MEDIA in VANCOUVER

Global News lays off 70 staff across country, 21 in Vancouver

2018-02-15T19:29:00.001-08:00

Global News lays off 70 staff across country, 21 in Vancouver
TIFFANY CRAWFORD February 15, 2018 3:27 PM PST
Corus-owned Global News has cut nearly 70 jobs across Canada, including 21 in Vancouver, according to the union.
Unifor says camera operators, reporters, anchors, control room staff, makeup artists and other production crew received layoff notices in newsrooms across Canada, with Vancouver taking the biggest hit with 21 job cuts.

Sources say the majority of the Vancouver cuts will be in off-screen roles, such as makeup artists, editors and directors, but some on-air people are still likely to be let go.
Global’s Kelowna newsroom is said to be losing at least one reporter and a pair of camera operators.
“Fewer journalists will be out gathering news from every region from Vancouver to Halifax,” said Unifor president Jerry Dias, in a statement. “If the Maritime newscasts now come from Toronto — how can you still call that local news?”
In a story posted to the Global News website, the company said it plans to add 50 positions, mostly journalists, in smaller locales in Ontario.
“With digital platforms, our audience no longer is tied to just the locations where we have TV and radio licences, so we will be adding journalists to cover local news in markets where we see opportunity created by the recent closure or consolidation of local newspapers,” said Troy Reeb, senior vice-president of Global News and Corus Radio.
Employees who lost their jobs and qualify will be given the opportunity to apply for the new positions, the company said.
The company also plans to expand its international content and launch a podcast production team.
Unifor reported the local evening newscasts in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will be anchored and broadcast from Toronto starting Monday.
Unifor is asking the CRTC to review local news and make strong local coverage a binding condition of licence, before it’s too late, as part of the union’s ongoing #savelocalnews campaign.

2014-01-10T23:38:00.001-08:00

Kamloops Daily News shutting down after more than 80 years
Jan 06, 2014 - Posted by Tamara Baluja Latest News The Business of Journalism
By Tamara Baluja, Associate Editor
The Kamloops Daily News is shutting down after more than 80 years of publication.
Glacier Media, the parent company of the Kamloops Daily News, said it will close the B.C. newspaper within the next 60 days for economic reasons.

“[R]evenues have declined and the Daily News has been unable to reduce expenses sufficiently to continue as a viable operation,” the company said in a statement.

“Personally I am very saddened to make this announcement,” said publisher Tim Shoults in the statement. “We have struggled for the last several years, worked tirelessly and taken many difficult steps along the way which were designed to ensure our future. Unfortunately the realities of our industry, our local advertising market and our labour situation were too great for us to overcome.

To pay or not to pay? Canadian magazines grapple with the unpaid internship debate

2014-01-10T23:32:00.004-08:00

To pay or not to pay? Canadian magazines grapple with the unpaid internship debate

Jan 07, 2014 - Posted by Tamara Baluja

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By Eric Mark Do, Reporter

It’s easy to understand the backlash against unpaid internships. A search for internship postings in Canadian media shows that there’s still work to be done. Many internships are unpaid and the ones that award stipends could actually amount to as little as $1.64 an hour, according to one calculation.. In a competitive market where there are still people willing to work for little more than experience while others push for better and clearer regulation of internships, it’s a good time to take stock of how the Canadian magazine industry is responding.

In the U.S., Condé Nast, which publishes magazines such as The New Yorkerand Vogue, ended it s internship program after former interns sued the company over claims of being paid below minimum wage. It’s possible that Hearst Magazines, facing a similar lawsuit, could follow in Condé Nast’s footsteps.

Here in Canada, one unpaid intern successfully sued for back wages while another is appealing her rejected claim. But neither were journalism internships.

In the Canadian journalism industry, the approach to unpaid internships seems to be tying them to post-secondary programs. In addition to meeting legal criteria in most provinces, workplace insurance is usually provided through the schools. Cottage Life Media, which doesn’t have a budget for paid internships, has one such arrangement. Penny Caldwell, vice-president of content development and strategy, said the company prefers school internships over volunteer situations because the experience is structured with well-defined goals.

Related content on J-Source:

Speaking at a panel on the ethics of unpaid internships organized by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors (CSME) in Toronto in November, Caldwell said she tries to put the needs of interns ahead of the needs of the magazine. For one thing, interns who had part-time jobs could negotiate their hours. Interns are listed on the masthead, receive bylines for published work and are given free admission to the MagNet conference. When the budget allowed for it, Cottage Life has hired a couple of its former interns.

The arrangement between news organizations and schools is mutually beneficial, said Western University journalism program coordinator Paul Benedetti, who also spoke on the panel. Benedetti is a proponent of unpaid internships for students because aspiring journalists are not quite ready for “prime time” while they’re in school. “After graduation,” he said, “I do not promote unpaid internships. I think once you graduate, like everybody else you have to make a living.” Benedetti echoed others who say unpaid internships that aren’t for school credit are morally wrong and a wealth filter, generally available only to those who can afford to work for free.

