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 Director of Western Canadian Music Alliance, Celebration Sites Manager; Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic...
Feb 06, 2023•33 min
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 trying to make it in the biggest broadcasting market in Canada: Toronto. With broken hearts and singl...
Jan 23, 2023•54 min•Ep. 50
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, went to Carleton University in Ottawa and got her first big break working on Parliament Hill as...
Jan 09, 2023•45 min•Ep. 49
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 crossed paths at 102.1 The Edge (CFNY) where she trained me on how to use the board! I was SUPER anxi...
Dec 19, 2022•37 min•Ep. 48
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 currently works as a reporter for the NHL on Sportsnet and her interviews appear on Hockey Night in Can...
Dec 04, 2022•49 min•Ep. 47
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 servers. I was communicating with 'MJ' to recieve a weekly Indigenous Music Countdown from NCI FM, a ...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 1 min
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 know her name. When Erin Davis was faced with mourning the loss of her daughter Lauren in 2015 in a ver...
Nov 07, 2022•55 min•Ep. 45
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 people. She's even embraced her platforms, finding ways to bring conversations about body image and...
Oct 24, 2022•43 min
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 Rogers Sportsnet for a decade now, hired right after graduation. Two years into her career, Caroline w...
Oct 11, 2022•48 min•Ep. 43
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 years since the category was created. HELL YEAH! Spanning her career, Hill has produced, mixed and/or...
Sep 26, 2022•53 min•Ep. 42
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 Director of NCI FM, Host Desiree Dorion – Artist Amanda Kingsland – Director of A & R, Universal...
Sep 13, 2022•45 min
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 a year younger than her. The recent news surrounding Lisa LaFlamme has not only struck a chord with ...
Aug 29, 2022•53 min
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 next step in her career, Tara jumped at the opportunity to work at a small TV station in Toronto, a...
Aug 15, 2022•50 min
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 hosts her own show on SiriusXM - The Kim Wheeler Show. She was an integral part of the team that re-bra...
Jul 01, 2022•52 min
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, please refer to the last episode (#36). I did record a conversation with a former male broadcast executiv...
Jun 20, 2022•43 min•Ep. 37
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. She had the courage to tell a story that is prevalent yet hidden in newsrooms and studios across th...
Jun 06, 2022•53 min•Ep. 36
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 stage as a global speaker, she has been featured in FASHION, Cosmopolitan, HuffPost, CBC, Refinery29, V...
May 21, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 35
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 this on a future episode, and please stay tuned in the coming weeks for a guest that will help us dig...
May 08, 2022•50 min•Ep. 34
My next guest is Laurie Brown. She currently manages country musician Don Amero, but she's also the founder of Porch Swing Entertainment. Porch Swing Entertainment is an artist management and consulting company handling full-time overall career management for artist Don Amero and project management for 'Amero Little Christmas', Don's holiday spectacular. Porch Swing Entertainment also works directly with Dale Speaking (promotions team) and MDM Recordings (radio team). With a professional designa...
Apr 26, 2022•51 min•Ep. 33
Keziah and I had only been in touch for a few months kicking some ideas around about how to elevate Black voices in the music industry when I resigned from my role at SiriusXM. While it feels like we were meant to connect and had some great conversations about the state of the music industry; I really wanted to speak to her about her participation in the recently published 'Closing the Gap' report about the impact and representation of Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour Live Music Workers i...
Apr 11, 2022•58 min•Ep. 32
My guest is Aliya Jasmine, a well known television host, producer, and environmental journalist (M.A., F.R.C.G.S.) who you may have first discovered on MTV in Canada, just like I did! Her award-winning work has been part of both national and local network coverage with NBC News, NBCUniversal, CTV Bell Media, MTV News, IMPACT, Discovery Channel, and more. Aliya holds a Masters in Environmental Journalism from the University of Southern California, a Social Media & Digital Marketing Certificat...
