Dare We Hope for Another Cultural Renaissance in Alberta Under Alison Redford and the PCs?
Much as I admire Graham Hicks, it’s not often our politics align. His article “Wildrose bad for E-Town” in today’s Edmonton Sun, made me stop and think and, dare I say, hope. I agree with his argument that, “a change of government, any change, after 40 years is attractive. Away with the PC’s arrogance, entitlement and intimidation.” I couldn’t express my thoughts better. I also agree with him that: “The most practical course for Edmontonians to save our jobs, to prevent corporate pullouts to Calgary, to not be second class citizens in our own province, is to hold our nose and vote Conservative.” Hicks points out that in the past, whenever governing parties had a strong majority, typically Edmonton got the “shaft”. And he offers convincing evidence of this consequence many times in Alberta’s recent past. Read more 
LIVE! with Kelly Ripa to Broadcast from Banff, Alberta from April 2 – 5, 2012
As LIVE! with Kelly gets ready to travel to Banff, Alberta for four shows from April 2-5 at 9 a.m. ET on CTV, it was revealed on March 20 that Mark Consuelos, Peter Facinelli and Chris Harrison will be joining Kelly Ripa as co-hosts for the Canadian-based shows. The March 20 announcement follows the exclusive reveal last week that ETALK co-anchor Ben Mulroney will be co-hosting with Kelly on Thursday, April 5. During the show’s visit to Canada, LIVE! WITH KELLY will also showcase the abundant outdoor activities that Alberta has to offer. From snowshoeing and dog sledding, to torchlight skiing and cat skiing, LIVE! is taking advantage of it all in the midst of the breathtaking majesty of Banff National Park. Read more
Kevin Taft Launches “Follow the Money: Where is Alberta’s Wealth Going?” with Short Film by Tom Radford
(Edmonton, CNW, January 18, 2012) How is it that a province as wealthy as Alberta is running deficits and says it must cut public services? Where is Alberta’s huge wealth really going? Those are two of the central questions that author Kevin Taft attempts to answer in a hard-hitting, fact-filled new book called “Follow the Money,” released today in Edmonton. Taft is a best-selling author and former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party. The book exposes the “big lie” that spending on public services in Canada’s richest province is out of control and that Alberta can no longer afford to fund things like education and health care at current levels. Oil is selling at $100/barrel, Alberta’s economy is booming, and still the government is cutting services and running deficits. Read more
John Yerxa Founder of Hot 107 FM Radio in Edmonton Sells Station To Harvard Broadcasting
In a media release dated December 21, 2011 Harvard Broadcasting announced they had received approval from the CRTC to purchase HOT 107FM in Edmonton at the request of John Yerxa, due to health issues. HOT 107 signed on in Edmonton on October 6, 2009 with a CHR format and has quickly established a strong presence in the Edmonton market. The release points out that “Edmonton is one of Canada’s largest English-language radio markets and is extremely competitive, 30 radio stations are licensed to serve the city, including 16 mainstream commercial radio stations. The acquisition brings together the two remaining stand alone commercial stations allowing them to better compete on both a local and national level.” Although health circumstances factored into my decision to sell,” said John Yerxa, “in selecting Harvard, I truly believe I am doing what is best for my staff and the local Edmonton radio market”. Read more
Submissions Invited for the 2012 Alberta Screenwriters Initiative Until March 12, 2012
The Alberta Association of Motion Picture and Television Unions (AAMPTU) is seeking submissions for the 2012 Alberta Screenwriters Initiative. Feature film scripts of any genre, to a maximum length of 250 pages, from an Alberta based writer, are eligible. Limited to one entry per person. The Initiative is open to new and experienced screenwriters. The assessment of script/ screenplays includes evaluation of the writer’s creativity, original voice, theme, character development, plot and overall quality of writing. Any and all genres (e.g. horror, romantic comedy, action, animation etc.) will be equally weighted. All entries must be submitted in industry standard feature-length screenplay format. Read more
