New CRTC head

Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has appointed the next head of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

Vicky Eatrides will serve as the broadcasting regulator’s chair and CEO for a five-year term starting on Jan. 5.

Eatrides was most recently an assistant deputy minister at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, a role she took on in 2019 after serving in several senior roles at the Competition Bureau.

She replaces Ian Scott, who has been the CRTC chair since 2017.

The change in leadership comes as the regulator finds itself in the national spotlight with two controversial government bills that aim to give the CRTC new powers making their way through Parliament. (CP)

CTV names interim new VP of News

 

CTV has a named Richard Gray  as interim vice-president of news, replacing Michael Melling who took leave after the ouster of key anchor Lisa LaFlamme.

“Michael Melling has been reassigned to VP Shared Services, and will not be returning to CTV’s news operations,” according to an internal memo from Bell Media.

Melling’s move followed an independent third-party review of the CTV National newsroom started in late August and conducted by leading employment lawyer Sarah Crossley.

“The goal of this review was to gather information about the culture, environment and practices in the CTV National newsroom, with a view to identifying any issues, concerns or areas for improvement so that we could then work to address them,” according to the memo.

It highlighted several findings, including a need for greater civility and respect in the newsroom, and a desire to improve working conditions, as well as a culture where “people are sometimes afraid to raise concerns for fear of reprisal or inaction.”

LaFlamme’s termination, a move some laid at the feet of Melling, sparked outrage among viewers and initiated a nationwide conversation on sexism and ageism in workplaces.

U.S. sports writer dies during World Cup

 

Grant Wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the United States, died early Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands.

U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in the media tribune at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance. Emergency services workers responded very quickly, the reporters said, and the reporters later were told that Wahl had died.

Wahl tweeted on Wednesday that he had celebrated his birthday that day. American reporters who knew Wahl said he was 49.

Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup. He wrote Monday on his website that he had visited a medical clinic while in Qatar.

67 journalists and media workers have been killed this year

BRUSSELS (AP) — Russia’s war in Ukraine, chaos in Haiti and rising violence by criminal groups in Mexico contributed to a sharp spike in the number of journalists killed doing their work in 2022, according to a new report released Friday.

The International Federation of Journalists says that 67 journalists and media staff have been killed around the world so far this year, up from 47 last year.

The Brussels-based group also tallied 375 journalists currently imprisoned for their work, with the highest figures in China including Hong Kong, in Myanmar and in Turkey. Last year’s report listed 365 journalists behind bars.

With the number of media workers killed on the rise, the IFJ and other media rights groups have called on governments to take more concrete action to protect journalists and free journalism.

“The failure to act will only embolden those who seek to suppress the free flow of information and undermine the ability of people to hold their leaders to account, including in ensuring that those with power and influence do not stand in the way of open and inclusive societies,” IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said in a statement.

More media workers were killed covering the war in Ukraine — 12 in total — than in any other country this year, according to the IFJ. Most were Ukrainian but also included those of other nationalities such as American documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud. Many deaths occurred in the first chaotic weeks of the war, though threats to journalists continue as the fighting drags on.

Hundreds walk out at New York Times

 Hundreds of journalists and other employees at The New York Times 

began a 24-hour walkout Thursday, the first strike of its kind at the newspaper in more than 40 years.

Newsroom employees and other members of The NewsGuild of New York say they are fed up with bargaining that has dragged on since their last contract expired in March 2021. The union announced last week that more than 1,100 employees would stage a 24-hour work stoppage starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday unless the two sides reach a contract deal.

The NewsGuild tweeted Thursday morning that workers, “are now officially on work stoppage, the first of this scale at the company in 4 decades. It’s never an easy decision to refuse to do work you love, but our members are willing to do what it takes to win a better newsroom for all.”

Negotiations took place Tuesday and some of Wednesday, but the sides remained far apart on issues including wage increases and remote-work policies. (AP)