Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:
- Tomorrow is the launch of the new Edmonton Journal, both in print and online. Editor-in-chief Margo Goodhand wrote, “the one thing that won’t change is our dedication to this community, and to our craft. We’ve been a strong voice for Alberta for more than a century and are proud of our 112-year legacy.”
- The latest radio ratings are out, for the June 1 to August 30 period. NOW 102.3 FM continues to lead the pack, with CBC Radio 1 in second. Bringing up the rear, again, is iNews 880.
- Vue Weekly will be celebrating its 20th year next Thursday, which is also when they’ll be launching the Best of Edmonton for 2015. Vue celebrated the publication of its 1000th issue in 2014, so it’s another milestone!
- Pepper & Dylan are back on the air on 91.7 The Bounce as of September 8. “Give us one week (maybe two, probably three) and we will do our best to earn your loyalty,” they wrote.
- Congratulations to CISN Country 103.9 on picking up two awards at the Canadian Country Music Awards, including Music Director of the Year for Scott Phillips and On-Air Personalities of the Year for Chris, Jack, and Matt in the morning.
- CBC’s Edmonton AM is looking for a new theme song. “Rather than using existing commercial music, we want to use music by local musicians. We’re looking for a beat that reflects Edmonton — something young, fresh and with good energy.” Send your MP3s to Tim Adams!
- SONiC 102.9 fans better tune in at 7:20am on September 21: “We’re announcing something that’s been 10 years in the making on September 21 on the Garner Andrews Show.”
- Thursday’s episode of The Amazing Race Canada takes place right here in Edmonton. Teams visited City Hall, the Edmonton Waste Management Centre, and the Muttart Conservatory. There are just four teams left!
- Glad to hear that Kelsey Nichols is back at CTV Edmonton and doing well.
- Chris Myers is leaving Virgin Radio to join HOT 107 and 95.7 CRUZ FM as Program Director.
- Episode 9 of the Seen and Heard in YEG podcast features Nicole Rowan of The Spirited Thrifter. Also, don’t miss the latest roundup of local blog posts.
- Word is the Citytv lease is up at Enterprise Square and they’ll be moving.
- The finalists for the 2015 Canadian Online Publishing Awards have been announced. Edmonton Journal photographer Greg Southam has been nominated for best video. The winners will be announced November 19.
- Karlynn over at The Kitchen Magpie has launched a new YouTube channel.
- The University of Alberta has launched a new blog called The QUAD. “It’s our aim to share a constellation of community news, information and opinion.”
- The latest installment of Postscript looks behind the scenes at City Hall when Mayor Iveson announced that City Manager Simon Farbrother had been let go.
CTV Edmonton meteorologist Josh Classen at What the Truck?!
And here is some less-local media stuff worth mentioning:
- Here are Linda’s latest social media notes. As she notes, Facebook is reportedly working on a 360-degree video app. Maybe virtual reality news is on the way?
- Calgarian Sarah Rieger is taking over as news editor at Huffington Post Alberta.
- The New York Times is sponsoring a fellowship in honor of David Carr. The fellow will spend two years in the Times newsroom “covering the intersection of technology, media and culture.”
- Google and Twitter are apparently working on an “instant article” format to compete with Facebook, and the Times and Guardian have signed up to use it.
- Dan Gillmor and Josh Stearns wrote in the Guardian: “If we are going to invest in healthier ecosystems for local journalism, it is not enough to support one-off projects that exist in silos. The strength of ecosystems comes through interdependence.” If you haven’t already subscribed to The Local Fix by Josh Stearns, you should!
- This one is still on my “to read” list: Leslie Moonves on battling Netflix, the coming original-content bubble, and 20 years at CBS.
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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