View source for Amber MacArthur

{{Short description|Canadian television presenter (born 1976)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Amber MacArthur
| image       = Amber Mac 2020 01.png
| caption     = MacArthur in 2020
| birth_name  = Amber Dawn MacArthur
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1976|06|27}}
| birth_place = [[Charlottetown]], [[Prince Edward Island]], Canada<ref name=facebook>{{cite web | url = http://www.facebook.com/p/Amber_Mac/507398501?id=507398501&name=Amber_Mac | title = Amber Mac's Facebook profile | accessdate = 12 April 2007 | last = Mac | first = Amber | website = [[Facebook]] | date = 12 April 2007 | page = 1  }}</ref>
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| known_for   = Call for Help on [[G4techTV Canada]]; [[CityNews International]]; Social Hour; CommandN
| education   = [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in English from [[Dalhousie University]]; [[Journalism]] at [[University of King's College]]
| employer    =
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| title       = Media Specialist
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| relatives   = Jeff MacArthur
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| website     = http://www.ambermac.com
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}}
'''Amber Dawn MacArthur''' (born 27 June 1976) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[television]] and [[podcasting|netcasting]] personality, bestselling author of two books, and keynote speaker. MacArthur (aka Amber Mac) is the former co-host of BNN's ''App Central'' and ''Bloomberg Brink'', [[G4 (Canadian TV channel)|G4TechTV's]] ''Call for Help'', and [[TWiT.tv|TWiT's]] ''The Social Hour'' (successor to ''net@night/[[Inside the Net]]''). She was the most followed Canadian television personality on Twitter in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/life/2008/03/29/forget_facebook_everyones_atwitter.html |title=Forget Facebook, everyone's a-Twitter |newspaper=Toronto Star |date=29 March 2008 |accessdate=22 August 2013}}</ref> In 2018, she was named DMZ's 30 inspirational women making a difference in tech.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://dmz.ryerson.ca/people/amber-mac/|title=Amber Mac {{!}} The DMZ|work=The DMZ|access-date=23 November 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

She is now the co-host of the 2018 AI podcast series, The AI Effect<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-ai-effect/id1349436108|title=The AI Effect by Entertainment One on Apple Podcasts|website=Apple Podcasts|language=en|access-date=23 November 2018}}</ref> where she interviews notable guests such as Prime Minister Trudeau and Mayor John Tory. Amber is President of a digital media company called AmberMac Media, Inc.

MacArthur used to produce and co-host her own [[podcast#Video podcasts|video podcast]], ''commandN'', and has also hosted on ''[[Torrent (TV series)|Torrent]]'' and ''Gadgets and Gizmos'' for [[G4 Canada|G4techTV Canada]]. MacArthur worked for over a year for [[Citytv]]'s [[CityNews|City''News'']] and [[CP24]], and she had returned to the now CTV-owned CP24 as New Media Specialist and was the host of [[Webnation]]. She previously hosted and produced a show for [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] called "Girls Go Geek" alongside her brother [[Jeff MacArthur]] and Christopher Dick that features women in technology.<ref>{{IMDb title|1870015|Girls Go Geek}}</ref>

==Background==
MacArthur is originally from [[Charlottetown]], [[Prince Edward Island]], and lives in [[Toronto]]. She received an undergraduate degree in English from [[Dalhousie University]], and studied journalism at the [[University of King's College]] in [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 February 2024 |title=29 Notable alumni of University of King's College |url=https://edurank.org/uni/university-of-king-s-college/alumni/ |access-date=11 February 2025}}</ref>

She and Christopher Dick have one son.<ref name="Net@night episode 125 - Amber discuses boyfriend and new baby ">{{cite web | url = http://twit.tv/show/netnight-amber-and-leo/126 | title = Net@night Podcast #126 – Amber discuses boyfriend and new baby | accessdate = 19 January 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150120141301/http://twit.tv/show/netnight-amber-and-leo/126 | archive-date = 20 January 2015 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

==Career==
[[File:20080815 New Media Expo at twitter.jpg|thumb|left|[[iJustine]], [[Sarah Austin (Internet personality)|Sarah Austin]], MacArthur, and [[Leo Laporte]] at New Media Expo 2008 (2008-08-15)]]

