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Media Beat: March 20, 2019

By David Farrell

Budget 2019 details $595M in support for qualifying media, tax breaks

Budget 2019 offers more meat on the Liberals’ previously-announced, three-pronged plan to support Canadian journalism, amidst the challenges of a massive shift to digital advertising.


The pillars of the $595 million, five-year plan include a new refundable labour tax credit for qualifying journalism organizations; a new non-refundable tax credit for subscriptions to Canadian digital news; and access to charitable tax incentives for not-for-profit journalism. – Connie Thiessen, Broadcast Dialogue

CanadaLand: Trudeau Threats To Google ‘Fake News’

In a bizarre story published online by The Buffalo Chronicle, the PMO’s office is alleged to have applied pressure to Google to “curtail political criticism of the Trudeau government on its platform.”

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Justin Ling, writing on the CanadaLand website, calls into question the integrity of some stories the US website has published targeting Canadian companies and individuals.  

It’s a nasty spat that is gaining some traction from Canadian media, and perhaps marks the high-water mark (so far) of the mudslinging that is to come as our federal election looms closer in October.

Ontario’s campus media worried about future funding

Beginning in September, newspapers and campus radio stations in the province may lose funding as a result of a provincial PC drive that will allow students to opt out of services that until now student fees have automatically funded.  

Most campus radio stations get about 75 to 80 per cent of funding from student fees, said Barry Rooke, the executive director of the National Campus and Community Radio Association, an organization that represents stations across the country. – CBC News

Radio Interactive @ CMW, May 9 and 10

The good old days of radio may be under duress. 

Audience consumption habits in Canada are changing more than ever with the onslaught of new listening options.

The radio industry finds itself squarely in the middle of making sure it maintains and strengthens its over-the-air content while simultaneously developing new product offerings that meet the needs of the digital audio world. 

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The industry needs to dig deep, innovate and execute better than ever. And it needs to explore new audio solutions to embellish its core business so that once again broadcasters can take claim to the new “golden age of audio”.  This ultimate combination of brilliant over the air content along with new compelling and relevant digital offerings will keep listeners satisfied, engaged and entertained for years to come.

That’s the challenge for the radio industry. Canadian Music Week has assembled an impressive and intense program schedule.

The goal this year is to provide provocative insight and take a deep dive into digital audio to help broadcasters accelerate their presence in a rapidly evolving universe of bits, bites and broadcasts.

Get enlightened and ready for battle.

Welcome to Radio Interactive 2019!

Social media streams of Christchurch massacre need RCMP investigation

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting wants the federal force to investigate Facebook and Google for carrying live feeds of the mosque killings on their platforms and in doing so possibly profiting from enabling the dissemination of actions deemed illegal under Canada’s hate crimes law.

“Facebook and YouTube, as well as other social media platforms, broadcast a suspected hate crime without modification, to billions of people, including millions of Canadians," Friends of Canadian Broadcasting executive director Daniel Bernhard said in a news release.

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“It’s not OK to broadcast a hate crime in Canada," he continued. "By amplifying this massacre and promoting it to Canadians without context, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media companies may have committed crimes of their own.” – Charlie Smith, The Georgia Straight

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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in a meeting at the European Commission.
Wikimedia Commons

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew in a meeting at the European Commission.

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TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew Requests 'Urgent' Meeting with Canadian Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly Amidst Shutdown Order

In a letter obtained by Billboard Canada, Chew writes that without government intervention, "TikTok will be forced to fire all of its Canadian employees.”

TikTok's global CEO is requesting an urgent meeting with government officials in advance of its ordered shutdown in Canada.

Following an order citing national security risks last November, the social media app is preparing to wind down its Canadian operations. While TikTok has vowed to fight the order, the clock is ticking. Last week, TikTok Canada halted its arts sponsorships throughout the country.

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