Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• There’s an unsubstantiated report making the rounds that Postmedia plans to merge its major dailies, which in Edmonton would see the combination of the Journal and the Sun. While there’s a lot of wisdom in combining the sales and business teams from each paper (which has happened) and even sharing physical office space (which is happening) it makes much less sense to combine the editorial teams or otherwise merge the two papers. There’s little overlap between their audiences and a lot of lucrative ad inventory to lose by getting rid of one of the papers. Postmedia has made some surprising decisions in the past so I guess I wouldn’t be completely shocked if it happened, but I also wouldn’t put any money on it.
• The Fall 2015 issue of NAIT’s techlife magazine features a profile of Jay Downton, co-founder of OilersNation and the Nation Network.
• Congratulations to Amber Bracken on having her photo published as the cover of the latest issue of Maclean’s magazine!
• Here’s a piece by Marty Forbes on handing the keys over to the kids in radio. “I think most of us in the industry are waiting for the ‘next big thing’ – something exciting, new, innovative, fun, game changing – kinda like what Netflix did to Blockbuster – and some day somebody will make that breakthrough – I hope.”
• CTV Edmonton’s Brenna Rose is moving to Vancouver. Yesterday was her last show with Bill Fortier.
• CBC Edmonton’s Tim Adams continues his behind the scenes series with the secrets of pitching a story to producers.
• The City and Baby blog is still inactive, but Jenifer Schaefer is back on Twitter as @cityandjen.
• Cam Tait has the scoop on a new feature film from former CTV Edmonton Creative Director Ben Babchishin that is competing in the Telus Storyhive competition.
• Here is the latest roundup of local blog posts from Seen and Heard in Edmonton. And Episode 17 of the podcast features Ryan Batty, managing editor of The Copper & Blue.
• The Spruce Grove Examiner/Stony Plain Reporter has an opening for a full-time multimedia news reporter. The deadline to apply is November 20.
• Avenue Edmonton is looking for a web editor to join the team. The deadline to apply is November 20.

Premier Rachel Notley in front of the cameras

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Connor McDavid is out with a broken clavicle, much to the sports media’s dismay. Good thing you can always count on Don Cherry to stir the pot.
• The final episode of War Junk, a four-part television documentary that airs on the History channel, has an Edmonton connection.
• For a look at everything happening in the world of social media this week, don’t miss Linda’s latest social media notes.
• Ok this one isn’t local at all, but is kind of funny. TSN’s Bob McKenzie accepted the 2015 Elmer Ferguson Award at the NHL Media Awards Luncheon. But is he the real Hockey Insider? See also, five minutes with Bob McKenzie.
• Magazines Canada is running a new campaign called Share Your Love of Magazines that “encourages Canadians to buy a Canadian magazine and discover their new love, whether in print or through connections made with other magazine readers.”
• Speaking of magazines, Flare will disappear from newsstands in the new year. “Flare is currently averaging 1,800 copies sold on newsstands, which is less than 2.5 per cent of its total circulation, says Melissa Ahlstrand, group publisher for fashion and beauty at Rogers Communications Inc.”
• Bell Media is slashing 270 jobs in Toronto and 110 in Montreal by the end of November.
• Telus is also looking to cut 1,500 jobs over the next several quarters in an effort to save $125 million in annual costs.
• If you’re into podcasts lately (as it seems to many are) you’ll want to check out NPR’s new podcast recommendation site called Earbud.fm.
• Mélanie Joly, Canada’s newly-minted minister of Canadian heritage, says the Liberals will re-invest $150 million for CBC and Radio-Canada.

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:

• Congratulations to all the winners in the ATCO Edmonton Sun Christmas Charity Auction! Cam Tait reports that $151,944.86 was raised. Looks like the top media dinner was $3,300 to hang out with 100.3 The Bear’s Paul Brown and Motley Crue, followed by $2,700 to join 630 CHED’s Ryan Jespersen on a “magical mountain getaway”. Fun stuff!
• Both 630 CHED’s Santas Anonymous and the Christmas Bureau of Edmonton are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year, and they’ve setup a new website to say thank you.
• Ever wonder where CBC’s Edmonton AM gets its story ideas? Here’s show director Tim Adams on that very topic.
• The November issue of Avenue Edmonton features the Global Edmonton Weather Team. Here’s the extended interview with Kevin O’Connell, Mike Sobel, Margeaux Morin, and Chief Meteorologist Jesse Beyer.
• Global Edmonton is running a series of commercials this fall “celebrating life in Our City” which was inspired by “a viewer perspective of how Global News fits in to your day”. The spots feature the song “Home to You” by The Mowgli’s.
• The Journal has made a video featuring Otiena Ellwand talking about “the demands of being a breaking news reporter.” The focus is really on crime, though. The video seems to be in support of the newly upgraded EJ smartphone app which features the local news stream called EJ Now.
• The fifth and final season of locally produced Blackstone kicks off tomorrow night on APTN West. Executive Producer Ron E. Scott is looking ahead with optimism to new opportunities.
• Check out Crash & Mars on Q99 Radio in Grand Prairie – pre-Now! 102.3 FM obviously!
• Here is the latest Edmonton blog roundup from Seen and Heard in Edmonton. Karen points to another blogging tips entry from Vickie, this time on developing an editorial calendar.
• Speaking of reflections on blogging, Beverley writes about the struggle she has with old content. I definitely find myself cringing at some old posts, which is why I tend to avoid delving into the archives!
• Here is the latest Edmonton podcast roundup. And just today I noticed that OilersNation has launched a podcast called North By NorthGretz. Awesome!
• Edmonton-based Starlight Music Chronicles has launched the first issue of its new digital magazine.
• Here’s an update from local YouTuber Adelle on how much she makes on YouTube.
• Edmonton-born photographer Paul Swanson is one of 35 Canadian winners of the annual Flash Forward awards for emerging photographers. Congrats!
• Metro News is looking for a part-time magazine merchandiser for Edmonton.
• CBC Edmonton has a couple of job postings up: Associate Producer for its evening television program and Web Writer.
• Lots of Global Edmonton news this week! Move for Movember Mondays started today and features John Sexsmith, Quinn Ohler, and Margeaux Morin raising money in support of men’s health.