Mar 28, 2022•57 min•Ep. 31
Laura Simpson is the CEO and co-founder (along with artist, Dan Mangan) of Side Door; a dedicated team of artists and technologists committed to building a more efficient, fair and decentralized global ecosystem for the performing arts. The Canadian tech start-up which was founded in 2017 has a mission: We believe anybody should be able to perform, curate and present shows for their communities. Side Door’s mission to create shows anytime, anywhere – first with in-person shows and now online. Th...
Mar 14, 2022•41 min•Ep. 30
Although I celebrate women all year long on this podcast, I'm always up for celebrating Women's History Month and International Women's Day. This week also marks the one-year anniversary of this podcast. I'll revisit some of the inspiring conversations I’ve had over the last year; call it a best-of if you will. But, I also have some personal news to share. You know, when I launched this podcast just ahead of International Women’s Day a year ago, my aunt asked me, "hon…when do we get to hear your...
Mar 08, 2022•22 min•Ep. 29
Melani Mariani is a radio announcer based in Toronto, currently hosting Middays at Indie88 (88.1 CIND FM). She is a former host for 102.1 The Edge in Toronto where she quite literally "worked her way up the ladder" from receptionist to morning show. In this episode of the Women in Media Podcast, Mel talks about being real with her listeners during a global pandemic with divided opinions and unexpected highs and lows. Melani touches on how she worried about starting a family and how it would affe...
Feb 21, 2022•44 min•Ep. 28
Kathleen Newman-Bremang is a writer, editor and producer who recently became the Global Deputy Director at Unbothered; Refinery29’s sub-brand made for and by Black women. Through Unbothered, she oversees content across the UK, U.S., and Canada, and writes about pop culture, race, feminism and the intersection of all three, while championing other Black women writers to do the same. Her essay “For Black Women In Media, A Dream Job Is A Myth” was a finalist for a Canadian National Magazine Award. ...
Feb 07, 2022•48 min•Ep. 27
Well, no big deal. My next guest is Jann Arden; a multi-platinum award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, author, broadcaster, podcast host, and author with three decades of incredible work in music and comedy. As a good friend of mine noted, she is considered a 'Canadian treasure' by many. She is set to release her 15th studio album, Descendant this week on January 28, 2022, via Universal Music Canada. In this episode she speaks about her ups and downs in the spotlight, great colleagues like Al...
Jan 23, 2022•43 min•Ep. 26
Teri Hart is my first guest of 2022 and I really appreciate how candid she was about all sorts of difficult subjects; like losing jobs and why she decided to share her painful experience about trying to get pregnant. One of Canada’s most recognized and sought-after media personalities, Teri Hart is a multi-talented host, interviewer, critic and producer. With an encyclopedic knowledge of film and television, she has been covering entertainment and culture for over 25 years and has conducted thou...
Jan 09, 2022•54 min•Ep. 25
Where do I start with this amazing human? Allison Dore is the FOUNDER and CEO of Howl & Roar Records; a female-centric comedy record label that empowers artists and facilitates the creation of content. Understanding the difficulties artists face with distribution and navigating the many paths content can take, Howl & Roar Records strives to be a trusted resource for artists. Based in Toronto, Howl & Roar Records was born out of a desire to make the comedy album world more refle...
Dec 06, 2021•49 min•Ep. 24
Earning her second Canadian Screen Award (Best Local Newscast) in 2021, Lindsay Dunn has become one of Canada’s most respected talents. Honing her reporting skills for the better part of the last two decades, Dunn grew up in Regina and spent much of her childhood dreaming about reporting on the world’s biggest sporting events — especially those of the WNBA and NBA. Dunn currently holds the position of National Sports and Music reporter for CityNews and is the first to ever hold that title — sinc...
Nov 22, 2021•45 min•Ep. 23
Erin Benjamin is President & CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) and has been since its creation in 2014. Erin has worked in the music industry for over 25 years - first as a touring and recording artist, and then as Executive Director of both Folk Music Ontario (2001) and the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (2008). Erin has been an unflagging champion for the live music sector, particularly during the difficulties presented by COVID-19. She currently serves on the Ontario...
Nov 08, 2021•46 min•Ep. 22
