Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• A couple of weeks ago, Joel Gotlib announced he has “parted ways with CTV Edmonton.” He tweeted that “a new chapter has begun.”
• CBC did well at the RTDNA awards gala on the weekend. CBC Edmonton’s “investigative reporters Charles Rusnell and Jennie Russell won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting in the large market radio category,” while “reporter Roberta Bell was honoured in the long radio feature category,” and “sports writer Rick McConnell was recognized as the winner of the digital sports reporting category.”
• In his latest column in the Sun, Marty Forbes remembers some of the radio formats of the past.
• Congratulations to Boyle McCauley News editor Paula Kirman, honored with the Edmonton Social Planning Council’s Award of Merit for Advocacy of Social Justice.
• Global Edmonton’s Lauren Fink has moved from the helicopter to the morning show, at least occasionally.
• From Vintage Edmonton, here’s an old CFRN-TV broadcast from 1992, complete with commercials.
• Global Edmonton’s Sarah Kraus spent some time talking about being a reporter at Patricia Heights elementary school!
• The Edmonton Comedy Festival’s annual “Media Challenge” will take place on October 10. They have 11 confirmed competitors with just 4 spots left!
• Edmonton’s Duchess Bakeshop is appearing on one of France’s most popular reality baking shows. They are hosting a viewing party on June 11.
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Save the date! I will be speaking with Karen Unland at the next Edmonton Podcasting Meetup on June 24. We’re going to be discussing smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home.
• There are a bunch of Edmonton connections in this CANADALAND deep dive into “CBC has learned”. They say that “CBC often appears to go out of its way to avoid crediting others’ scoops — by independently verifying information from another outlet, the CBC frequently sidesteps acknowledgement of the original source.”

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• From CJR: Are bots entitled to free speech? It’s a question that the courts will soon need to address as AI continues to advance.
• Global News picked up five network RTDNA awards, while CTV News anchor Sandie Rinaldo was honored with a lifetime achievement award.
• Everyone seems to be talking about journalist Elizabeth Hernandez’s Twitter coverage of a world record attempt for the tallest stack of waffles.
• Writing in the Washington Post about Elon Musk’s recent Twitter rant on media, Margaret Sullivan says: “Musk should stick with his plans for colonizing Mars with his SpaceX venture.”

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.

Thanks for reading! Want to support my blog? Buy me a coffee!

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Effective Tuesday, May 29, CHQT-AM will be rebranded from “iNews 880” to “Global News Radio 880 Edmonton”. The memo announcing the news says that “880 will further integrate with the team at Global Edmonton” and that “some positions have been eliminated” as a result.
• Puget Sound Radio reports that KiSS 91.7 FM afternoon hosts Mike & Helena have been let go. “Speculation is Jeff Holland who had previously worked at Calgary 101.5 Kool FM and recently left there and moved back to Edmonton is taking over the afternoon show on Kiss.”
• CBC Edmonton’s 14-month investigative project Private Health, Public Risk? has been named as one of eight finalists for the prestigious 2017 Michener Award for public-service journalism.
• The St. Albert Gazette is looking for a new editor. The deadline to apply is June 1. No word yet on what’s next for current editor Carolyn Martindale.
• Vue Weekly spoke with Karen Unland and Chris Chang-Yen Phillips about podcasting a couple of weeks ago. “Podcasting has been incredibly accessible over the past few years compared to the early days, and more local, independent content is being produced from this technologically accessible era of content creation.”
• Here’s a popular Twitter thread from Duncan Kinney: “Can we take a minute to talk about how messed up Alberta’s opinion media landscape is and how it consistently gives a platform to extreme far-right positions.” Later in the thread he tweets: “I’ve long toyed with the idea of building a news and opinion hub for progressives in Alberta. A Tyee for Albertans. I think it’s needed now more than ever as the provincial election in 2019 looms in the future.”
• Matthew Dance wrote a teardown of a David Staples column on speed limits in Edmonton. “And for Staples’ credibility, it only gets worse.”
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Internet cat sensation Nala, with 3.6 million followers, will be featured on Saturday at the Edmonton International Cat Festival.
• Beaumont is going to be featured in an upcoming episode of the real estate TV show SEE it. LOVE it. BUY it.. “Last week, Visland issued a casting call for all home buyers in the Beaumont area to appear on the show.” The episode is slated to air next spring.
• Gig City reports that Hellfire Heroes, an eight-show documentary series, “follows teams of firefighters working in two rural Alberta communities.” It premieres tomorrow on Discovery Canada.
• The Yards will host its Summer Salon at CKUA on Thursday, June 7.
• An Edmonton Radio Reunion is coming up on June 23. “Open to anyone that has worked in Edmonton radio.”

