to push for increased transparency for this program, including full disclosure of recipients.
• A man has pleaded guilty to inciting violence against a journalist from L’Actualité. He suggested people attack her after she fact-checked a claim he made about an incident involving Faith Goldy.
• Quebec’s press gallery has filed a formal complaint against the government for choosing to hold committee hearings into the controversial proposed legislation on religious symbols in a room that has limited resources for media, even though two new rooms have just opened in a new $60-million extension to the parliament buildings. The government appears to be scheduling the hearings here intentionally to make it difficult for the media to report on them.
• Radio-Canada has launched a disinformation desk, with Jeff Yates and Bouchra Ouratik. Their first story looks at the genesis of one of Quebec’s most popular fake news stories, about Dorval’s mayor keeping pork in schools.
• Australian Federal Police raided the Australian Broadcasting Corporation after ABC News reported on leaked documents about unlawful killings and misconduct in Afghanistan by Australian forces. Naturally the raid has been condemned internationally as an attack on freedom of the press.
• A conservative student group at Rutgers University succeeded in convincing enough students to vote against renewing funding for the university’s student newspaper, in retaliation for the paper exposing that the group used language from a white supremacist group in its recruitment material.
• Facebook is giving $2.5 million to 11 organizations as part of its “local news accelerator” program. Or, rather, it will spend $2.5 million bringing in experts to tell those organizations what to do. The participating media outlets are:
  • Brunswick News
  • Daily Hive
  • Winnipeg Free Press
  • Glacier Media
  • Le Soleil
  • London Free Press
  • Northern News Services
  • The Discourse
  • The Tyee
  • Vancouver Observer
  • Village Media
• Canadian Community Newspaper Award winners have been announced.
• Winners of the Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards have been announced.

At the CRTC

• The commission has begun accepting applications for its new Broadband Fund, for the territories and satellite-dependent communities.
• Licenses for independent and community TV stations and specialty channels, radio stations (including more than a dozen in the Montreal area), and one TV provider (Securenet) that expire in 2020 are being asked to apply for renewal by this fall.
• A 2017 series of conferences to gather ideas to present to the CRTC for its upcoming review of the native broadcasting policy has produced a report. Its 48 recommendations (not all of which were directed at the commission) are general, but call for more creativity in public consultations (more proactive face-to-face outreach — including maybe call-in shows on local radio stations — and less waiting for people to find a notice on their complex website), more representation of Indigenous people among staff and commissioners at the CRTC, more Indigenous sovereignty over broadcasting spectrum, and (somewhat contradictory) higher quotas for Indigenous languages — along with increased funding from the government to support programming in those languages. More extreme recommendations, like “Require non-Indigenous stations to air between 5% and 10% Indigenous music and 2% in-language programming,” probably won’t go far.
• The commission has revised its practices and procedures for dispute resolution, in the wake of the Bell/TVA Sports debacle (though it doesn’t cite that as the reason). Among the changes, it asks that submissions be limited to 30 pages, it says new arguments can’t be raised in the rebuttal phase, and it clarifies the standstill rule and where it applies. It also says for issues that are “industry-wide in scope, or pose broad problems of a technical, operational or administrative nature” it can set up working groups with input from the industry. The previous procedures are here for comparison.
• Alberta Indigenous radio station CFWE has gotten approval for a new transmitter in Red Deer.
• A change to the broadcasting distribution regulations has been proposed that would formalize the exception allowing CTV Two Alberta to request simultaneous signal substitution despite not having over-the-air transmitters. CTV Two Atlantic already has this privilege, and both are similar services that have educational content during the day and general-interest programming at night.
• CJCB 1270 in Sydney, N.S., has gotten approval to change its pattern and reduce its signal at night, after a technical failure forced it to switch to a single transmitter tower.
• Licence renewals:
  • CFNJ-FM Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon
  • CJSD-FM (Rock 94) Thunder Bay
  • CJWA-FM (JJAM) Wawa, Ont.
  • CJKR-FM (Power 97) Winnipeg
  • CIXM-FM (XM 105 FM) Whitecourt, Alta.
  • CJBQ (800 AM) Belleville, Ont.
  • CJOJ-FM (95.5 Hits FM) Belleville, Ont.
  • CHYK-FM (Le Loup 104.1) Timmins, Ont.
  • Stingray stations:
    • CFXW-FM (Boom 96.7) Whitecourt, Alta.
    • CKKY-FM (Boom 101.9) Wainwright, Alta.
    • CFRK-FM (New Country 92.3) Fredericton
    • CKLN-FM (KIXX Country) Clarenville, N.L.
    • CFRQ-FM (Q104) Dartmouth, N.S.
    • CKUL-FM (96.5 The Breeze) Halifax
    • CIHT-FM (Hot 89.9) Ottawa

