Some good news for Canadian media

From the Canadian Journalism Project, an interesting economic analysis of the strengths of Canadian media. The usual suspects are there — radio, community weeklies, selected magazines, but I particularly like the view of Leonard Asper: “Canwest chief Leonard Asper has been grumbling to anyone who will listen that his media company earns $500 million a [...]

Chicago Sun Times latest to file for bankruptcy

It’s now the fifth major US newspaper group to file for bankruptcy, or more accurately creditor protection. This allows the Sun Times to hold off creditors while they try to sell off assets or obtain outside funding. Either way, it’s going to mean more cutbacks and layoffs. This is what Can West Global has been [...]

Canadian mags steady (if somewhat declining); Sun increases daily circulation

The latest PMB shows some decline in readership, but generally steady over two years. More interestingly, the Monday to Friday readership of three of the four major Toronto dailies (Globe, Post, Star) declined 5 – 8 per cent from last year, but the plucky Toronto Sun has increased to 822,000 an almost four per cent [...]

Arguments building for fee for carriage for CTV/Global (but not, apparently, CBC)

CRTC released info yesterday that digital/specialty channels made almost $690 million last year, while traditional over the air networks like CTV and Global made about $8 million. In line with the CRTC head testifying Wednesday before a parliamentary committe that fee for carriage (i.e. adding a cost to your cable/saellite bill to receive CTV/Global) “should [...]

Newspapers hold their own

The latest NADbank survey shows only four per cent of the public read newspapers exclusively online, showing once again that the new and the old media c0-exist equally, with users dipping into both depending on the mood of the moment. It doesn’t bring in more advertising, which is what is killing all media these days, [...]

Axe falls at CBC

800 jobs to be lost, property to be sold, no tell what effect it will have on programming, but early reports say that CBC will manage its $171 million shortfall, mainly due to lost job revenue. Of this only 60 “corporate” positions to be effected, and executives only give back half their bonuses. Stay tuned; [...]

God news in Canadian magazines: Tally 2008

Masthead online reports that almost twice as many magazines were launched in 2008 than were folded or disappeared (consumer magazines led both categories.) So, some good media news for a change; unfortunately, the trend for 09 is bleak: we’ve lost almost as many magazines in the first three months of 09 as we did in [...]

Feds plan committee meetings on private broadcasting ‘crisis’

Kind of odd they wouldn’t include their own responsibility, the CBC, into this crisis. Be on standby for plenty of posturing and wheedling.
Financial Post, March 20 2009

Minister floats aid for private broadcasters, not his own CBC

The Globe reports today that Heritage Minister James Moore is floating regulatory and tax changes that would aid CTV and Global, but nothing for CBC (and does the CRTC have anything to say about this, as the regulator?)  I mean really, if the federal government wants to kill off CBC, why not just do it, [...]

CBC Board, Minister in mutual hissy-fit

With the Corporation in crisis, the CBC Board and Minister seem to be in a contest to see who can play silly-bugger the most. It started apparently last week when the Board disinvited the Minister responsible, Heritage Minister James Moore, to a board meeting. This week, the Minister decided to address the Sun and share [...]