Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• We had a busy week for Taproot Edmonton! I posted an update on our progress just before we were one of the presenting companies at Launch Party 7 on Thursday evening. Over the weekend, Karen shared her own update in light of the news about Postmedia’s latest cuts. We also shared an overview video on YouTube. Full steam ahead!
• Congratulations to Sharon on blogging for ten years!
• CTV Edmonton’s News at Six was delayed last Tuesday because of a semi crash near the studio that forced the newsroom to evacuate. Here’s a report on what happened by Daryl McIntyre.
• Tim reports the latest Vividata results show that Metro and the Sun are “back to a dead heat for number two paper” in Edmonton.
• James ‘Gruff’ Gushnowski has taken over as Program Director & Afternoon Drive Host on 93.1 The One in Leduc, and he’s also Director of Programming for all of Blackgold Broadcasting. He was previously with 88.1 The One in Spruce Grove.
• CBC Edmonton interviewed Chad Huculak on his new book End of the Earth. The book is available now and the official launch party will be at Happy Harbour Comics on November 5.
• Michael Hingston has quit his day job to become “a part-time freelacner, most-time parent”. Congrats! Michael was featured in a recent episode of The Modern Manhood Podcast.
• According to the CFL, the Edmonton Eskimos have been the most watched team this season on TV. “The Esks have attracted an average audience of 649,000 viewers this season, and the Roughriders are second with 627,000. Edmonton’s number represents an increase of 8.7% over last season, while Saskatchewan’s viewership is down 6.8%.”
• Don’t miss the latest blog and podcast roundups from Seen and Heard in Edmonton!
• Congrats to Emil on receiving the finished copies of 101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton. The book looks great!
• The Citadel Theatre is looking for a Media Relations Manager.
• The Western Producer, “Canada’s leading agricultural publication”, is looking for an Editor/Reporter. The deadline to apply is November 4.
• I can’t say it better than Paula did: “Edmonton Catholic school trustee Larry Kowalczyk has just made the shocking discovery that some TV cable providers have specialty services that allow adults to order and pay for pornographic programming. At a time when school board autonomy across Canada is under fire, it might be prudent for them to focus on their jobs, not on random moral crusades.”
• I see tweets like this one and I can’t help but think, is it 2009 all over again?
• From Vintage Edmonton, here’s a look at some old TV programming ads. Looks like Edmonton’s first telethon took place September 30, 1974.

