REVOLVING DOOR:
Sportsnet has locked in its marquee talent for the upcoming 2026–27 NHL season, anchoring a slate that features more than 550 national games and a dramatic reduction in regional blackouts. Ron MacLean, Kevin Bieksa, Elliotte Friedman, and Colby Armstrong are confirmed to return to Saturday Night Hockey, Sportsnet’s rebrand of Hockey Night in Canada, as the national game will be absent from CBC’s TV schedule for the first time in 75 years. Meanwhile, Monday Night Hockey returns Oct. 5, hosted by David Amber alongside analysts Luke Gazdic and Justin Williams. Read more here.
QR Calgary 770AM (CHQR-AM) has unveiled the team that will anchor its Calgary Flames broadcasts this season, including play-by-play announcer Derek Wills and longtime host Pat Steinberg. Wills was formerly the Flames radio play-by-play voice on the now defunct Sportsnet 960 The Fan (CFAC-AM) since the 2014-15 season. Steinberg will host pre-and post-game coverage, along with new show, Flames Now, weekday afternoons starting Sept. 14. He’ll be joined on Flames Now by Jock Wilson, the host of QR’s Sportstalk. Brenden Escott, the host of Inside Sports on Edmonton’s 880 CHED, also joins the QR lineup. Read more here.
Galen McDougall is retiring from CTV Edmonton on Sept. 4 after 40 years as an ENG photographer with the station. He began his broadcasting career in 1980 at CJFB Swift Current, then moved to CKND and CKY-TV Winnipeg in his home province of Manitoba, before settling in Edmonton at CFRN in 1986.
Tony Fera has surfaced at CBC/Radio-Canada as a video producer dedicated to the public broadcaster’s new Peel Region bureau. Fera arrives at CBC after 14 years as an ENG camera operator and editor with Citytv Toronto.
Nav Nanwa is joining CBC/Radio-Canada’s Peel Region bureau as a host. Nanwa has been with CBC since 2020, initially as an associate producer on CBC Radio’s Here and Now, going on to host Windsor Morning and Ontario Morning, among other shows.`
Paul Brothers has been heard reading news on CBC Radio in Halifax. Brothers was among those caught up in recent cuts at Corus Entertainment, following the consolidation of Global News Morning in the network’s Eastern and Central markets. Brothers had been with the show since its launch in 2013.
Alex Adams has announced that his time as a writer at Sportsnet, where he covered the Ottawa Senators, has come to an end after two years. Adams also hosts the Sens Spotlight podcast on The Sick Podcast Network.
Molly Thomas has shared that TVO has unexpectedly cancelled weekly, half hour show, Big (If True), focused on misinformation and disinformation. Thomas had been the show’s senior producer and host since its debut in the fall of 2024. The former CTV host and reporter said Big (If True) had been in the midst of shooting field pieces for its third season.
Peter Raymond is returning to Rogers Sports & Media as Senior Director of Operations and Engineering. Raymond previously worked with RSM from 2014-20 as Director of Technical Operations, prior to joining TGI Sport as VP of Broadcast Operations for North America.
Nathan Beaulieu has started a new position as the full-time Head of Promotions at My Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), based in Welland. Beaulieu has worked with MBC on a part-time basis since 2023.
Kaitlyn McGrath has joined The Canadian Press (CP) as a lifestyle reporter. McGrath was formerly a staff writer at The Athletic, where she covered the Toronto Blue Jays for seven years.
Daniel Wagner has joined Daily Hive as a reporter, where he’ll be covering the Vancouver Canucks full-time. The longtime hockey writer is the founder of Canucks blog, Pass It To Bulis, and a former contributor to the Vancouver Courier and Vancouver is Awesome.
John Tory has been named the new Chair of TIFF’s Board of Directors. The former Mayor of Toronto also serves as a director of Rogers Communications. He succeeds longstanding board member Jeffrey Remedios, who had held the role since 2021. Read more here.
Omar Chalabi has joined Prime Video Canada as Head of Content Acquisition. The former Elevation Pictures’ VP of Digital and TV assumes the role vacated by Shaun Alperin earlier this summer, who is now VP of Acquisitions with NBC Universal’s Peacock.
Nataline Rodrigues is joining Shaftesbury as Vice President, Creative Content. Rodrigues, who served as Head of Originals at Rogers Sports & Media from 2013-22, has also held executive roles at CBC, Canwest, and Alliance Atlantis.
Urania Agas, the Chief Operating Officer of WPP Media, has been named Chair of the Board of Directors of CMDC (Canadian Media Directors Council). Devon MacDonald, President & CEO of the Cairns Oneil agency, has been named Vice-Chair.