The chorus of internship critics includes groups like the Canadian Intern Association, which pushes for minimum wage for all interns and better working conditions in academically linked internships. In addition to providing various resources and support (such as an online summary of each province’s laws on internships), the association publishes a Wall of Shame and a Wall of Fame. On the former, it called out Reader’s Digest Canada for advertising an internship that appeared to contravene Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, which garnered a response from a representative of the company within a day (the human resources manager clarified that the internship was for students).

But despite these efforts and proposed legislation—Ontario recently introduced a bill that aims to “give unpaid interns the same workplace safety protections as paid employees,”— unpaid internships are still prevalent.

For example, according to their respective job postings, Canadian Family internships require “a full-time commitment from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.” and numerous responsibilities. Ideally, the prospective intern “has a degree in journalism/publishing or equivalent.” Toronto Life editorial interns—and there are many—“must be willing to intern on a full-time, unpaid basis for four months” while involved in various aspects of the magazine process. And This Magazine’s interns are promised “no coffee-fetching” in return for three months of unpaid work.

This Magazine’s editor, Lauren McKeon, said the magazine will likely address the complicated issue of unpaid internships in 2014. She herself did an unpaid internship at the magazine a while back, and said This (whose section editors also work on a volunteer basis) is a magazine that cares about labour rights issues.

“It’s a complex issue and something that we definitely have to think about and be constantly evaluating because it’s tricky for us to really advocate for labour rights and at the same time we do use unpaid interns,” she said.

McKeon’s advice for those who choose to take on an unpaid internship is to evaluate whether the tasks are worth the tradeoff in time, and whether the organization is one you believe in and are dedicated to. Like Cottage Life, This helps interns achieve their personal editorial and publishing goals “to at least make sure that we do give back our time for them giving us their time,” McKeon said. “And they are paid (the same rate as This freelancers) for anything that they write. So we do have some things in place to try and balance that out.”

Grants help with that balance. Magazines can apply for the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors’ annual $1,500 bursary, which This has received before. “[The bursary] can pay for an intern for three months, which is not the best solution, but at least it's something that we do look for and it’s great that organizations like CSME do have funds like that for magazines like us,” McKeon said.

The Walrus is another magazine in a unique position: it’s part of The Walrus Foundation, which is a charitable non-profit with an educational mandate to train. The foundation began with a pledge to run only paid internships, but the initial sponsor stopped funding the internships program after two years.

“So our issue is, we’re a non-profit that has to raise money every day to survive and we don't have a funder for our internship program,” said executive director and co-publisher Shelley Ambrose. “So, [internships] have been unpaid for, I’d say, the past six years.”

Walrus internships are full-time, approximately 35 hours per week, and run for six months with training. “From my point of view as a training program and a mentorship program and as a way for people to get real experience and get a job, we actually perform with flying colours,” Ambrose said.

She takes issue with legislation that doesn’t allow interns to be trained to do what employees do because that renders an internship pointless, she said. And while the legal, political and moral debate on unpaid internships continues, some organizations, like The Walrus, will have little choice.

“The crux of the matter is: if internships had to be paid, ours would just go away,” Ambrose said.

Wavefront Wireless Summit

2014-01-02T10:58:00.001-08:00

Wavefront Wireless Summit

Wireless technologies are completely changing how we engage with customers and employees and drive productivity. Learn from the leaders in the space how to cut the cord on your business and stay ahead of the competition.

CANADIAN LUGERS TO BE NOMINATED TO SOCHI 2014 CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM

2013-12-15T09:35:00.001-08:00

CANADIAN LUGERS TO BE NOMINATED TO SOCHI 2014 CANADIAN OLYMPIC TEAM

CALGARY – On Tuesday December 17, 2013, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Canadian Luge Association (CLA) will introduce the Luge athletes being nominated to the Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic Team in Calgary at Ronald McDonald House.

Athletes will be arriving by horse-drawn sleigh led by a special guest. The team will then serve lunch, and take sleigh rides with guests following the formal press conference. Media are invited for interviews and photo opportunities.

WHO:    Dr. Gene Edworthy, Board Member, Canadian Olympic Committee
Steve Podborski, Sochi 2014 Chef de Mission
                    Tim Farstad, Executive Director, Canadian Luge Association
Devinder Shory, Member of Parliament, Calgary Northeast
Kristina Groves, Four-time Olympic medallist, Long Track
Speed Skating
                   Lugers nominated to the Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic Team

WHEN: Tuesday, December 17, 2013
                    11:00am MST

WHERE: Ronald McDonald House Southern Alberta
111 West Campus Dr. NW
                    Calgary, AB

NOTE: Media will be invited to join the team and residents of Ronald McDonald House for lunch. All attendees will be asked to remove shoes/boots when they enter.

Rogers merges Canadian Business and Profit

2013-12-12T10:25:00.001-08:00

Rogers merges Canadian Business and Profit
9 December 2013, TORONTO
Canadian Business will absorb Profit next year for an "all-encompassing business magazine" with a projected readership of more than one million. Duncan Hood retains his role as editor-in-chief. Ian Portsmouth, formerly publisher and editor of Profit, is now publisher of Canadian Business.

The amalgamated Canadian Business launches January 16. The title will publish monthly with two bonus Profit-themed issues targeting entrepreneurs, totalling 14 editions a year. Each regular edition will also include a 'Profit' section.

