Women In Media

This is part two of Sarah Burke's conversation with Jennifer Valentyne; is a widely recognized Canadian television personality who is best known for her long-term role on Breakfast Television in Toronto. Valentyne has been the host of The Bachelor & Bachelorette Canada After Show on W Network, and a morning show co-host on Q107.  Jennifer Valentyne’s career began in Toronto, shortly after graduati...

Jennifer Valentyne is a widely recognized Canadian television personality who is best known for her long-term role on Breakfast Television in Toronto. Valentyne has been the host of The Bachelor & Bachelorette Canada After Show on W Network, and a morning show co-host on Q107.  Jennifer Valentyne’s career began in Toronto, shortly after graduating she began interning with MuchMusic. She started wo...

As the lead programmer for Amazon Music Canada, Joëlle Bertrand spearheads the programming strategy of the platform. She was previously Director of A&R at Universal Music Canada. During her tenure, her roster included pop singing sensation Johnny Orlando and francophone popstar Eli Rose. Prior to joining UMC, she was a Senior Talent Buyer at evenko. She produced more than 1,000 events across the p...

This week's guest is the Weekend Anchor for Global National, Farah Nasser. She is an award-winning journalist and before her time anchoring Global National, she was the anchor for Global News Toronto at 5:30 & 6. Providing viewers across the GTA much needed clarity for nearly two decades, she was on the ground reporting during major events such as the Toronto van attack, the London, Ont., terror a...

Host Sarah Burke shares a solo episode this week reflecting on International Women's Day and Women's History Month, the 2nd anniversary of the Women in Media Podcast, and a year since she quit her job. Some other projects Sarah is working on now include The Jann Arden Podcast: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-the-jann-arden-podcast-52872144/ and Don Amero's Through the Fire Podcast: https://dona...

Let me start here: Jully Black was nominated to come on this podcast by Cynthia Loyst BEFORE NBA All Star Weekend when she performed HER version of the Canadian National Anthem. What beautiful timing, eh? This interview also happened a few days after she shared an unfortunate e-mail she stumbled upon. There was a lot to cover…I especially loved hearing about how she found community as a young woma...

Cynthia Loyst and Josie Dye are the hosts and creators of a new podcast called Unmentionables. They sum it up SO perfectly with this line: The show you need, but may have been too shy to ask for. You'll see and hear Cynthia Loyst, Co-Host of CTV’s The Social, and Josie Dye, Host and Creator of The Josie Dye Show on Indie88, invite guests and tackle weird and uncomfortable topics to celebrate our u...

Robyn Stewart is a 20-year music industry veteran, accomplished organization and event director, and is currently the Executive Director of Women in Music Canada. Her experience reaches all areas of event management and talent buying, with strong skills in financial management, complex logistics, government relations and fund development. Among the projects she is most proud of are; Executive Dire...

If you’ve been following along on my social media accounts over the years, you’ve seen a fair bit of this week’s guest. She was my first friend in Kingston, Ontario when I moved away for my first full-time radio job. She became the kind of friend I had to visit quarterly, or vice-versa after only seven months in the Limestone City. Our path’s crossed again when we both found ourselves single and t...

I'm, laughing. Tess is laughing. Why are we still policing what women wear on television in 2023? My first guest of the year is Tess van Straaten, an award-winning journalist, weather anchor & host for Chek News in Victoria. She's been working in broadcasting for 20+ years and you'll hear more about her story from Ontario to Victoria and everywhere in between. She is a fourth-generation Victorian,...

On this episode of the podcast (and my last for 2022), I’m joined by a former colleague of mine who I’ve been admiring from afar. Raina Douris is an award-winning radio personality from Toronto, Ontario who packed up and moved down to Philly to host World Cafe after her time at the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), where she was host and writer for Mornings on CBC Music. Raina and I first c...

On this episode of the Women in Media Podcast, I’m joined by a woman who’s literally been the face of Sportsnet since its inception in 1998 — 24 years of features and event coverage…c’mon. Boasting almost 25 years of broadcast expertise and a lifetime of hockey knowledge, Christine Simpson has been the face of Sportsnet features and event coverage since the network’s inception in 1998. Simpson cur...

You’ve heard the voice of today’s guest on a previous episode where she participated in a panel recorded live at the CCMA Awards weekend in Calgary - but no doubt, we needed AT LEAST an hour to cover off her brilliance, if not more.  Funny story; I had no idea I was already connected with Morgan through e-mail. Truth be told, I thought she was an Indigenous dude from what I could tell through our...