Ronny Van Geel has been named Vice President, Cameras at Grass Valley. Van Geel began his career in 1999 at Philips DVS. He joined Grass Valley in 2001 as a Broadcast Camera Hardware Architect and moved into product management in 2005. He most recently served as Director of Product Marketing.
RADIO & PODCAST:
Rogers Sports & Media’s KiSS Throwbacks has announced that the Classic Hits station will be the new home for Vancouver Canucks’ radio broadcasts. The broadcast rights land at KISS Throwbacks, following station closures in early July that included Rogers’ Sportsnet 650 (CISL-AM), Vancouver’s last remaining sports radio station, where games had been heard since the 2017-18 season. Read more here.
CJMR 1320 is set to officially resume its spot on the traditional dial, kicking off signal testing after months operating as a digital-only broadcaster. The station temporarily pulled its AM broadcast signal in January due to the redevelopment of its former transmitter site. The return to the airwaves coincides with an ownership transition as Trafalgar Broadcasting Limited – a division of Whiteoaks Communications Group – agrees to sell the assets of CJMR to Chawla News Network Toronto Inc. for $400,000, pending CRTC approval. Read more here.
Saskatoon Media Group (SMG) unveiled a new format Tuesday morning, introducing KICK 98 (CJMK-FM), playing the best of pop and the best of country. Formerly branded as Cool 98, the station had been airing a Classic Hits format since 2014. KICK 98’s talent lineup includes the three-person morning show of Gregger, Keira Miller and Clayton Kroeker, while afternoon drive is being hosted by Kendra Helms. Read more here.
Rawlco Radio, meanwhile, has relaunched 92.9 The Bull (CKBL-FM) as hit country format 92.9 The Grid, following its acquisition from Saskatoon Media Group. Longtime Edmonton morning radio staple Lochlin Cross moves into mornings on the relaunched station, with Amanda Fisher in middays. Ryan Sullivan will now do double duty in afternoons on both 92.9 The Grid and Rock 102 (CJDJ-FM), alongside Whitney Graves.
Radio Sidney in Sidney, BC has applied for a low-power FM developmental licence, so residents can access local information in the event of an emergency. The streaming-only, volunteer-run station has been online since 2018. Sidney town council put their unanimous support behind the application last month.
U.S. House of Representatives leadership will bring the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to the floor for a standalone vote on whether the legacy broadcast band should remain a permanent feature in modern dashboards. First introduced by a bipartisan coalition in May 2023, the bill directs the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to mandate AM broadcast radio as a standard, accessible feature in all new passenger vehicles at no additional cost to consumers. Read more here.
Trailblazers Canada has officially gone global, unveiling the inaugural winners of the Trailblazers Radiodays Asia Awards in Jakarta last week. Originally founded in 2005 as Radio Trailblazers, the volunteer organization advocates for and supports the advancement of women in broadcasting, podcasting and digital media. Read more here.
Shannon Ella, national midday host on iHeartRadio’s Pure Country, has been nominated for an International CMA Award. Ella is a finalist in the International Country Broadcaster Award category. Honourees will be celebrated Nov. 17.
Media Technology Monitor’s latest report, Volume Up: Online Audio Overview 2026, says online audio content is capturing record audiences in Canada, propelled by surging podcast popularity and widespread smartphone use. Its findings indicate four out of five Canadians now tune in to online audio content. Adoption is nearly universal among younger demographics, reaching 96% among adults, aged 18-34, and 92% among those aged 35-49. Read more here.
Curiouscast podcast, Uncharted: Crime & Mayhem In The Music Industry, is embarking on a Canadian stage tour, Uncharted Live. Helmed by music historian and broadcaster Alan Cross, the 16-city tour kicks off Sept. 10 in Victoria and concludes Nov. 22 in Kingston. “Music and the Mob” will tell the story of organized crime’s influence over the music industry across history and will feature a Q&A with audience members.
Hawa B is the inaugural winner of Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM, a national program dedicated to discovering and showcasing emerging Francophone artists. Announced at the Festival de musique émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (FME), Hawa B takes home a $25,000 grant and a chance to perform in October at MaMA Music & Convention in Paris.
OP-ED: As Numeris replaces traditional radio diaries in 22 markets with Radio Local+, industry questions remain around data integrity and commercial impact, writes Broadcast Dialogue contributor David Bray. Read more here.
LISTEN: Dami Dawson, a writer and new media executive based in Lagos, Nigeria, joins the Sound Off Podcast. Dami’s career has taken him from radio into television and digital media, including his work at Pulse and now TVC Communications. He also manages Rewind 107.9 FM, “where nostalgia lives.” He discusses what it’s like to make radio in Nigeria in 2026, including why conversation connects with Lagos listeners, how broadcasters can build a social audience without sacrificing substance, and what holds back emerging Nigerian creators.