CRTC Inviting Applicants for New Calgary Radio Station for Hearing in February 2012
With recent news from the CRTC for a call from applicants for the Calgary market, Puget Sound Radio reports the following companies have now submitted applications. The CRTC hearing will take place on 6 February 2012 at 9:00 a.m., at The Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, 1316-33rd Street N. E., Calgary, Alberta, to consider the following applications: Read more
Alberta Views Invites Submissions to its Photo Contest By December 31
AlbertaViews Magazine is looking for a surprising view of Alberta. The winner will be awarded $1,000 and published in Alberta Views in 2012. All entries must include a short statement of intent (including location and subject matter, max. 150 words). Photos will be judged anonymously. Your name must not appear in the image, the filename or the statement of intent. All entries must be original and unpublished. All photographs should be submitted as a jpeg or pdf and be under 20 MB in size. Read more
Kid-Friendly and Parent-Approved: Bell Media Launches All-New, 24-Hour Music Video Channel Today
Kids who can’t get enough of music and pop stars can quench their thirst with Juicebox, an all-new, commercial-free, music video channel devoted specifically to pre-teens, launching today. Formerly the all-request music video channel PunchMuch, Juicebox is the only channel of its kind in Canada, offering music-loving kids, parent-approved music programming, 24-7. Juicebox is available on more than 30 carriers across the country, including Bell TV (channel 578) and Rogers (channel 707). For kids and parents on the go, the same kid-safe videos can be viewed online at juiceboxtv.ca. Read more
CTV Wakes Up Marketing Efforts for CTV MORNING LIVE
Toronto, ON (November 9, 2011) – CTV revealed details today of a comprehensive marketing campaign to generate awareness for its newly launched local morning programs, CTV MORNING LIVE. The creative copy and messaging centers on the tag line “It’s everything you need,” enforcing CTV MORNING LIVE’s mission to provide viewers with the key information they need to start their busy day: local news, weather and traffic in a friendly and fast-paced format. CTV Winnipeg was the first of six local CTV stations to launch its morning show in early October, followed by CTV stations in Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, and Edmonton. Vancouver is the final market to launch CTV MORNING LIVE when its new morning program premieres next Monday, Nov.14. Read more
“St Albert Leader” Weekly Newspaper Launched in St Albert on October 20, 2011
On October 20, 2011 St Albert gained a new weekly newspaper — the St Albert Leader. Edited by Glenn Cook, former editor of the now defunct Saint City News that ceased publishing this past June and published by Rob LeLacheur, former GM of the Golddust Casino in St Albert and son of Rick LeLacheur soon to be former Edmonton Eskimos CEO. The newspaper will publish 20,000 copies every Thursday for distribution by Sun Media. Sun Media also prints the paper and provides editorial services. Read more
Astral Media to Launch On-Demand Streaming Music and Music Video Service
Astral Radio, a division of Astral Media Inc., will launch an on-demand streaming music and music video service. Available online and on mobile devices, the innovative service is Astral Radio’s most recent initiative to reach listeners beyond the airwaves. “Astral Radio continues its long history of innovation in the digital space and we are excited to be the first radio broadcaster in North America to bring this on-demand offering to Canadian music fans in both English and French,” said Charles Benoit, Executive Vice President at Astral Radio. Read more
Shaw and Cisco Plan an Extensive WiFi Network in Western Canada for 2012
Shaw and Cisco announced announced an agreement this past September to deploy an extensive and advanced wifi network in Western Canada. The broadband wireless network will be available to Shaw customers. The network will allow Shaw customers to connect Wi-Fi enabled devices like tablets, mobile phones and computers to thousands of wifi access points in Shaw’s communities. Data usage and the demand for connectivity continue to increase: according to Cisco’s Visual Networking Index Forecast , there will be nearly 15 billion network connections by 2015. 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.