TV & Film News – CMPA & WGC reach new Independent Production Agreement

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) have reached an agreement in principle on the terms for a new Independent Production Agreement (IPA). The CMPA-WGC IPA establishes the terms, conditions and rates for writers, story editors, and story consultants. The terms for the new three-year deal will be sent to the CMPA’s Board of Directors, and distributed by the WGC, for ratification. The current agreement expires on June 30.

Sportsnet has released its NBA Finals broadcast schedule, following the Toronto Raptors’ victory Saturday night which sees the team head to finals for the first time in franchise history. Sportsnet will air Games 1, 3, 5, and 7 vs. the Golden State Warriors on TV, exclusively on Sportsnet and Sportsnet ONE, and online via Sportsnet NOW. Games 2, 4, and 6 will air on radio on Sportsnet 590 The FAN and 680 NEWS. Sportsnet’s coverage tips off this Thursday, May 30 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT with Game 1 on Sportsnet, Sportsnet ONE, and Sportsnet NOW. Matt Devlin will handle TV play-by-play, alongside game analyst Leo Rautins. On radio, Eric Smith has the call with analysis from Paul Jones. Brad Fay, Alvin Williams and Sherman Hamilton will provide analysis courtside, in addition to NBA insiders Michael Grange and Arden Zwelling. Tim & Sid will have interviews and analysis at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT to tee up pre-game action on Sportsnet, while Tim Micallef and Sid Seixeiro will join fans live from Jurassic Park at Maple Leafs Square for Games 1, 5 and 7. Sportsnet’s Raptors and NBA podcast Free Association with Donnovan Bennett and JD Bunkis will also produce new episodes throughout the finals. Find the full schedule here.

TSN’s coverage of the NBA Playoffs starts with Game 2: Golden State @ Toronto on June 2 at 8 p.m. ET on TSN and TSN Direct. The network will air ESPN’s NBA Finals Preview Show before and after the games. Additionally, CTV2 will simulcast ABC’s coverage of Games 2, 4 and 6. The TSN Broadcast Schedule includes Games 2, 4, and 6 on TV, and on radio, TSN 1050 will broadcast Games 1, 3, and 5. Paul Jones will do 1050 play-by-play alongside Jack “The Coach Armstrong” and Sherman Hamilton, while Matt Devlin does the TV call, alongside Armstrong. Rod Black hosts pre-game, halftime, and post-game coverage alongside Leo Rautins and former Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell. TSN’s coverage also features long-time Raptor and 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, James Duthie, and Josh Lewenberg, among others.

Sportsnet says Saturday night’s game drew an average of 3.1 million viewers. The Raptors’ series-clinching victory over the Milwaukee Bucks reached 6.8 million Canadians, as Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals now becomes the most-watched NBA game ever in Canada. Audience levels peaked on Sportsnet at 5.3 million viewers at 11:10 p.m. ET, just as the Raptors booked the franchise’s first ticket to the NBA Finals. Rogers says Saturday also marked the biggest single-day sales ever for the Sportsnet NOW streaming service. Sportsnet’s coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals (Game 1, 3 & 6) had a series average audience of 2.1 million viewers and reached a total of 8.4 million Canadians, marking a 77% increase over the Raptors previous Conference Final appearance in 2016.

CFL ON TSN will feature live coverage of four pre-season games leading up to the start of the 2019 CFL season on Thursday, June 13. Pre-season coverage kicks off with the Saskatchewan Roughriders heading to McMahon Stadium to face the Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders on Friday, May 31 at 9 p.m. ET on TSN. The other pre-season games are June 1 – Hamilton @ Ottawa; June 6 – Ottawa @ Montreal; and June 7 – Calgary @ BC.

The Leo Awards, recognizing the best of British Columbia film and television, have held the first of three celebrations, leading up to its Gala Awards event on June 1. Some of the big winners so far are Haida-language feature film Edge of the Knife (SGaawaay K’uuna) which won Leo Awards for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Make-up. CBC series Scout & the Gumboot Kids won four Leos in the Youth category including Best Program, Best Screenwriting, Best Cinematography, and Best Picture Editing. Find the full list of winners here.

