Peter Calamai dead at 75

Peter Calamai died at his home in Stratford, Ont., today (Tuesday). He was 75.

Calamai  began his professional career at the Hamilton Spectator before moving to Southam News and postings that took him to London, Nairobi, Washington, Vancouver and Ottawa.Calamai then served as editorial page editor of the Ottawa Citizen before moving to the Toronto Star in 1998 and the job of national science reporter. He retired from the Star in 2008 but stayed active as a freelance writer and editor.
Star obit by Bruce Campion-Smith

Reporter who helped expose corrupt FIFA official killed in professional hit, employer says

An investigative journalist in Ghana who helped expose a high-ranking official at world soccer body FIFA as corrupt was shot dead by gunmen on a motorbike as he drove home alone at night, police said Thursday.
His employers said he was assassinated.
Ahmed Hussein-Suale was killed late Wednesday, shot twice in the chest and once in the neck at close range while driving in the suburb of Accra where he lived. He died immediately, according to police.
Tiger Eye PI, the investigative journalism house Hussein-Suale worked for, said it had the hallmarks of a professional hit. (AP)

Journalist Zuhair Kashmeri, author of books on the Air India bombing, has died at age 72

Zuhair Kashmeri, a well known journalist who wrote two books about the Air India bombing and scored a rare interview with Yasser Arafat. died Dec. 21, 2018, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., of heart-related issues at the age of 72.

He wrote hundreds of articles for the Globe and Mail over 15 years, covering crime, business and financial scandals.

He was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, on Dec. 3, 1946.

He earned diplomas in journalism from the city’s Siddhartha College and another from the London School of Journalism in England.

Full obit by Ron Csilag in the Globe and Mail (subscription needed) 

CRTC chairman defends against critics, says regulator remains committed to net neutrality

The Globe and Mail's Christine Dobby writes:

"CRTC chairman Ian Scott says the telecom regulator remains committed to net neutrality, responding to claims that he wants to water down protections around the free flow of information online.

"The federal government is conducting a sweeping review of broadcast and telecom legislation and Mr. Scott came under fire in the fall for saying that any new laws should continue to allow for “flexibility” in the application of net neutrality.

"Net neutrality is the principle that internet providers should treat all traffic equally and not block or prioritize content. Mr. Scott said in a November speech that there could be instances involving public safety, remote medical procedures or self-driving cars “where a certain flexibility will be required.”

"His remarks spurred a backlash from consumer group OpenMedia, which has collected almost 15,000 signatures for an online petition to 'Save Net Neutrality in Canada.' The group argues that the CRTC, along with telecom industry lobbyists, is pushing for looser regulations following the repeal of net neutrality rules in the United States."

Full story (subscription needed)

John M. Scott, editor of TIME Canada has died

John M. Scott, editor of the Canadian edition of TIME magazine in Montreal from 1962 to 1973, died on December 20, 2018. He was 88.
He was editor-in-chief of the McGill Daily while studying at the university. He later became a reporter and assistant city editor of the Montreal Gazette before joining TIME in New York in 1957. In 1962, he returned to Montreal as head of the magazine's first editorial office outside New York.
In 1973, John became chief of the Time-Life bureau in London. After Time closed its Canadian editorial edition in 1976, he stayed on as Time's Ottawa bureau chief, retiring in 1984. He died in the Magog, Quebec, hospital, near to his home in Georgeville, Quebec.

Paul Godfrey steps down as Postmedia CEO, Andrew MacLeod set to take over

Paul Godfrey is stepping down as chief executive officer of Postmedia Network and will be replaced by Andrew MacLeod, the company announced Thursday.
Godfrey, who turns 80 on Saturday, remains as executive chair, serving as a member of the senior management team and adviser to MacLeod. (Toronto Star)
Full story

Veteran film and video editor Tom Latimer dead at 78

Tom Latimer, long-time free-lance film and video editor  at CTV, has died at age 78. According an email from a friend, he had a sudden cardiac arrest at Bloor and Church Streets on December 27.
A funeral service will be held  on Monday, January 14, at 12 noon at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Avenue West.
Funeral home obituary