Ethical reviews

• A CBC News story about an important byelection did not violate policy by referring to what “observers” feel the Liberal Party would have wanted as a result, but the attribution was a bit vague for the ombudsman’s liking.
• A story on water fluoridation didn’t amuse an opponent of the practice who complained it was wrong to say there’s a scientific consensus and that Dr. Joe Schwarcz is not an expert. The ombudsman found there was a consensus (though that doesn’t mean unanimity) and Schwarcz is a fine source. But he did take minor issue with one version of the report that was written in a way as to suggest an absolute view on the science.
• An exceptionally long complaint by the Oasis Centre des Femmes, a francophone women’s group in Toronto, led to a 15,000-word report from Radio-Canada’s ombudsman that largely took the side of the journalist who reported on the working conditions there. It dissects the centre’s complaint (which in turn dissects the story) and finds that the centre was given ample opportunity to respond to the allegations presented. The centre wanted an off-the-record interview, which the journalist declined. The ombudsman did, however, note that the journalist should have given the reasons why the centre refused an on-the-record interview (to protect employees’ personal information).
• An incorrect statement made by Sébastien Bovet on air on RDI about previous uses of the Notwithstanding Clause in Quebec led to a complaint that demanded he be reprimanded in some way. The ombudsman notes that Bovet used the phrase “sauf erreur” to indicate he wasn’t sure whether he was correct in his statement, and the fact in question was not a major one. Bovet admitted the error privately, but the ombudsman said it could have been posted to the “mises au point” section of Radio-Canada’s website. It is not listed there.

Legislation

• The federal government has tabled its bill to implement the new Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which includes among other things extending copyright. Section 151 of the act amends the Broadcasting Act to allow the government to order the CRTC to rescind its Super Bowl simultaneous ad substitution exception, and allow shopping network QVC to operate in Canada (which the CRTC originally denied). These provisions were negotiated in Annex D of Section 15 of the agreement.
• The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is accepting comments about the CBC’s mandate.
• The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology has completed its review of the Copyright Act, and made several recommendations, including:
  • Simplifying the act and ending the practice of reviewing it every five years
  • Allowing creators who sign away rights to their work to take those rights back after 25 years (a recommendation of Bryan Adams)
  • Look into implementing a resale right that would provide royalties whenever an artist’s work is resold
  • That the government use open licenses for works under Crown copyright
  • That the government look into compensation for the use of journalistic works
  • That the law be changed so that “the creator of non-commercial user-generated content is not held liable for unintended copyright infringement.”
  • Eliminate a special exception for radio stations that allows them to pay only $100 in royalties for music if they have under $1.25 million in ad revenues, but keep the exception for small independent broadcasters
  • Push for more transparency among collective rights management agencies

TV

• It’s upfront week for Canadian TV. I’ll have more details in a separate post after Bell delivers its schedule on Thursday. The biggest news is that Bell Media will finally rebrand four of its specialty channels on Sept. 12: Gusto becomes CTV Life Channel, Space becomes CTV Sci-Fi Channel, Bravo becomes CTV Drama Channel and Comedy becomes CTV Comedy Channel. The logos are slightly different from when this change was first announced a year ago.
• Amazon is launching Prime Video Channels, a sort of online cable-like service, in Canada. With the service, you can subscribe to packages for a monthly fee, and get them live or on demand. To start with:
  • Acorn TV (British dramas): $7.49
  • hayu (reality): $5.99
  • Hollywood Suite (four movie channels): $4.99
  • Love Nature (Blue Ant Media): $3.99
  • MGM (moviess) $3.99
  • Nickelodeon: $5.99
  • OUTtv: $3.99
  • Shudder (horror etc.): $5.99
  • Smithsonian Channel: $3.99
  • STACKTV (Corus’s Adult Swim, Food Network, Global, HGTV, History, National Geographic, Slice, Showcase, Teletoon, Treehouse, W Network and YTV): $12.99
  • STARZ: $5.99
  • Sundance Now: $9.99
• TVA is blaming the CRTC and Canadian government for its decision to eliminate 68 jobs. The union says it will try to fight those cuts, though most of them appear to be non-union jobs.
• Bars and restaurants in Quebec are facing a shocking increase in the fees they must pay for sports channels RDS and TVA Sports, and many are choosing to drop them entirely as a result. Others are trying different options, some legal, some very sketchy.
• Counting seven-day PVR viewing, the series finale of The Big Bang Theory had an average audience of 5.765 million on CTV.
• Bell Media Studios has been given the green light to produce two new series with two of its existing stars: Lainey Lui (The Social) will host a show about Crave TV series, and Chloe Wilde (eTalk) will host one on healthy living. Bell has also renewed CTV daytime shows Your Morning, The Social, The Marilyn Denis Show and eTalk, plus Discovery series Mighty Trains, Mighty Cruise Ships and Disasters at Sea, Much’s Mike on Much and Gusto’s Where To I Do?
• Radio-Canada is bringing La Fureur back for another just-after-new-year special on Jan. 4, 2020. The one-night-only revival of the celebrity boys-vs-girls singing competition show last January was a success. A live version will also be performed outdoors during the Juste pour rire festival, though hosted by Elyse Marquis instead of Véronique Cloutier.
• Meanwhile, the cast for the annual Bye-Bye has been announced. Out are Anne Dorval, Véronique Claveau and Pierre Brassard, replaced by Guylaine Tremblay, Mehdi Bousaidan, Anne-Élisabeth Bossé and Julie Le Breton
• Radio-Canada is ending game show Des Squelettes dans le placard after 14 seasons.
• It’s the happiest time of the year: New episodes of Mayday.
• Summer schedule announcements:
  • FX Canada
  • RDS CFL schedule
  • Hollywood Suite “Summer of Sequels”
  • Corner Gas Animated on Comedy

