Media Beat: July 08, 2021

By David Farrell

Reviving Bill C-10

Bill C-10 may be dead for now (Senate discussions on returning during the summer will reportedly not include the bill), but CRTC Chair Ian Scott has signalled a willingness to move ahead with Bill C-10-like policies. In fact, even without legislative reform, the CRTC last week announced that it is re-opening its approach to a digital media survey by seeking to expand it to cover foreign streaming services. The decision is notable for several reasons, not the least of which is that the survey would overlap with the data disclosure provisions in Bill C-10 and Scott had previously indicated that he did not believe he had the legislative tools to require data disclosures. – Michael Geist

Wendy Mesley leaves CBC after 38 years

One of the Canada's most recognizable broadcasters is calling it quits after 38 years with the Mother Corp.

In the 1980s, Mesley was a hard-nosed political reporter on Parliament Hill. She later went on to become a ferocious consumer journalist at Marketplace. And she spent many years hosting the National on Friday and Sunday nights.

In between these CBC gigs, she hosted a media and technology program called Undercurrents. Prior to her suspension, she hosted The Weekly with Wendy Mesley. That struck me as a consolation prize for CBC deciding to go with younger anchors to replace Peter Mansbridge upon his retirement.

Then there was her relatively short-lived marriage to Mansbridge, which provided plenty of fodder for Frank magazine. – The Georgia Straight

I made mistakes. But my departure wasn’t the solution to the CBC’s problem with racism

Wendy Mesley finally tells her side of the story and the political fix the pubcaster put her in. It’s a story that points a finger at the CBC culture that is protected by unions, fearful of government appointees, and it would appear spineless when it comes to standing up for their own credible assets. – The Globe and Mail

The billionaire and the socialist: No longer the odd couple, believe it or not

For Glen Clark, a former B.C. premier, NDP politician and union organizer, redemption came from an unexpected place.

A conflict-of-interest scandal had forced him to resign as premier in 1999. With his political career in tatters and the NDP nearly wiped out by the Liberals in the provincial election in May, 2001, Clark’s employment prospects appeared limited with criminal charges hanging over him for alleged breach of trust and accepting a benefit. He would later be found not guilty.

Dave Barrett, who served as B.C. premier from 1972 to 1975, phoned Jim Pattison, the billionaire owner of the Vancouver-based Jim Pattison Group, to recommend that he hire Mr. Clark, and he did. – The Globe and Mail

Bias in Canadian media often means providing excuses for white accused

While news outlets should be a neutral source of information, research has indicated that Canadian media shows implicit biases and racism. In particular, articles describe crimes against white victims with significantly more fearful language. – The Conversation

How Aryeh Bourkoff became media’s hottest dealmaker

Even if you don’t know his name, you’re familiar with the megadeals — from WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery to Amazon’s purchase of MGM — that the LionTree investment banker has helped engineer: "He’s a face-to-face guy. He gets that this business is about connection." – William D. Cohan, The Hollywood Reporter

Trump sues Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for platform voice

The lawsuits (embedded below), which were filed in federal court in Florida on Wednesday and list both the companies and their respective CEOs as defendants, are being supported by the America First Policy Institute, a political nonprofit culled together several months ago by former members of the Trump administration. – Lucas Ropek, Gizmodo

Rudy Giuliani’s defense fund is a bust (so far)

Weeks after his buddy Bernie Kerik asked people to spare whatever they could for Giuliani‘s legal bills, the “Rudy Giuliani Legal Defense Fund” has raised a mere $9,590, or less than 0.2% of the $5 million goal. (It’s not clear if the RGLDF is a separate entity the “Rudy Giuilani Freedom Fund” that Kerik helped create.). Kerik, the former NYC police commissioner, knows a little something about legal woes, having pleaded guilty in 2010 to tax fraud and other charges, before being pardoned, of course, by Donald Trump. You may also recall Kerik from other hits like reportedly conducting an affair at an apartment near Ground Zero that had been reserved for 9/11 rescue workers. On the fundraising page, the organizers encourage whatever kind of person identifies as a Giuliani groupie to pony up as much cash as they can to defend the former president’s former attorney, explaining “The swamp is revolting by placing a bull’s eye on the backs of every Trump loyalist. That puts Rudy at the top of their list. Rudy’s fate will determine if America still is a Republic governed by We The People!” Sadly for Rudy, that pitch has apparently mostly fallen on deaf ears. – Bess Levin, Vanity Fair

Corporate media backlash fuels new upstarts

New media personalities have gained enormous traction over the past year by catering to individuals who feel disillusioned by the mainstream press.

Why it matters: A convergence of trends over the past year has made it easier for writers to launch new entities that can rival mainstream outlets and it's given these creators the freedom to criticize big media institutions. – Sara Fischer & Hope King, Axios

How the CFO role is transforming media and entertainment

Historically, media and entertainment CFOs were seen as leaders who managed spending, always looking for ways to cut overhead. But those views are becoming obsolete.

Media and entertainment CFOs today are preparing for tectonic shifts in consumption as the pandemic winds down.

The pandemic accelerated trends toward convenient, in-home streaming services that delivered a variety of choices. Many media and entertainment companies acquired new customers without much cost. But now, retaining those viewers’ subscriptions will require fresh content and affordable pricing options. – Stephen Blume, CFO Dive

What’s next for Jeff Bezos? Space, climate and media may all figure

quarter of a century after he founded Amazon in a Seattle garage, Jeff Bezos is preparing to loosen his grip on his $1.7TN (£1.2tn) company. Few employees in the sphere conservatories at Amazon’s sprawling Seattle campus headquarters reckon Bezos will relinquish that much of his iron grip on the company’s big decisions when Andy Jassy succeeds him as CEO on Monday. After all, Bezos will become executive chairman of Amazon’s board and remains the company’s biggest shareholder. But Bezos, 57, told his 1.3 million employees (whom he refers to as “fellow Amazonians”) that “as much as I still tap dance into the office, I’m excited about this transition”. – Rupert Neate, The Guardian