Sterling Awards for Theatre in Edmonton Announced on June 27, 2011
Like life, theatre is a matter of dramatic suspense and surprise revelations. The 24th annual edition of the Sterling Awards served up a generous measure of both at a gala sequins and sneaker affair at the Mayfield Theatre on Monday night [June 27, 2011], hosted by the quick-witted team of Mark Meer and Bridget Ryan. The 4th Graders Present An Unnamed Love-Suicide, a Northern Light Theatre production of a strange high-risk play — in which actors played little kids playing amateur actors in an amateur play written as a suicide note by a classmate — was the top choice of jurors. The show, which happened under anti-theatrical fluorescent strip lighting in a “classroom,” was deemed the outstanding production, and garnered Sterlings as well in direction, for Trevor Schmidt, and in both supporting role acting categories, for Cheryl Jameson and Jesse Gervais. See the rest of Liz Nicoll’s review of the 2011 Sterling Awards here and check out the award winners here: Read more 
CRTC Launches Online Consultation on CBC’s Upcoming Licence Renewals
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) launched an online consultation to seek input on the renewals of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) radio and television licences. The CRTC will be looking at the CBC’s overall mandate in terms of programming and conditions of licence. The comments and discussions resulting from this consultation will be considered for the upcoming hearing beginning on September 12, 2011, in Gatineau, Quebec, as well as form part of the public record. Read more
Defining Moments: Discovering our Canadian Stories Contest
Defining Moments: Discovering our Canadian Stories is a national digital media arts and citizenship project aimed at engaging youth across Canada to explore, express and showcase their diverse perspectives on Canadian identity. The aim of the program is to foster cross-cultural participation among youth through regionally coordinated workshops along with a national art contest and traveling exhibition. The project aims to increase young Canadians’ understanding of, and attachment to Canada through a creative and collaborative process. Read more
Marshall McLuhan: Is the Medium Still the Message? by Allan Sheppard – Reprised
McLuhan Marshall photographed in 1974 by Canadian photographer Yousef Karsh
The following article written (for the most part) by Allan Sheppard is reprised from the first issue of mediamag.ca published in October 2002. It’s re-appearance here is to offer a ‘mashup’ of Allan’s text and my additions as my birthday gift to Marshall McLuhan on his 100th birthday. It seems appropriate to reprise and revisit Allan’s still relevant, insightful and delightfully provocative article on McLuhan in celebration of birthdays, McLuhan’s and ours (next year I celebrate the 10th birthday as the first online magazine in Alberta with mediamag.ca). Without (yet) Allan’s permission, I have taken the liberty of adding photographs I shot at other McLuhan centenary celebrations: the June 23, 2011 in Edmonton at the opening reception of the 12th Annual Convention of the Media Ecology Association at the University of Alberta and the opening reception of Spaces + Places: Visioning McLuhan @ 100 at Latitude 53 later that evening, as well as embedding YouTube videos that I think illustrate important points Allan makes in his 2002 article. I have also added comments that support my and many other people’s claims that McLuhan’s ideas are as relevant in today’s digital world as they were in his lifetime, despite that these communication channels were not yet invented until long after his death thirty years ago on New Year’s Eve 1980 in Toronto. Read more
Alberta to Launch a New Alberta Industry Technology Association
In an interview by Cheryl Croucher for Innovation Anthology on June 16, 2011, Dr. Perry Kinkaide talks about his assignment over the next 150 days — to help pull together Alberta’s various technology associations under the umbrella of the Alberta Industry Technology Association in order to promote a diversified economy. He’s also the founder and president of the Alberta Council of Technologies. The question is: Can a new association kickstart the diversification of Alberta’s economy beyond oil and gas? Read more
Mitch Joel: Mentor, Author, Podcaster, Blogger, and Canada’s Social Media Maverick
On my way back from an all too short vacation in Vancouver this May long weekend, I wandered into the airport bookstore before my flight. Mitch Joel’s “Six Pixels of Separation” caught my eye. He had unknowingly become my social media mentor at and long after one of the most informative, engaging, and inspirational workshops I have attended on social media, or any other subject. It was hosted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau in Calgary in May 2007 (“Social Media Marketing + 2.0″). Social media and Marshall McLuhan’s observation that the media was (would become? has always been”) the message was just emerging as a force to be reckoned with by mainstream media, book and magazine publishers, music and film producers and baby-boomer communication professionals like me, and I was eager to learn how and why.
