Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:
- It might have been cold, but it sounds like SONiC BOOM was still a big success this weekend! And from SONiC 102.9 itself, here are some memories from the 2015 edition of the music fest.
- Shaye Ganam is back on Global Edmonton in the mornings as of this week! He’s been away since mid-June while his wife was undergoing medical treatment. Hope everything went well!
- Alberta’s NDP government on Friday posted the contracts for dozens of political staffers who earn a collective $6.5 million annually. The Journal reports that “Notley’s director of communications, Cheryl Oates, earns $150,000 annually plus benefits, while premier’s office “media officers” John Archer and Matthew Williamson earn $110,000 each.”
- CFCW unveiled a new commercial last week that features a special appearance by Brett Kissel.
- Global Edmonton’s Seanna Collins featured Program Director Jackie Rae and CFCW in a new episode of Everything Edmonton. They discuss the frequency change, share some audio clips from the station’s launch back in 1954, and also talk about morning man Sean Burke.
- Ignite Edmonton takes place on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Media-related speakers include Karen Unland of Seen and Heard in Edmonton and Michele Romanow from CBC’s Dragon’s Den.
- Business in Edmonton magazine is turning three this fall and I noticed the latest issue features a new logo:
- Faces of Edmonton recently featured Global Edmonton’s Emily Mertz.
- Here is Karen’s latest Edmonton blog roundup. Her most recent podcast episode is an interlude in which one of her guests interviewed here – I love the idea!
- There’s another new podcast for you to add your playlist – here’s episode 1 of The SuperFan Podcast.
- Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. She notes that LinkedIn’s messaging experience received an overhaul recently – I’ll have to check it out, wasn’t a fan of the old one.
- Both Lauren Hunter from SONiC 102.9 and Virgin Edmonton’s morning crew made it into the latest “I heard it on the radio” feature on PSR.
- Are more changes on the way for up! 99.3 FM? They just changed their morning crew of course, but the website and social media all seem more or less the same. That said, I have seen a different kind of billboard around town, with very different branding (seen below). And on Friday, up! 997 in Calgary switched its name to Soft Rock 97.7. Not a format switch, just a name change. Maybe we’ll see the same thing here? On the other hand as PSR notes, “the Rawlco Calgary radio station was not included in the purchase earlier this year by the Jim Pattison Radio Group of Rawlco’s Edmonton radio stations NOW and Up!.”
And here is some less-local media stuff worth mentioning:
- YouTube and Rogers Radio have teamed up to launch a new show called “YouTube Hits”. It started on Saturday, September 5 and you can catch it here in Edmonton on 91.7 The Bounce.
- Former Wildrose party leader Danielle Smith has been hired by CHQR News Talk 770 in Calgary and will host a daily show from 12:30pm to 3pm starting tomorrow, Tuesday, September 8.
- Here’s a prediction on the future of newspapers from Canadian media business analyst Ken Goldstein: “In 2025, it is likely that there will be few, if any, printed daily newspapers.” And he says that within 10 years, “there might be no local broadcast stations in Canada.” Grim.
- From MobileSyrup: “According to the latest edition of Ericsson’s annual ConsumerLab TV & Media report, which analyzes the viewing habits of 680 million consumers worldwide, 45 percent of Canadians now watch TV and video on their smartphones or tablets.”
- Stephen Colbert will make his debut as host of The Late Show on CBS tomorrow night. Here’s a feature from the Times.
- Don’t hold your breath for offline Netflix viewing – the complexity probably isn’t worth the cost, says their Chief Product Officer.
- The BBC saga continues to unfold across the pond. The latest proposal would create an “open” BBC that would offer “staff and content to local newspapers and allow rival shows to be seen on its iPlayer catch-up service.”
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!
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