The World in Words
Although terms like “globalization” are invoked regularly by political leaders, public discussion about their meaning and the values they imply is mostly unsystematic and uncoordinated. Countries with common interests and concerns too often talk past each other.
2008
Wednesday 06 August 2008 MONTREAL: QUEBECOR SET FOR WIRELESS BREAKTHROUGH
Quebecor Media CEO Pierre-Karl Péladeau says the company is well-placed to compete in the wireless market in Quebec after bidding $555 million in the spectrum auction concluded by Industry Canada last month. Quebecor won 17 licences to provide advanced wireless services throughout the province. Mr. Péladeau noted that Quebecor will be the only new entrant into Quebec, contrary to the rest of the country. The CEO says the company has paid one-fifth of the $555 million already, the rest being due on Sept. 3. The transaction will be financed by an offering of US$455 million of 10-year notes. Mr. Péladeau made the comments while releasing the second-quarter results of Quebecor Inc., the parent firm, revealing net profits of $57.3 million. The results don't include the bankrupt printing concern Quebecor World, which is valued at zero.
Thursday Jul 24, 2008 Earnings fall at New York Times
New York Times Co. said yesterday its quarterly profit fell with a 12-per-cent decline in newspaper advertising, but results...
Thursday Jul 3, 2008 The brave new world of Web news sites
All the News That's Fit to Print. So goes the motto of the New York Times. But within the restricted...
Tuesday 20 May 2008 NEW YORK: THOMSON REUTERS CUTS PERSONNEL
The Associated Press reports that the financial information firm Thomson Reuters will cut 1,500 of its 50,000 jobs to eliminate overlap after the merger between the Canadian firm Thomson Corp. and London-based Reuters Groups PLC that was completed on April 17. Thomson paid US$15.8 billion to acquire Reuters. AP's unnamed source told the agency that the job reductions will be carried out by the end of the year and include 140 editorial positions. The two companies have overlaps in news operations and services which provide earnings estimates of publicly trade companies. Thomson Reuters said on May 1 that it expected to save $1 billion a year by 2010 by eliminating redundant posts.
Sunday May 18, 2008 The Suburban now 135,000 copies
The Suburban is pleased to announce the expansion of its West Island edition to encompass Vaudreuil-Dorion, Pincourt, Île Bizard and Île Perrot. Distribution will be expanded by 12 percent. Thousands of homes will be served by door-to-door delivery and even more residents will be reached through depot drops. The drops will include highly accessible locations such as pharmacies, supermarkets, banks... Full Story
Saturday May 3, 2008 La Presse journalists cited for courage
Joël-Denis Bellavance and Gilles Toupin of La Presse's Ottawa bureau are the winners of the 10th Annual.
It was a bad year for press freedom in the world
I t's World Press Freedom Day today, and it would be nice to report that things are getting better - but they aren't. Dictators, madmen and just plain thugs are still having their way - and, what is most discouraging, having it with impunity. In many places, the safest crime in the world - literally - is to whack a journalist.
Friday Apr 11, 2008 The Newseum, dedicated to the story of journalism,
WASHINGTON — Look through the glass walls of a television studio at the Newseum — the much-heralded $450 million museum created by, for and about news acolytes, news reporters, newshounds, newsreaders, news watchers, newsmakers and news advocates that opens on Friday — and you get an imposing view of the Capitol. But that also means that from the Capitol you also have a clear view of the glass facade of the Newseum, which is part of the point.
Monday Feb 18, 2008 Media are getting all lathered up over nothing
A controversy has been ignited over the climate of free speech in Canada. Ezra Levant republished the Dutch "Mohammed-as-bomber" cartoon, triggering a human-rights complaint against him in Alberta. Maclean's published excerpts from journalist Mark Steyn's book about the implications of population growth among Muslims. The Canadian Islamic Congress asked for equal editorial "time" to reply. Macleans refused. Complaints were then filed by the Canadian Islamic Congress in B.C. and in Ontario.
Friday 15 February 2008 New York Times Plans to Cut 100 Newsroom Jobs After years of resisting the newsroom cuts that have hit most of the industry, The New York Times will bow to growing financial strain and eliminate about 100 newsroom jobs this year, the executive editor said Thursday.
Sunday 03 February 2008 TORONTO: TRANSPLANT MASTERMIND MAY BE IN CANADA
The officer in charge of the investigation into an illegal kidney transplant ring in India says the alleged mastermind has family ties to Canada and may have fled to Canada. Police Commissioner Mohinder Lal said Friday Amit Kumar is the primary suspect in the ring and that Canadian authorities have been asked to assist in the investigation. Mr. Lal said Mr. Kumar's wife and two sons are in Canada, but he doesn't know where. The 40-year-old Kumar became the subject of an international manhunt late Thursday after Interpol issued a red notice for his arrest. A second notice, posted on the international policing agency's website, calls for the arrest of 36-year-old Jeevan Rawat. Both doctors are wanted in India on counts of "illegal transplanting of kidneys, cheating and criminal conspiracy." The illegal operation was located in a suburb of New Delhi. Police say kidneys were removed from up to 500 poor labourers and sold to wealthy patients. It has not been established if the victims were paid for their organs.
Thursday 24 January 2008 Transplant goal 'one step closer'
Scientists may be a step closer to transplanting a kidney without the need for long-term medication.