===Awards===
In 2024, Amber MacArthur was honoured as one of DMZ's Women of the Year<ref>{{cite web |title=Announcing DMZ's 2024 Women of the Year |url=https://dmz.torontomu.ca/dmzs-women-of-the-year-2024/ |website=DMZ |publisher=Toronto Metropolitan University}}</ref> for her work driving innovation and progress in the tech industry. In 2021, she was named one of Bay Street Bull's Women of the Year<ref>{{cite web |title=Meet Bay Street Bull's Women of the Year 2021 |url=https://www.speakers.ca/2021/11/meet-bay-street-bulls-women-of-the-year-2021/ |website=Speakers Spotlight }}</ref> for her leadership in the technology sector. Amber MacArthur and her company, AmberMac Media Inc. (AMMI), have also won the following awards: Canadian Podcast Awards Outstanding Technology Series 2022: #The Feed,<ref>{{cite web |title=Outstanding Technology Series |url=https://canpodawards.ca/award/technology/ |website=Canadian Podcast Awards }}</ref> produced by AMMI in partnership with SiriusXM Canada; Canadian Podcast Awards Outstanding Branded Series 2021: This is Mining,<ref>{{cite web |title=Outstanding Branded Series |url=https://canpodawards.ca/award/branded/ |website=Canadian Podcast Awards }}</ref> produced by AMMI and the Ontario Mining Association; and ACE Awards Best Marketing Communication Campaign 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Toronto Chapter, celebrates communications excellence, virtually, at annual ACE Awards |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-canadian-public-relations-society-cprs-toronto-chapter-celebrates-communications-excellence-virtually-at-annual-ace-awards-880152873.html |website=Newswire |publisher=Canadian Public Relations Society}}</ref>

===Speaking & Keynotes===
Amber MacArthur has keynoted more than 500 events in North America, South America, Australia, and Europe. She has moderated sessions with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former FBI Director James Comey, business coach Tony Robbins, literary icon Margaret Atwood, and many other leading public figures. Keynote topics include digital approaches to successful business and, most recently, artificial intelligence.<ref>{{cite web |title=About AmberMac |url=https://ambermac.com/about |website=AmberMac.com |date=12 May 2016 |publisher=AmberMac Media Inc. |access-date=11 October 2024}}</ref>

===Technology===
MacArthur worked for [[Microsoft]] for two years as a web strategist, as a web designer at [[Razorfish (company)|Razorfish]] in San Francisco, and as a judge at the [[Webby Awards]] 2000. She was also Director of Web Marketing at HigherMarkets, "where she managed corporate branding initiatives, software usability and online course development."<ref name="citytv">{{cite web | url = http://www.citytv.com/toronto/personalities_AmberMacArthur.aspx | title = Personalities: Amber MacArthur | accessdate = 21 December 2006 | year = 2006 | work = Citytv website | publisher = CHUM Limited  | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20070103181215/http://www.citytv.com/toronto/personalities_AmberMacArthur.aspx| archivedate= 3 January 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> In 2007, she co-founded a media company MGImedia Communications Inc. with her brother Jeff.<ref name="MGImedia">{{cite web|url=http://www.mgimedia.ca/ |title=MGImedia Communications Inc. |accessdate=25 March 2008 |year=2007 |work=MGImedia website |publisher=MGImedia |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320234813/http://www.mgimedia.ca/ |archivedate=20 March 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

===Television===
Upon graduation, MacArthur worked in her hometown of [[Charlottetown]] at [[CBC Television]], as an associate reporter from April to July 1999,<ref name="resume">[http://ambermac.typepad.com/about.html Amber MacArthur's resume] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214232607/http://ambermac.typepad.com/about.html |date=14 December 2007 }}</ref> and the San Francisco radio station [[KQED-FM|KQED]].<ref name="citytv"/> In July 2002, she co-hosted a [[Discovery Channel (Canada)|Discovery Channel]] special "Science on the Red Carpet", with [[Dave Foley]] at the [[Academy Scientific and Technical Award|Science & Technical Academy Awards]].<ref name="resume"/> She appeared weekly in the summer of 2006, as a tech columnist for [[CBC News Network|CBC Newsworld]].<ref name="resume"/>