Influenza immunization clinics open across the province, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Postmedia said late last week it intends to reduce staffing costs by 20% throughout fiscal 2017 and it has introduced a vountary buyout program to try to achieve that. Employees have until November 8 to apply for the buyouts which will pay 3 weeks per year served to a maximum of 78 weeks, capped at $150,000.
• Recent comments made by federal Heritage Minister Melanie Joly suggest the government isn’t ruling out offering financial support to newspapers. “I have said several times: everything is on the table. I am ready to talk about the different tools we have as a government to help and promote these areas,” she said.
• From David Berry in the National Post: Why it’s irresponsible for the publicly funded CBC to explain the news rather than provide it.
• CRTC Chairman Jean Pierre Blais said last week that TV stations should be producing local news, even if it hurts their bottom line. “We do not believe that local television news can be allowed to fall by the wayside simply because it doesn’t look good on the balance sheet,” he said.
• The Wirecutter, which has become an excellent resource for recommendations on electronics, is being purchased by the New York Times for more than $30 million.
• A new report examining the effects of corporate ownership and digital disruption on local news across the United States suggests the changes are leading to vast “news deserts”.
• Lots of discussion this week about the suggestion that perhaps it was a mistake for news companies to go “digital first”. Setting aside the fact that none of them actually did try to go digital first and instead actively campaigned against it, I like Dave Winer’s take.
• AT&T has agreed to buy Time Warner, home of HBO and CNN, for $85.4 billion.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• CKUA CEO Ken Regan shared some thoughts on his upcoming retirement (and the station’s new fundraising drive) in the latest CKUA newsletter. “Our community of artists, donors, hosts, listeners and volunteers has created a home for music lovers like no other,” he wrote.
• Ryan Jespersen had a couple of media-related segments on his show this morning. He spoke to Graham Hicks about his controversial story in the Edmonton Sun, who apologized for his choice of words. It’s a shame that so many reacted to his mistake with name calling and other negative behavior, as I tweeted about on the weekend.
• Ryan also spoke with Jesse Brown of CANADALAND who was in town tonight for a LitFest event. Metro spoke with Jesse recently as well. It was cool to hear him do the show live, but it’s a shame he didn’t do more homework about Edmonton before coming and engaging a panel of Edmontonians. Mordecai Richler’s comments from 1985 are a bit tired, don’t you think?
• We published our second Taproot Edmonton story this week! Making a ripple toward reconciliation was written by Anna Holtby. Check it out!
• On Thursday evening, Taproot will be one of the presenting companies at Launch Party 7. Hope to see you there!
• Kathleen McGee interviewed Ryan Jespersen recently for her podcast.
• Mack Lamoureux is off to Toronto to join VICE Canada. “I can’t really articulate how much I’m going to miss the CBC Edmonton,” he tweeted.
• Elise Stolte shared the news on Friday that a FOIP request for flood maps that was denied by the City of Edmonton was overturned by the Government of Alberta provincial Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. “Postmedia fought for the maps, arguing Edmonton residents have the right to know if their homes are at risk, even if it could negatively affect some property values.” She’ll receive the data within the next sixty days.
• Dustin Coffman tweeted that 630 CHED is now available to stream on Apple Music. As of Tuesday last week, Corus became the first Canadian broadcaster to offer programming through the service.
• Episode 52 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Tema Frank, “an author, an Internet pioneer, and the creator of Frank Reactions, where she explores customer experience and customer service in the digital era.”
• Here’s a review of Marty Klinkenberg’s new book The McDavid Effect. “The book also introduces readers to a cast of characters that surround McDavid, from his parents, to the store owners around Rexall Place, who once basked in the business brought by the previous generation of Oilers stars such as Gretzky and Messier.”
• Noted filmmaker and Edmontonian Michael Maxiss is the man behind the new Edmonton Oilers opening video. “I’d like to start by saying I’ve been a fan of this team my entire life, so the opportunity to make this video for them was a true honor,” he wrote.
• Scott C. Bourgeois is the new PA announcer for the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place! Congrats! Fans of The Unknown Studio now know where to find him!
• The latest 20 Questions installment in the Edmonton Sun features Chad Huculak who you know and love for his great local cartoons!
• The next Edmonton Podcasting Meetup takes place on Sunday, October 23 at Variant Edition Comics & Culture.
• In his parting piece at Metro Edmonton, Ryan Tumilty reflected on how the city has changed and encouraged Edmonton to “do big things”.
• A bunch of local media folks are involved in the University of Alberta’s “new and improved” business magazine. Omar Mouallem is editing the publication.
• From Vintage Edmonton, here’s a couple of commercials from the 80s, including one featuring a young Wayne Gretzky!
• Steven Sandor, editor of Avenue Edmonton, launched his new young-adult novel Trolled on Saturday at Audrey’s Books. Congrats!
• Chef Levi Biddlecombe was on Chopped Canada this week. I watched the episode – good to see some local representation!

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• An article in the Wall Street Journal today argues that Twitter is a media company and should be valued as such, rather than a technology.
• Jim Rutenberg wrote about the recent criticism of the news media and suggests that after the US Election, newsrooms need to figure out why so many people don’t trust them.
• If you’re currently using a third party service to watch American Netflix, you may not be able to much longer. Netflix appears to be winning the war on virtual border hoppers.
• Billy Bush is officially out at NBC’s “Today”. But somehow Donald Trump is still a candidate for President?