Premier welcomes Vancouver Board of Trade, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• The New York Times on Time Inc.: “It was once an empire. Now it is being sold for parts.”
• Netflix is on track to release 86+ original films in 2018, more than the top four studios combined, and says 33 films released this year have been watched 300M+ times.
• TheSkimm, a popular daily newsletter aimed at millenial women, has raised $12 million in Series C funding “to expand its free and premium product offerings.”
• From CJR: A day in the life of a journalist in 2027: Reporting meets AI. “The impact of artificial intelligence on journalism will ultimately be a story of how human reporters adapt to work alongside machines.”

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.

Thanks for reading! Want to support my blog? Buy me a coffee!

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• To help mark the 50th anniversary of NAIT’s Radio & TV program, here’s an “Across the Dial” description of Edmonton radio and TV in 1968 from the Edmonton Broadcasters Club.
• An anniversary reunion took place on Saturday at NAIT. Check out the #RTA50 hashtag for highlights.
• A memorial scholarship is being setup for students entering NAIT’s Radio & TV program in Bev Munro’s name. He passed away on April 4 this year.
• Congratulations to the winners of the Alberta Film & Television Awards. Thousand Yard Stare, a second World War drama by Edmonton’s Aaron Kurmey, won for best dramatic feature or made-for-TV movie.
• Paula Simons on the Edmonton Police Service: “For almost 18 months now, the EPS has been hiding behind a misguided, legally obtuse reading of Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, known as FOIP, in order to keep essential information from the public.”
• Bryce Crittenden has launched Overdue Finds, the first podcast from the Edmonton Public Library. He’ll be “chatting all things pop culture and letting you know about hidden gems at EPL.” Check it out here.
• Episode 2 of The UnDad Podcast features Global Edmonton’s Laurel Gregory talking “about being a parent and why pot is overrated.”
• Margeaux Maron is back from maternity leave and will serve as community reporter for Global Edmonton.
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Postmedia is still looking for “a number of exceptional multimedia journalists for paid summer intern positions.” There are openings in Greater Edmonton, which includes Lacombe, Spruce Grove/Stony Plain, and Wetaskiwin, as well as in Northern Alberta.
• ICYMI: This Jana Pruden tweet is just great. Out damn spot!

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• From The Walrus: Inside the Toronto Star’s Bold Plan to Save Itself.
• Netflix will air the SCTV reunion special in 2019 everywhere but Canada, where it will premiere on CTV.
• Here’s a feature on Colette Watson, VP of Broadcast Television at Rgoers Media. “Everyone says television is dead. I don’t believe that for a second.”
• I got a test emergency alert on my phone on Wednesday, but many Albertans did not. You can check if your phone is compatible at Alert Ready.

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.

Thanks for reading! Want to support my blog? Buy me a coffee!

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Adrienne Pan is the new host of CBC Edmonton’s afternoon drive show, Radio Active, starting Tuesday, July 3. Congrats! She has been anchoring the local TV newscasts for the last seven years.
• Tyler Dawson is moving to Edmonton from Ottawa to serve as the National Post’s Alberta correspondent.
• The Edmonton Journal’s Emma Graney has been awarded an APF Canada Media Fellowship. She will be travelling to China to investigate artificial intelligence.
• Congratulations to Paula Simons on winning the National Newspaper Award for column writing! Edmonton Journal photographer Larry Wong and cartoonist Malcolm Mayes were also honored by the National Newspaper Awards.
• Congratulations to Omar Mouallem on winning the Mindset Award for Workplace Mental Health Reporting!
• To mark World Press Freedom Day, Paula Simons wrote about the Edmonton Journal’s Pulitzer Prize win back in 1938. “Eighty years later, it seems as though debate is raging everywhere about the meaning of freedom of expression and the definition of fake news.”
• There are a number of Edmontonians recognized as finalists in the 2018 National Magazine Awards. The winners will be announced on June 1.
• Fantastic to see Kevin Kossowan recognized for his web series From The Wild at the James Beard Media Awards recently!
• A provincial judge has awarded $3,500 in damages to Rebel Media’s Sheila Gunn Reid after a man struck her camera at a Women’s March in January 2017.
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Glass Buffalo Magazine is looking for a summer editorial intern to start June 1. The deadline to apply is May 11.
• CBC Edmonton is looking for a Director of Journalism & Programming “to oversee all news content, radio current affairs, performance programming, and specials” in our city.
• Friday is the deadline to apply for the St. Albert Gazette’s Assistant Editor position.

