CBC applies to change broadcasting licenses, extend right to air national radio ads

The CBC has applied to change its broadcasting licences for CBC Radio 2 and its French language counterpart, ICI Musique, to allow the stations to continue to air paid national ads through 2018, the Financial Post reports.
The public broadcaster was first granted a licence by the CRTC to sell ads on its flagship music stations in 2013, but the license is due to expire at the end of August.
The decision to air commercial advertising on public radio – for the first time in Canada in more than three decades – was not without controversy. At the time, then-CRTC Vice-Chair Tom Pentefountas made a scathing dissent of the regulator’s decision, saying there would be “a slippery slope once the door is opened to the commercialization of public radio… As a consequence, a distinct service that is highly appreciated by the public will be completely altered and lost forever.”
More

BBC retrenching -- "Independent" story

The Independent reports that the BBC is to shut down its food and Newsbeat websites as part of plans to save £15 million and address criticism that the Corporation is unfairly competing with commercial online publishers.
The plans will mean that around 11,000 recipes will disappear from BBC sites – and, in future, recipes linked to programme will only be available for a month after transmission.
But the corporation was forced to admit that rather than being deleted the recipes would only be archived – and would still be available for people to search for.
Full story

Fox News Is literally dying of old age as younger viewers refuse to watch Fox

Audience data for 2015 contains bad news for Fox News. Fox continues to march towards extinction as the average age of Fox News, primetime viewers is stuck at 68, while the revitalized CNN saw their average viewer age drop to 59, Politicus USA reports.
TVNewser reported, “Through Dec. 15 (which was the day of the last GOP debate), CNN’s median age was 61 years old for total day, and 59 years old for prime time (Monday-Sunday). MSNBC’s audience is two years older, at 63 (for both total day and prime time), while FNC’s is 67 for total day and 68 in prime time. For both MSNBC and FNC, that’s the oldest level on record in both dayparts.”
Daytime audiences are always going to skew older, so the level playing field is in primetime. Both MSNBC and Fox News tried a similar strategy of promoting younger on screen talent to attract younger viewers. Both networks have seen their audience grow older.
CNN took a different path. The network’s mix of primetime news, documentaries, and original series has drawn younger viewers their programming.

CRTC says cable companies not offering fair $25 basic TV deals risk licence renewal

If their $25 basic TV packages fail to meet CRTC expectations, cable companies could face trouble as they try to renew their broadcast licences.
In a surprise move, Canada's broadcast regulator recently demanded detailed reports on providers' new basic TV packages as part of their licence renewal process.
Within weeks, the commission will make those reports public. And Canadians will then be invited to wade in and tell the CRTC what they think.
"We'll take all those comments into consideration as we come up with a decision to renew [TV providers'] licences," said CRTC spokesman Eric Rancourt.
He added the CRTC could impose conditions on companies not offering the type of TV deals mandated by the commission. (CBC)
Full story

Postmedia's Godfrey wants tax breaks, bigger government ad spending

Postmedia president and CEO Paul Godfrey has called on Ottawa to spend more on Canadian newspaper ads, and to give greater tax breaks to companies that do the same.
He made the plea Thursday to a Commons committee examining the future of the country's struggling local media.
"Come back and advertise in our newspapers and on our websites," Godfrey pleaded, noting that government cuts to advertising in recent years have disproportionately affected newspapers.
The Liberals on the committee were quick to accuse Godfrey of contradicting himself. Postmedia has been among the strongest critics of government spending on advertising, said Liberal MP Adam Vaughan.
"There have been no fiercer critics of subsidies to the media than the Toronto Sun and the National Post," Vaughan said of two of Postmedia's flagship papers. "How do you square your editorial position with your corporate position?"
Godfrey responded by saying Postmedia columnists are given leeway to write articles that contradict their own company's positions on political and other issues.
CBC story