FYI's Back Pages From 2018: The News In Review

By Nick Krewen

Top Stories of 2018 from the FYI Music News archive

Drake dominated every possible category Drake could dominate - including some that made him bigger than The Beatles...Stingray Digital entered the radio business with the purchase of Newcap...the Feds replace Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly with Pablo Rodrigues...Many veteran radio personalities - from CHUM's Roger Ashby to Q107's Andy Frost to John Donabie and others - sign off...Ticketmaster has its scalping woes...the Teacher's Pension Fund buys ole founder Robert Ott's stake in the company and then ousts him...and the long awaited Copyright Act review is finally underway.

Here is a month-by-month summary of - and hyperlinks to - some of the Canadian music industry's hottest 2018 stories.

JANUARY 

Brian Robertson, Jay Switzer, Jann Arden, Alain Caron, Valerie Tryon and others named to Order of Canada...Spotify files IPO...R.I.P. Star Records producer André DiCesare…R.I.P. media maverick Jim Shaw…The Feldman Agency's Jeff Craib to Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame…R.I.P. star publicist Marlene Palmer…Stingray buys Qello Concerts...The Launch partners with Disney..Patti-Anne Tarlton to CMW’s Music Industry Hall Of Fame…JUNOs to honour Gary Slaight's compassionate philanthropy with Humanitarian Award...R.I.P. piano retailer Robert Lowery…Gord Bamford launches 29-city Neon Smoke tour…Colin James wins big at Maple Blues Awards…Barenaked Ladies to JUNO Hall of Fame…Vinyl is generating huge sales for Sunrise Records…UMC promotes Kristen Burke to EVP and GM…R.I.P. pianist, conductor and Senator Tommy Banks…Denise Donlon to receive Walt Grealis Award…CBC Music’s Searchlight returns…London, ON to host 2019 JUNOs…R.I.P. media giant Jay Switzer.

FEBRUARY

SOCAN achieves record revenues, but digital income falls short…Spirit of The West’s John Mann honoured on all-star Canadian recording “Home For A Rest”…Arcade Fire, Jessie Reyez dominate JUNO nominations…UMC hires JP Boucher to VP Marketing…Hedley withdraws from JUNO performance following sexual misconduct allegations…Global lays off 80 employees...Drake splashes $1M on Miami residents for “God’s Plan” video…The Launch lands global distro deal with SPT…Paul Anka named to Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame…U.S. is going to make streaming services pay more for music

MARCH

Federal budget falls short in new CMF funding...Drake, the Weeknd make IFPI’s 2017 Global Best-seller chart…R.I.P. Canadian country star Ronnie Prophet…Arcade Fire named recipent of 2018 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Award...Sheepdogs named  Record Store Day ambassadors…Tegan & Sara and Murray McLauchlan rewarded with Governor General's Performing Arts Awards...Joly promises to talk taxation of G7 web giants...iHeartRadio prepares for bankruptcy...Gordie Tapp, Graham Lear and Doug Varty to Jack Richardson Hall Of Fame...Sony Purchases EMI Song Catalogue for US $4B...Tory Lanez first Billboard Canadian chart-topper since Gord Downie...Bell and Rogers tell CRTC that Netflix should fund Canadian content...Compeition Bureau searches Postmedia and Toronto Star offices in newspaper exchange deal probe...Steve Anthony calls it a morning on CP24Breakfast…R.I.P. Capitol Canada's Paul White…Mélanie Joly places global internet companies on notice…Canadian Radio Music Award nominees announced...Edison research study reveals steady growth for podcasts, rapid growth for smart speakers...Tracy Martin named new CCMA president…US industry sees fastest growth in 20 years...MusiCounts to distribute $725K to schools...FACTOR hits a home run in Juno sweepstakes…Quebec moves to tax web giants...B.C. government announces $7.5M Music Fund...Attraction sells off 15-station Quebec radio chain...CJAY 92's Gerry Forbes hangs 'em up …Top 10 Prism Prize nominees announced...JUNO Awards Gala winners...eOne moves into live music with Round Room purchase…JUNO Awards enjoys high ratings, delivering an audience of 1.4M…SOCAN Foundation launches $10K TD Indigenous Songwriter Award.