Roger Kingkade speaking at PodSummit on Saturday, May 5

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Montreal-based Stingray Digital Group is buying Newfoundland Capital Corporation, which owns Newcap Radio, for $508 million. The deal “will make Stingray the largest public independent media company in the country” once the CRTC gives its blessing.
• Corus Entertainment has announced Global’s Royal Wedding Week with special broadcasts all week long from May 14 to 21.
• From the Toronto Star’s Public Editor: Why journalists interview grieving families.
• Nicholas Kristof writing in the New York Times: “We in the commentariat complain about President Trump, but we’re locked in a symbiotic relationship with him. News organizations, especially cable television channels, feed off Trump — like oxpeckers on a rhino’s back — for he is part of our business model in 2018.”
• FYI: You will be receiving a notification on your phone at 1:55pm on Wednesday, May 9 as part of a nationwide test of a new alert system for Emergency Preparedness Week. The test will also be broadcast over radio and television.

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.

Thanks for reading! Want to support my blog? Buy me a coffee!

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Corus Entertainment’s four Edmonton radio stations — 630 CHED, CISN Country 103.9, 92.5 Fresh Radio, and iNews880 — have been named the official radio partners of the 2018 Grey Cup Festival.
• CKUA has announced its spring fundraiser surpassed the goal, with a total of $679,218 raised. “Your unstinting support registers resounding here at CKUA and we’re committed to bringing you more of what you love.”
• Congratulations to Global Edmonton on winning two RTDNA Edward R. Murrow awards for 2018! They were recognized for “Excellence in Writing” and “News Documentary”. CBC Edmonton was the other local winner, picking up an “Investigative Reporting” award.
• “High school students at Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation are being given the opportunity to become community reporters,” thanks to a pilot project created in collaboration with CBC Edmonton. “The hope for CBC Edmonton is to grow and expand the project to include more First Nations going forward.”
• Mark Iype, Janice Johnston, and others in the local media are calling the Edmonton Police to task over their lack of transparency. “Unacceptable secrecy,” Iype tweeted. “#secretmurder in 2016 and again in 2017…not to mention all the victims’ names they now refuse to release,” Johnston added.
• TSN 1260’s Dustin Nielson, Dave Jamieson, and Tyler Yaremchuk will join colleagues from CTV Edmonton, Alberta Primetime, and 100.3 The Bear for Hockey Helps the Homeless on May 11.
• In a new interview with Avenue Edmonton, country superstar Brett Kissel gives props to a local media star: “I want to give a shout out to a great Edmontonian, Carrie Doll, who taught me what Facebook and Twitter are,” Kissel says. “She literally taught me in 2008 and said, ‘this is the future.’”
• Tanner Young Publishing Group is looking for an editorial intern for Where Edmonton. The deadline to apply is May 12.
• The St. Albert Gazette is looking for an assistant editor. The deadline to apply is May 11.
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• CJWE 88.1 FM will launch in Calgary in mid-June, featuring programming in Blackfoot, T’suutina, Nakoda, and Cree. The station is owned by the Edmonton-based Aboriginal Multimedia Society of Alberta.
• PodSummit is now sold out, but you can join the waitlist in case any additional tickets become available. I’ll be there on May 5!