In 2004, MacArthur became a host on ''Call for Help'', a technology series produced for [[G4 Canada|G4techTV Canada]], which still airs daily on G4 Canada and [[HOW TO Channel]] in Australia. MacArthur is the subject of a song written in tribute to ''Call for Help'' 2.0.  While working as a host on ''Call for Help'', MacArthur joined the series ''Gadgets and Gizmos'' as a co-host, working with Marc Saltzman and [[Andy Walker (journalist)|Andy Walker]] until the show ended production in 2005.
[[File:Amber Mac Justin Trudeau.jpg|alt=|thumb|Amber Mac interviewing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau & Shopify CEO, Toronto, 2018]]
From August 2004 to September 2006, MacArthur was host of the [[G4techTV Canada]] program ''[[Torrent (TV series)|Torrent]]'', which is still in production.<ref name="resume" /> She also hosted ''Gadgets and Gizmos'' for the Canadian channel.<ref name="resume" />

On 28 August 2006, MacArthur announced on her blog<ref>[http://ambermac.typepad.com/ambermac/2006/08/to_all_the_g4te.html To all the G4techTV fans: Thanks for two great years! My goodbye video] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022090300/http://ambermac.typepad.com/ambermac/2006/08/to_all_the_g4te.html |date=22 October 2006 }}</ref> that she was leaving her position at G4techTV and would no longer appear on ''Call For Help'', ''Torrent'', or ''Gadgets and Gizmos''.

In mid-September, she joined [[CITY-DT|Citytv]], [[CP24]] in Toronto with the title "New Media Specialist", to report on "new media and interactive trends" for [[CityNews International|City''News'' International]]. She first appeared on the station's nightly newscast, ''CityNews at Six'', commenting in another reporter's story on [[9/11 conspiracy theories]] propagated through the Internet. Segments since have ranged from former sex trade workers blogging the [[Robert Pickton]] trial, to a [[Toronto Transit Commission]]/[[Google Maps]] mashup.

In January 2007,<ref name="resume"/> she launched a weekly program on CP24, which became quite popular as a vodcast. Originally titled "Inside Popnology",<ref name="episode6">{{cite podcast | url = http://www.twit.tv/natn6 | title = net@nite: Episode 6 | website = This Week in Tech | host = Leo LaPorte and Amber MacArthur | date = 11 December 2006 | accessdate = 21 December 2006 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20061223160656/http://www.twit.tv/natn6 | archivedate = 23 December 2006 | url-status = dead }}</ref> the CHUM Television-produced program quickly became ''[[Webnation]]''. She resigned in October to go for freelance projects, feeling she was being asked to target too old an audience, and wanted to pursue two projects in the United States. They convinced her to stick around for two more months, after Rogers Communications promised her show would be weekly on the [[Citytv]] network and on [[G4 Canada|G4techTV Canada]],<ref name="ambergone" /> reformatted, as of January 2008 as ''Webnation V2''.<ref name="typepad-goodbye">{{cite web |url=http://ambermac.typepad.com/ambermac/2008/01/my-top-three-fa.html |title=Top 3 Webnation episodes – Goodbye Citytv |date=6 January 2008 |accessdate=11 January 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110080946/http://ambermac.typepad.com/ambermac/2008/01/my-top-three-fa.html |archivedate=10 January 2008 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> ([[CTV Television Network|CTV]]'s parent company; [[CTVglobemedia]] bought out CHUM Limited in June 2007, with the exception of the Citytv network, which was sold to Rogers.)

She was informed on 4 January 2008 that the budget was not there for the program. Just before the announcement, the program was named the "Top New Podcast Award for 2007" by [[iTunes]].<ref name="ambergone">{{cite web | url = http://blogto.com/city/2008/01/amber_macarthur_gone_from_citytv/ | title = Amber MacArthur Gone from Citytv | date = 4 January 2008 | accessdate = 20 February 2008 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20080306095342/http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/01/amber_macarthur_gone_from_citytv/| archivedate= 6 March 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> Citytv began airing ''The Lab with Leo Laporte'' around this time. CP24 has since made some reorganization to the anchors/reporters as a result of the change in ownership of CP24's former parent company; CHUM Limited. For a time, after [[David Onley]] was named [[Lieutenant Governor of Ontario]], MacArthur hosted ''[[Home Page (TV series)|Home Page]]''; Jee-Yun Lee replaced her when MacArthur resigned. MacArthur's ''[[Webnation]]'' replaced ''HomePage'' on the CP24 schedule 14 October 2009.

