The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 411 have announced the successful conclusion of negotiations on a new craft service and honeywagon agreement. The tentative deal establishes the terms, conditions and rates for operators engaged on productions in Ontario. Details of the new agreement in principle will be presented to the CMPA Board of Directors and IATSE Local 411 membership for ratification in the coming weeks. The current agreement expires Dec. 31.
Apple TV+ will be available via Prime Video in Canada, Australia and the UK as an add-on subscription for $12.99/month in Canada (CA$) and Australia (AU$), and £8.99/month in the UK. Prime members who subscribe to Apple TV+ via Prime Video will have access to premium entertainment including Severance, Bad Sisters, Silo, Slow Horses, The Morning Show, Presumed Innocent, Shrinking, Hijack, Loot, and Palm Royale, as well as Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball sporting events. Apple TV+ launched in the U.S. as an add-on subscription via Prime Video in October.
The Roku Channel is now offering Canadian viewers more than 150 FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels. Recently added channels include: Corner Gas Channel, CTV @ Home, CTV Laughs, Noovo Cinéma, TSN The Ocho, and Wicked Tuna. The Roku Channel will also add three new CBC News local channels (Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, joining BC, Toronto, and the national CBC News channel) in the coming weeks, as well as Zoomer Television, EarthDay 365, and channels dedicated to Heartland and Murdoch Mysteries, as well as The Graham Norton Show and The Ed Sullivan Show.
Rogers is stacking Citytv+ with thousands of hours of new and returning shows from Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Cooking Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Science, and MotorTrend, starting Jan. 1, as it becomes the home of Warner Bros. Discovery’s brands and content in Canada. Rogers has unveiled the winter schedule highlights for Discovery, HGTV, The Food Network, ID, and the Magnolia Network.
Global has announced its winter 2025 programming lineup. Kicking off the New Year is Global original Family Law, returning for a third season on Sunday, Jan. 5. Joining the network’s slate of procedurals is new medical drama Doc, inspired by a true story and starring Canadian Molly Parker, debuting Tuesday, Jan. 7 and Watson, a modern Sherlock Holmes medical mystery series, starring Morris Chestnut, premiering Sunday, Jan. 26. Also joining the Global lineup is reimagined classic game show Hollywood Squares, featuring Drew Barrymore as the centre square, hosted by Nate Burleson, starting Thursday, Jan. 9. Saturday Night Live also continues to celebrate its 50th season with a live primetime special on Sunday, Feb. 16.
Crave Original series, Slaycation, will be available for a New Year’s Eve binge-watch on Tuesday, Dec. 31. Slaycation follows six larger-than-life queens from across the international Drag Race family – BOA, Jada Shada Hudson, Kandy Muse, Kerri Colby, Lawrence Chaney, and Luxx Noir London – as they vacation together at a Canadian winter cabin. Available to Canadian audiences in English and French, the series launches simultaneously on World of Wonder’s SVOD platform WOW Presents Plus in the U.S. and in 190 territories worldwide.
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Now You Know BC is a new show from content creator and former Vancouver is Awesome (VIA) publisher Bob Kronbauer that will air on Victoria’s CHEK-TV, starting in the New Year. The weekly, half-hour show will feature interviews, travel stories, and history.
Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the winners of its film competition awards. The top prize, the $35,000 Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature, was presented to Really Happy Someday, directed by J Steven. The Best BC Director Award went to Resident Orca, directed by Simon Schneider and Sarah Sharkey Pearce. The 24th edition of WFF featured a total of 118 films: 47 features and 71 shorts. There were 27 world premieres, 20 Canadian premieres, 24 Western Canadian premieres, and 23 Whistler premieres. A total of $188,500 in cash and production prizes were presented this year, across a total of 15 awards in seven juried film competitions.
