TECHNOLOGY RULES AT CTV: THE 40TH JUNO AWARDS DIGITAL MEDIA ROOM AND RED CARPET SHOW.

Above and below are the workings of the CTV Digital Press Room. Our intern Sasha aka Kalmplex ran the show this time around. Click screen shots to enlarge.

Deadmau5 being viewed LIVE by the use of the digital press room

2010 Junos with Music Director KJ and I in the press room. Now a reporter can simply stream the action in here with CTV digital technology

2011 40th JUNO awards at the ACC

With Artist of the Year Neil Young

With dance artist Chach and E-Talk's Lainey

This year I was not available for all segments of the JUNOS broadcast day. I attended the red carpet show with a music PR client and nominee and left later to cover the press room in the digital world. The digital media room is a relatively new technology CTV began using in 2010. It was first used at the 39th JUNOS in St John, New Foundland and is designed for Journalists who could not travel to the venue or get a media pass in time for the rush. Everyone is accomodated.

My first experience using it was during the 2010 MMVA's (MuchMusic Video Awards) where I wanted to "watch" the show live outside and blog the press room at the same time. The MMVA's as most of you know are an outdoors award show. CTV issues the media outlet a username and password and the reporter logs in the instance the first celebrity comes back there with a trophy and address the media. With a good clean high speed internet connection you can see the whole press room aka "backstage" streamed LIVE. A reporter can then file their stories without even physically being there.

Our intern at HipHossip who worked with me this year, Sasha aka "Kalmplex" said

"Covering the 2011 Junos this year for the first time in the digital media room was quite an enjoyable experience. Getting to hear Arcade Fire, Neil Young, Robbie Robertson, K'naan and Shania Twain talk about their wins and upcoming projects was great. Shania gave us some zingers with "Canada I love our bush", to Deadmau5 talking about how he's already remixed Rebecca Black's song "Friday". Randy Bachman talked about how being in Canada could benefit other countries like holding a Canada Day concert and splitting the proceeds between Haiti and Japan. It was an insightful look at what's next in store for Canadian music and maybe even a comedy circuit if they got bored with their music careers."

Kalmplex for HipHossip.com

The MMVA's 2011 is next and knowing that the Video Music awards are outdoors, I plan to be in the press room in and out and Kalmplex outside with the digital room connection at the pub across the street while blogging some of the action outside. Technology is awesome today and CTV sure uses it well. We are the leading music blog in Canada according to VH1, MTV USA and BET and we roll with CTV technology. HipHossip since it's inception in October 2007 has covered 3 JUNOS, and 3 MMVA's.