Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:
- Mark Iype is the new editor-in-chief of the Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun, taking over from Lorne Motley who is now vice-president of editorial for Postmedia’s western region. Mark has served as the Journal’s City Editor since February 2014 and starts in the new role on October 1. Congrats!
- The other change at Postmedia is that Kathy Kerr has decided to retire from the deputy editor position after a 33-year career. Dave Breakenridge will take over her duties as Managing Editor of the Journal and Sun, starting October 1.
- Congratulations to all the media folks recognized in Vue Weekly’s 2016 Best of Edmonton. Hot 107 FM won Best Radio Station, Global Edmonton won Best TV Station, The Awesome Hour won Best Podcast, and Lisa Evans won Best Tweeter, to name just a few.
- CKUA launched its new Calgary studio on Friday – you can view the livestream archive here. The new studio is located inside Studio Bell and was funded by the Calgary Foundation. They’ve also launched a survey to gather input on how to “make CKUA better than ever.”
- The CRTC is hosting a hearing in Edmonton tomorrow (September 27) in response to the call for new radio stations that went out last December. Eleven applications “for new ethnic radio stations, as well an application for a new French-language community radio station” were received and will be considered.
- In case you missed it, here’s our most recent Taproot Edmonton newsletter. Be sure to check out the interview Karen did with Mel Priestley, who wrote our first story.
- Former Edmonton Sun reporter Pamela Roth has published a new book called Deadmonton: Crime Stories from Canada’s Murder City. The non-fiction book has “roughly 40 chapters, each covering specific cases of homicides, as well as how those cases affected the victim’s friends, families, and the police officers investigating them.”
- The Media Challenge at the Edmonton Comedy Festival takes place on October 5 at 7:30pm. Get your tickets here!
- Here are the latest blog and podcast roundups from Seen and Heard in Edmonton.
- Congratulations to Edmonton’s own Gfycat on raising $10 million! They have 75 million monthly active users who watch 1.5 billion user-generated GIFs per month. Will be very interesting to see how this new investment will enable them to grow.
- A study conducted by Claudine Champion at the University of Alberta found that “Edmonton women are most likely to die from heart disease and stroke but are more likely to be surrounded by breast cancer media.” And that breast cancer coverage focuses on survivors rather than the realistic negatives.
- Bell Media is looking for an Editor to join CTV2 Edmonton.
- The Yards is hosting a debate on ICE District on Thursday evening to launch the fall issue. “Ian O’Donnell of the Downtown Edmonton Community League and UofA professor Jay Scherer [will] go head to head on one of the most divisive local issues in recent memories.”
Ryan Jespersen at Rogers Place
And here is some slightly less local media stuff:
- Rogers and Shaw have announced that their video streaming joint venture Shomi will shut down as of November 30. They couldn’t compete against Netflix.
- The Government of Canada is hosting Canadian Content in a Digital World Consultations over the next couple of months. The event here in Edmonton is scheduled for November 7.
- Paul Farhi, media reporter for The Washington Post, makes an argument for avoiding the term “the media”.
- Michael Spratt, a criminal lawyer based in Ottawa, argues against allow cameras in the courtroom. “A trial’s primary focus is truth-seeking and fairness, not entertainment,” he wrote.
- Metro reports that Gerry Forbes has renewed his contract with CJAY 92 in Calgary for another two years. “He was expected to retire last week on his 60th birthday.”
- Apparently Disney is evaluating a possible bid for Twitter. The other potential suitor at the moment is Salesforce.
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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