Sherry White is the recipient of the 6th annual Nell Shipman Award, presented annually by the Toronto ACTRA Women’s Committee (TAWC) to honour a female-identifying producer, writer, showrunner, mentor or programmer who has advanced gender equity in front of and behind the camera in the Canadian film and television industry. White recently directed an episode of upcoming Global drama series Nurses after showrunning and directing Season 2 of Little Dog for CBC. She’s previously been an executive producer on ABC drama Ten Days in the Valley, a writer and executive producer on Seasons 2 and 3 of Netflix/Discovery’s period drama Frontier, and wrote award-winning feature film Maudie, among other credits.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (the Canadian Academy) is accepting applications for the third edition of its Canadian Academy Directors Program for Women until June 21. Formerly known as the Academy Apprenticeship for Women Directors, the program is designed to bolster the professional development of Canada’s women directors. Its activities provide hands-on experiences, including a professional development symposium, an online learning module, and curated on-set placements with high-profile directors and established production companies.

Bell Media has commissioned two new series for Crave from Bell Media Studios, along with the renewal of 13 other programs for 2019/20. A yet-to-titled Lainey Lui series will see the The Social co-host and ETALK correspondent delve into some of Crave’s “buzz-worthy” programming. Fellow ETALK personality Chloe Wilde is also getting a series based on her lifestyle website Healthy is Hot. Healthy Is will see Wilde present healthy living tips in each episode.

CTV has unveiled its slate of new and returning series on its summer schedule, headlined by international reality hit Love Island, to air weeknights at 8 p.m. ET/PT, starting July 9. New drama Grand Hotel from executive producer Eva Longoria also hits the schedule June 17, in addition to limited drama series The Red Line, starring Noah Wyle (July 2). The Amazing Race Canada returns for Season 7, airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT, starting July 2. Also returning to the CTV schedule are American Ninja Warrior (May 29), Masterchef (May 29), The $100,000 Pyramid (June 16) and Hollywood Game Night (July 11).

Corner Gas Animated returns to The Comedy Network on Canada Day. Season 2 will debut July 1 with two back-to-back episodes beginning at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The new 11-episode, half-hour season includes cameo appearances from Michael J. Fox, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chris Hadfield, Russell Peters and Jann Arden.

Crave’s summer highlights include Hulu’s eight-episode Veronica Mars revival dropping July 26, in addition to the series’ previous three seasons (2004-07) which launch June 28. Beginning June 9, Season 3 of Handmaid’s Tale begins streaming. HBO’s Big Little Lies also returns June 9 with Meryl Streep joining the cast. New drama series Euphoria, co-executive produced by Drake, joins Crave June 16. Starring Zendaya, the series follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love, and friendship. Coming in August is HBO comedy series The Righteous Gemstones, starring Danny McBride and John Goodman, as well as Season 2 of drama series Succession. Other highlights include Showtime drama City On A Hill (June 16) starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge and executive produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The series is set in early 1990s Boston, rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm. Rounding out the lineup is the eight-episode second season of Killing Eve (June 7). Coming movie premieres include A Star Is Born (June 8), Spider-man: Into The Spiderverse (June 28), Bohemian Rhapsody (July 5), and Aquaman (August), among others.

The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) has issued a new report on the economic benefits generated by Canadian feature film Indian Horse. Shot over 33 days in and around Sudbury and Peterborough, the critically-acclaimed film generated $15.3 million in economic activity, contributed $10.2 million to the national GDP and created 126 full time jobs. Additionally, each dollar of federal tax credit invested in the film generated $49.33 in economic activity and contributed $32.83 to the GDP. In addition to utilizing federal and provincial tax incentives, the film also received funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC). The production directly benefited 172 Northern Ontario businesses while engaging a number of local crew members, actors and extras, many from nearby Indigenous communities. Economic analysis for the study was carried out by MNP LLP for the CMPA with financial support from Telefilm Canada. The full study is available here.

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