APRIL

Corus names Chris "Dunner" Duncombe Director, Streaming and Podcasting...Strombo interviews Gary Slaight...Bell Media takes control of Pinewood Studios…Ticketmaster, Blue Jays take heat over sales practices...Catherine Tait becomes CBC's first female CEO..Corus beats expectations with $40M Q2 profit...Netflix will cost $500M structural imbalance to Cancon production…Radio Canada wants to unload its 119,000-piece music library...R.I.P. CCMA Hall of Famer Bev Munro...New Canada Music Fund dollars expected in new budget…Cherie Sinclair wins Prism Prize Special Achievement Award…R.I.P Stuart Jolliffe…MMF Canada inducts Susan de Cartier, Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, Riley O'Connor to honour roll..Bell Media launches BNN Bloomberg Radio while iHeartRadio does the same with temporary Boots & Hearts Radio...MajikBus unspools CBC archive treasures...New report aims to bolster Ontario's live music scenes...Angel investor needed for Vancouver’s Roundhouse Radio...Rogers Q1 profit soars 37% to $425M…Humboldt Broncos benefit concert announced…"Song For Mira" inducted into Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame...Global Music sales reach US $17.3B…

MAY

ECMAs turn 30…Ontario Music Fund doles out $1.4M to 200 applicants..Music Canada launches rescued instruments program...Newcap Radio COO Ian Lurie heads Stingray Digital radio operations…Billboard adapts charts to streaming…Stingray enters radio business with Newcap purchase…Vancouver's Roundhouse goes off the air...Rose Cousins cashes in at ECMAs; Sloan feted with lifetime achievement award...Fantavious Fritz wins $15K Prism Prize...Gord Downie,Jessie Reyez & Teenage Head capture Indie Award honours …First annual Canadian Sync Awards held...Billy Talent named Legends of Live…Music Canada issues new report...TicketMaster's Jared Smith has remedies for $8B scalper biz...Louis Audet resigns at Cogeco CEO…Apple starts selling OTT subscriptions...Burton Cummings injured in auto accident…Teacher’s Fund buys ole stake, Robert Ott remains CEO…MDM Recordings celebrates 10th anniversary…Beaches International Jazz Fest rings up 30 years……Andy Frost exits Q107 after 33 years...NOW Magazine seeks monthly cash donations from readers...Netflix passes Comcast in market value of $149B U.S...R.I.P. Roy Young...R.I.P. Bernie "The Attorney" Solomon…Scott Borchetta shares plans for Launch 2.0...

JUNE

Charles Cutts named interim CEO of troubled JAZZFM.91...Canadian Music Week reports huge success with 2100 delegates and 170,000 fans taking part...Shawn Mendes scores third straight No. 1 album...Toronto high school duo Moscow Apartment wins Slaight Music's It’s Your Shot…CRTC says ISPs and streaming services need to give money for CanCon...Netflix beats CTV, Global in three demos…Walk Of Fame  launches 100K Mentorship program...Meghan Patrick and James Barker Band are big CMAO Award winners...Bonnie Dobson to be honoured at Mariposa...Reviews of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Acts officially announced...The Toronto Star Editorial Board calls for an online levy...Rogers names Brent Johnson as president, wireless division….Graham Henderson's four-point plan for helping musicians and recording artists...Rogers axes 75 jobs...SOCAN honours Burton Cummings, OLP and Sarah McLachlan…Polaris long list nominees announced…Three let go from JAZZ.FM91...RIP George Semkiw…John Zerucelli named UMC VP, Public Affairs…SOCAN reports biggest year ever with $352M in royalties…Up Canada sponsors UNISON... Controversy dogs JAZZ.FM 91...CKNT Mississauga ready to roll...Juno Hall Of Fame refresh beckons for 2019…Brother Jake retires in Vancouver...Postmedia cuts more print editions, offers more buyouts...Rogers launches podcast network with The Big Story.