Photo courtesy of Global Edmonton

And here is some slightly less local media stuff:

• Linda is back! Here is her latest Social Media Notes.
• The Alberta Home Education Association has cancelled speeches by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar saying they “would not be in the best interests of home educators.”
• Everyone’s still talking about the importance of mobile, and for good reason: “Today, 68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone, up from 35% in 2011…according to newly released survey data from the Pew Research Center.”
• ESPN has shutdown Grantland, its boutique sports & pop culture site, and that has led to a lot of analysis about why. I like this take from Chris Cillizza on why the shutdown matters: “Because Grantland represented an ambitious leap into the future of journalism on at least two fronts.” It’s a good read for anyone interested in “future of media” ideas.
• While I definitely appreciate the greater attention given to code-driven content on sites like the New York Times, I still enjoy the long form article. I think they can co-exist and even complement one another.
• Here’s an interesting piece on how closed networks like WhatsApp can make verification of eyewitness content a challenge.

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:

• The ATCO Edmonton Sun Christmas Charity Auction launches tomorrow at 9am and runs through 7pm Thursday. There are a number of Fun with the Media packages available for you to bid on! You can follow the auction, which supports the Christmas Bureau, Adopt-a-Teen, Sign of Hope, and the Stollery Children’s Hospital, on Twitter.
• David Climenhaga found himself in the middle of a war of words with the Wildrose Party and Derek Fildebrandt. He turns the question over to his readers: “Have I been unfairly beating Derek Fildebrandt, the Wildrose Party’s finance critic, like a piñata for his now-famous observation that Alberta’s NDP government misled voters by actually implementing its campaign promises?”
• The media just can’t get enough of Connor McDavid! The young star will be featured in an upcoming episode of 60 Minutes.
• From Vickie at Adventures in Fashion, here are some tips on how to beat blogger burnout.
• Sportsnet’s Mark Spector has launched a book called The Battle of Alberta. It’s a story that needs no introduction, but it could still be an interesting read.
• Episode 15 of the Seen and Heard in Edmonton podcast features Chris Tse of Blitz Conditioning. Here are the latest podcast and blog roundups! It’s incredible how much great content is created each and every week.
• Here’s a recap of CFCW’s 25th Annual Listener Appreciation Party. From Stella Stevens: “Thank you to all the listeners that made it an enjoyable and memorable night! We cannot thank you enough for allowing CFCW to be a part of your lives and families.”
• After nearly five years, Sarah Hoyles has left CKUA. “Thank you all for your ears and engagement over my time at the station,” she wrote. Good luck Sarah on your next adventure!
• Global Edmonton’s Carole Anne Devaney and Jennifer Crosby hosted the 2nd annual Global Baby Shower at Kingsway Mall earlier this month. Here are some photos from the event!
• This year, CTV’s Good Neighbour Fund Luncheon will take place on Thursday, November 12 at the Fantasyland Hotel. “The CTV Good Neighbour Fund is a registered non-profit charitable organization that considers limited assistance to those individuals/families requiring support in exceptional cases not covered by other funding.”
• Movember is rapidly approaching, and the local media are getting ready. Here’s the Global team and here’s the video and story about it.
• Ed Polanski passed away peacefully at the age of 82 on October 7. He was the founder of QCTV Ltd. which installed and managed cablevision systems in 32 Alberta cities and towns.
• I wrote about West Edmonton Local when it launched back in 2011. It didn’t last unfortunately, and now it seems the domain has been taken over by spammers. This is what happens when you let your domain names expire! Too bad.
• Venture Publishing is looking for “a dynamic and motivated director of custom content”.
• Here’s a feature on UrbanYEG which highlights local photos on Instagram.