Premier Rachel Notley at boom 92.7 in Slave Lake, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• According to a new report from Convergence Research Group, streaming services like Netflix will be more popular in Canada than cable TV by the end of 2020.
• From The Atlantic: The Slow, Awkward Death of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. And in the Washington Post, Margaret Sullivan wrote, “the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner should be the last.”
• Wow. The New York Times says its podcast The Daily has been downloaded 280 million times and averages about 1 million listeners a day.
• Get ready for even more video in your Twitter feed as the company has announced more than new or renewed 30 content deals. “Twitter’s video views have nearly doubled in the past year, according to the company, although it declined to provide specific numbers.”

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.

Thanks for reading! Want to support my blog? Buy me a coffee!

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Bob Layton has been appointed to the Western Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. On its website, WAB describes the Hall of Fame award as the “most prestigious award given to a Canadian broadcaster.”
• Catherine Griwkowsky has left Postmedia after 10 years and will be starting with The Star Edmonton on May 1. “Leaving was an excruciating decision,” she tweeted.
• Kieran Leavitt is leaving The Star Halifax to join The Star Edmonton as a full-time reporter. “Thank you to everyone I’ve worked with and those that have let me tell their stories”, he tweeted.
• The 2018 RTDNA Canada Award winners were announced yesterday. Global Edmonton took home seven RTDNA Awards, four of which were “for coverage of the chaotic attack that saw a police officer stabbed and pedestrians struck by a U-Haul in the downtown core.” CBC Edmonton won three, and CTV Edmonton won one.
• Edmonton’s Geoff Stickle, who retired from Global Edmonton back in February, was honored with the RTDNA Lifetime Achievement Award in the Prairie Region.
• CKUA’s Spring Fundraiser is on now and you can donate until April 29. So far they have raised 32% of the $700,000 goal.
• From Stacey Brotzel, here are some memories from the 21st anniversary of the launch of A-Channel.
• Edmonton’s newest publisher is StoryFix Media, from Christopher Webster, Gareth Higgins, Claire Tunney, and Arthur Lee. Christopher’s first book, called New Horizons, is now available. Later this summer, the company plans to release a mobile game called The Pulse: “In a dark town not on any map, a woman awakes in a strange motel. With no memory of who she is or how she got there, she will rely on YOUR judgement and quick-thinking to navigate untold dangers, learn the secret of her identity, and the truth behind a mysterious pulse that seems to be the cause of it all.”
• Brittney is calling on local media folks to “give people a heads-up when you include their tweets on-air/in stories”.
• After three years and 57 episodes, this is the final episode of The Expats Podcast. Host Adam Rozenhart will be sharing “in a few months what I’ll be doing next!”
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Karen Unland spoke to David Papp at Mtek Digital about how “podcasts are very powerful way to intimately reach a captive audience.”
• SCTV came to Edmonton in 1980. Comedian Dave Thomas spoke to CBC about the move to Edmonton. “It wasn’t so much that the cast wasn’t thrilled about going to Edmonton,” Thomas said when asked about the move from Toronto. “I think some of the people just didn’t take it that seriously at first.”
• Janet French spoke about being a reporter on career day at Grandview Heights school! Start them young!
• The deadline to apply for one of Postmedia’s summer internships is Wednesday, April 25 at midnight.
• Representatives from the Canada Media Fund were in Edmonton today to encourage more applications from our city. The not-for-profit “delivers $352 million in funding annually to support the Canadian television and digital media industries.”

Standing up for Alberta jobs and Canada’s economy, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• BNN Bloomberg will launch on Monday, April 30. It’s a partnership between Bell Media and Bloomberg Media Group. “BNN Bloomberg will begin simulcasting with CTV from 5-5:30 a.m. MT in the Calgary and Edmonton markets.”
• CBS All Access is now available in Canada for $5.99 per month. “The subscription offers access to more than 7,500 on-demand episodes, including full current seasons of CBS shows, entire past seasons of current shows and full seasons of some classic shows.”
• From CANADALAND: What’s The New York Times Doing In Canada?
• It seemed that James Comey was absolutely everywhere last week, from TV to radio to podcasts, promoting his new book. ABC News posted the full transcript of his 5 hour interview with George Stephanopoulos, then so did MSNBC. “But in the age of so-called fake news, is the release of full transcripts happening because journalists feel compelled to prove their credibility? Or to defend themselves from criticism for what did make it to air?”

