A small announcement to start this week’s edition: Media Monday Edmonton will soon become a roundup at Taproot Edmonton! I am still working out the details, but I will continue to post something media-related here each Monday night while directing you to Taproot for the full roundup. Thank you for reading!
Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:
- Tim Adams has announced he is “leaving CBC for a while” to work on Free Footie full-time for a year. The goal is to expand the free children’s soccer league to all host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “In his mind, now is the time to strike.” Congrats Tim and best of luck!
- A few weeks ago I mentioned that Gary Cunliffe was retiring from CBC Edmonton, making way for Stephanie Coombs. Now it’s Twitter official!
- Susan Reade, who worked as a realtor after being “restructured” out of Bell Media in 2016, is jumping back into media as the General Manager for Newcap here in Edmonton, which includes Capital FM, K-97, and CFCW.
- Well, that didn’t take long. StarMetro Edmonton now has a paywall (all the Torstar properties share the same website, so it applies across the board). No pricing information that I can see, but they are currently offering free registration for a limited time. “Later, your continued access will require a paid subscription.”
- City Council has approved nearly $4 million in funding for the new Edmonton Screen Media Fund. “The new fund will be used to make investments in, or loans to, Edmonton entrepreneurs and companies engaged in the development and production of screen media products such as films and television programs, as well as interactive digital games and mobile apps.”
- Looks like the media challenge at Southgate’s pop-up roller rink was fun! The event was emceed by Linda Hoang.
- Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
- Have a podcast and want to join the Alberta Podcast Network? They have a form for that!
- The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is looking for a Communications Director for Alberta, to be based in either Edmonton or Calgary.
- Matt Smith of Doctor Who and The Crown fame is the first celebrity guest to be announced for the 7th annual Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo.
- Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at 630 CHED’s Bryan Hall doing a live Global Edmonton hit.
- Taproot Edmonton’s Tech Roundup has had a great first month so far! Sign up to get it delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning.
And here is some slightly less local media stuff:
- A new independent news organization launched in Calgary in early June called LiveWire Calgary. “LiveWire Calgary believes there’s a large, under-represented group (maybe even a majority?) of Calgarians who have lost their connection to media because it’s not connecting them to their community,” wrote Darren Krause (formerly of Metro) in his introduction post. In addition to advertising and sponsored content, LiveWire Calgary has a Patreon page.
- Postmedia announced it will cut staff costs by another 10% by the end of August, in addition to closing six local newspapers. Here’s the email they sent.
- Torstar is also making cuts, laying off 11 full-time and 10 part-time staff in Toronto.
- Things aren’t much better in broadcast media, as Corus Entertainment announced a $936 million quarterly loss last week. “The key challenge for Corus and other traditional broadcasters is the decline in TV ad spending in Canada – a trend that shows no sign of reversing.”
- Politico is launching a new Canadian edition it describes as a “cross-border intelligence service for professionals with a stake in the Canada-U.S. relationship and the integrated border economy.”
Follow Edmonton media news using the hashtag #yegmedia and be sure to check out Mediagazer for the latest media news from elsewhere. You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here. If you have a tip or suggestion for future updates, let me know.
At Taproot Edmonton we’re working hard to ensure that local journalism has a future in our city. Join us to be part of the movement.
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