Canadian Business, founded in 1928, previously published bi-weekly with some combined, expanded or premium issues. Profit, launched in 1982 targeting entrepreneurs and executives at small to mid-sized companies, was published six times per year.

"The new frequency and enhanced content of the new Canadian Business allows us to do more of what we do best – provide intelligent analysis, context, and thoughtful features to the business community," said Hood in a Rogers release. "The Profit section within Canadian Business will continue to deliver the actionable information that entrepreneurs need, while offering a larger audience access to the latest thought-leaders in innovative thinking."

Canadian Business will take on Profit's annual ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, the Profit 500, and the W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs. ProfitGuide.com will continue running.

Rogers is also launching an associated "strategic business unit" called CB Insights, providing communications and marketing services to mid-size and large corporations. Its offerings will include custom research reports, sponsored events, custom publishing inserts, and cross-platform communications programs.

"As we adapt to the significant change in the media industry, we are continually evolving our business model to best serve our audiences," said Portsmouth.

IAB cources Digital Media Sales: In-Person 2 Day Course

2013-12-12T10:17:00.004-08:00

Digital Media Sales: In-Person 2 Day Course

Course Description

The IAB Canada Digital Media Sales 2 day course was specially designed for media sales people to better understand the media they are responsible to generate revenues for. It is a two day course that will cover everything from the technical aspect of digital marketing (advertising formats, technologies, media math, policy and standards) as well as the human elements of selling such as how to conduct needs assessments, creating a proposal, analyzing performance + much more!

This course an excellent preparation towards obtaining your DMS Certification from IAB US. If you plan on obtaining your DMS Certification it is recommended that your also take the online preparatory course before writing the final exam.

BLOGGER FORM BRITISH COLUMBIA

2013-03-15T21:34:00.002-07:00

BLOGGER FORM BRITISH COLUMBIA
Bloggers can attend this event for free by filling out the following application form. 100 bloggers will be selected from British Columbia based on the types of bloggers the Brands who are sponsoring the event are looking for. If you are from another city/province please fill out this form.

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM ONLY IF YOU ARE A BLOGGER FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH BRANDS

The Real Costs of Cookie-Blocking

2013-03-02T03:35:00.000-08:00

The Real Costs of Cookie-Blocking

Third-Party Ad Companies and Small Sites Will Be Impacted

By:

Published: February 28, 2013

While privacy advocates applaud Mozilla's proposal to block cookies by default on the Firefox browser, it should be clear that this is yet another initiative that does not show how it protects people from harm. What's more, along with negatively impacting digital advertising, it could have an adverse impact on small publishers and do much to limit consumer choice online.

Why do companies want to track online activity in the first place? Small publishers rely on a host of third parties, such as analytics vendors, to understand the popularity of the content they publish. Third-party advertising technology companies generate the publisher revenues required to pay staff salaries and keep sites running. These third parties aggregate the content created by millions of small publishers and offer media buyers a reach of advertising opportunities that is comparable to that provided by large, vertically integrated publishers. But to be truly competitive, these advertising vendors must track the anonymous activity across their networks to offer frequency capping and other services offered by the largest publishers.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) tracking protection working group tried to simplify the exchange of free content for tracking with a universal flag. Unfortunately, the proposed rules inadvertently gave the largest publishers an unfair competitive advantage, since they were not required to respect this flag. Absent the ability to track anonymous information, the small independent publishers' service providers could not help them monetize their sites or understand their readership base on equal footing with large publishers.

In fact, new regulations in some countries even require publishers to display annoying pop-ups to inform consumers that anonymous tracking is taking place. Since large publishers that have wide-ranging content need only display this once, but small publishers must each independently display the pop-up,some consumers may find it less annoying to restrict their visits only to large publishers. This inadvertently centralizes consumer activity to just a few players, which according to privacy advocates would help lead to the very "Big Brother" centralized database of consumer activity that they are trying to prevent.

With the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we have seen debate arise over anonymous identifiers and personal ones. Both privacy advocates and the industry agree that personally identifiable information (PII) can be used to identify, proactively contact or precisely locate a person. Also classified as PII is informationsuch as social security numbers that can help look up information to contact you. Thus, the definition of an anonymous identifier is one that cannot be used to proactively contact a person (e.g., an IP address or a cookie identifier). Unfortunately, the FTC further muddied the waters by declaring that personal information should be defined differently for adults and for children. Thisleads to an important point of clarity: In digital advertising we only need to use anonymous identifiers to help support independent publishers in competing with their larger rivals.

With the Firefox plan, Mozilla is making a unilateral decision without giving consumers a choice, and blocking even the collection of this anonymous data. We are steadfast advocates for consumer rights and hope that as with other anti-competitive actions, this initiative will be rethought in light of the impact it could have on the online advertising industry and on small publishers.

We believe in promoting free access to a diverse set of ideas produced both by millions of individual bloggers and by the world's largest publishers. Everyone enjoys and benefits from free content. Nearly everyone agrees that we each have a right to privacy embedded in our own identity. But each of us is also a consumer of advertising-subsidized content, and that advertising relies on the use of anonymous data. Transparency and choice are two fundamental principles that underlie digital privacy guidelines. But how can usersmake informed choices if they don't understand the implications of their decisions? The personal and even societal value of having free access to nearly unlimited content is hard to overstate, and the loss of it would have profound implications.