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.

Thanks for reading! Want to support my blog? Buy me a coffee! Disclosure: This post includes Amazon Affiliate links.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Goodbye Metro Edmonton, hello StarMetro Edmonton/TheStar Edmonton. Torstar has “doubled the size of our Metro Edmonton newsroom” and will be relaunching/rebranding on April 10. The newspaper will now be called StarMetro Edmonton, and the website will be TheStar Edmonton, a new local hub on thestar.com. The company is promising a much bigger focus on investigations. Alex Boyd will serve as the StarMetro Edmonton Bureau Chief and tweeted “we’re still committed to Edmonton, we’re just gaining a bit more muscle.”
• The Globe and Mail reports that Torstar is hiring 20 reporters to add to the 15 currently located in Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton.
• The Edmonton Sun launched in Edmonton forty years ago today. “Despite an ad in the first Edmonton Sun from our competition, the Edmonton Journal, wishing us “a nice visit to the city,” it has been an extended stay.”
• Looks like changes are underway at 92.5 Fresh Radio. They are changing up the morning show with details to be announced “soon”. Previous hosts Dani and Jay had their last show on March 27 as did evening show host Amanda Propp.
• Bollywood is For Lovers, the podcast by locals Matt Bowes and Erin Fraser, was featured in an article on TheHindu.com. “What these two unlikely Bollywood devotees represent is a wider cultural movement: non-Indians from around the globe are not only discovering Indian cinema but also creating platforms to celebrate, discuss and champion it through blogs, podcasts and YouTube.”
• Graham Hicks has the story behind the $258 million sale of Edmonton-based CCI Thermal to an American company, and its connection to Allarcom via Harold Roozen, “the right-hand man, and then son-in-law, of the late, great Edmonton entrepreneur Dr. Charles Allard.”
• A number of local radio stations and media personalities have been nominated in the 2018 Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards. The winners will be announced on May 10.
• Grant Ainsley wrote an ode to the old police scanner. “Police services, fire departments and paramedic units across Alberta will soon receive more privacy, because new technology will allow traditional police scanners to go silent, at least for the ears of the media.”
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Paula Kirman is renewing her push to raise $5,000 for Radical Citizen Media. She recently hit 1,000 subscribers on YouTube.
• The Mark Spector Golf Classic, which has raised $568,000 in four years, is coming up on July 25.

Photo by Don Voaklander

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Sinclair Broadcast Group forced its news anchors to record a promo about “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country.” The video showing them all reading the same script is pretty ridiculous.
• A new report by the Media Technology Monitor suggests that 1 in 4 anglophone Canadians have cut the cord and no longer pay for a traditional TV service.
• Down in the U.S., ESPN is launching a standalone subscription streaming service on April 12 called ESPN+ for $4.99 per month.
• As part of his verbal war on Amazon, Trump has referred to The Washington Post as the “Amazon Washington Post”. Of course, he calls it fake news too. “I don’t even know how to describe what goes through my mind,” Martin Baron, the paper’s executive editor, said in a telephone interview on Monday. “It’s completely made up.”

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!

Want to read great stories about Edmonton? Or maybe you’d like to write them? Join Taproot Edmonton and help us ensure that local journalism has a future in our city.

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Friday was Portia Clark’s last day behind the microphone on CBC Edmonton’s Radio Active. “The Radio Active crew went behind Clark’s back, collecting goodbye messages from columnists she has worked with over the years and roping in other columnists to share tips and advice for her new adventure out east.” Best of luck!
• Ted Bauer announced on Twitter that Thursday was his last day at Global Edmonton. “I will be announcing future plans shortly,” he tweeted, saying he was staying in Edmonton. He has been with the station since October 2005.
• Postmedia sports columnist Terry Jones is among those being inducted into the Edmonton Hall of Fame this year. Congrats!
• CBC Edmonton, by virtue of being at cbc.ca, has rolled out its redesign that has been in beta for the last few months. “Editorially, our content output is not changing.”
• Episode 87 of the That’s so Maven podcast features Kari Skelton talking about her journey from broadcaster to blogger.
• Episode 32 of Shane Fennessey’s City of Champions podcast features Josh Miller, the first CEO of the Edmonton Screen Industries Office.
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network roundup.
• Postmedia is looking for a Multimedia Journalist to join the Journal/Sun newsroom. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 2.
• CJSR is looking for a part-time News Coordinator. The deadline to apply is March 28.
• Metro Edmonton is looking for a Reporter/Photographer. The deadline to apply is April 20.
• The National Post is looking for an Alberta Correspondent, based in either Calgary or Edmonton. The deadline to apply is April 20.
• Gary Slaight was presented with the 2018 Humanitarian Award at the JUNOs on the weekend. He was born in Edmonton, notes Marty Forbes.
• King Bridge Studios and the King Motion Picture Corporation apparently want to repurpose the Coliseum as a sound stage.