Thursday 17 January 2008 MONTREAL: QUEBECOR WORLD STOCK CONTINUES TO PLUNGE
Quebecor World (TSX:IQW) took a beating on the stock market Wednesday after the struggling printing company missed a bank deadline to come up with US$125 million in new financing. The Montreal-based company's shares ended the day Wednesday at 18 cents share, a drop of 60 per cent from Tuesday's close. A year ago, the shares were worth more than $14. The troubled printer said late Tuesday that while the financing condition was not met, it had not received formal notification from a majority of its banking syndicate that the waivers have been cancelled, which is a requirement. Quebecor World has asked for another week to come up with the financing. A proposed $400 million financial lifeline by its parent company Quebecor Inc. (TSX:QBR.B) and Tricap Partners Ltd. is subject to approval by the company's banking syndicate, led by the Royal Bank of Canada.
Thursday 27 December 2007 OTTAWA: MOUNTIES TOP CONRAD BLACK IN CP VOTE
The Canadian Press news agency has named the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as Canada's Newsmaker of the Year for 2007. The Mounties came out on top in the annual poll of newspaper editors and radio and television news directors. Voters gave a variety of reasons for their selection. Halifax Daily News editor Jack Romanelli says many of the stories about the RCMP shook the traditional view of the force as a symbol of national identity. They included the continuing fallout over the Maher Arar affair, new scrutiny from the Air India inquiry and the furore over the taser-related death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski. The Mounties, who drew 37 votes, edged convicted newspaper baron Conrad Black who came second with 27 votes. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was third with 15 votes. Others named in the poll with the votes they received were Robert Dziekanski (14), Maher Arar (8), Robert Pickton (8), Rick Hillier (5), Brian Mulroney (5), Karlheinz Schreiber (5), Mario Dumont (4), The Canadian Dollar (3), Myriam Bedard (1), Stephane Dion (1), Brad Wall (1), Dalton McGuinty (1) and Danny Williams (1). The Canadian Soldier topped the vote for 2006. [waht a pitty]
Video 1 hr 17 min 41 sec - Sep 14, 2004 OUTFOXED : Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism Outfoxed examines how media empires, led by Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, have been running a "race to the bottom" in television news. This ... all » film provides an in-depth look at Fox News and the dangers of ever-enlarging corporations taking control of the public's right to know. Thanks to David Mitchell
Tuesday 31 July 2007 rci MONTREAL: QUEBECOR GETS REGULATORY GREEN LIGHT FOR NEWSPAPER DEAL
Quebecor Inc. says its proposed takeover of Osprey Media Income Fund has received the benediction of the Canadian Competition Bureau and that it won't oppose its acquisition of some of the country's most venerable newspapers. Quebecor outbid a rival offer by Vancouver-based Black Press by offering $8.45 per unit, or $414 million. Osprey owns 20 daily newspapers in Ontario that account for 16 per cent of the province's daily newspaper circulation. Osprey says it accept Quebecor's offer but remains open to a better one until Aug. 3
Tuesday 26 June 2007 TORONTO: QUEBECOR IN MAJOR MEDIA ACQUISITION
Quebecor Media, a subsidiary of Quebecor Inc., has announced it is buying competitor Osprey Media Income Fund in a friendly deal worth $516.9 million, including debt. Quebecor Media CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau says the transaction will consolidate its role as a leader in the industry. Osprey says its directors have recommended unanimously that its unitholders accept the offer. Osprey Media owns 54 Canadian newspapers, including such titles as the St. Catharines Standard, the Kingston Whig-Standard and the Peterborough Examiner. Quebecor Executive Vice-president Luc Lavoie says the company intends to respect the traditions of its new titles, pointing out that Quebecor didn't change the London Free Press into a tabloid after acquiring it in 1998. Mr. Lavoie added, however, that newspapers have to be managed differently to eliminate duplication and to centralize functions like layout and the design of international news pages, which he says allows them to provide the local coverage that distinguishes them from the mass of information available on the Internet or through giveaway dailies.
June 07, 2007
Wednesday 02 May 2007 Rupert Murdoch Offers $5 Billion Bid for Dow Jones The unsolicited offer could set in motion the kind of takeover saga that readers might find in The Wall Street Journal, the flagship publication of Dow Jones.
Wednesday 04 April 2007
The sale of Chicago-s Tribune Co. including the Los Angeles Times to Sam Zell, known apparently as the "gravedancer" because of his enthusiasm for purchasing businesses in decline, is generating some controversy, mostly concerning the L.A. Times ownership which has attracted a class="b2" href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/03/business/papers.php" onmouseover="return overlib('click to Washingtonpost', LEFT);" onmouseout="return nd();" target="_" >California bidders There are the inevitable questions from the staff about an owner who knows nothing about newspapers. Maybe they would prefer ', LEFT);" onmouseout="return nd();" target="_" >Lord Black?
Wednesday 14 February 2007 nyt Libby and Cheney Won’t Testify, Says the Defense ....Judith Miller, formerly of The New York Times, and Matthew Cooper, formerly of Time magazine, testified for the prosecution that Mr. Libby had discussed Ms. Wilson with them. Mr. Russert testified that he never discussed Ms. Wilson with Mr. Libby.....Left unsaid in the exchange was undisputed testimony that Mr. Libby spent nearly two hours on Tuesday, July 8, with Ms. Miller, then a Times reporter. Ms. Miller has testified that Mr. Libby told her in detail about Ms. Wilson at the meeting.
