Media Monday Edmonton: Update #157

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• After 190 weekly editions, the St. Albert Leader has shutdown. The final issue was published on May 28, 2015. Editor Rob LeLacheur wrote: “Unfortunately, there is not much room for a small independently owned newspaper these days, especially in a major metro market.”
• Our region’s newest radio station, 88.1 The One FM, goes on air at 8:01am on Thursday, June 4. Based in Stony Plain, the new station will serve Parkland County.
• Congratulations to Sarah O’Donnell on becoming the new Sports Editor at the Edmonton Journal, the first woman in the paper’s history to hold the position.
• On June 8 after three years with the Edmonton Journal, Marty Klinkenberg will be making the jump to the Globe and Mail. He says: “My first assignment, for the next year, is to cover Connor McDavid and the Oilers in his first season in the NHL.”
• Dean Millard has been named the new evening host on TSN 1260. You can hear him from 9pm-midnight.
• In his column from Thursday, Marty Forbes talks about giving back, and highlights K97’s Terry Evans, CTV Edmonton’s Robbie Williams and TSN’s Bryan Mudryk, 102.3 NOW FM’s Fitzy, and many more local media folks doing great things in the community.
• Here’s a thoughtful and in-depth piece on “adapting to the digital age for the newsroom and living room” from Cory Sellar, a TV Broadcasting student at NAIT and Shaw TV volunteer. Lots of great visuals and links in there too, check it out.
• The latest installment of Postscript discusses the media’s desire for details about homicide cases with veteran crime reporter Jana Pruden.
• Poppy Barley has a series called 5 Minutes With in which they interview customers who wear their shoes. The latest entry is with Ryan Jespersen.
• Looks like Vue Weekly has launched a new responsive website design. Looks nice and clean, and appears to be built using WordPress.
• Tanner Young Publishing, the company behind WHERE Edmonton and other magazines, is looking for a photography intern. They’ve also got an opening for an editorial intern.
• Venture Publishing is still looking for an Assistant Editor for Alberta Venture.
• Don’t miss Karen’s latest blog roundup!
• It appears that Jesse Beyer has left CTV. No word on where he’s off to next, but he did indicate he’d be doing the weather somewhere in Edmonton. Thanks to Bruce for the tip!
• I missed this a couple weeks ago: Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey plans to lead the company until December 2018.
• Radio ratings from the Spring 2015 period have CBC Radio One ranked first in seven markets across the country.
• Over the last few years I have shared more than a few congratulatory messages in this series. That’s one reason why I found the story behind @CongratsJourno so fascinating. It’s a “mixture of hubris and narcissism” and also a love for Twitter.
• Speaking of Twitter and journalists, it turns out that about 25% of Twitter’s verified users are in the media and they are definitely the most active of the bunch.
• After 20 years as editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger is stepping down. He rightly reflects that the Guardian is “now vying with the New York Times for the mantle of largest serious English-language newspaper website in the world.”
• A new report by ZenithOptimedia says that the average amount of time spent reading newspapers fell more than 25% globally from 2010 to 2014.

Edmonton International Cat Festival organizer Linda Hoang is interviewed by the media, photo by Nanc Price Photography

You can follow Edmonton media news on Twitter using the hashtag #yegmedia. For a great overview of the global media landscape, check out Mediagazer.

So, what have I missed? What’s new and interesting in the world of Edmonton media? Let me know!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.