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Grant Ainsley has broken up with the Edmonton Journal because it is “a product that’s not as good as it used to be, one that’s provided less often, and at a price that continues to increase.” I think he articulates the way many subscribers are feeling, though the paper he remembers is never coming back because the business model is broken.
• A local media consortium including CBC, Postmedia, Global, and CTV has applied for permission to live broadcast the decision on the mistrial in the Travis Vader case. A ruling is expected on October 28 with the mistrial decision slated for October 31.
• Carly Turner made her CTV Edmonton debut on Thursday. She has been working in PR but was previously the traffic and entertainment host on BT Edmonton.
• With Ryan Tumilty leaving for Ottawa, Alex Boyd is the new senior reporter at Metro Edmonton. Also, Jeremy Simes has joined from Metro Calgary.
• Corey Hogan has been appointed Managing Director of the Public Affairs Bureau, effective Thursday, October 13.
• Looks like Ken Regan is getting ready to retire from CKUA as the network has started the search for a new CEO. They’re working with executive recruiters Pekarsky & Co.
• Marty Klinkenberg’s new book The McDavid Effect is available October 11. Here’s an excerpt. There’s a launch event taking place on Thursday evening to kick off LitFest.
• Congratulations to Alberta Street News publisher Linda Dumont on receiving the 2016 Salvos Prelorentzos Peace Award.
• Episode 152 of the Press Gallery Podcast features outgoing Edmonton Journal deputy editor Kathy Kerr “as she rides off into the bittersweet sunset of retirement.”
• Episode 51 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Jeremy Bibaud, “the gaming aficionado who co-hosts The Clickbait Podcast, and the enterprising writer behind a story-mapping project called YEG Storyhood.”
• Episode 16 of the Sound Off Podcast features Marty Forbes.
• Lloyd Lewis, former VP and GM of CTV Edmonton, has launched Todayville.com down in Red Deer. It’s “a brand new media platform that its owners are hoping will re-invigorate community engagement this city, and eventually in all areas which are underserved by conventional media but full of people who want to know what’s going on around them.”
• Here are the latest blog and podcast roundups from Seen and Heard in Edmonton, with an interesting new look & feel.
• Friday was Jennifer Crosby’s last day at Global Edmonton as she goes on maternity leave for baby #2. Congrats!
• Is this a thing – Global Edmonton’s Morning Show and Ryan Jespersen with a daily Q&A?
• The Edmonton Broadcasters Club Fall Luncheon 2016 takes place on Wednesday and features Dave Cutler.
• CBC Edmonton is looking for an Associate Producer for the afternoon drive radio program Radio Active.
• 93.1 The One in Leduc is looking for a General Manager/General Sales Manager. October 15 is the deadline to apply.
• Who doesn’t want to be as normal as Daryl McIntyre?
• The documentary Airport: Below Zero featuring the Edmonton International Airport debuted on The History Channel on October 5.
• Here’s the latest update on Taproot Edmonton. We’re going to be publishing our next story very soon!

Minister of Transportation Brian Mason interviewed at the opening ceremony for the Northeast Anthony Henday Drive, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Maclean’s is shifting to a monthly print schedule, one of the many impacts of Rogers Media scaling back its publishing business. It has been published weekly since the 1970s.
• Starting Wednesday, the NFL’s updated social media policy takes effect and means that teams can be fined for posting video inside a stadium during a game. That means no Facebook Live, Periscope, or anything else. Teams are also restricted from turning highlights into animated GIFs.
• CBC’s new show Shoot the Messenger follows a young reporter named Daisy who works at The Gazette. Here’s a review from the Globe and Mail and here’s a feature on Ian Barr, an Edmonton-based screen writer who worked on the show.
• Here’s an interesting challenge that news organizations are going to have to resolve: some are facing an increase in the number of requests to take down old stories.
• Another reason the rush to produce a ton of video won’t list: younger adults prefer to get their news in text.
• Very interesting to read about the changes coming to The Verge, one of the few news sites I visit every day.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• A follow-up on last week’s news: a camera was allowed inside the courtroom for the Travis Vader murder verdict, a first for an Alberta criminal trial. Paula Simons explains how livestreaming of the decision – something local media outlets fought for the right to do – caused a legal firestorm after a criminal law professor watching started tweeting about an error the judge made. Would that have come to light without cameras in the courtroom?
• Karen and I will be demoing Taproot Edmonton at DemoCamp Edmonton 32 on Thursday evening. Hope to see you there!
• The Edmonton Journal and Metro Edmonton are among those nominated for the 2016 Canadian Online Publishing Awards.
• The Nation Network, publisher of OilersNation, has acquired GeneralFanager.com bringing the network to 11 sites.
• The final issue of the Western Catholic Reporter will be published on September 26 as the publication switches to a daily online news portal. Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, the newspaper’s publisher, made the announcement last week and confirmed a number of positions would be eliminated, including that of long-time editor Glen Argan. Here’s more on the news.
• Tonight was the launch of Edmonton Cooks, a new recipe book by writers Leanne Brown and Tina Faiz. Here’s a feature on the book and here’s an interview with Tina Faiz, who used to be a reporter for CBC Edmonton.
• Wade Sorochan, who has worked in Edmonton radio for many years, has written a book called Un-Social Media: Virtual World Causing Real Word Anxiety which also launched today.
• Marty Forbes reports that Susan Reade, who was the General Sales Manager at Bell in Edmonton for 100.3 The Bear, 104.9 Virgin Radio, and CTV, has “been restructured out”.
• Episode 50 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features David Rauch, “the strategic planner, open-data enthusiast and onetime journalist who makes connections through Beta City YEG, Edmonton’s civic technology meetup.”
• Terry Jones reports that Phil Rivers, the man behind the 99 Tears! headline, retired on September 13.
• WHERE Edmonton parent company Tanner Young Publishing Group is looking for a junior graphic designer to work on the magazine.
• From Vintage Edmonton, here’s a look at some CJCA history.
• Congratulations to Emil of I Heart Edmonton on publishing 500 posts! “I set out to showcase Edmonton and to show Edmontonians that there is so much more to our city than what they might think.”
• Egyptian-born Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who along with two other journalists in 2013 was unjustly arrested, and sentenced to seven years in prison in Egypt, is speaking on October 1 at the Arden Theatre in St. Albert.

