By David Farrell
Former CITI-FM host Dave Wheeler sues Rogers for $1.4M
In a lawsuit filed with the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench on Thursday, former 92.1 CITI FM host Dave Wheeler claims the station and parent company Rogers Media violated his employment contract and publicly defamed him when he was fired.
"Rogers has recklessly, unfairly and intentionally harmed Wheeler's reputation and has acted in a high-handed, wanton and unfair manner," says the lawsuit, which goes on to suggest Rogers encouraged Wheeler to be "edgy" and "controversial." – Bryce Hoye, CBC News
Corus nabs popular Nighttime podcast
The Nighttime podcast is an award-winning audio documentary series covering unique stories from across Canada; hosted, written and produced by its creator Jordan Bonaparte.
The deal will see the podcast — which has gained more than five million downloads since its launch in 2016 — expand its reach even further by launching onto select Corus-owned Global News Radio news talk stations across the country in October. – Katie Scott, Global News
Sibling duo named to host morning show on The Edge
Toronto’s 102.1 the Edge (CFNY-FM) has named Ruby Carr and Alex Carr as the new hosts of the station’s morning show, debuting in January. The sister and brother duo will become the first pair of siblings to permanently co-host an FM radio morning show in Canada, station management reports.
Born in Toronto, Ruby has been the lead host of the morning show at Z95.3 in Vancouver for the past four years. Winner of the prestigious Allan Waters Young Broadcaster of the Year Award at Canadian Music Week 2018, she has cross-country experience, having also held multiple on-air roles at stations in the Halifax area.
Alex comes to the Edge from his previous role as midday host at fellow Corus-owned CFOX-FM in Vancouver. With a background in stand-up comedy, he received his first full-time radio opportunity working evenings at alternative station X92.9 in Calgary. – Corus media release
Torstar to buy iPolitics
Torstar Corporation has announced it has, through one of its subsidiaries, signed an agreement to purchase assets of iPolitics Inc., the influential Ottawa-based digital political news outlet.
The transaction is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain consents, and is expected to close on or about October 1, 2018.
Following closing, Torstar daily newspapers and websites across the country will soon begin publishing articles from iPolitics, a non-partisan media organization that provides its subscribers with breaking news and in-depth policy analysis of federal and provincial politics, regulatory affairs and key industries. – Newswire
Fagstein’s Media News Digest
News about news CBC has a new website, CBC Kids News, that features news stories by and for children. (English) Canada's five main freelance writing associations are joining forces in a campaign to get people to say no to bad contracts. So far, the initiative is mainly about educating freelancers and proposes little that takes advantage […] – Steve Faguy
Blow-back from Ghomeshi essay leads to editor’s resignation
Former New York Review of Books editor Ian Buruma told Vrij Nederland, a Dutch magazine, that he lost his job after an intense backlash to the article from social media and magazine advertisers.
"It is rather ironic: as editor of The New York Review of Books I published a theme issue about .MeToo offenders who had not been convicted in a court of law but by social media," the Dutch native said to Vrij.
"And now I myself am publicly pilloried." – Liam Casey and Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press
The spectre of bad internet laws in Europe should be a warning shot for Canadians
Right now, the government is reviewing Canada’s Copyright Act, with two Parliamentary Committees studying what changes need to be made. And while Canadian headlines are regularly dominated by American news and culture, our lawmakers more often look to Europe on where to go next. Just as it did to tackle issues like foreign election meddling, net neutrality, and online privacy, the Canadian government will no doubt be reviewing European policy developments for ideas around content creation and distribution.
That means disastrous proposals like those just advanced in the EU could easily be introduced at the behest of Canada’s legacy media giants and would restrict how Canadians share and collaborate online. – Josh Tabish and Laura Tribe, Maclean’s
Netflix, Hulu descending on Canada and Ontario producers couldn’t be happier
With the streaming giants setting up shop in the Canadian province, insiders say the deep-pocketed behemoths offer nothing but upside to local producers: "The American over-the-top companies are just getting started; let the feeding frenzy begin" – Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter
The most powerful people in entertainment
The annual pecking order of showbiz power is revealed as Disney CEO Bob Iger leads the list, the Murdochs tumble from the Top 10 and LeBron James (yes, LeBron James) stakes his claim in a year of merger and #MeToo upheaval. – The Hollywood Reporter
Streaming now accounts for 75% of music industry revenue
The Recording Industry Association of America released a report today that details how the music industry has grown in 2018, and while the data isn’t surprising — the world still isn’t buying records — the specific numbers are still fascinating. Turns out, streaming makes more money than physical CDs, digital downloads, and licensing deals combined. – Patricia Hernandez, The Verge
