By David Farrell
$400M investment by Bell Canada in Hamilton's digital infrastructure
Over the next five years, Bell and a Bell-funded team of City of Hamilton staff will bring direct fibre network connections to more than 200,000 homes and business locations throughout the City with zero cost to taxpayers. The network will provide consumers with access to data speeds up to 1.5 gigabits per second, the fastest home Internet speeds in Canada. – Newswire
CBC’s The National to drop four-host television format
In a memo to staff outlining the changes on Wednesday, Chad Paulin, the executive producer of The National, wrote: “Television news viewership is driven by consistency, both in format and in presentation. Our audience told us they want to know what they can expect night to night: who will bring them the news and how it will be delivered. We listened. This season we have slowly introduced measures that lead to a more consistent program – including tweaks to our format and sharpened hosting roles.” – Simon Houpt, The Globe and Mail
The failed fourth attempt to replace Dean Blundell
Ruby and Alex Carr, chipper siblings recruited a year ago to handle mornings on 102.1 the Edge, are no longer employed at the Toronto radio station. Corus has cycled through multiple host combinations since cancelling Blundell in 2014 after a few content controversies. – Marc Weisblott, 12:36
Fish Wrapped: True Confessions from Newsrooms Past
David Sherman started working newspapers as a copy boy; and later as a reporter, feature writer and copy editor. He then branched out to magazine editor and singer/songwriter, and to various other pursuits that had one thing in common: they didn’t pay. His memoir about a life working as a Canadian journalist comes out May 1. The Globe and Mail’s John Doyle has previewed it and writes: “What a rich, uproarious collection of stories about the world of journalism and its maverick inhabitants, all told with insight and humour that is timeless.
Intriguing Stations of 2019 (And Today)
The “Intriguing Stations” wrap-up always centers around two groups of stations — the outlets, new or revamped, that typify format trends, and those that defy them.
There’s a lot more to talk about in the upcoming weeks. What are your most Intriguing Stations? If you haven’t already joined the Facebook discussion, let me know here . – Sean Ross, Ross on Insight Radio
Brazilian prosecutors charge journalist Glenn Greenwald with cybercrimes
Brazilian federal prosecutors have charged the American journalist Glenn Greenwald for cybercrimes in a decision which has prompted outrage among press freedom activists – and celebration by allies of the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.– Sam Cowie, The Guardian
Super Bowl LIV will be broadcast in 4K HDR
If you have purchased a 4K HDR TV in the last few years, there’s a good chance it is a smart TV with apps built right in. For many folks, this is the easiest way to get the game in 4K HDR and the most likely to get you the best quality picture.
If you use a separate streaming box or stick, it seems your results may vary. – Caleb Denison, Digital Trends
The Great Indian Internet shutdown is the troubling future of protest control
As India experiences the longest-ever internet blockade for a democracy, more countries are pressing the internet kill switch to snub dissent. – Puja Changoiwala, OneZero
How to wean one’s self from Facebook
I’m not going to tell you to join another social network, like Minds or Diaspora, because it will be useless. Your friends and family are not on there, and getting them on a new platform is not worth the effort. My recommendation is to switch bit by bit to other avenues, maybe some of those listed below, and slowly disentangle yourself from Facebook. For the few instances where you need to access Facebook, you can use a tool like Mozilla’s Facebook Container so you can do it with more privacy, along with an ad-blocker like uBlock or Adblock Plus. – Nithin Coca, M