Times
reporter contradicts Libby on stand She spent 85 days in jail rather than reveal a confidential White House source who fed her information justifying the invasion of Iraq. Former New York Times journalist Judith Miller and attorney Robert Bennett arrive at U.S. District Court in Washington yesterday where Miller took the stand in the perjury trial of former White House aide Scooter Libby. But when former New York Times reporter Judith Miller finally took the stand Tuesday in the perjury trial of Lewis (Scooter) Libby, her testimony directly contradicted the man she once sought to protect.
nyt Reporter Who Was Jailed Testifies in Libby Case WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 — Judith Miller, a former reporter for The New York Times, testified Tuesday as a witness for the prosecutor who had put her in jail for 85 days, recounting details of her once-confidential interviews with I. Lewis Libby Jr. Ms. Miller had initially refused to cooperate with the government in its investigation of Mr. Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, saying she would not violate her oath of confidentiality to Mr. Libby. But the special prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, with the support of the federal courts, had her jailed until she relented. She asserted that Mr. Libby had released her from her vow of confidentiality.
2006
Wednesday 27 December 2006 TORONTO: REPORT SHOWS DEADLIEST YEAR FOR JOURNALISTS
A Canadian media rights group says 2006 was the deadliest year on record for journalists worldwide. The Canadian Journalists for Free Expression report that at least 82 journalists were killed this year while doing their jobs -- including 39 in Iraq alone. The group says Mexico is the most dangerous country in the Americas to be a journalist, with nine losing their lives this year. The Philippines also proved a dangerous locale for reporters to work, with seven deaths.
The group says the list of 82 journalists is a stark reminder that those who advocate for freedom of the press must remain vigilant. The group says it hopes the convictions of three people in the Philippines for the murder of a journalist send a clear message that those who attack the media will be "brought to justice."
Monday 25 December 2006 TORONTO: MEDIA STRIKE LOOMS
The union representing 21,000 film, television and radio workers across Canada says a strike could be only days away. The executive director of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, Stephen Waddell, says talks with the producers' association have broken down and that a "major disruption" in the film and television industry seems likely. Last Friday, ACTRA members voted almost unanimously in favour of a strike, a conflict which they would be in a legal position to launch on Jan. 1. Two of the main issues are salaries and the use of performances on the Internet. The union has dismissed the producers' offer of a one per cent wage increase over three years for work on Canadian productions as "outrageous," complaining as well that the producers are asking performers to appear on the Internet for free. A strike would stop almost all television and film work in Canada.
Tuesday 19 December 2006 rvi About 250 Russian journalists held a rally in central Moscow on Sunday to draw attention to the number of their colleagues who've been killed. They read out the names of more than 200 journalists who died violently in the past 15 years. About half died during the presidency of Boris Yeltsin. The other half died during President Vladimir Putin's regime. Worldwide attention was drawn two months ago to the murder of Anna Politkovskaya, who had long criticized the Kremlin. The demonstrators accused the government of failing to investigate the murders properly. The demonstration was conducted under the guard of hundreds of police.
Russia wn news
Tuesday 28 November 2006
And lest we become complacent about matters in the Middle East " Jordan's King Abdullah, who will host President Bush this week during emergency talks on Iraq , said yesterday that the Middle East faces the prospect of three simultaneous civil wars erupting.
Tuesday 28 November 2006 Medical specialists scorn Quebec wage offer "Health Minister Philippe Couillard's latest offer of $430 million in wage hikes is not enough to remove the salary gap Quebec's 8,000 specialists face, a gap the previous provincial government had promised to close, federation president Gaétan Barrette said Monday."
Monday 27 November 2006 NORTEL NETWORKS(NT)US$2.14 – SOBER SECOND THOUGHTS, POST ANALYST DAY. RATING: SECTOR PERFORM. TARGET: US$2.25. RISK RATING: ABOVE AVERAGE. INDUSTRY RATING: UNDERWEIGHT.
Post the analyst day last week, like good little analysts we have taken a look at all the detailed info presented in the slides and presentations. What we found increased our confidence in the cost-cutting side of the story and we have raised our EPS numbers to reflect this – BUT we also found more data points that make us increasingly nervous about the revenue assumptions and the dilution risk. A big part of the call on NT comes down to operating margin assumptions. The company’s best case data is suggesting operating margins should zoom from basically 1% currently to 7% in 2007 and 13-14% in 2008. Uh… we are a little more cautious, but have given the team the benefit of the doubt on the expense items we think they have strong control over – namely R&D and G&A. Our new and more optimistic assumptions have Op Margins at 4% in 2007 and after a few drinks we went to 9% in 2008. Heck why not! It gives us $0.15 in 2008 – making the stock trade at 15x. Despite the 10% growth goal, the company’s data appears to suggest about 3% and 5% growth in 2007 and 2008. We are closer to 1% and 3%. We see two dilutive events in 2007 – 14% more stock will flow into the market in Q1 for the lawsuit settlement and the CFO said he would like to refinance his $1.8 billion 2008 convertible bonds before they go current.