Western Canada Fashion Week’s Celebrity Showcase

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• While many are calling for President Obama to pardon Edward Snowden, the Washington Post has demanded that he stand trial on espionage charges. That makes the Post “the first-ever paper to explicitly editorialize for the criminal prosecution of its own source – one on whose back the paper won and eagerly accepted a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.” Incredible.
• A tweet remains 140 characters but now pictures, videos, and polls no longer count toward that limit. And soon usernames in replies may also be exempt from the character count.
• Torstar Corp. has sold the land and buildings of the former printing plant of the Toronto Star for $54.3 million. It had previously outsourced printing of the Star and announced plans to close the plant and sell the property.
• The latest Gallup survey estimates that only 32% of Americans trust the media, “the lowest level recorded in the polling organization’s history” and a drop of 8 points from last year. CJR breaks it down.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Ryan Tumilty announced today he is leaving Metro Edmonton to join Metro Ottawa. The exact date is still to be determined, but he tweeted he is “sad to be leaving a city I have really grown to love, but excited for new opportunities closer to family.” Sad to see you go Ryan, but wish you all the best!
• The September/October issue of The Tomato celebrates the magazine’s 20th year. Publisher Mary Bailey started it in 1996 as City Palate and is featured in this Proust Culinary Questionnaire. Congrats on 20 years Mary!
• The latest Edmonton radio ratings are out covering the period May 30 – August 28. Now 102.3 FM remains on top and has actually pulled away from second place 103.9 CISN FM. 630 CHED remains third. The big loser in this book was CBC Radio 1, falling from fourth to eighth.
• Congrats to Chris Scheetz, Jacqueline Sweeney, and Matt DeBeurs on being named On-Air Personalities of the Year (Large Market) and to their station 103.9 CISN FM on being named Best Radio Station of the Year (Large Market) at the 2016 Canadian Country Music Association Awards.
• The Edmonton Journal, Canadian Press, CBC, CTV, and Global have all made their case to have cameras in the courtroom on Thursday for the verdict in the first-degree murder trial of Travis Vader. “The affidavit was put together by CBC crime reporter Janice Johnston. In her application, Johnston argues that the high-profile case has attracted significant attention around the world, is an extremely complex case, and it is in the public’s best interest to see the decision delivered directly from the judge.” The decision is expected tomorrow. Here’s the story from Janice Johnston herself.
• Mark Drelich is leaving 102.3 Now FM for Vancouver where he’ll join 102.7 The Peak. His last day was Thursday, September 8. He posted a video to Facebook thanking his colleagues and listeners.
• Edmonton Senior News is now called Edmonton Prime Times starting with the September edition. Here’s a look at the new cover.
• CFWE Radio have hired Devin Grey as a Sales Consultant. He was with Corus previously, as Sales Manager here in Edmonton for the past 12 years.
• Guy Laurence, CEO of Rogers Communications, was in Edmonton last week to tour Rogers Place and participate in the grand opening. “Rogers invested $15 million in the 18,641-seat building’s fancy new hardware and software systems, which include no fewer than 417 Wi-Fi antennas sprinkled around the building, and three sets of antennas that handle emergency services and cellphones for all telco providers.”
• Here’s a feature on 630 CHED from Seanna Collins. Bruce Bowie, Eileen Bell, Ryan Jespersen, and Bryan Hall all make appearances.
• Vue Weekly is looking for an Associate Editor, ideally with arts experience.
• Cam Tait has put the call out for submissions for the 2016 ATCO Edmonton Sun Christmas Charity Auction, which takes place November 1-3. “Last year, Edmonton media personalities – newspaper, radio and television – raised over $21,000 for the auction by offering packages,” he wrote.
• Here are the latest blog and podcast roundups from Seen and Heard in Edmonton.
• The next episode of Your Turn with Jenny Adams on Shaw TV features 630 CHED’s Ryan Jespersen. Watch it on September 22.
• The deadline to apply for Avenue Edmonton’s editorial intern position is Wednesday. “To qualify for this Alberta Magazine Publishers Association subsidized internship you must have graduated in September 2014 or later.”
• Rogers Radio (SONiC, The Bounce, World FM) is looking for a Promotions Coordinator.
• Bell Media is looking for a Senior Manager of Advertising and Promotions. The deadline to apply is September 20.
• Global’s casting tour for Big Brother Canada will come to Edmonton on Saturday, October 1 at The Billiard Club. The show will air next spring.

