By David Farrell
Canadian Media Fund invests $19.7M in 31 projects
An investment of $9.9M will go to 16 innovative digital media projects through the second round of funding of the Experimental Stream’s Innovation Program and an additional $6.6M to nine projects through the Commercial Projects Pilot Program. A further $3.2M will fund six projects through the Francophone Minority Program.
US Companies set to spend $19B on third-party audience data
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Data Center of Excellence released a forecast Wednesday that puts the amount marketers will spend on audience data, and solutions to manage it, at about $19.2B in 2018. – Laurie Sullivan,
Media Post
Flames radio voice Peter Maher recalls hockey memories in memoir
Peter Maher was an eyewitness to the first 33 years of Calgary Flames history, including when the team won the 1989 Stanley Cup and nearly won it again in 2004. Maher spoke to The Homestretch Monday about If These Walls Could Talk — Stories from the Calgary Flames' Ice, Locker Room and Press Box, his new memoir co-written with longtime Calgary Herald sports columnist George Johnson. – Stephen Hunt, CBC News
Verizon Taking A $4.5B Writedown resulting from AOL, Yahoo! acquisitions
US telecom giant Verizon conceded on Tuesday that its media brand Oath, which includes Yahoo and AOL, was effectively worth nothing.
In an 8-K filing with the SEC on Tuesday, Verizon said that it was taking a $4.6B write-down on Oath, the media venture they launched in 2017.
According to the company’s filing, Verizon had previously reported the “goodwill” value of the company, which includes intangibles such as its reputation and brand value, at $4.8B, meaning Oath is now worth a total of about $200M in Verizon’s estimation. – Celebrity Access
US: TV No. 1 as social media bumps newspapers as a news source
Twenty percent of U.S. adults polled by the Pew Research say they "often" get news from social media while 16 percent "often" turn to newspapers. Last year the two media were "about equal. TV remains the most popular means for digesting the news — 49 percent of adults polled still get news there — but that's down from 57 percent in 2016. – CNBC