Thursday 16 November 2006 DUBAI
The Arab-language international television network al-Jazeera has launched an English-language service which it claims will be available in 80 million homes through cable and satellite TV. Few Canadians were able to receive the signal. In 2004, Canada's telecommunications regulator gave approval for transmission of al-Jazeera's Arabic language service but said that distributors would be responsible for monitoring its content to ensure that it didn't violate the country's hate laws. The requirement apparently discouraged potential distributors. No major U.S. cable distributors are providing the new service either.
Monday 06 November 2006
Legislation overhaul needed after O'Neill case A radical overhaul of the Security of Information of Act is essential after Friday's decision by the government not to appeal a landmark court ruling declaring significant parts of the antiterrorism law unconstitutional, says a leading national security expert.
Saturday 04 November 2006 Ottawa declines to appeal O'Neill court ruling The federal government will not appeal a court ruling that struck down a key anti-terrorism law in the case of Citizen reporter Juliet O’Neill.
Friday 27 October 2006 TORONTO: THOMSON COMPLETES TRANSFORMATION
Thomson Corp. has announced the completion of its transformation from a newspaper chain to a provider of electronic financial data with its intention to sell its education division. Thomson CEO Richard Harrington says the sale of Thomson Learning will "clarify our strategy." The division is estimated to be worth $5 billion or more. Mr. Harrington says that Thomson Learning, while successful, generates few sales for "workflow solutions," such as value-added data and software services provided to Thomson clients including financiers, lawyers, accountants and scientists.
Friday 13 October 2006 OTTAWA: HIGH COURT BACKS FREELANCERS
The Supreme Court of Canada says that Canadian newspapers are not automatically entitled to put freelancers' articles into electronic databases. The court ruling also said that newspapers may have to pay extra for electronic publishing rights. The court ruled 5 to 4 that freelancers must give their consent for their work to go on databases. But the judges also allowed for the possibility that freelancers had given implied consent when they took on assignments. The four dissenting judges say it is not in the public interest to remove articles because they are used as a primary resource for teachers, students, writers, reporters and researchers.
maisonneuve.orgANCHORWOMAN: THE BALLAD OF KATIE COURIC by Ceri
Au September 6, 2006
Good night and good luck. The iconic catchphrase was known to
millions of Americans as Edward
R. Murrow’s signature closing line to the CBS Evening News. Both as a
reporter and as a news anchor, Murrow was synonymous with the “golden age”
of American journalism. Forty years after his passing, his legacy lives on,
revived for a younger generation by the most recent film
adaptation of his battles with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Yet the
network for whom he toiled has since plummeted to last place in the
ratings, regarded by the American public as a bland source of information.
With the introduction of Katie Couric as the host of its flagship newscast,
CBS hopes the first solo-female evening news anchor on network television
will affect a return to its journalistic
glory days, or at least convince fans of Couric’s NBC morning show to
change channels.
Still reeling from the “Rathergate
Affair,” CBS has staked millions on ad-campaigns, a musical theme song
composed by an Oscar-winning composer, and a new set to compliment a
concept of evening news that the network promotes as less stodgy and
formulaic. With an emphasis on viewer participation, CBS has also
established a Couric
Blog to keep fans up to date with the anchor’s activities. The CBS
website even has an official e-suggestion
form to help Couric select her own iconic closing line for the
broadcast. Unfortunately, the new formula – broadcast for the first time
last night – is not winning everyone over. Washington Post media critic
Howard Kurtz, speaking on CTV
News, labeled Couric’s maiden show as “news light,” citing its
similarities with a network morning show as it featured items such as the
first
baby pictures of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter. The
Post, meanwhile, carries a Canadian Press story that critiques the
broadcast for its lackluster content, Couric’s mispronounced words and her
aesthetic qualities that were on display, including her “famous legs.” No
wonder Couric was quoted on the CBS website saying “I think there is some
residual sexism [in the media industry], and I think women are sort of
judged by different standards.” MediaScout cringes at the thought of “news
light” becoming a stable on broadcasts north of the border, and cringes
even harder at the thought of Peter Mansbridge’s famous legs becoming a
regular feature on The National. However, MediaScout hopes that Katie
Couric will be given the opportunity to demonstrate her journalistic
mettle and not be discounted even before the credits begin to
roll.
Thursday 31 August 2006
Crown admits flaws with O'Neill warrants A Crown attorney admitted in court on Wednesday that there were flaws in the warrants used to carry out a raid against Ottawa Citizen reporter Juliet O'Neill. search wn
Monday 28 August 2006 ts Cameras in combatbr>
The rise of the citizen reporter has been the most important advance in journalism in the 21st century.
Monday May 8, 2006 maisonneuve.org CURING PRESS FREEDOM The
Star and the Globe both go inside with the latest developments in the controversy
surrounding the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The Globe reports
that retired Supreme Court chief justice Antonio Lamer resigned yesterday
from a panel tasked with reforming the journal’s governance structure.