I am thrilled with our first story at Taproot Edmonton! Written by Mel Priestley, it’s all about the herd of deer that live near the Edmonton Ethane Extraction Plant along 23 Avenue.

Please check it out, and consider becoming a member to help us put more great stories like this into the world.

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Lots of Twitter-related news to start the week. Starting September 19, media attachments (images, videos, polls, etc.) will no longer count toward the 140 character limit. It doesn’t seem like they are going to increase the length of tweets, but this is change will help. And from Fast Company, here’s a look at Twitter’s big bet on live events.
• It’s kind of difficult to remember just how different the web looked on September 11, 2001. I remember spending most of the day glued to the TV after trying to get the web to load that morning in my computing science lab at the U of A.
• As we approach the debates in the US Presidential Election, The Onion is ramping up its coverage. “With the mock headlines easily shared on social media, The Onion is on track to see a 38 percent increase in traffic to its main website over the 2012 election cycle, spokeswoman Lauren Pulte said.”
• For those of you following the Gawker saga, the latest news is that new own Univision has deleted six stories that were the targets of lawsuits, an act the Gawker Media Editorial Union strongly disagrees with.
• Why would someone go into journalism? John Harris, publisher and editor-in-chief of Politico, tackles the big question.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Avenue Edmonton is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the September 2016 issue. “Publisher Orville Chubb and associate publisher Trudy Callaghan remember how one conversation led to bringing this magazine to print in 2006.”
• The Edmonton Broadcasters Club fall luncheon takes place on October 12 and will feature Dave Cutler.
• Marina Endicott is MacEwan University’s 24th writer in residence. “Starting September 12, Marina will be on campus to share her experiences and knowledge, give readings, help other writers and work on a major project of her own.”
• Edmontonian Tracy LaRose was featured in a recent episode of HGTV’s Tiny House Hunters.
• From Vintage Edmonton, here’s a John Berry weather forecast on CFRN TV from October 1991.
• Episode 49 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Jim Bilodeau, “a NAIT instructor with a passion to help artists make money online, and the man behind The Museum Project.”
• Hannah of Honey & Betts has a roundup of some of Edmonton’s top fashion bloggers.
• The latest episode of Matt Cundill’s podcast features 100.3 The Bear’s Yukon Jack and “his story of bringing a recently emigrated Nigerian family who fled the Fort Mac flames last May.”
• Avenue Edmonton is looking for an editorial intern for a paid six-month term, beginning October 1. The deadline to apply is September 14.
• The Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre is looking for a full-time Social Media Coordinator.
• CBC Edmonton is looking for a Reporter-Editor to work in radio. The deadline to apply is September 18.
• Marty Forbes reports that Ursula Phillips, who has “spent the last few decades at CTV Edmonton”, is the new VP Marketing at the TELUS World of Science. Congrats!

