According to the Media Technology Monitor’s (MTM) Sneak Peek Report, just two per cent of Canadians are using Amazon Prime Video, even though awareness of its entry into the Canadian market late last year is high. The report also finds that among Canadians who watch TV content online, seven per cent are using “pirated” TV services, with that number declining to three per cent among Francophones. MTM, a research product of CBC, also found half of Canadians reported being very concerned about the consequences of “fake news.”
Statistics Canada’s look at the Canadian Television Broadcasting sector for 2016 finds total operating revenues rose 0.9 per cent from 2015 to $7.5 billion in 2016. Profits before interest and taxes increased 15.9 per cent, from $732.8 million in 2015 to $849 million. Gains were the result of increased subscription revenue of $68.3 million. Public and private subsidies increased 5.8 per cent to $944.8 million. Those were offset by a 0.9 per cent decrease in air time sales and a 7.5 per cent decline in other revenue.
The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) has filed an appeal to Cabinet asking it to overturn CRTC broadcasting decisions 2017-149 and 150, over concerns about the standardized programs of national interest (PNI) requirement for Bell Media and Corus Entertainment. The WGC maintains the move will lead to reduced broadcaster spending on Canadian shows and a Canadian screenwriter “talent drain.”
Stingray has announced plans to launch an all-4K music television channel in July. The channel, featuring what the company bills as “visually-stunning, non-stop, and commercial-free” music programming, will be offered to all pay TV providers across the country.
CTV’s Your Morning will air a special live broadcast from Parliament Hill on June 30. Your Morning: Celebrating Canada 150 will air at 6 a.m. ET on CTV, CTV GO, and CTV News Channel. The three-hour broadcast will feature an interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and guests including Governor General David Johnston, Canadian astronauts Jeremy Hanson and Dave Williams, Snowbird Captain Blake McNaughton, Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly, country music artist Dean Brody, singer-songwriter Serena Ryder and Maritime Bhangra Group, among others.
Record-breaking Bravo series The Handmaid’s Tale, will be available to stream on CraveTV, starting July 28. Leading up to the finale, the series averaged 794,000 viewers per episode, with a series-high 965,000 viewers for Episode 8, making it the most-watched new program on Canadian entertainment specialty TV this year. The television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel has been renewed for Season 2.
The Snowsnaps, an animated series inspired by animated feature film La Guerre des Tuques 3D/SNOWTIME! has launched Snowsnaps: The Band Contest inviting singers and dancers, age 12-17, to be part of a musical competition. To submit an application, young artists have to share a video of themselves performing a song acappella, either in French or English, from the album La Guerre des Tuques 3D. The deadline for submissions at https://attache-ta-tuque.ca/en/ is July 21. The 26-episode series will be broadcast in a 15-minute format on Télétoon and Treehouse, starting in fall 2018.