Radio

• Anna Maria Tremonti is leaving CBC Radio’s The Current to host and produce original podcasts for CBC. Her last show is June 20. She tells the Globe and Mail she has two podcasts in the works.
• After more than 30 years in the broadcasting business, CBC Montreal Homerun host Sue Smith is hanging up the microphone at the end of June. She says she doesn’t know what’s next for her.
• Bell Media has rebranded its 12 country music stations, and reformatted one in Kingston, to create the national network Pure Country. Each station will have local morning and afternoon drive shows but lots of national network content otherwise. Bell says it hasn’t made any staff cuts, though the people who used to work at that Kingston station until January might disagree. Stations in the network (with their previous brandings) are:
  • CKTY-FM 99.5 (Cat Country) Truro, NS
  • CKHJ 1260 (KHJ) Fredericton, NB
  • CKKL-FM 93.9 (New Country 94) Ottawa
  • CHVR-FM 96.7 (Star 96.7) Pembroke, ON
  • CKLC-FM 98.9 (The Drive) Kingston
  • CKQM-FM 105.1 (Country 105) Peterborough
  • CICX-FM 105.9 (KICX Country) Orillia
  • CJBX-FM 92.7 (BX93) London
  • CICS-FM 91.7 (KICX Country) Sudbury
  • CKXA-FM 101.1 (The Farm) Brandon, MB
  • CHBD-FM 92.7 (Big Dog) Regina
  • CJDC 890 (Peace County’s Country) Dawson Creek, BC
  • CJFW-FM 103.1 Terrace, BC
• Radio-Canada has announced summer programming for its ICI Première and ICI Musique networks.
• Montreal’s 98.5 FM is bringing in former Plateau Mont-Royal borough mayor Luc Ferrandez and entrepreneur Alexandre Taillefer as political columnists for its morning show. They replace Patrick Lagacé and Pierre Curzi.
• ICI Première will have a series of interviews with journalists by Marie-Louise Arsenault starting June 29. Guests are Chantal Hébert, Céline Galipeau, Isabelle Richer, Michel C. Auger, Christine Ockrent, Michèle Ouimet, Francine Pelletier and Bertrand Raymond.
• Singer Dan Bigras will take over Bernard Drainville’s afternoon show on 98.5 FM during the summer vacation period.
• Former NDP adviser Karl Bélanger will take over as morning host on Gatineau’s 104,7fm this summer while Michel Langevin is away.
• Curtis Bray is joining the morning show on EZ Rock 105.1 in St. Catharines.

Print

• Quebec’s Stanstead Journal has ceased weekly publication, but says it will publish more condensed newspapers 10 times a year.
• Meanwhile, a group is trying to resurrect The Gleaner, a former English weekly serving the Huntingdon area that was effectively killed off by Transcontinental and then sold off with French papers to new owners who are willing to part with the brand for free.
• Employees of Métro are looking to join the union representing the weekly community newspapers that are part of the same company, after those employees were moved into the same building as their unionized counterparts.
• The new Samuel de Champlain Bridge has a time capsule that includes cartoons drawn by Aislin and Chapleau.
• Urbania is handing out free subscriptions to the first 15,000 who sign up.

