CRTC financial data shows private conventional (over-the-air) television in Canada lost $121 million in 2015-16 ($719M over five years). This is the fifth consecutive year conventional television services have reported revenue declines due to a continued decline in ad spending. Private TV stations employed over 5,300 people in 2016, down by almost 500 from 2015. Discretionary and on-demand services generated $4.4 billion in revenues in 2016, slightly higher than the $4.3 billion reported in 2015. That was mainly due to revenue increases reported by sports and movie-oriented services.
The CRTC has extended the deadline for its call for applications for a national, multilingual multi-ethnic television service offering news and information programming, that could potentially replace Rogers’ OMNI as an ethnic channel. Applications will now be received until Nov. 6.
The National Football League (NFL), Unifor, ACTRA, the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA) and the Canadian Media Directors’ Council (CMDC) have reaffirmed their support of Bell’s call for the CRTC to suspend its simultaneous Super Bowl ad substitution ban going forward. A Communic@tions Management Inc. report, prepared for Bell Media, says the ban has cost the overall Canadian economy approximately $158 million, finding Canadian businesses have been driven to spend their advertising dollars with U.S. border television stations in an attempt to reach Canadian viewers.
TELUS has added its first original scripted comedy to its on-demand library. The four-part series Android Employed, filmed in Vancouver, was created, written and directed by filmmaker Jem Garrard. The co-production between ARTABAN and Red Castle Films with the support of Telus Original, can be watched through TELUS Optik TV on Demand, and online at androidemployed.com.
Discovery’s fall lineup is headlined by six new programs, joining 13 returning original series. Led by Season 2 of Frontier, Season 6 of Highway Thru Hell and Daily Planet, new to Discovery’s production slate are character-driven series Last Stop Garage, airing Monday nights; Rocky Mountain Railroad (Winter 2018); and Hellfire Heroes (Spring 2018). Discovery is also set to air original specials Saturn: Inside The Rings (Sept. 15) and Drain Alcatraz, coming this November.
Global has announced its 2017 Fall premiere dates. The Brave, starring Anne Heche (Men in Trees) and Mike Vogel (Under the Dome) kicks off the primetime schedule on Monday, Sept. 25. Joining Mondays on Oct. 2 is Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains) with a new comedy inspired by his real life in 9KJL. Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders premieres Sept. 26, starring Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), while David Boreanaz (Bones) returns to Global in SEAL Team, beginning Sept. 27. After 11 years, Will & Grace come home to Global beginning Thurs., Sept. 28, followed by Season 2 of Great News, executive produced by former SNL star Tina Fey and starring Nicole Richie and Andrea Martin. New Sunday night drama Wisdom of the Crowd premieres Oct. 1 starring Jeremy Piven (Entourage) as a father who sets out to solve the murder of his daughter through a cutting-edge crowdsourcing app.