Lamer cited unforeseen health complications as the cause for his
departure. The panel was formed in part to deal with fallout from the
firings of two CMAJ editors in late February, which the journal’s
publisher attributed to “irreconcilable differences.” According to the
Star, former editor Dr. John Hoey and senior deputy editor Anne Marie
Todkill were actually dismissed as a result of an investigation that
demonstrated some pharmacists were invading privacy rights while selling
an emergency contraceptive known as Plan B. When publisher Graham Morris
blocked details of the Plan B investigation, Hoey and Todkill published a
scathing editorial online accusing the journal’s owners, the Canadian
Medical Association, of censorship. Due to a confidentiality agreement,
neither Hoey nor Todkill can publicly discuss the incident. Regardless,
both Hoey and Todkill will be awarded today the National Press Club of
Canada's World Press Freedom award for 2006. “Editors should be free to
express critical but responsible views about all aspects of medicine
without fear of retribution, even if those views might conflict with the
commercial goals of the publisher,” a spokesperson for the award’s
organizing committee said.
Tuesday May 2, 2006 When Medical Devices Fail A society of implant surgeons has come up with sensible proposals to ensure that the medical device industry responds quickly and forthrightly to the discovery of defects in its products.
Tuesday May 2, 2006 rci OTTAWA: CONSERVATIVE PARTY GOVERNMENT CRITICIZED OVER MEDIA POLICY
Controversy continues over the decision by Canada's Conservative Party government to prevent the media from photographing the return of soldiers killed while serving abroad. Last Tuesday at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario, journalists were not allowed to come close to the airplane that transported the remains of Corporal Matthew Dinning from Afghanistan, where he'd been one of four Canadian soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in the previous week. At Mr. Dinning's funeral on Saturday, his father criticized the media ban. The defence critic for the opposition Liberal Party, Ujjal Dosanjh, is also severely criticizing it, comparing it to a similar controversial ban by the United States government. A former leading Canadian astronaut who comes from an old military family, Marc Garneau, expressed doubt that the government consulted military people before it made its decision about the ban. In his opinion, it is "important for Canadians to be able to see the return of our soldiers... It is a grief that the country shares." The Conservative Party is also being criticized for deciding not to lower the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill each time that a Canadian soldier is killed. The former Liberal Party government introduced the practice on an inconsistent basis. The Conservatives says that flags will be lowered for Canada's military dead on special days such as Remembrance Day.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Time closes editorial bureau Canadian edition will still be published
Time Magazine is closing its Canadian editorial bureau in Toronto as a cost-cutting measure.
The Canadian edition, which includes stories about Canada and Canadian ads, will continue to be published, with editorial content co-ordinated from Time Warner Inc.'s New York headquarters.
The two full-time Time Canada staffers will be offered other jobs in the company, which has been trimming costs.
Time Warner did not issue a news release on the closing of the bureau. Freelancers who work for the Canadian edition were given the news yesterday in an email from Time's Toronto correspondent Steven Frank.
Last Friday, Time Warner announced 250 publishing jobs would be eliminated, bringing to 450 the number of cuts since December.
Yesterday, Time Warner announced it would pay $2.65 billion U.S. to end a lawsuit after a U.S. District Judge approved a proposed settlement related to its inflating of the revenues of AOL Inc. prior to AOL's acquisition of Time Warner in 2001.
Good news we hope! dtn
Monday Apr 10, 2006 ts 9 Star journalists recognized
Nine Toronto Star journalists have been nominated by the Canadian Association of Journalists for investigative stories that range from the plight of the forgotten children in Ontario's far north and the shenanigans surrounding big-city traffic courts, to prostitution posing as holistic massage parlours and lawyers gone bad.
Saturday Mar 18, 2006 ts In critical condition
The clumsy dismissal of two editors at Canada's leading medical journal last month has escalated into an international controversy, one that threatens to tarnish the country's medical establishment.
Tuesday Mar 14, 2006 nyt Newspaper Chain Agrees to a Sale for $4.5 Billion By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and ANDREW ROSS SORKIN Knight Ridder, the nation's second-largest newspaper company, agreed Sunday night to sell itself to the McClatchy Company.
Tuesday Mar 14, 2006 nyt Hungry Media Companies Find a Meager Menu of Web Sites to Buy By MATT RICHTEL Media corporations continue to scour the Internet for emerging content and technology companies, but the pickings of obvious acquisition candidates are slimming.
Wednesday Jan 25, 2006 nyt With Focus on Youth, 2 Small TV Networks Unite By BILL CARTER The new venture, called CW, will take the most popular shows from UPN and WB, each of which has struggled to turn a profit.
UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network By BILL CARTER The new venture will cherry-pick the best programs off the mini-networks, each of which has struggled to turn a profit.
Tuesday Jan 24, 2006 nyt NBC Ending 'The West Wing' and 'Will & Grace' By BILL CARTER NBC will end two of its most successful series of recent years, "The West Wing" and "Will & Grace," at the conclusion of the current season. ...West Wing" will have its finale on May 14
'The West Wing' is axed as viewing figures head south
Tuesday Jan 17, 2006 ts Chinese TV draws protest
Chinese dissident group Falun Dafa is lobbying Ottawa to stop the licensing of new Chinese-language TV channels operated by China's state-owned broadcaster. Rick Westhead reports.
Thursday Jan 5, 2006 nyt Ted Koppel and Crew to Join Discovery By BILL CARTER Ted Koppel, the former anchor of ABC News's "Nightline," signed an agreement late Tuesday to join the Discovery Channel, along with his longtime executive producer, Tom Bettag.
Saturday Jan 14, 2006 Reuters.com -Ted Koppel to contribute to NPR, New York Times LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - One week after signing up to make news documentaries for the Discovery Channel, former "Nightline" anchor Ted Koppel has struck additional deals to contribute commentaries to National Public Radio and The New York Times.