SIGN OFFS:
Georgina Lightning, 63, on Sept. 5, after being fatally injured in a rodeo accident. An Edmonton-born actor, producer, director and acting coach, whose credits included DreamKeeper, Johnny Greyeyes, Christmas in the Clouds, and Smoke Signals, among many other projects, Lightning also guest starred in episodes of Trickster, Blackstone, Walker, Texas Ranger and West Wing. Her 2008 directorial debut, sci-fi thriller Older Than America, secured over 23 awards and made her the first North American Indigenous Woman to direct a major feature film. Lightning went on to co-found Edmonton-based Tribal Alliance Productions, committed to producing media told from a native prospective. She also formed Native Media Network, a group dedicated to the promotion and advancement of First Nations talent. She was filming a documentary on the Enoch Cree Nation when she was fatally injured
rych mills, 80, on Sept. 2. Born in Kitchener, mills worked in broadcasting, first as an announcer and then in production at CKKW-FM and CFCA-FM. He retired in December 2011. Mills had an enduring passion for local history, authoring several books: Victoria Park:100 Years of a Park and Its People (1996) and Kitchener (Berlin) 1880-1960 (2002). He also contributed local history column “Flash from the Past” to the Waterloo Region Record and was a longstanding member of the Waterloo Historical Society, serving on the board for more than 25 years and as its president from 2004-08.
Donnie Graham (Brown), 69, on Sept. 4. Graham began his career at CHNS and CHFX Halifax in the late 1970s, before returning to his native Cape Breton as an announcer and program director at 1270 CJCB and K94, initially hosting the midday show, and later the morning show where he was known as “Donnie in the Morning.” He went on to host call-in show, CJCB Talkback. He transitioned to radio sales in the early 2000s, and did a three-year stint as the District Manager for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). He last job in radio was serving as Sales Manager at CKCH-FM Sydney from 2009-14, before closing out his career as a commercial insurance broker.
Chris Kirkwood, 45, following a brief illness. After graduating from Ryerson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, New Media, Kirkwood started his media career with CHUM Television in the early 2000s as a Motion and Graphic Designer. He went on to hold similar positions with theScore, Sportsnet, and later Global News where he served as a set specialist and the Graphic Designer for VR sets. For the past year, he’d served as a senior designer at CBC Toronto.
Ed Kargl (Ed Karl), 83, on Aug. 27. Best known as one of the original CFUN “Good Guys” and a television commentator for All Star Wrestling, Kargl’s earlier on-air work included DJ’ing at Vancouver’s CKWX-AM from 1962-64. He was heard on CFUN from 1964-67, before joining CKVU-TV as a sports commentator from 1976-79. He went on to a long run as the host of All-Star Wrestling on CHAN-TV/CTV from 1979-91. Following his broadcasting career, he served as Vice President of Business Development for the Fraser River Port Authority until 2007.
Keith DeLong, 84, on Aug. 13. A Halifax-based sound and recording engineer for CBC for 33 years, DeLong served as part of the public broadcaster’s drama technical team. Outside of work, DeLong was known as an accomplished guitar player, playing with numerous groups across many genres, including classic country band, Silver Dollar, for 26 years. He was nominated for induction in the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame in 2025.
TV & FILM:
Rogers Communications and Quebecor have announced a new 12-year sub-licensing agreement for the French-language broadcast rights for national NHL games, starting with the 2026-27 season. TVA Sports and TVA Sports Direct will distribute all games covered by the new agreement, as the league’s official French-language broadcast partner, with the illico+ streaming platform joining the broadcast ecosystem. Read more here.
Prime Video has unveiled its 2026-27 NHL on Prime schedule for Wednesday Night Hockey, starting Sept. 30 when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the New York Islanders. The schedule includes six Leaf games and seven Montréal Canadiens games, while the Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, and Ottawa Senators each appear four times.
JioHotstar, India’s largest premium streaming platform has expanded to Canada, the UK and Singapore. Partially-owned by Disney, the platform features more than 100,000 hours of drama and movies in 17 languages,
Crave Original series Heated Rivalry has announced additional casting including Kevin Zegers (The Madison, Transamerica, Gossip Girl) as Coach Wiebe, Paul Gross (Good Night, and Good Luck on Broadway; Tales of the City) as Commissioner Roger Crowell, and Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil, The Fifth Element) as Dr. Galina Molchalina for its upcoming season, scheduled to premiere in Spring 2027.
Crave has revealed Maddie Phillips (Gen V) is set to star opposite previously-announced series lead Robbie G.K. (Heated Rivalry) in Meatballs, an irreverent reimagining of the beloved 1979 Canadian comedy classic. Now in production in the Montréal area through October, the eight-episode, half-hour series is slated to premiere in 2027.
