TVO has confirmed it’s laid off nine staff on its editorial team, but says it is not cancelling any journalism programming. John Ferri, VP of Programming and Content at the Ontario public broadcaster, confirmed in a statement released to Broadcast Dialogue that the layoffs impact five members of the web team, two managers and two other positions out of an editorial staff of 70. Ferri said the network continues to be committed to its documentary, podcast and digital video slates, but is making “a strategic choice to focus our website more on documentaries, video and podcasts than on text alone.” Read more here.
The CRTC has denied an application from Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) requesting an increase in its monthly per subscriber wholesale rate for AMI-tv and AMI-télé. The CRTC found that AMI did not demonstrate an immediate financial need for an increase and “did not propose clear and substantial programming changes that would significantly improve the services following a rate increase.” The commission noted it intends to consider “broader regulatory and systemic issues regarding the broadcasting system in upcoming public consultations to modernize Canada’s regulatory framework.” AMI’s application had sought an increase of $0.01 (to $0.21) for AMI-tv in anglophone markets and an increase of $0.02 (to $0.30) for AMI-télé in francophone markets. According to AMI, over the next two years (the remainder its licence terms), the requested rate increases would have generated approximately $1.33 million in revenue for AMI-tv and $1.29 million for AMI-télé.
FAIR, the Film & Television Alliance for Industry Responsibility, is a newly-formed coalition of Canadian film and television unions and guilds dedicated to ensuring accountable industry policy and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. Comprised of Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ), Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), NABET 700-M UNIFOR, Société des auteur.e.trice.s de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC), L’Union des Artistes (UDA), and Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), the group has been lobbying Telefilm Canada to adopt the same policy in place at the Canada Media Fund (CMF) requiring producers to remain in good standing with industry unions and guilds to qualify for funding. FAIR says 27% of productions with budgets over $5 million aren’t signing collective agreements, while 65% of productions with budgets under $1 million sign with only half, or fewer, of the applicable unions and guilds. Read more here.
Ed Barreveld and Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin were recognized with the top documentary achievement awards at the 11th Annual DOC Institute’s Honours Awards, celebrating pioneers and visionaries in Canadian documentary filmmaking. Barreveld is this year’s recipient of the Luminary Award. The Storyline Entertainment CEO and Emmy-winning producer began his film career as unit administrator of the NFB’s Ontario studio in Toronto. After four years traveling the world as a documentary line producer, he co-founded Storyline in 2000. Koostachin is this year’s winner of the Vanguard Award. With a background in community work, social justice themes emerge in her films, alongside bravery, healing, connection and humour.
CTV’s 2024 holiday programming lineup includes new holiday specials. Jimmy Fallon’s Holiday Seasoning Spectacular (Dec. 18) sees the late night host explore a surreal and magical apartment building in New York where behind every door a different celebrity joins him for a comedic holiday musical performance. The one-hour special features Cara Delevingne, Dolly Parton, J.B. Smoove, Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J, Meghan Trainor, The Roots, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. CTV will also air The Real Full Monty on Dec. 11. Inspired by the 1997 film, the two-hour special sees a daring group of male celebrities volunteer to bare all this holiday season to raise awareness of prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer. Actor, comedian, and producer Anthony Anderson rallies a cast of male celebrities including Taye Diggs, NFL’s Chris Jones, Tyler Posey, Bruno Tonioli, and James Van Der Beek as they train and rehearse for the most revealing performance of their careers.
CTV Atlantic hosts the 61st Annual Christmas Daddies Telethon, starting at 11 a.m. AT on Saturday, Dec. 7 on CTV Atlantic, CTVAtlantic.ca, and the CTV app. One of the most anticipated annual charitable fundraising initiatives in the region, co-hosting this year in Halifax are Steve Murphy and Todd Battis, joined by CTV News at Five anchor Maria Panopalis alongside reporters Katie Kelly, Paul Hollingsworth, Kalin Mitchell, Brianne Foley, Emma Convey, Hafsa Arif, and Jesse Thomas. Additionally, CTV Atlantic reporters Laura Brown, Avery MacRae, and Alana Pickrell deliver updates from Glad Tidings Church in Moncton, alongside musician Ivan Daigle; local comedian Bette MacDonald hosts from the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Cape Breton; and comedian Jimmy the Janitor from the Carrefour School Theatre in Charlottetown.
Corus Entertainment has announced the Winter/Spring 2025 schedule for the debut of newly-rebranded lifestyle channels, Home Network and Flavour Network. The channels’ social platforms will be live Dec. 27, while Flavour Network and Home Network will continue in the current channel position of Food Network Canada and HGTV Canada on Dec. 30. Both channels will be available for free preview for two months, from Jan. 3 – Feb. 28, 2025. Viewers will also be able to stream full episodes from both networks on STACKTV.
imagineNATIVE has acquired Indigenous media creator database Kin Theory, an initiative of U.S. based non-profit, Nia Tero. The acquisition will see imagineNATIVE take over operations and connect Indigenous artists in the Kin Theory database with imagineNATIVE’s existing programming with a goal of increasing opportunities for Indigenous creators and their reach. The extensive database includes actors, writers, directors, and musicians currently working in the industry. As part of the acquisition, imagineNATIVE will seamlessly transition the database’s current members over to the imagineNATIVE network which will operate on the existing website. The database will be championed to the imagineNATIVE network through events like the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in June.
Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released a new report on FAST channels, or Free Ad-supported Streaming Television. It finds about one-fifth of online Canadians (21%) have tuned into a FAST channel. Though not prevalent yet, these channels have experienced nearly 24% growth within a single year, rising from 17% in 2023 to 21% in 2024. Anglophone Canadians are more inclined to watch FAST channels – 23%, compared to their francophone counterparts at 13%. Off-air Canadians are the most likely to be watching FAST channels (43%). SVOD and YouTube viewers are only slightly more likely to watch FAST channels than the average online Canadian (23% versus 21%). MTM also found Canadian kids have adopted FAST channels more quickly than adults, with 30% reporting they watch content on these platforms. Boys (31%), younger kids (33%), anglophone children (33%) and those from lower-income households (37%) are more likely to be viewers. Tubi leads with 15% viewership among children, outpacing Roku, Pluto TV, and Samsung TV+, each with less than 10%.