We hope through better understanding of the benefits of anonymous uses of information, trade groups, government and our industry peers recognize that the unintended consequences of the proposed changes would institute barriers that disproportionally impact small publishers and limit choices for consumers

The 2013 Western Magazine Awards (WMA)

2013-02-27T11:57:00.001-08:00

The 2013 Western Magazine Awards (WMA)

The 2013 Western Magazine Awards (WMA) submissions process closes on Friday, March 1, and nominations for the Lifetime Achievement Award must be received before March 15. The awards ceremony is slated for June 21 at the Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside.

This year, Written Award categories are open to both print and online. However, only print magazines are eligible for Visual Awards, Gold Awards, and Magazine of the Year.

Also, the criteria for Gold Awards have been simplified. To qualify for a Gold in a particular province, only the location of a magazine's head office matters; writers and topics are no longer required to be province-specific.

In other changes, the Best Student Writing Award has been replaced with the Best New Writer Award. It is open to both students and non-students with less than two years of experience writing for Canadian magazines. Submitted articles must have been published in Western Canadian publications, and university or college mags qualify.

Visit the WMA website for more information, including a full rundown of the awards categories.

Social Media Sessions

2013-02-22T14:52:00.004-08:00

Vancouver Events

Social Media 1-Day Intensive (Vancouver) April 23
Marketing & Mastery (Vancouver) April 24 & 25
(Special Addition for Calgary) 3-Day Train the Trainer Intensive & Certification Calgary May 31-June 2

2013-02-08T07:25:00.003-08:00

The Top Canadian Consumer Magazines For The Second Half Of 2012
posted by Neal Lulofs, Executive Vice President, Communications and Strategic Planning
AAM released the semiannual Snapshot (formerly known as FAS-FAX) report for Canadian consumer magazines today. The Snapshot report includes top-line circulation data for the second half of 2012 for all magazine members.
Of the 67 titles that reported comparable data for the six-month periods ending Dec. 31, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2011, overall paid and verified circulation was down 3.5 percent. Paid subscriptions were down 6.2 percent, while single-copy sales were down 1.2 percent. The full Snapshot report, which also includes digital replica circulation and analyzed nonpaid circulation, is available in AAM’s Media Intelligence Center.

Below are two charts pulled from the report — the top 10 Canadian consumer magazines by total paid and verified circulation and by single-copy sales.

The top U.S. consumer magazines by total circulation and single-copy sales are listed in this post. Historical top 10 lists for Canadian magazines are available here.

Top 10 Canadian Consumer Magazines by Total Paid & Verified Circulation Preliminary Figures Files with AAM -- Subject to Audit
Publication Name	Total Paid & Verified Circulation 12/31/12	Total Paid & Verified Circulation 12/31/11	Percent Change
Chatelaine	536,478	536,447	0%
Canadian Living	513,027	508,479	0.9%
Reader's Digest Canadian English Edition	472,883	557,700	-15.2%
Maclean's	311,974	330,203	-5.5%
Canadian House and Home	246,066	242,576	1.4%
Style at Home	233,048	230,927	0.9%
Coup de Pouce	221,043	217,185	1.8%
Chatelaine (French Language Edition)	168,681	170,137	-0.9%
Canadian Geographic	159,680	174,254	-8.4%
L'Actualite	157,296	159,651	-1.5%

___________________________________________

Top 10 Canadian Consumer Magazines by Single-Copy Sales Preliminary Figures Files with AAM -- Subject to Audit
Publication Name	Single-Copy Sales 12/31/12	Single-Copy Sales 12/31/11	Percent Change
Canadian Living	124,771	121,079	3.05%
Chatelaine	107,097	98,821	8.37%
Canadian House & Home	85,537	79,082	8.16%
Hello!	70,993	76,331	-6.99%
7 Jours	64,000	65,945	-2.95%
Style at Home	47,254	42,908	10.13%
Coup de Pouce	47,213	40,548	16.44%
La Semaine	45,008	48,228	-6.68%
LouLou Canada's Shopping Magazine	41,829	49,101	-14.81%
Moneysense	32,213	17,583	83.21%

mixx canada March 21, 2013

2013-02-08T07:09:00.002-08:00

We are an industry of in's! Insertions, innovation, insights even the dreading invoices and inputting.

Thursday, March 21, 2013
7:15 AM - 4:00 PM
#mixxcanada @iabcanada

At the MIXX Canada Spring 2013 conference you will:

Get inspired by Candy Chang, Artist
Learn about what's happening in-market with Donald Chestnut, Sapient Nitro
See what's in development with Ian Jeffrey, FounderFuel
Get inquisitive with Dan Hill & Susan Krashinsky, The Globe & Mail
Gain some insights with Jan Kestle, Environics Analytics
See innovation with Brent Bernie, comScore

TED Talks choose Vancouver as host

2013-02-05T00:43:00.002-08:00

TED Talks choose Vancouver as host

FRANCES BULA Vancouver — Special to The Globe and Mail Published Monday, Feb. 04 2013, 1:18 PM EST

When the TED Talks people came knocking at Vancouver’s door last December looking for a new home for their signature event, the city’s tourism officials didn’t just see another small conference on the horizon.

