Rogers TV Peel ceased operations May 2, affecting 15 full-time positions. Similar to Shaw’s announcement it’s shuttering community stations in Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver to redirect funds to Global News, Rogers is reallocating resources from Rogers TV. Rogers TV channels in the GTA, including Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton and Richmond Hill will no longer be on the air as of Aug. 31. In the interim, Rogers TV Peel will feature a mix of community programming and City Council coverage. Coverage of the Ontario Hockey League finals will continue without interruption.
Telefilm Canada has presented its annual Guichet d’or award to director Jean-François Pouliot and screenwriters Pierre Lamothe and Claude Lalonde for their film Les 3 p’tits cochons 2 (The 3 L’il Pigs 2). The Guichet d’or, which comes with a cash prize of $40,000, has been awarded annually for the last 10 years to the Canadian director and screenwriter of the French-language feature film generating the highest domestic box office in the previous year. In 2016, Les 3 p’tits cochons 2 earned close to $2.9 million at the Canadian box office.
The Rosies, the annual gala for the Alberta Film & Television Awards and primary fundraiser for the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA), was held Apr. 29 in Edmonton. Niobe Thompson was one of the night’s big winners taking home Best Director (Non-Fiction over 30 minutes) for Memento Mori and Best Screenwriter (Non-Fiction Over 30 minutes) for Vital Bonds. You can view the full list of winners here.
Bell Media’s The Movie Network (TMN) has confirmed its Canadian original documentary development and production slate. The list of eight new works commissioned by TMN includes Ron Mann’s Grass 2, a timely sequel to his definitive look at marijuana; Anthropocene, the final chapter in documentarians Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky’s trilogy about the impact of humans on our planet; and Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine, which charts the rise of the Toronto power-rock group in the ’70s and ’80s.
TSN will broadcast Toronto Raptors NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals playoff games on TSN, TSN4K and TSN GO, while TSN Radio 1050 in Toronto will provide live coverage of Games 1-4. TSN’s broadcast team features play-by-play commentator Matt Devlin and game analyst Jack Armstrong, along with NBA ON TSN host Rod Black, analysts Leo Rautins, Sam Mitchell, Nabil Karim and special guest analyst Nik Stauskas.
Lionsgate and Fandom, the largest entertainment fan site in the world, have announced a strategic partnership to combine resources and enhance marketing to reach fan communities across Lionsgate’s filmed entertainment brands and franchises. The multi-year agreement will give Fandom users access to enhanced and exclusive content experiences.
TVOKids’ live-action math comedy series Odd Squad, produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment, was recognized with five awards at the 44th annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards presented Apr. 28 in Los Angeles. The series features kid agents who solve math-related mysteries CSI-style. Odd Squad won Outstanding Performer in a Children’s, Pre-School Children’s or Family Viewing Program (Isaac Kragten), Outstanding Writing Special Class for Odd Squad: The Movie (Tim McKeon, Mark De Angelis, Adam Peltzman), Outstanding Costume Design/Styling, Outstanding Hairstyling, and Outstanding Makeup. Earlier this spring, TVO received a record-setting 23 Daytime Emmy nominations.
CTV, ICF Films and Entertainment One (eOne) have started production on The Detail, the network’s new, one-hour, detective series. The 10-episode drama starring Wendy Crewson (Saving Hope, Room), Shenae Grimes-Beech (90210, Degrassi: The Next Generation), and UK talent Angela Griffin (Coronation Street, Brief Encounters), is from the producing and writing team behind Saving Hope. The Detail is set to premiere as part of CTV’s 2017/18 schedule and will continue to shoot in and around Toronto until July 25. It’s been picked up by ION Television for broadcast in the U.S.
IFC has acquired all-female Canadian sketch comedy series Baroness von Sketch Show. Performed and written by Meredith MacNeill and Second City alums Carolyn Taylor, Aurora Browne and Jennifer Whalen, IFC will start airing Seasons 1 and 2 of the half-hour series late this summer. Produced by Frantic Films, the show airs on CBC in Canada.
Bell Media has announced three new original Canadian series from Gusto Worldwide Media that will join the food and lifestyle channel’s slate of homegrown programming in 2017/2018. The newly-commissioned series begin production across Ontario this summer in 4K, including retro-themed baking series Flour Power, Ontario food market and local ingredient exploration series Fresh Market Dinners and barbecue cookout Watts On The Grill, starring chef Spencer Watts. Watt’s series Fish The Dish recently won a 2017 James Beard Foundation Media Award.
Super Channellaunches North America’s first 24-hour channel for esports fans GINX Esports TV Canada today (May 4) at 8 p.m. ET. Available to current Super Channel subscribers as part of their existing package, the channel (formerly SC4) will offer live esports events, news and gaming lifestyle programming.