The media room at City Hall

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• CBC’s Peter Mansbridge will retire from The National next summer after anchoring special Canada Day coverage celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary. “Mansbridge’s storied career has spanned nearly five decades, including 28 years at the helm of the desk as anchor and chief correspondent.”
• CTV’s Canada In A Day takes place on September 10. They are encouraging Canadians to “grab their cameras or smartphones and film their lives.” The footage will be used in a film to be aired as part of Canada’s 150th anniversary next year.
• John Doyle in the Globe and Mail discussing CRTC’s recent decision on Canadian content: “To make Canadians care there needs to be an example of a much-loved show that would not have been funded and made under the new system.”
• The Newspaper Association of America is renaming itself the News Media Alliance. Writes the NY Times: “There is one obvious reason behind the change: The number of newspapers continues to drop, which has a way of depressing the association’s membership.”
• Margaret Sullivan argues in the Washington Post that “news organizations should fix online comments rather than ditch them.” She says there’s value there that can’t be replicated on social media.
• Although the number of full-time editorial cartoonists is dwindling, “the narrative of decline excludes a whole host of people stretching the form online in ways that weren’t possible just a few years ago.” The future looks bright for the editorial cartoon.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Even the newspaper delivery boys are getting fired! Thirteen-year-old “Connor Piquette has been delivering the Edmonton Examiner every Wednesday after school for the past year. But this Wednesday will be his last on the job.” He was one of “approximately 600 contract carriers” who received termination letters last week. In a follow-up statement, Postmedia said they have “restructured our distribution model in Edmonton aligning our FlyerForce distribution system and Edmonton Examiner distribution system” which led to the change.
• Trent Wilkie interviewed Ryan Jespersen on The Undad. “From the moment Wyatt is old enough to understand English, I’ll be telling him talk radio is the world’s most important public service.”
• The City found itself in trouble last week when it “took permission away” from CTV Edmonton reporter Breanna Karstens-Smith who was going to do an interview in Kinsmen, apparently because she wasn’t “promoting” the facility.
• The Oilers too caused a stir this week by cancelling an interview with CBC Edmonton about the community benefits agreement for Rogers Place. “An interview set up with Susan Darrington, vice president and general manager of Rogers Place, was cancelled by the organization following publication of a news story containing comments from critics of the community benefits.”
• Congratulations to Omar Mouallem on being published in The New Yorker! Here’s his contributor page.
• Historian Laureate and CJSR News Coordinator Chris Chang-Yen Phillips has launched a new podcast called Let’s Find Out which aims to answer questions about Edmonton history.
• Congratulations to Global Edmonton’s Carole Anne Devaney on the birth of her second child!
• Apps are coming to a radio near you! 91.7 The BOUNCE will feature the new local daily countdown show “The Shazam @ 7 Countdown” which is a partnership between Rogers Radio and Shazam. “Using unique, targeted data to feature different playlists in each market, the show highlights the top seven songs of the day, comprised of recently Shazam’d tracks and new and trending tracks from across the country.”
• Believe it or not, Postmedia is looking for a part-time senior copy editor for the Edmonton newsroom. The deadline to apply is September 3.
• Want to be the new Public Address Announcer for the Oilers? You can apply here. Auditions for selected candidates will take place early next month.
• Sportsnet has released details of the Edmonton Oilers broadcast schedule for the 2016-2017 regular season. The schedule features 37 national games and 45 regional games and all can be streamed online as well.

Elise Campbell, Marty Chan, Annie Dugan, and Holger Petersen, photo by Capital Ideas Edmonton

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• You can always count on The Onion: Media Intern Looking Forward To Moving Up At Company That Won’t Exist In 8 Months.
• Fox News will soon celebrate its 20th birthday and is currently the most-watched cable network “with a larger audience than its nominal rivals, CNN and MSNBC, combined.” But its secret sauce is demography and that may not last.
• Is John Oliver a journalist or not? He continues to state that his show is comedy, not news. “If you make jokes about animals, that does not make you a zoologist. We certainly hold ourselves to a high standard and fact-check everything, but the correct term for what we do is ‘comedy.’” He’s clearly committing acts of journalism, however!
• I did not realize that some college papers in the United States are actually owned by for-profit companies. And now they’re feeling the effects, “of course, student publications haven’t been immune to the business challenges facing the news industry as a whole.”