Online

• Sportsnet is launching a “multiplatform original content studio”
• Rogers has a new online ad platform developed with Contobox
• Twitter Canada tried to get into the upfront game by announcing a bunch of deals including several with sports broadcasters. They won’t actually be showing sports, but lots of content talking about sports!
• YouTube is shutting its Toronto creative space after only three years, replacing it with pop-up spaces that will move around Canada.

Telecom

• ISED has announced its plans for the 3,500 MHz band, taking some spectrum away from fixed wireless use and allowing mobile wireless operators to bid for licenses.

News about people

Some news from me: ? I’ll be in the traveling journalist role this summer! Get in touch, let me know what’s happening in your part of the province. ? #cbcquebec pic.twitter.com/n4THbnWSVs

— Julia Caron (@cbcjulia) June 6, 2019

• The Hockey Hall of Fame has announced its media awards recipients: Frank Brown, who spent almost two decades at the New York Daily News, and Sportsnet play-by-play announcer Jim Hughson.
• Daniel Dale, known as the guy who tabulates Donald Trump’s lies, has been hired by CNN after leaving the Toronto Star. Dale says being able to do his fact-checking full-time, instead of on his own time while being the Washington correspondent for the Star, is a major reason for the move.
• Priya Sam, who took over for Lindsey Deluce on CTV’s Your Morning during her mat leave, is joining Global News Toronto as its morning reporter. Deluce has returned to her role on the show.
• Bertrand Raymond, who wrote about sports for the Journal de Montréal and for RDS since the former’s lockout, is retiring.
• Some hires at the Winnipeg Free Press:
  • Tessa Vanderhart leaving CBC to return to the FP as a reporter
  • Maggie Macintosh also leaving CBC to be a full-time reporter this summer
  • Frances Koncan joining the arts reporting team
  • Eva Wasney leaving weekly paper The Metro to also join the arts team
• Charlotte Herrold has been promoted to editor-in-chief at Flare.
• Charelle Evelyn is the new managing editor at the Hill Times, taking over for Kristen Shane, who left for a federal government job.
• Gillian Grace is the new deputy editor at Chatelaine.
• Fiona Morrow is the new editor of Vancouver’s Montecristo magazine.
• Mahnoor Yawar is leaving OMNI News to join CityNews in Toronto as a producer.
• Dustin Godfrey is leaving The News in Abbotsford, B.C., and joining Burnaby Now and New Westminster’s The Record.
• Bryan Borzykowski has been named the first Canadian president of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
• Toronto’s Sharon Nadeem is joining the Global Reporting Centre to “help manage their various projects, with a specific focus on their multi-year investigation into consequences of global supply chains.”
• Francis Pilon has left Quebecor’s 24 Heures in Montreal to be a journalist at Radio-Canada Acadie.
• Edmonton Oilers broadcast director Don Metz is leaving the organization after 40 years to go into the marijuana business.
• CBC Montreal’s Kristy Snell writes about her daughter’s life with celiac disease.

Obituaries

La météorologue Jocelyne Blouin a été emportée par un cancer à 68 ans.

Elle a été un pilier de ce bulletin pendant 33 ans. Elle a présenté 15 000 fois la météo, toujours avec la même rigueur et la même passion. Toutes nos condoléances à sa famille.#TJ22H pic.twitter.com/IIdlPuVHzJ

— Céline Galipeau (@CGalipeauTJ) May 28, 2019

• Jocelyne Blouin, Radio-Canada meteorologist
• Jean-Claude Labrecque, filmmaker
• Sarika Sehgal, former TV news anchor

News about companies

• DHX Media, which owns Family Channel, says it has received an unsolicited purchase offer from Sakthi Global Holdings. The company says Sakthi has not responded to its questions about the offer.
• Meredith has sold the Sports Illustrated brand to Authentic Brands for $110 million. Meredith will keep publishing the magazine for two years while Authentic looks to slap the SI logo on whatever it can find.

Jobs

• CTV Montreal jobs:
  • Videojournalist (three jobs, deadline: June 6)
  • Videojournalist, Quebec City (deadline: June 14)
  • Digital reporter (deadline: June 14)
  • Supervising producer digital content (deadline: June 7)
  • Supervising news editor (deadline: June 7)
  • Assignment editor/videojournalist (evenings and weekends) (deadline: June 7)
• Report On Business Magazine editor
• Calgary reporter, Globe and Mail
• Engagement editor, Ottawa Citizen/Sun (deadline: June 7)
• Web editor/reporter, News 1130 in Vancouver
• Music programmer, Bell Media radio in Montreal (deadline: June 9)
• Host, CBC Radio One Montreal’s Homerun (deadline: June 14)
• Weekend assignment/line-up editor, CBC Montreal (deadline: June 15)
• Mobile Indigenous journalism bureau, Radio-Canada (deadline: June 29)