Instead, they viewed the visit as their chance to promote a kind of intellectual Olympic Games for the next two years, where they could sell Vancouver to the world via an international elite of thought leaders.

In return, the organizers of TED – which stands for technology, entertainment and design and brings together innovators of assorted stripes – saw Vancouver as a city whose ethos matched that of the TED Talks: future-focused, green, creative.

“I think the spirit of the city is wonderful for TED. We’ve met so many people who are dreaming big here,” TED “curator” and owner Chris Anderson said Monday from New York, where he announced the signature event would move from Long Beach, Calif., to Vancouver for 2014 and 2015 – and possibly beyond.

For both sides, it was a chance to leverage off each other as they combined the city with the leaders who frequent the TED Talks. Past speakers have included former president Bill Clinton, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, Google inventors Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Canadian fiddler Natalie MacMaster, scientist David Keith and many more, ranging from international celebrities to little-known but creative theorists. All give the 18-minute speeches that have become a global cultural phenomenon.

The event attracts 1,400 people peryear who pay $7,500 to attend, along with the hundreds of thousands who have become devotees of TED Talks through their ubiquitous presence on the Internet, in classrooms, and through spinoff mini-TED Talks.

“None of us see this as a simple convention coming to town. It’s an opportunity to tell our own story through TED,” said Greg Klassen, a senior vice-president with the Canadian Tourism Commission. “We’ve negotiated the rights to leverage their brand, using the kinds of things we learned from the Olympics.”

So Vancouver will be able to market itself as the TED host city and Canada as the TED host country. And tourism planners are looking at ways to spin off other city events and draw top companies to Vancouver for meetings, using attractions such asextra speeches from some TED presenters.

They hope the strategy will make Vancouver synonymous with creative thinking, the way Austin is now the city of independent music as a result of South by Southwest, and Davos means serious talk about international finance because of its association with the World Economic Forum.

The Monday announcement caused a visible bubble of euphoria among city officials. “This is a game-changer for Vancouver. We’re known as a world-class tourism destination but this shows we’re breaking through in thought leadership,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said. “I’d like to explore how we can best leverage the opportunity to vault Vancouver into the spotlight and endear us to the leading thinkers who come here.”

Since 1990, the main TED Talks annual event has been held in smaller California cities, first in Monterey and then, after 2009, in Long Beach. Mr. Anderson, while speaking graciously about Long Beach as a host, said Vancouver’s natural setting enhances what TED is about.

While his organization had been looking at various locales, Vancouver won their hearts. The city, where TED staff know several people already, was welcoming. (The organization, which has its main offices in New York, has had its conference-organizing staff based in Vancouver for a decade.) The Vancouver Convention Centre, he said, is “very, very, very beautiful – you feel connected to nature there. The setting is inspiring.” It’s also central, with hotels and activities on the doorstep. And, most important, the city “has that combination of forward-looking innovators and commitment to sustainability” that reflects TED themes.

The TED talks began in 1984, when architect and urban designer Richard Saul Wurman brought together leading thinkers in Monterey to discuss new ideas. Mr. Wurman sold the concept in 2001 for $14-million to Mr. Anderson and the non-profit Sapling Foundation, which has expanded to create other talk-fests around the globe.

According to a Financial Times story last fall, Mr. Wurman thinks the TED concept has become too orchestrated and too slick. Other critics have complained that the talks have become intellectually pretentious and almost industrialized in their production. A recent New Yorker article described them as appealing to “college-educated adults who want to close the gap between academic thought and the lives they live now.” But that hasn’t made a dint in their phenomenal popularity, with over 1,200 cities having hosted spinoff TEDx talks

2013-01-11T22:50:00.001-08:00

For the First Time Ever in Canada, CTV Delivers Live Streaming of the SUPER BOWL and NFL Playoffs Games

– Live web streaming now available via CTV.ca –
– Bonus interactive features complement live streaming –
– CTV’s all-encompassing coverage of the NFL post-season continues this weekend with the NFL Divisional Playoffs –

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/U1J9JY

TORONTO (January 8, 2013) – For the first time ever, the SUPER BOWL will be streamed live in Canada, as CTV confirmed today its plans to stream SUPER BOWL XLVII and its slate of NFL Playoffs games free to fans across the country. Fans can access the live web streaming via CTV.ca.

Complementing the live streaming are extra companion features that enhance the viewing experience for fans, including up-to-the-minute game statistics, a live chat, and other interactive elements. The live streaming of SUPER BOWL XLVIIand the NFL Playoffs will be promoted extensively across all of Bell Media’s leading digital platforms including TSN.ca.

“CTV is thrilled to give football fans another way to experience the SUPER BOWL and NFL Playoffs,” said Phil King, President, CTV Programming and Sports. “This complementary coverage ensures Canadians won’t miss a second of the action.”

The live streaming is on top of Bell Media’s extensive NFL coverage that includes the live broadcast of SUPER BOWL XLVII and the NFL post-season on CTV and RDS, along with TSN Radio and TEAM Radio stations across the country.