Maisonneuve takes home two Gold medals at the National Magazine Awards, including
one for Sports Writing and another for overall editorial
achievement—the prestigious President's Medal.
Or look for Issue 15—the "His & Hers" Issue, with its special twist—on newsstands now!
2005
Tuesday Dec 13, 2005 nyt
MEDIA FRENZY Satellite Radio: Out of the Car and Under Fire By RICHARD SIKLOS Portable receivers show how far satellite has come, but they also show how far all media businesses have to go to fulfill their digital potential.
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0930-24.htm Miller Walks: The Plot
Thickens by Arianna Huffington
It?s time for Judy Miller and
Arthur Sulzberger to change their talking points.
The
>claim that Miller ?has finally received a direct and uncoerced
waiver? is laughable? and, indeed, has already been laughed at by 1) my
increasingly frustrated sources within the Times 2) a chorus of
voices in the blogosphere (see
here,
here, and here)
and 3) (and much more significantly) Joseph Tate, Scooter Libby?s lawyer,
who told the
Washington Post yesterday that he informed Miller's attorney,
Floyd Abrams, a year ago that Libby?s waiver ?was voluntary and that
Miller was free to testify?.
So it defies credulity for Miller, Sulzberger, and Bill Keller to keep
insisting that Libby?s earlier waiver was coerced when Libby says that it
wasn?t.
NEW YORK In a lengthy feature piece on this autumn's Judith Miller saga forthcoming in the January issue of Vanity Fair (on sale Dec. 13), writer Seth Mnookin covers much familiar ground but also reveals new details and complaints from the reporter's colleagues at The New York Times. Publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. also gets a good working-over from unnamed in-house critics. One of the fresh scoops in the piece, which is titled, "Unreliable Sources," concerns Sulzberger barring Times reporters from talking to Russell Lewis, the former president and CEO of The New York Times Co., when they were working on their extensive report on Miller going to jail and then testifying before the Plame grand jury. google Judith Miller
Monday Dec 5, 2005 ts How Canada's media landscape has shifted
Before yesterday, it didn't take acute psychic powers to know that some sort of big media deal was coming with BCE Inc.'s Bell Globemedia at the centre. But now that we know the precise form of that deal, Kenneth Kidd writes, it still has its share of surprises.
Sunday Dec 4, 2005 ts How Canada's media landscape has shifted
There's this scene in the movie The Longest Day — after the Allies have stormed ashore at one of the least-protected parts of Nazi-occupied Europe — where a German general slaps his forehead.
Sunday Dec 4, 2005 rci Bell Canada Enterprises has sold 20-per cent stakes in Bell Globemedia to Torstar Corp. and the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. In addition the Woodbridge Co. of the Thomson family will increase its stake in Bell Globemedia from 31.5 per cent to 40 per cent. BCE itself will retain a one-fifth share and receive $1.3 billion in cash. BCE's CEO, Michael Sabia, has long said that the media wing isn't a core asset but is nonetheless a strong business in its own right. Globemedia operates such publications as The Globe and Mail newspaper and the CTV television network. The labour union that represents journalists at The Globe, the Toronto Star and other Canadian newspapers has reacted by expressing worry that the diversity of journalistic opinion could be jeopardized.
Friday Dec 2, 2005 nyt In C.I.A. Leak, More Talks With Journalists By RICHARD W. STEVENSON and DOUGLAS JEHL A conversation between Karl Rove's lawyer and a journalist for Time magazine led Mr. Rove to change his testimony in the C.I.A. leak case.
Tuesday Nov 29, 2005 maisonneuve.org/ Editorials in boththe
Globe and the
Citizen urge the parties to remember the needs of Canadians and
actually talk policy, but for the most part, columnists and pundits see a
muddy road ahead for candidates and handlers alike.
Therefore, MediaScout would like to issue a challenge to
each and every journalist who will be covering this campaign. If you
actually care about the interests of Canadians, if you actually value the
role of a responsible press in a democracy, you will walk away from the
mud. Every time a politician starts a personal attack on his or her
opponent, put down your pen, turn off your tape recorder and walk away.
When Stephen Harper talks about the Liberal link to organized crime, go
get something to eat. When Paul Martin accuses Harper of having a hidden
agenda, go for a smoke break. A negative campaign needs coverage to
survive. By walking away from it, maybe the politicians will realize that
Canadians want ideas, not name-calling. It will be a difficult challenge
to agree to; “Harper’s Hidden Agenda” makes a good sound
bite, but Canadians deserve more. So to every pundit who has lamented the
lack of ideas in government, or to every scribe who remembers why they got
into the profession in the first place, please, help raise the level of
discourse in this campaign. Canadians deserve ideas, not rhetoric.
Tuesday Nov 22, 2005 nyt With Little Fanfare, an Anchor Says Goodbye By ALESSANDRA STANLEY Eschewing tributes, Ted Koppel explores another man's last act in his final "Nightline" broadcast.
Sunday Oct 30, 2005 nyt HEALTH
Being a Patient: For a Retainer, Lavish Care by 'Boutique Doctors'
By ABIGAIL ZUGER
A new breed of "concierge" doctors are lavishing time and attention on patients in exchange for a yearly cash retainer.