Over the years, she has been a technology guest on [[CBC Newsworld]], [[CBC Radio]], [[Global Television Network|Global TV]], [[CFCF-DT|CTV Montreal]], [[MTV Live (Canada)|MTV Live]], [[MuchMore]]Music, [[Slice (TV channel)|Life Network]], and [[CFRB]].<ref name="resume" />

===Podcasting===

[[File:AmberAndLeo.jpg|thumb|right|Amber MacArthur and [[Leo Laporte]]]]
In June 2005, MacArthur started the weekly video [[podcast]] ''commandN'', which covered technology trends both online and offline. The podcast has not released an episode since June 2013, however. A commercial study found that commandN was the fifth most-downloaded podcast among surveyed Canadians.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120721045827/http://www.ccnmatthews.com/news/releases/show.jsp?action=showRelease&searchText=false&showText=all&actionFor=606125 "Podcasting Taking a Hold in Canada"]}}, 2 August 2006.</ref>

Through October 2006, she worked on a podcast with ''Call for Help'' co-host [[Leo Laporte]] called ''[[Inside the Net]]'', which then morphed into ''net@night'', and then ''The Social Hour'' with Sarah Lane, a Friday lunch time live broadcast.  The show was available as part of the [[TWiT.tv|TWIT.tv network]] before it was retired from the Twit network in October 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://twit.tv/2014/09/25/changes-twit|title = Changes @ TWiT}}</ref>

MacArthur describes how various types of technology work on the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] radio show/podcast Spark.

===Journalism===
Since summer of 2006, she has written a monthly "Web Trends" column for ''[[Calgary Sun|The Calgary Sun Urbane Magazine]]''. She has been quoted by major Canadian newspapers, when they need a tech expert. ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now Magazine]]'' declared her the "Best geek personality", 2006.<ref>{{cite news | editor = Michael Hollett | title = Best of Toronto : Tech | url = http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-10-26/goods_next.php | work = Now Magazine | publisher = Now Magazine | page = 1 | date = 26 October – 1 November 2006 | accessdate = 21 December 2006 | quote = ...make Amber the unassuming and friendly face of tech news in Toronto and on the web. It's hard to find a Toronto tech event where MacArthur isn't busy taking notes or filming interviews. | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070104022125/http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-10-26/goods_next.php | archivedate = 4 January 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book|author=Amber Mac|title=Power Friending: Demystifying Social Media to Grow Your Business|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iyedg1SZo8IC&pg=PP1|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Group US|isbn=978-1-101-43474-1}}
*{{cite book|author=Michael Bazzell and Amber Mac|title=Outsmarting Your Kids Online: A Safety Handbook for Overwhelmed Parents|url=http://www.outsmartingyourkidsonline.com/|year=2016|publisher=AmberMac Media, Inc|isbn=978-0692682692|access-date=14 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214182119/http://www.outsmartingyourkidsonline.com/|archive-date=14 February 2017|url-status=dead}}

==References==
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{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Amber MacArthur}}
* [http://ambermac.com/ Amber MacArthur's Official Website and Blog]
* {{IMDb name|1708927|Amber MacArthur}}
* ''[http://www.commandn.tv/ commandN]'', ''[https://www.citynews.ca/webnation/ Webnation]'', ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20080501022449/http://twit.tv/natn net@nite]'', ''[http://mgimedia.ca/ MGImedia]''
* [http://www.thelavinagency.com/ The Lavin Agency] represents Amber MacArthur for speaking engagements in the U.S. and Canada: some of her speech topics here.
* [http://wiki.twit.tv/wiki/Amber_MacArthur Amber MacArthur: TWiT]

===Interviews===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061213193424/http://blogto.com/through_the_eyes_of/2006/12/toronto_through_the_eyes_of_amber_macarthur/ Toronto Through the Eyes of Amber MacArthur], BlogTO, 7 December 2006 <sup>{{Dead link|date=July 2022}}</sup>
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928195306/http://www.theflux.tv/index.php?%2FPodcast_Player%2Famber-mac-interview%2F TheFlux.tv podcast interview with Amber MacArthur] <sup>{{Dead link|date=July 2022}}</sup>
* Chris Hogg, "[http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/249072/Digital_Journal_TV_Up_Close_and_Personal_With_Internet_Star_Amber_MacArthur Digital Journal TV: Up Close and Personal With Internet Star Amber MacArthur]", ''Digital Journal'', 19 January 2008.

{{TWiT podcasts}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macarthur, Amber}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Canadian television hosts]]
[[Category:Writers from Charlottetown]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Canadian bloggers]]
[[Category:Canadian technology writers]]
[[Category:Dalhousie University alumni]]
[[Category:University of King's College alumni]]
[[Category:Women technology writers]]
[[Category:Canadian women bloggers]]
[[Category:Canadian women television hosts]]