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• We have launched the first version of the Story Garden at Taproot Edmonton! You can read about it in our latest newsletter. The Story Garden “is where members will seed ideas by asking questions, and cultivate other members’ ideas by expressing their level of curiosity and perhaps commenting with a direction or source to pursue.” We’re pretty excited to build on this now!
• Episode 10 of That’s So Maven features Karen Unland talking about Taproot, Seen and Heard, Capital Ideas, and many other interesting things!
• Episode 48 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Ben Yendall, “the storytelling, community-building co-host of Tales from the Hydian Way, a podcast about a role-playing game set in the Star Wars universe.”
• I should have mentioned last month the departure of senior assignment editor Kory Siegers from Global Edmonton. Thanks to Kerry for the tip.
• Last week 630 CHED was briefly off the air, which isn’t normally worth mentioning except that the responses to Ryan Jespersen’s tweet are pretty funny. Great example of the kind of social media we like to see!
• The lineup for the 2016 Edmonton Comedy Festival has been released! The 2016 Media Challenge features Dave Breakenridge (Edmonton Sun), Eileen Bell (630 CHED), Nancy Carlson (Global Edmonton), and Trent Wilkie (VUE Weekly), among others. It takes place October 5.
• Here’s a flashback to CJCA’s Bill and Bill Show, featuring Bill Matheson and Bill Jackson. It ran from 1976 to 1992 on 930 CJCA.
• Edmonton-born director Arthur Hiller died of natural causes last week at the age of 92. “He attended Victoria High School, where he was classmates with Leslie Nielsen.”
• Vintage Edmonton found an issue of Canadian Utilities Limited Home Service Magazine from 1950!
• If you manage to read this in the next 90 minutes, you still have time to vote for your favorite media personalities in Vue Weekly’s Best of Edmonton 2016.

102.3 FM Now! Radio’s trucksicle, photo by jasonwoodhead23

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• In her latest social media notes, Linda shares the news about Facebook’s new app Lifestage.
• From Tristin Hopper, here’s a journalist hate mail bingo card. LOL at “email is from a shared couple’s address (glenandpam@hotmail.com)”.
• Aireum aims to preserve Canada’s broadcasting history. Here’s a feature on the effort.
• The New York Times is shutting down its NYT Now app starting next week, apparently because the main NYT platforms have incorporated “all its pioneering innovations”.
• And you thought your job was hard!
• Applications are now open for the Aboriginal Investigative Journalism Fellowship. The deadline to apply is September 18, 2016.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Wednesday was Otiena Ellwand’s last day at the Edmonton Journal. She confirmed she is leaving to “pursue an adventure abroad.” Best of luck Otiena!
• Global Edmonton news director Michael Fulmes is off to Saskatchewan after more than 10 years with the station. Here’s an interview I did with Michael back in 2014.
• Here’s a clip of Dan Tencer, Karen Unland, and Tristin Hopper on Alberta Primetime discussing the rebuild in Fort McMurray and other recent stories.
• Maria Orydzuk has some great photos of Gary James as he heads into retirement after 37 years.
• Here are the latest blog and podcast roundups from Seen and Heard in Edmonton.
• GigCity announced that Colin Maclean, Mel Priestley, and others are reviewing Fringe plays this year, with a goal of reviewing of all 200+ shows. “Think of GigCity as a lifeboat,” they wrote, commenting on the recent changes in local media.
• Here are reviews of Fringe show Radio Star from the Edmonton Journal and After the House Lights. It’s a 1940s detective radio play.
• Capital Ideas and ATB Financial have teamed up for an event called The Art of Business featuring Marty Chan, Holger Petersen, and Annie Dugan.
• The Terra Centre is looking for a Communications Coordinator.
• The University of Alberta’s Faculty of ALES is looking for a Director of Communications.
• Edmonton-born YouTube star Mike Tompkins has made waves with a music video in support of Hillary Clinton.

Throwback to the Edmonton Bulletin, photo by Bill Burris

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Via Marty Forbes, here is an interesting slide on the shift in media consumption by generation.
• Arianna Huffington announced this week that she is stepping down from the company she co-founded 11 years ago.
• Perhaps Donald Trump’s favorite adversary is the media and he has “increasingly organized his general-election effort around antagonizing the press.”
• Anil Dash has written about the lost infrastructure of social media. As someone who has been blogging for nearly 13 years now, I can certainly see where he’s coming from.
• Here are the Q1 2016 results for newspapers and magazines from Vividata.
• Are alt-weeklies in Canada nearing their end? Now Magazine in Toronto has run into issues, and there was an exodus recently at Vue Weekly here in Edmonton.

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!

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.