My next guest is a Canadian music and broadcast industry Hall of Famer, an author, a podcaster, and someone who woke up Toronto for THIRTY years of her life on the CHFI Morning show. Erin. Friggin. Davis. The beautiful thing about Erin Davis is her name floats through so many generations, broadcasting and otherwise. My Mom and Dad know her name. My colleagues know her name. Future broadcasters kno...

I wanted a different perspective from the music industry; my next guest is Kristen Smith, wife of country star Dallas Smith. Kristen was an actor and singer in the past, but her current spotlight is a bit of a Side Effect. Her husband is arguably the biggest country artist in Canada. She handles the fame and attention with such care for her family and finds a way to surround herself with the right...

My next guest is Caroline Cameron, a host at Sportsnet. She hosts ‘Scotiabank Wednesday Night Hockey,’ Hockey Central, and you may have caught her rink-side reporting for Hockey Night in Canada and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. She's also hosted Sportsnet’s Olympic and tennis coverage, and YES, she covered Serena Williams' last dance, and YES, we will dig into the experience! Caroline has been with Ro...

My next guest is so many things...it's hard to give her a title! Hill Kourkoutis is a revered Canadian music contributor; an accomplished producer, songwriter, composer, mixer, recording engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and artist.  In May of 2022, Hill made Canadian music history when she became the first woman to be nominated for and win a JUNO Award for Recording Engineer of the Year in the 46...

In partnership with the Canadian Country Music Association, host Sarah Burke led a panel of industry women through a thoughtful discussion about gender parity in country music for a special live recording of the Women in Media Podcast in Calgary, Alberta.  Nicole Iantorno - Manager of Sponsorship & Events, SiriusXM Meghan Patrick – Artist Morgan James – Music Director for Now Country / Program Di...

Lisa Brandt is a former broadcaster-turned-voiceover artist with thirty-five years of experience. While you will hear us talk about her career in Toronto and London studios, the good times and bad, the ‘playtime’ on the mic and her days in management, we had to talk about the storied career of another broadcaster who was recently ousted from her position anchoring a national newscast…someone only...

It’s possible you know her as front-woman for Canadian rock band Joydrop, from morning television or Rogers Hometown Hockey. My next guest is actor-turned-rockstar-turned-broadcaster, Tara Slone! Most people are lucky to have one successful career, let alone two or three. Jeez. Tara was also a finalist on the hit CBS series Rockstar: INXS. She has a lengthy acting resume, too. When looking for the...

Kim Wheeler is a Mohawk/Anishinaabe kwe who has brought positive Indigenous stories to the mainstream and Indigenous media since 1993. A Sixties Scoop survivor, Kim shared her own story in the radio documentary “Blood Money” for CBC’s The Doc Project. This powerful, emotional, and raw documentary won her her third imagineNATIVE award for radio work. Find out more about that HERE. Currently Kim hos...

In the last episode with Maureen Holloway and Wendy Mesley on the topic of their Women Of Ill Repute Podcast (which just launched), I mentioned that my next guest would be a male. The idea was for us to discuss how together, men and women can change the future of broadcasting to be more fair, transparent, and inclusive, inspired by the story Jennifer Valentyne recently shared. For reference, pleas...

It’s been…an interesting few weeks in the Canadian media landscape. While many of us packed (and emptied) our coolers for the May long weekend, a Toronto Television and Radio personality shared a story that would rock female broadcasters everywhere, including me. Some will call her a whistleblower. Some will call her a troublemaker, and a problem. Some of us, though, call Jennifer Valentyne BRAVE....

Carlen Costa is a Clinical Sexologist, Psychotherapist, Political Scientist, Social Worker, Cannabis Educator, and CEO of The Everyday Goddess, igniting women to elevate their confidence and relationships through radical self-love. She is also the host of a new call-in lifestyle show called, 'Hi Carlen,' that revolves around sex, love, and mental wealth.  In her private practice and leading the st...

Happy Mother’s Day...seems easy enough to say this time of year, but this year, it comes with a whole lot more emotion. There is an ongoing international discussion surrounding a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body. I’m angry. I’m sad. I’m disgusted. I’m disappointed. Why are we still defending a woman’s right to choose what she does with HER body? We’re going to have to get into t...