Mobile coverage of SUPER BOWL XLVII and the NFL Playoffs is available exclusively on Bell Mobile TV.

Coverage of the NFL Divisional Playoffs airs Saturday, Jan. 12 and Sunday, Jan. 13:

CTV and CTV.ca
Saturday, Jan. 12 at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
• Baltimore @ Denver
Airing in all CTV markets and through CTV.ca

Saturday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
• Green Bay @ San Francisco
Airing in all CTV markets and through CTV.ca

Sunday, Jan. 13 at 12 noon ET/9 a.m. PT
• Seattle @ Atlanta
Airing in all CTV markets and through CTV.ca

TSN
Sunday, Jan. 13 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT
• Houston @ New England

Bell Media Radio
Bell Media Radio delivers complete live coverage of the NFL Playoffs andSUPER BOWL XLVII on its TSN Radio and TEAM Radio stations.

Fans can listen to live game coverage of the NFL Divisional Playoffs this Saturday and Sunday on the following stations: TSN 1050 Toronto, TSN 690 Montreal, TSN 1290 Winnipeg, TEAM 1410 Vancouver, and TEAM 1200 Ottawa(click here for schedule).

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Twitter:
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
Hashtags: #CTV and #SB47

Facebook:
facebook.com/CTV

Thirty Best SEO Companies in Canada Named by canada.topseos.com for January 2013

2013-01-10T09:26:00.002-08:00

Thirty Best SEO Companies in Canada Named by canada.topseos.com for January 2013

The independent authority on Search vendors in Canada, canada.topseos.com, has named the thirty best search engine optimization companies in Canada for the month of January 2013. Each of the online marketing agencies included in the rankings provide organic optimization services which focus on achieving more traffic through major Search engines by utilizing known SEO strategies and processes as well as proprietary technologies and methodologies. Businesses use the rankings to find the top performing agencies to help them.

The Thirty Best SEO Companies in Canada for January 2013 are:

1) Search Engine People
2) 1st on the List
3) Online Partners
4) Annzo
5) 9th sphere
6) HigherVisibility
7) Pitstop Media Inc
8) Mediative
9) W3trends Inc.
10) BlueHat Marketing Inc.
11) MetaSEO
12) Searching Works Inc.
13) StepForth
14) NVI
15) BubbleUP Marketing
16) AlphaSearch
17) Tas Technologies
18) Search Rank Professionals
19) Wisdek Corp.
20) SEOBiz Solutions Inc
21) Bay Street SEO
22) SitePosition
23) Beanstalk
24) Virtually Canadian / Guaranteed SEO
25) FreshPromo
26) Alphasearch.ca
27) Whiz1 Design
28) Relentless Technology
29) Page Zero Media
30) Fresh Traffic Group

Each of the SEO companies included in the rankings have been put through a meticulous evaluation process in order to uncover their strengths, weaknesses, and competitive advantages. The evaluation involves an in-depth look in their past growth and expansion, their internal methodologies, and their proprietary strategies and advancements. Five areas of evaluation are used to adequately benchmark the performance of each company including on page optimization, off page optimization, needs analysis, keyword analysis, and reporting methods.

ABOUT topseos.com

topseos.com is a well-known independent authority on search vendors. Established in 2002, the goal of topseos.com is to recognize and rank those individuals or companies providing the best online marketing services all over the world. A specialized team of researchers examine thousands of applicants each month who are seeking to be ranked as a top internet marketing service provider by the independent authority. This website is being visited daily by thousands of visitors all over the world looking for the best services available. The website also provides various types of facilities other than the independent rankings which provide useful information to customers and providers of online marketing services.

SEO Companies interested in being evaluated can visit:

http://canada.topseos.com/rankings/search-engine-marketing-agencies/apply-for-ranking

To find the list of the best SEO companies in Canada visit:

http://canada.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-seo-companies

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/1/prweb10301317.htm

Cannes Lions Vancouver – Jan. 31st, 2013

2013-01-10T08:41:00.003-08:00

Cannes Lions Vancouver – Jan. 31st, 2013
Get Tickets Today!

Cannes Lions Victoria- Jan. 24th, 2013

2013-01-10T08:41:00.000-08:00

Cannes Lions Victoria- Jan. 24th, 2013
Get Tickets Today!

Astral reports strong first quarter results for Fiscal 2013

2013-01-10T08:38:00.003-08:00

Astral reports strong first quarter results for Fiscal 2013

January 10, 2013

• 7% increase in net earnings1
• 5% increase in diluted EPS1
• 4% increase in EBITDA2

January 10, 2013 - Astral Media Inc.today reported its financial results for the first quarter ended November 30, 2012, which saw continued growth in net earnings1, EPS1, EBITDA2, revenues and cash flow from operations2.

In the first quarter, consolidated net earnings1 rose 7% to $59.6 million from $55.8 million for the same period last year, while diluted earnings per share1 increased by 5% to $1.05 from $1.00 last year. EBITDA2 grew 4% to $93.7 million from $90.4 million last year, while consolidated revenues totalled $274.5 million, an increase of 1% over the $271.1 million recorded last year for the same period. Cash flow from operations at $69.2 million is slightly above last year's figure of $69.0 million.