Photo-op with Finance Minister Joe Ceci, photo by Premier of Alberta

And here is some slightly less local stuff:

• As noted when the Edmonton Journal debuted its new look, it seems that Postmedia has given up on the tablet edition.
• Here’s an interview with CJAY92’s Gerry Forbes. His father made quite the impact here in Edmonton, launching Santa’s Anonymous at 630 CHED, among other things!
• CBC/Radio-Canada has secured the Canadian broadcast rights for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the 2024 Olympic Games.
• Corus Entertainment reported falling revenue and profits in its latest quarterly results. “For the year, Corus posted a loss of $25.2 million versus a profit of $150.4 million in the prior year.”
• According to BuzzFeed, more users share articles from the BuzzFeed app via SMS than any other method, including Twitter and email.
• I’ve been following the back-and-forth between Amazon and the New York Times with great interest. Here’s an overview and analysis from Stratechery.
• Twitter is already the focus of TV debates and now CBS is making it official with a partnership for the November 14 Democratic debate.

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.

As I write this, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals have just won a majority in the federal election, relegating Stephen Harper and the Conservatives to the role of official opposition. Harper is expected to resign as leader of the party.

With today being the election, let’s start with a few updates on that topic:

• Very interesting that CBC livestreamed its election coverage on YouTube tonight.
• Postmedia, unsurprisingly, endorsed the Conservatives across the country. Here is The Tyee’s take.
• Somewhat more interesting was that although the National Post also carried the Harper endorsement, that paper’s editor of editorials and comments Andrew Coyne didn’t agree and wrote a column endorsing the NDP, but the paper wouldn’t run it. Coyne has since resigned from that position but will stay on as a columnist.
• The Globe and Mail also endorsed the Conservatives, but seemed to insinuate that it was time for Harper to go.
• Here in Edmonton, Conservative candidate Tim Uppal’s campaign kicked media out of the election night party. Apparently they were only welcome once invited.

Canada will decide who will lead the country after today, photo by Can Pac Swire

Here’s my latest update on local media stuff:

• There’s lots of media news in the latest Page 6 column from Marty Forbes. Everything from TV to radio to newspapers. He notes that four groups have applied for an ethnic format radio station in response to the CRTC’s May call for a new Edmonton station.
• Marty is helping Cam Tait with this year’s ATCO Edmonton Sun Charity Auction and they’ve got an impressive list of media dinners for you to bid on! The auction runs October 27-29.
• CJSR was able to raise $104,310 in this year’s FunDrive. That means they didn’t meet the $125,000 goal but is impressive nonetheless.
• Is the press over-covering Connor McDavid? Yes, I think so.
• Jackie Dawson, writer and managing partner of The Oilers Rig, is speaking out about sexism in online sports coverage. In her blog post on the issue, Jackie wrote: “I find it extremely alarming that in the year 2015, this kind of behavior still happens. What’s even more disturbing is that people try to soothe the anger you feel by telling you to brush it off or let it go.”
• After months of suggestions, CBC’s Edmonton AM has selected its new theme song: Years Ago by Royal Tusk.
• Global Edmonton’s Quinn Ohler is a blogger! Here’s her post about Thanksgiving.
• You can now hear Adam Rozenhart and Samantha Power on CJSR hosting the show All Intensive Purposes.
• Alanna Lastiwka has started a blog to document 100 churches in Edmonton. You can learn more in this CBC interview.
• Kim Smith finished up a stint at Global Regina late last month and is back in Edmonton at CTV now.
• From Vintage Edmonton, here’s a look at The Edmontonian from 1964.
• Check out the October issue of Lazy Faire Magazine for a feature on fashion blogs curated by Nicole Hammond.
• Here is the latest roundup of local blog posts from Seen and Heard in Edmonton, and here’s the latest local podcast roundup.
• The first Edmonton Podcasting Meetup is slated to take place Saturday at 1pm at Variant Edition Comics & Culture.
• The deadline to apply was last Friday, but I wanted to mention that Tanner Young Publishing Group (publisher of WHERE Magazine) was advertising for an internship here in Edmonton.
• Belated congratulations to Paula Simons, winner of the Edmonton Comedy Festival’s media challenge!
• Belated congratulations to Paula Kirman on ten years of Radical Citizen Media!
• Here’s a gallery of a few CTV Edmonton personalities with their pets.

And here are some slightly less local media-related items:

• “It may not be the sexiest of mediums, but radio continues to churn consistent profits despite competition from competitors beaming signals from outer space and online listening services designed to pull listeners away from traditional radio.” That’s the opening paragraph of a Globe and Mail piece on Canada’s radio market.
• Bell announced a new round of layoffs at the beginning of October, with the Bell Media cuts affecting management mostly. Though many of the cuts hit Toronto and Montreal, it sounds like Edmonton did not make it through unscathed (but I don’t know how many were let go).
• What’s the difference between Canadian and American sports television? Mostly money, according to Jay Onrait who left TSN with Dan O’Toole for FS1 a couple years ago.
• There’s lots of social media notes in Linda’s last update.
• Here’s a book excerpt published in The Walrus that looks pretty interesting: Live from Another Country: How the CBC blew its chance to create Saturday Night Live.

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.