JULY

..Ontario Tickets Tout law gets scalped...Nielsen mid-year report confirms streaming volume climbs dramatically: up 53% for six months in 2018...CBC reports privacy breach affected 20,000...Linus Entertainment adds Stony Plain to rights management catalogue…CRTC report finds Canadian broadcaster revenue dropping 3.3% from 2016-2017, at $17.3B...Jess Moskaluke and Brett Kissel lead CCMA noms with six apiece...Drake beats Beatles Top 10 record with seven...Hallmark teams with WMG to sell greeting cards packaged with vinyl 45 rpm...UMC pacts with eSports gaming team Luminosity...La Force latest Broken Social Scene to release solo work...Polaris Music Prize shortlist revealed.…Open Road Recordings celebrates 15th anniversary...Netflix to launch SiriusXM radio comedy channel...Rogers fires controversial CITI-FM host Dave Wheeler...John Donabie retires after 53 years behind the mic...Pablo Rodrigues replaces Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly in cabinet shuffle...Postmedia reports $15.5M Q3 loss...Music industry golf tourneys raise $200K for UNISON…SOCAN acquires SODRAC…JAZZ.FM91 workers accused of plotting a coup...Facebook and Twitter shares plunge...Podcast revenues soar.

AUGUST

SOCAN absorbs SODRAC...Corus launches Edmonton's 92.5 CHUCK Radio...Musicians earn 12% of music biz revenues in 2017…Drake hits 50B streams...Pheromone signs Altameda out of Edmonton...Quebecor revenue flat...Netflix tax proposed...Humboldt Broncos Tribute Concert wins Slaight Humanitarian Award…Bell iHeartRadio inks Spotify Podcast deal...Jim Pattison Broadcat Group adds four stations...The Canadian Music Café turns 10...Vice Media signs long-term content deal with Bell…R.I.P. Aretha Franklin…Kim Cooke-compiled Aretha Franklin's 30 Greatest Hits enjoys Canadian chart comeback  33 years after release...Golf tourney raises $468K for Gord Bamford Foundation...Smart speakers is radio's next big disruptor …Allan Slaight’s daughter Marie looks to control JAZZ FM...Shania Twain's Up is the best-selling Canadian album ever with 2M+ sold, one of three Shania Double Diamond albums that rules Top 5...Shawn Mendes dominates with four awards at iHeartRadio MMVAs…R.I.P. fiddle legend Ned Landry...Stingray hires Vice Media's David Purdy...Loud Luxury's "Body" hits 4x platinum...Chris Taylor, Golnar Khosrowshahi and Robert Ott named in Billboard's Indie Power Players Ranking...Former Jazz.FM91 morning host Garvia Bailey files lawsuit for $420,000 for wrongful dismissal...CRTC demands Corus and Bell spend more money on CanCon...Gary Slaight receives Berklee College Honorary Doctorate.

SEPTEMBER

Ottawa's Jump! 106.9 replaces morning radio hosts with canned U.S. program...Andres Mendoza named CARAS VP…Shania dominates CCMAs…Canadian country stars unite for “Rise Up Redux”…Three Days Grace beats Van Halen Rock Radio record for most No. 1s…MVP Project for Canadian music videos launches...Netflix Canada hires first regulatory affairs officer...Serena Ryder lands radio show with Rogers…CMPA launches two European initiatives…Drake makes U.S. chart history with 29 weeks at No. 1...Bryan Adams calls for a change to Canadian Copyright Laws…Jeremy Dutcher wins 2018 Polaris Music Prize…City And Colour launches label imprint under Dine Alone Records…Glenn Gould to tour as hologram…TicketMaster faces class action lawsuits over ticket resales...SiriusXM announces plans to acquire Pandora...CBS Television Studios to open hub in Mississauga.