Improve transit in Edmonton metro region, photo by Government of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Gerry Forbes will hang up his headphones at CJAY92 in Calgary this week. “My father was a broadcaster and one of the best at radio station 630 CHED in Edmonton. I was fortunate enough to get to work with him when I was a punk kid and loved everything I saw at the radio station.”
• The CRTC says it will consult on new ways to make cellular services more affordable, “but stopped short of mandating a model that would have forced large wireless companies to resell network access to startup carriers that don’t build their own networks.”
• YouTube TV will be the first-ever presenting sponsor for the NBA Finals. “The NBA was the first pro sports league to partner with YouTube with the launch of its own channel way back in November 2005.”
• Spotify goes public next week and has said it expects to grow to 96 million paid subscribers with revenue of $6.6 billion this year.

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!

Want to read great stories about Edmonton? Or maybe you’d like to write them? Join Taproot Edmonton and help us ensure that local journalism has a future in our city.

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• Finalists for the 69th annual National Newspaper Awards have been announced. The Edmonton Journal received 3 nominations – Paula Simons, Maclom Mayes, and Larry Wong were all nominated. Winners will be announced in Toronto on May 4.
• Friday was Gareth Hampshire’s last day at CBC Edmonton. He’s off to Halifax!
• Troy Pavlek, “local man”, singled out a CTV Edmonton interview and said “I’m frankly embarrassed to be party to it.” Yep, he’s kinda more than some rando!
• Members of the media were asked to leave an AUMA session last week at the Shaw Conference Centre. “Reporters protested, and organizers reversed their position within an hour.”
• Matthew Stepanic is leading a workshop on Saturday that “will teach writers how to increase their versatility in order to function in the gig economy.”
• Glass Buffalo is celebrating the launch of its Sweet 16 issue on Tuesday at Yellowhead Brewery.
• Here is the latest Alberta Podcast Network Roundup.
• Paula Kirman is a finalist in an International Songwriting Competition. You can help her win by voting for her song “Summer”!
• The provincial government is offering digital gaming and media companies a tax credit to cover 25% of salaries. “The province said there are more than 50 interactive digital media studios in the province, employing more than 500 full-time workers, who earn, on average, more than $70,000 a year.”
• The inaugural broadcast of CBC Radio in Edmonton was set to take place on September 8, 1948 but the gushing of oil at Leduc on September 6 when the Atlantic No. 3 derrick “collapsed and the well caught fire becoming one of the most spectacular blowouts in Alberta history” caused the reporters to go on air early.
• Local photographer Blake Loates has captured a series of portraits for a Suicide Prevention week campaign by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
• Reminder: the Edmonton Broadcasters Club Spring Luncheon is coming up on Wednesday, April 11 and features Tim Spelliscy.

Minister Bilous announces a new Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit program, photo by Government of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• “The latest industry to get a Trump bump: Journalism schools.” Apparently applications have jumped at Columbia’s graduate school of journalism, The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
• Jason Kottke looks back at twenty years of writing kottke.org. Quite the milestone!
• The Canadian Association of Black Journalists is running a survey to find out what a re-imagined CABJ should look like.
• A new report examining virtual reality formats for journalism found that VR “prompted a higher empathetic response than static photo/text treatments and a higher likelihood of participants to take ‘political or social action’ after viewing.”

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!

Want to read great stories about Edmonton? Or maybe you’d like to write them? Join Taproot Edmonton and help us ensure that local journalism has a future in our city.

You can see past Media Monday Edmonton entries here.