Blogging for Business With Pleasure Workshop | June 29 | Edmonton
Blogging has been part of the media landscape for over a decade. From personal journals to big corporate marketing, the medium has matured to become a central role in communications. The power of blogging has been recognized by the business community, and canny marketers view it as a powerful tool in their digital toolbox. Done well, blogging can bring a myriad of benefits to businesses of any size, writers, entrepreneurs and nonprofit community organizations. Done badly, it can cause more harm than good. Central to the success of any business blogger is a thorough understanding of the technology and the various blogging options and extensions available. See more and register for the workshop.
Spring 2011 PPM Ratings for Calgary and Edmonton Radio Stations
PPM Ratings for Calgary and Edmonton FM radio stations from the thirteen week period covering February 28 to May 29, 2011:
Calgary: QR77 leads the way for A12+ with a 10.2% share (up from 9.6%) followed closely by XL103FM with a 9.9% share (up from 9.7%). 96.9 JACK-FM is popular with the ladies, taking #1 spot for F25-54, delivering an 12.4% share (down from 12.5%). For M25-54, JACK-FM also leads the way with a 12.8% share (up from 11.6%). X92.9 takes top spot for M18-34, posting an 18.1% share (up from 15.4%). Read more
Theatre Alberta Seeking Submissions for Annual Playbill
Looking for new ways to advertise your upcoming theatre season? Theatre Alberta’s Playbill is the only resource available in Alberta listing professional, community, and educational theatre productions together in a month-by-month format. Listing your season on the 2011/2012 Playbill poster is free as a benefit of group membership with Theatre Alberta. Please note that Group Membership must be valid through to the last day of your final season production. Contact Theatre Alberta today for more information on the many benefits of group membership. The rate for non-members to list productions on Playbill is still only $20/listing.
Read more
Poll says Alberta’s Wildrose Alliance Within Striking Distance? Maybe, But Don’t Bet on It
Here in Manitoba, it takes a little longer for news from Alberta to make its way up the swollen Red River to Winnipeg, where the major story of the day is whether the town’s new NHL hockey team is to be named the delightfully retro Jets, or something new. So it was rather late when we learned the startling news that back in Alberta the Wildrose Alliance is within “striking distance” of the governing Conservatives, and according to a public opinion poll, no less. Well, maybe… But the poll on which these reports are based needs to be considered with caution, and quite possibly taken with the traditional grain of salt. There are many questions that must be answered about the poll before it can be taken seriously.
This post is from David Climenhaga, a well read political blogger from Alberta and this month’s featured media personality.
See more about David Climenhaga and his Aberta Diary.
Read the rest of this article on rabble.ca.
CFPA Report: Digital Transitions and the Impact of New Technology on the Arts in Canada
The objectives of the report were to provide an overview of current knowledge on the theme of digital transition and the impact of new technology on the arts in order to suggest how changes in the arts and society brought about by digital technologies affect Canadian public arts funders. By David Poole with assistance from Sophie Le-Phat Ho for the CPAF Strategic Development Meeting on Digital Transitions, March 10, 2011. View the 64 page report.
Rogers to Launch 24-hour News Channel Fall 2011
The 24-hour news channel market in Canada is about to get more crowded. Rogers Communications Inc. is launching a new specialty network, CityNews Channel, in October. The company already runs a 24-hour news radio station – 680 News – in markets such as Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver, and broadcasts local TV newscasts across the country. It also publishes weekly news magazine Maclean’s and other magazines such as Hello! Canada and Today’s Parent. All of those brands will contribute to the new channel. Read more
Marilyn
Jones is a corporate and social media advocate for individuals, small businesses
and nonprofit organizations in Alberta. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada and is the proprietor of RiverCity Productions. You can contact her
by phone at 780-695-5675 or by email at marilyn@mediamag.ca.