Friday Oct 28, 2005 nyt An Anchor Intimately Recalls Katrina By ALESSANDRA STANLEY Brian Williams's 30-minute documentary about his coverage of Hurricane Katrina looks like an entry for a Peabody Award.
Tuesday Oct 18, 2005 nyt 3 Anchors to Replace Koppel on 'Nightline' By BILL CARTER ABC announced a new lineup of three anchors for "Nightline" in what the network hopes will lead to renewed success for the award-winning news program.
Tuesday Oct 18, 2005 ts Judith Miller has much to answer for
For the past two days, the New York Times' Judith Miller has been getting the public stoning she so richly deserves.
Tuesday Oct 18, 2005 ts Times reporter out of jail but not out of hot water
Judith Miller, a strong-willed, mercurial journalist who calls herself "Ms Run Amok,'' has emerged from the darkness of a Virginia jail cell and smack into another debate over her credibility. Zerbisias: Miller a willing dupe
Monday Oct 17, 2005 nyt The Miller Case: A Notebook, a Cause, a Jail Cell and a Deal By DON VAN NATTA Jr., ADAM LIPTAK and CLIFFORD J. LEVY An examination of Judith Miller's decision not to testify, and then to do so, offers fresh information about her role and how The Times turned her case into a cause.
Tuesday Oct 11, 2005 nyt Bertelsmann Is Said tOWN Ouster of Sony BMG Chief By JEFF LEEDS Bertelsmann, the German media giant, has notified Sony that it does not want to renew the contract of Andrew R. Lack, who runs Sony BMG.
Sunday Oct 2, 2005 nyt On Television, Brands Go From Props to Stars By LORNE MANLY Product placement on television no longer means using brand names as mere props. Advertisers are working with writers to incorporate products into story lines.
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Sunday Sep 25, 2005 ts Media fuelled the `gas panic'
A day after the great gas panic, Toronto service station operators are shaking their heads in bewilderment.
Monday Sep 19, 2005 Readership of major papers drops in latest industry survey
Readership of some of Canada's largest paid daily newspapers, including the Toronto Sun, The Globe and Mail and Toronto Star, has dropped to the lowest levels in years, according to an industry survey.
Friday Aug 26, 2005 ts Secret tapes handed over to police
LONGUEUIL, Que.—The strange story of a suburban Quebec hardware store owner and ex-boss to Canada's most notorious female convict took another twist yesterday, after he turned over to police what he says are secretly recorded conversations with Karla Homolka.
Karla coverage seen as out of line
Is the media going too far in its pursuit of convicted killer Karla Homolka?
Wednesday Jul 6, 2005 ec A judge jailed Judith Miller of the New York Times, after she refused to testify about her sources. In the same case, where prosecutors are trying to find out who leaked the identity of a CIA agent, Matthew Cooper of Time magazine agreed to testify, with the agreement of his source.
Wednesday Jul 6, 2005 Reporter Jailed After Refusing to Name Source
WASHINGTON, July 6 - Judith Miller, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, was sent to jail on Wednesday after a federal judge declared that she was "defying the law" by refusing to divulge the name of a confidential source.
Robert Novak, the guy who actually wrote the article that outed Plame, and the guy you would think the prosecutors would be after, has been strangely absent from this whole story. This is where I get very suspicious. Not only is he absent, he is in Florida where the story goes that he broke his hip. Thus he is very conveniently incommunicado. Despite this, he is still able to write columns. For a septuagenarian, for whom a broken hip is very serious business, this is a miraculous recovery. It reminds me of septuagenarian Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who allegedly had heart surgery in London, and almost immediately made the plane trip back to Iraq, hopped in a convoy of trucks, and drove across the desert to negotiate the salvation of Najaf. I'd be very surprised if Sistani had heart surgery, and very surprised if Novak broke his hip. In the good old days, the way you avoided a politically unhelpful subpoena was to buy the witness a train ticket and send him out of town for a while. For an excellent movie where this forms a small part of the plot, watch The Glass Key (1942, starring Brian Donlevy, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, with a very memorable performance by William Bendix), about back-room political operators where the operators are actually the good guys! It appears that Novak has been sent out of town to keep him away while Miller takes the heat. Why is Miller on the spot rather than Novak? She makes a far more dangerous precedent. All she did was pick up the phone and listen to an informant. Novak actually created the story. If Novak is in contempt of court, the precedent set could be limited by the specific facts of his very extensive involvement. If it is Miller, the precedent could arguably extend to any journalist receiving an unsolicited communication from an informant who wishes to remain anonymous. The fact that Miller, almost an innocent bystander, is the victim of this legal attack, while Novak, the obvious culprit, is not only not under attack but is out of town with a strange excuse for his continued absence, makes me believe this is a set up to create a precedent to chop away at the First Amendment and the ability of whistleblowers to whistleblow. As Miller is so hated, the hope of the conspirators is that people will give up the First Amendment in order to see Miller in jail. This is a dumb trade-off.(free-judith-miller.html)
Judith Miller martyred Jul 7th 2005
Tuesday Oct 4, 2005 Freed Reporter Says She Upheld Principles
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE Judith Miller returned to the New York Times newsroom declaring that she had upheld the principles she had gone to jail to protect.