"I am very pleased with our Company's consolidated and segmented performance in the first quarter of Fiscal 2013, marking the single largest quarter in the Company's history" said Ian Greenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our relentless focus on delivering better value to advertisers and consumers combined with the discipline that defines Astral's decision-making approach provide us with the optimal strategy to reach our objectives and continue to deliver balanced growth across our diversified asset portfolio."

BELL-ASTRAL TRANSACTION3
On March 16, 2012, the Company announced that it entered into a definitive agreement with BCE Inc. ("Bell") for the sale of its business through the acquisition of all of its issued and outstanding shares. Following the October 18, 2012 decision of the CRTC to deny Bell's application to acquire the control of the Company, the Company and Bell announced on November 19, 2012 that they have amended the arrangement agreement signed on March 16, 2012 and submitted a new proposal to the CRTC for approval of Bell's acquisition of the Company.

As a result of the amendments made to the terms of the arrangement agreement: (i) the outside date for the closing of the transaction has been extended to June 1, 2013, with each of the Company and Bell having a further right to postpone it to July 31, 2013, (ii) Bell's regulatory covenants have been modified, and (iii) the Company's Board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.50 per share on its class A non-voting shares and class B subordinate voting shares, payable on February 1, 2013 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 15, 2013. The consideration payable to the Company's shareholders remains unchanged under the amended arrangement agreement. The Bell-Astral Transaction is subject to closing conditions, including regulatory approvals from the CRTC and the Competition Bureau. There can be no assurance that the Bell-Astral Transaction will occur, or that it will occur on the terms and conditions currently contemplated.

SEGMENTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Television
• Revenue growth of 2%;
• EBITDA2 growth of 5%;
• EBITDA margin2 of 39.3%, up from 38.2% for the same period last year.

Radio
• Revenue growth of 1%;
• EBITDA2 growth of 1%;
• EBITDA margin2 of 31.3%, consistent with last year;
• Prior to the beginning of the first quarter, rebranding of two stations in London and Winnipeg to the prestigious Virgin Radio brand, bringing the total of Astral Virgin Radio stations to seven;
• On November 23, inauguration of Canada's largest private radio broadcasting centre with five Astral French-and English-language stations under the same roof in Montréal.

Out-of-Home
• Revenue growth of 2%;
• EBITDA2 growth of 1%;
• EBITDA margin2 of 40.0%, consistent with last year;
• In September, launch of a brand new network of 30 urban Digital Columns in the heart of downtown Montréal;
• Announcement of the addition of 6 new Digital faces by February 2013 on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway, bringing Astral's popular national Digital Network to 49 faces.

Corporate
• Over the course of the first quarter, the Company repaid $7.0 million of its long-term debt, bringing its Net Debt and leverage ratio just below $356.0 million and 1.1 respectively;
• Astral announced in November a cash dividend of $0.50 per share on its class A non-voting shares and class B subordinate voting shares, payable on February 1, 2013.

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and related notes and Management's Discussion and Analysis are available on the Company's website: astral.com.

University of British Columbia's one and only Marketing Association

2013-01-08T13:22:00.001-08:00

University of British Columbia's one and only Marketing Association for undergrad students (UBCMA).

Last year Gateways sold out in under 3 hours! Yes, that's right - so make sure you mark the date down in your calendar and get a spot ASAP!

WORKSHOPS + AN AMAZING KEYNOTE SPEAKER + TONS OF NETWORKING = STEPS TOWARD YOUR DREAM CAREER.
There will be a 2:1 ratio of students to professionals. That means 2 students to 1 professional. That means PLENTY of time for you to connect and learn from a variety of marketing professionals.
1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th years and beyond - No matter where you are on your quest to your dream marketing career, this event will equip you with skills and tips to get ahead on your path.
WHERE: Marriott Pinnacle Hotel (1128 West Hastings Street)
WHEN: February 6th, 2013 (Wednesday)

TIME: 6:00 - 10:00pm **Please come between 5:30 - 5:45pm to check in
GET YOUR SPOT ON THE REGISTRATION LIST ON MONDAY JAN 28th @ 11:30AM in CA HALL.
FREE FOR MEMBERS!
To save your spot on the registration list, there will be a $10 refundable deposit, which will be given back to you on the day of the event.
Stay tuned for more information about what we have lined up for Gateways!

International Council of Shopping Centers Fairmont Chateau Whistler

2013-01-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

Join us at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Said!
Keynote Presentation: The Science of Shopping 101: How Store Planning Affects Store PerformanceSpeaker: Paco Underhill
President & Founder, Envirosell
Other Conference Highlights Include:

Over 500 Retailers looking to expand in Canada
The 2013 Whistler Conference is expecting record attendance. We are already tracking attendance to be 5 – 10% above the 2012 event. This will include over 500 retailers looking to expand their business in Canada.
Two Sold-Out Deal Making FloorsDon’t miss out on our Deal Making floors, which are SOLD OUT! Many exciting new exhibitors have been added to this year’s show. Go online for the list of 2013 Exhibitors.
2013 Retailer’s Podium
Hot Retailers talk about their future plans. Learn about corporate goals, expansion plans, space requirements and branding strategies in this fast-paced, multi-media session. Retailers include Saje, Dollar Tree, Mr. Mike’s, T&T Supermarkets and Simons.