OCTOBER

CMRRA reaches licensing deal with Amazon...PM meets Elton in Ottawa…TicketMaster draws scrutiny…Steve Herman enters Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Hall Of Fame…CRTC rejects web censorship proposal...CIMA endorses revamped NAFTA…Scott Moore leaves Sportsnet...Canadian podcast audiences are growing...Stingray buys DJ-Matic...Value gap balloons as music revenues soar...Distribution Select and Outside Music form strategic alliance…Loreena McKennitt honoured by MusicCanada as artist advocate…Re:Sound celebrates Year 20 with a banner income year…RIP CBS Canada’s John (Jack) Robertson…Michael McCarty is a CMW Hall Of Famer…Jessie Reyez receives Canada’s Walk of Fame 2018 Allan Slaight Award…Ian MacKay says Copyright Act Exemptions costs creators $100M yearly…London press claims Michael Bublé is retiring; manager Allen thwarts claim…Mobile ad spending expected to surpass traditional media by 2020...Bryan Adams/Jann Arden among Canadian mentors for Season 2 of The Launch...Bell inaugurates Canada's first cloud-based Virtual Network Services platform...CHED's Bryan Hall celebrates 65 years of broadcasting...SOCAN launches Dataclef...Rogers and Corus report Q3 fiscal increases...FACTOR injects $20M into Canadian music industry over the past year...Hamilton's Arkells launch fifth album and announce national tour...CRTC approves $506M sale of Newcap Radio to Stingray...ADISQ exec team petitions for digital payment equity...CRTC blasts cable firms…Hubert Lenoir takes home three ADISQ Awards.

NOVEMBER

Bell Media bows Netflix competitor Crave.ca...FPR launches Aboriginal FMs in Ottawa and Toronto…Rick Hodge signs off on 105.7 EZ Rock and a 45-year radio career...Mo Kenney, David Myles and Maxim Cormier score big at Music Nova Scotia Awards...

Prominent broadcasting couple Terri Michael and Les Sole killed in Mexico car accident...Financed in part by The Weeknd, Hxouse incubator opens for business in Toronto…Disney writes down $157M on Vice Media...Caroline Rioux steps down as CMRRA pres to take advisory role... Michael Bublé announces Canadian tour dates...Artist earnings rise to $10.8B globally…Passenger scores Diamond Award from Nettwerk Music…CBC finds vintage performances and airs them on From The Vaults…ole’s new CEO is Helen Murphy...DHX Media reports $2.4M loss...Liberty eyes Universal Music Group…Canada’s last classical music retail store closes in Vancouver…PEI opens new vinyl pressing plant…Strumbellas sign with eOne…Libs announce $600M in tax credits and incentives to news media, also commit $50M for Creative Commons  licensed news content...MusiCounts gives $500K worth of music instruments to 30 communities…Danny Michel reveals the realities of being a recording artist in the streaming era… South Fraser Broadcasting Inc. tentatively buys Vancouver's Roundhouse Radio for $600M...Toronto's Jazz.FM91 faces third employee lawsuit...Cogeco acquires 10 RNC radio stations in Quebec.

DECEMBER

Andy Kim and Leonard Cohen are inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame...CHUM-FM's Roger Ashby calls it a day with last broadcast after 50 years...With 2.8B streams and Scorpion and “God’s Plan” topping Billboard, Spotify and Apple Music charts, Drake is the runaway success story of 2018…CTV adds two free streaming channels...SOCAN Foundation launches its incubator program…Corey Hart balks retirement for 2019 Canadian arena tour…Duff Roman to receive Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at next year’s JUNO Awards…Shawn Mendes plans hometown Rogers Centre climax for 2019 headliner tour...Evanov denied Quebec City English-language station...Brian Ferriman, Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame inductee, ex-Michelle Wright manager and Savannah Records label owner, passes...Drake tops Canadian Grammy nominees with seven...R.I.P. J. Lyman Potts.