Thursday Jul 7, 2005 A court in New York has sentenced a journalist to jail for her refusal to reveal a confidential source. U.S. District Court has sent Judith Miller of the New York Times newspaper to jail until she agrees to reveal her source or until the court session ends in October. Miss Miller told the court that although she didn't want to go to jail, but that she had no choice but to protect the source. She says that journalists cannot function if sources of information don't have confidence that their identities won't be revealed. A grand jury is investigating how the name of a Central Intelligence Agency operative was leaked to the press.
Friday Jun 17, 2005 ec Forecasts for central and eastern Europe Many economies in central and eastern Europe will see slower growth this year thanks to weaker foreign demand and stronger currencies, says a new report by the Institute of International Finance. Romania's economy is expected to slow sharply, from 8.3% in 2004 to 5.6% in 2005. But in the Czech Republic output will be buoyed by strong inflows of foreign direct investment.
Monday Apr 25, 2005 ts Sun`s chief resigns amid diving circulation
The Toronto Sun, circulation of which has plunged in recent months after a redesign and a sharp price increase, says publisher and chief executive Neil Fowler has resigned after two years on the job.
Wednesday May 11, 2005 rci Quebecor World Inc., the world's biggest commercial printer, reported a first-quarter profit more than one-half of the company's previous first quarter.
Quebecor World says its profits fell to $16.3 million US, from $35.8 million US. Its stock then dropped by more than 13 per cent, closing at $24,84. CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau says the decline is due to intense competition and low printing prices. Mr. Péladeau also revealed that Quebecor World will sell its 10 printing facilities in North America as part of its restructuring campaign-.
Monday Apr 25, 2005 ts U.S. papers see digital writing on wall
Reading the bad news about newspapers in newspapers feels something like attending your own funeral.
Wednesday Apr 6, 2005 ts Fresh air detected on U.S. airwaves
Not all media players are blinded by the right and competing for the conservative crowd.
Wednesday Apr 6, 2005 cbc ABC's Peter Jennings reveals he has lung cancer
NEW YORK - Peter Jennings, the Canadian-born anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, has been diagnosed with lung cancer and will start outpatient treatment next week.
"There will be good days and bad, which means some days I may be cranky and some days really cranky," Jennings,66, told ABC News employees in an e-mail message Tuesday. He also said that he will continue to anchor when he feels up to it, as he begins chemotherapy treatment over the next few months.
Peter Jennings at a party marking his 20 years as anchor of ABC's 'World News Tonight' in New York, Sept. 2003.
Born in Toronto in 1938, Jennings co-anchored the CTV National News from 1962 to 1964. Later that year, he was named correspondent for ABC News.
Tuesday Apr 5, 2005 ts Fresh air detected on U.S. airwaves
Not all media players are blinded by the right and competing for the conservative crowd.
Monday Mar 28, 2005 ts Media industry grapples with commuter dailies
If you can`t join them, meet them on their terms.Or so it would seem, judging by the astonishing growth of Sweden`s Metro International, the commuter tab company with 15 million readers daily in 60 cities, and profit margins reportedly near 35 per cent.
Monday Feb 7, 2005 ts Ottawa pushes end to Net drug sales
OTTAWA—The federal government`s plan to shut down Internet pharmacies to U.S. customers appears to have acquired new urgency over the past several weeks, with legislation expected as soon as the end of this month.
Thursday Jan 6, 2005 rci The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders group reports that 2004 was a dark year for journalists. The group says 54 of them were killed, eight more than in 2003. Iraq was the most dangerous country for journalists, 19 having been killed, while two are missing. Twelve journalists were killed in Latin America, compared with seven in the previous year. Journalists also were killed in Europe, while in Africa one journalist was killed and another is missing. Reporters Without Borders also says 1,200 journalists were attacked and 1,000 others arrested.
Sunday Dec 26, 2004 ts Contempt ruling appealed
HAMILTON—A Hamilton Spectator journalist is appealing a contempt of court ruling and record penalty.
Sunday Dec 26, 2004 MONTREAL: WORRIES ABOUT FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN QUEBEC
In the eastern Canadian province of Quebec, media are now forbidden from broadcasting recordings of the proceedings of the Quebec Superior Court, the province's second-highest tribunal. The Court also says it plans to impose stricter rules concerning interviews outside the courtroom and the use of cameras. Two organisations, the Quebec Press Council and the Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists, have condemned the new measures, saying they pose a threat to freedom of the press and the transparency of the judicial system.
Monday Dec 20, 2004 Let's be Frank
Thousands and thousands of Canadians have been Franked. Even I've been Franked - indirectly. So what was it about the satirical magazine's new owner that didn't make me want to throttle him? ...It was difficult not to quietly root for him. Besides, dead cats can bounce at least twice, and cats have nine lives.
Wed1119 for Fabrice Taylor Wed-night
Dec 7, 2004 cbc HAMILTON REPORTER FINED $31,600 FOR CONTEMPT
A Hamilton Spectator reporter has been fined $31,600 after being found
guilty of contempt of court for refusing to reveal a source during
testimony in a lawsuit.
ONLY 18% of the world's population have access to a free press Apr 29th 2008 
BBC
Media Museum Review April 11, 2008 nyt 
Drama, Politics and Gang Warfare Behind Bars October 6, 2007 nyt 
A judge jailed Judith Miller
ABC's Peter Jennings reveals he has lung cancer 
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