Conrad Black loses appeal at U.S. Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from former media mogul Conrad Black challenging his two remaining convictions on fraud and obstruction of justice. The court did not comment on the order. Last year, the justices curtailed the “honest services” laws used to convict Black of defrauding Hollinger International investors.
An appeals court subsequently reversed two convictions, but left two others in place. He is scheduled to be resentenced on June 24.

Pakistani journalist found dead after reported arrest by intelligence agency

Pakistan is reeling after news that journalist Saleem Shahzad’s body was discovered near his abandoned car in Islamabad. Shahzad went missing Sunday night, his family said, after he left his home heading for a local TV station. Almost immediately after his disappearance, Human Rights Watch issued a release saying it had reason to believe Shahzad had been arrested by Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. His body was found with signs that he had been tortured, according to local news reports.
Operating as an objective, honest journalist in Pakistan is like navigating a minefield. Reporters Without Borders has noted news media freedom in Pakistan has plunged in recent years and it is now among the world’s most dangerous places to report from. Last year, 11 journalists were killed in Pakistan, the organization said.

The battle of the breakfast babble

It's shaping up as the Battle of the Breakfast Babble. This flash is written in the sky as Rogers Media applies to start its own 24-hour TV news service, CityNews Channel. It will, of course, go head-to-head with CP 24, the CTV local cable yapper. We say this will be a major breakfast title bout because Rogers is no doubt going to return its once supreme Breakfast Television (BT) to 24 hour news. CTV, for its part, is not going to let Rogers muscle in on CP Breakfast turf without a fight. This channel, if approved, will also permit Rogers to place its 6 p.m. news program, CityPulse with Gord Martineau, up against Ken and Christine at CTV Toronto. What remains? Only whether the new CityNews Channel will eat 680 News alive. That's what happened when CP 24 swallowed CHUM-AM, putting all those DJs out of work.--Courtesy the South Bayview Bulldog

Bell's A network renamed CTV Two

Bell Media announced Monday that it will change the name of its A network to CTV Two this fall. The change will coincide with the launch of the network in high definition, and its expansion into the full Toronto extended market next year.
The move will affect local stations serving Vancouver, Toronto, southwestern Ontario, Ottawa and Atlantic Canada, including the conversion of A News outlets in these markets under the CTV News banner. CTV is also moving forward with plans to add a re-broadcast transmitter in southern Ontario in 2012. Extending the reach of the current transmitter in Barrie, Ont., the move will create a larger simulcast opportunity for advertisers in the Toronto/Hamilton extended market, subject to CRTC approval. The new CTV Two schedule will include eight new programs to the network, seven in simulcast.

Citytv, 680 and Maclean’s team on 24-hour news channe

Rogers has announced plans to launch CityNews Channel, a new 24-hour, local news channel in Toronto that will combine their various brands across radio, publishing and television.

"We're taking the number one news radio format in Canada, 680 News, and bringing it to television under the brand of CityNews Channel," said Scott Moore, President, Rogers Broadcasting, in a release. "By incorporating our trailblazing and trusted news brands from CityNews, 680 News, and publishing – including Canada's most trusted news magazine, Maclean's – CityNews Channel is poised to be the destination local news channel.”

The new channel will be available to digital subscribers in October.

It will feature an interactive screen, likely in a similar format to CP24, which this new station has been created as a response too.

CP24 was originally created as an extension of the Citytv brand but is now owned by Bell Media.