Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:
- In his latest column in the Edmonton Sun, Marty Forbes pays tributed to Dr. Dick Rice, “an early pioneer of Edmonton media who started CFRN TV in 1954 (Now CTV) CFRN Radio in 1927 (now TSN) and CFRN FM in 1951 (now The Bear).” The City has named 199 Street SW (south of 23 Avenue) “Richard Rice Boulevard” in his honor.
- Bell Media eliminated 18 positions across the country at CTV stations last week, including two here in Edmonton.
- Fish has the scoop on CKUA’s Calgary expansion and the 20th anniversary of the shutdown in 1997. Lots of history there. “Along with its network of 16 FM transmitters, the station was also Canada’s first — in 1996 — to stream its broadcast online.”
- We published our latest Taproot story last week on noisy leaf blowers being used to clear snow. Like the story? We’d love to have you join us as a member to put even more great stories in the world! We were excited to be mentioned recently alongside De Correspondent, Voice of San Diego, and other innovative membership-based journalism initiatives.
- Global Edmonton’s Gord Steinke shared the story of his family connection to the Battle of Vimy Ridge. “Grandpa’s military records show he fought at most of the big battles, including The Battle of Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, Hill 70 and the Somme.”
- Episode 63 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Chris Chang-Yen Phillips, creator of Let’s Find Out, and Katrina Ingram, interim CEO of CKUA, who “discuss increasing local listenership”.
- The Edmonton Comedy Festival is looking for members of the media willing to participate in the annual media stand-up comedy challenge on October 12.
- AMPIA has announced the finalists for the 43rd annual Alberta Film & Television Awards, also known as the Rosies. Edmonton’s Moving Artistry Productions and Mosaic Entertainment each produced or co-produced 12 finalists. The winners will be announced at the Shaw Conference Centre here in Edmonton on April 29.
- Episode 41 of Matt Cundill’s The ‘Sound Off’ Podcast features Eric Samuels, who worked at 100.3 The Bear in the early 90s.
- Baseball is back, so Global Edmonton’s Kent Morrison has shared what baseball means to him.
- But before we get into baseball, there’s playoff hockey to be played! 92.5 Fresh FM shared a celebration video on Facebook where it has already been viewed more than 84,000 times.
- Thursday’s print edition of the Edmonton Journal featured an ad campaign that also appeared in other Postmedia papers across the country. “Times change, but the Journal’s dedication to Edmonton does not,” it reads in part. The inner flap took aim at fake news and alternative facts saying “investigative journalism is more important than ever”. I’m reminded of Clay Shirky’s 2009 essay Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable in which he wrote: “The newspaper people often note that newspapers benefit society as a whole. This is true, but irrelevant to the problem at hand; “You’re gonna miss us when we’re gone!” has never been much of a business model.”
Edmonton Journal’s “Built on trust.” ad campaign
And here is some slightly less local media stuff:
- From Poynter: Can trust in the news be repaired? Facebook, Craig Newmark, Mozilla and others are spending $14 million to try
- A new 25,000+ word report called The Platform Press: How Silicon Valley reengineered journalism looks at how social platforms and technology companies are “having a greater effect on American journalism than even the shift from print to digital.”
- I have such mixed feelings about Twitter lately. Is it really being unbundled before our eyes? The latest is that they are trying to sign deals “with pay-TV companies that would let subscribers watch live channels over the social network.”
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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