CBC has unveiled the trailer for original feature documentary and 2026 TIFF official selection Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple. The trailer offers a first look at the film’s intimate exploration of the Rush drummer and lyricist, featuring rare archival footage, personal reflections, and live performances. Directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn and produced by Banger Films and Elevation Pictures, the film will have its broadcasting and streaming premiere Sept. 23 on CBC and CBC Gem.
REV TV is partnering with classic car auction house, EG Auctions, to present the first-ever, nationally broadcast Canadian collector car auction. EG Auctions Live Presented by Unique Lifts will air Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. MT/3 p.m. ET. REV TV is on Free Preview this month on Rogers East & West, TELUS and Cogeco.
CHEK is set to premiere 911 STORIES, a docuseries highlighting Canadian first responders. Beginning Saturday, Sept. 12 on CHEK and CHEK+, the 15-part series captures the experiences of emergency workers serving across B.C. from lighthearted pranks and camaraderie to harrowing experiences on the front lines and resulting struggles with PTSD. The series was locally produced on Vancouver Island through a collaboration between Empress Avenue Media and Kinsol Films.
Stingray is expanding its European presence through a new agreement that will see the launch of 20 FAST channels on LG Channels, available to LG Smart TV owners across 13 European countries. At the core of the launch is Stingray Music’s curated audio music channels and dedicated local content, including Total Hits channels customized for France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Poland, and Portugal.
Grup Mediapro is rebranding to Imagina, starting Jan. 1. Following several months of reorganization, the company says it’s returned to a path of growth, expecting to close out 2026 with EBITDA growth of between 50% and 60% versus 2025.
ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA:
Network Media Group is making a major push into mobile-first entertainment with the launch of Network Verticals, a dedicated division focused on developing, producing, and distributing premium vertical video content. The new venture targets the fast-growing sector that has seen feature-length stories serialized into 50 to 100 short-form episodes, each running 60 to 90 seconds in length and filmed specifically in a 9:16 aspect ratio for smartphone viewing. While the format has gained traction through scripted dramas and soap opera-style serials, Network Verticals plans to expand into unscripted true crime, comedy, music, horror, and sports. Read more here.
OnlyFinder’s OnlyFans Wrapped 2026 report suggests Canada’s spending on the creator platform is growing twice as fast as the U.S. The search engine says Canada now ranks fifth globally, with an estimated $170.24 million in spending in 2026. Canada’s spending is up 16.22% year over year, compared with 8.04% in the U.S. Vancouver ranks #1 in Canada for spending per 10,000 adults at an estimated $101,601, followed by Toronto, Saskatoon, Quebec City and Montreal.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
CBC/Radio-Canada has released its Q1 2026-27 financial report, reporting a revenue decrease of 5.6%, primarily due to lower TV ad revenue as a result of softening demand and market competition. The public broadcaster says revenue was also affected by Q1 timing shifts, as advertiser spend moved to major sporting events. Government funding for the quarter increased by 4.6%, while quarterly expenses grew by 5.3%, primarily driven by higher programming costs resulting from the shift of winter programming into the spring and summer schedule following the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, alongside increased investment in digital and programming activities.
IIC Canada’s 2026 program is now online. This year’s conference, discussing pressing issues facing Canada’s communications sector, includes keynotes from CRTC Chairperson Vicky Eatrides; Canada’s former Chief Trade Negotiator, Steve Verheul; Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard; Acting Commissioner of Competition Jeanne Pratt and Commissioner and CEO for Complaints for Telecom Services, Josée Bidal Thibault.
BROADCAST TECH & ENGINEERING:
LISTEN: In this sponsored episode of Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast, host Rob Brimacombe sits down with Jason Hancock, Senior Director of Global Sales at WideOrbit, and William “Dub” Irvin, WideOrbit’s VP and Managing Director of Radio Automation, to unpack the question every station group GM is asking right now: how do you do more without spending more?
LISTEN: Ahead of IBC in Amsterdam – the world’s leading broadcast media & tech trade show – Broadcast Dialogue speaks with Chris Evans, IAMT’s Head of Knowledge & Insight. Among other topics, we cover what kinds of tech are expected to dominate the show floor at IBC, a preview of IAMT’s Industry Impact briefing, and how AI is among the factors influencing vendor and client priorities.
ATSC, The Broadcast Standards Association, is being honoured with a 2026 Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for its pioneering development of NextGen TV, establishing the industry’s first fully IP-based broadcast standard to reach commercial scale. The announcement recognizes the collaborative effort that created the ATSC 3.0 standard, which gives TV broadcasters the capability of transmitting Ultra High-Definition programming with High Dynamic Range and other significant improvements. ATSC will be honoured Oct. 14, marking the fourth Emmy recognizing its work.