Register Today and we'll see you in Whistler!

Vision Critical joins the Canadian Market Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA)

2012-12-30T22:32:00.003-08:00

Vision Critical joins the Canadian Market Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA)

@visioncritica
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 Vision Critical is pleased to announce their official corporate
membership status in the MRIA. The Market Research Intelligence Association (MRIA) is a non-profit association that represents the market intelligence and survey research industry in Canada. The MRIA currently has over 1,800 individual members and counts Canada’s largest users of marketing research as corporate members. Vision Critical, upon completing the certification process, will attain its Gold Seal agency status in Canada.

“Being a Canadian owned and managed market research technology firm, we felt it was the right time for Vision Critical to join our home country’s MR association,” says Rob Berger, Senior Vice President, Market Panels, Vision Critical. “In becoming a Gold Seal member of the MRIA, we continue to be acknowledged as an organization with world-class standards and best practices in support of Canada’s leadership position in the delivery of marketing research and intelligence solutions.”

To learn more about the MRIA visit: http://www.mria-arim.ca
About Vision Critical
Vision Critical pairs the world’s leading consumer insight specialists with the most innovative software developers, marrying the precision of market research with the speed and power of online technology. Serving over 600 global brands through offices across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Vision Critical creates powerful software and research solutions, including the world’s leading Community Panel platform. For more information, please visit www.visioncritical.com

Introducing the 12 Days of Christmas Twitter Party

2012-11-20T21:08:00.001-08:00

Introducing the 12 Days of Christmas Twitter Party! #BWTopGifts

View all of this season’s best gifts for everyone on your list! Join BlogWest Media during the 12 Days of Christmas to gain great ideas for the ones you love and maybe even win a little something for yourself.

SAVE THE DATE: November 19-30.

Want to attend the 12 Days of Christmas Twitter Parties? RSVP below with your name, twitter handle and email address. Please note that we will not sell your information to anyone outside of BlogWest Media, however we may send you an offer from our sponsors at the end of this promotion.

When you click to register please add:

1. Link title or blog title: Please use your Twitter handle – @YourHandle

2. Link: Please use your twitter link – http://twitter.com/YourHandle

3. Your email address

4. Your name

Click here to RSVP for the #BWTopGifts Twitter Party!

Windows Phone 8 - WaveGuide Code Camp

2012-11-16T14:44:00.004-08:00

Windows Phone 8 - WaveGuide Code Camp

Wavefront and Microsoft are pleased to be offering hands-on coding workshops to update you on the newly launched Windows Phone 8!

Vancouver - Monday, December 3, 2012 (SFU Harbour Centre, 515 W Hastings St, Policy Room 2270)

Please note: you will need your own PC running either Windows 8, Windows 7 or Windows Vista to participate in the workshop, and you will need to download the free developer tools ahead of time.

Who should attend?
• Developers with an iOS or Android app ready to port to Windows Phone
• Experienced developers wanting to learn more about the Windows Phone opportunity
• Past attendees who will benefit from new content as well as a deeper dive into past topicsWhy develop apps for Windows Phone?• Increase your reach to a new audience of early adopters looking for great apps
• Showcase your apps that may be buried or lost in other saturated stores
• Windows Phone developers are well supported and rewarded - check out our website for details (Developer Movement will be returning soon)
Agenda:
08:30AM – 09:00AM – Registration and Breakfast
09:00AM – 09:45AM – Windows Phone: Past, Present and Future
09:45AM – 10:30AM – A Lap Around Windows Phone App Development10:30AM – 10:45AM – Coffee Break
10:45AM – 11:15AM – Optional Mini-Lesson: Code Sharing between Windows Phone and Windows 8 with MVVM
12:00PM – 01:00PM – Lunch
01:00PM – 01:30PM – Optional Mini-Lesson: An Overview of Windows Phone Game Development with XNA
02:30PM – 03:00PM – Optional Mini-Lesson: Understanding the Modern UI Design in Windows Phone
03:00PM – 03:15PM – Coffee Break
04:00PM – 04:30PM – Optional Mini-Lesson: Succeeding in the Marketplace
04:45PM – 05:00PM – Wrap up and prize draws for phones!
Cost: $25 + HST, includes breakfast, lunch and refreshments and a chance to win great prizes!
Register now to learn how you can develop cutting edge Windows Phone apps that will increase your reach and grow your revenue.
For more information, click here

2012-10-27T05:50:00.001-07:00

Media Mayhem: "Social Media is Bullshit" The Facebook and Twitter Con with Author B.J. Mendelson

https://www.facebook.com/MediaMayhem
https://twitter.com/ahopeweiner
http://thelip.tv/

B.J. Mendelson takes to Media Mayhem to make the assertion that Facebook is "absolutely ineffective," and Twitter is all hype.
He also reveals the dark heart of the Huffington Post, the reason Occupy was a fizzle while the Tea Party gets their agenda moved forward (*hint--it's money!), and why journalism has become a bad rehash of a few 'power-users.'