Bell and Corus Entertainment have announced the expansion of a strategic, multi-year agreement for Corus networks to be distributed on Bell Fibe TV and Bell Satellite TV, including Corus lifestyle networks, Flavour Network and Home Network. The agreement builds upon the prior launch of Corus streaming service STACKTV on the Bell Fibe TV app. In the meantime, Bell Media has followed Corus in filing an official complaint with the CRTC against Rogers’ plan to sub its newly-acquired Warner Bros. Discovery channels – Discovery and Investigation Discovery (I.D.) – in place of the previous channels with that branding, and move the rebranded channels up their grid. Read more in our sister publication, CARTT.ca (paywalled).
CAFTCAD (Canadian Alliance for Film and Television Costume Arts in Design) has announced 2025 nominees, ahead of their 6th Annual CAFTCAD Awards on Sunday, March 2 at the Eglinton Grand Theatre in Toronto. Among the multiple nominees are Peter Pan and Wendy, Shogun, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Boys, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. This year’s Industry Icon Award honourees are Joan Lovett and Anthea Mallinson. Lovett, the visionary behind Lovett Studios, has revolutionized textile breakdown and special effects costume arts in B.C. and across Canada, providing creative services to over 150 productions since 1987, including Batwoman, The Last of Us, Stargate, Snowpiercer and Deadpool. Mallinson, the driving force behind The Dye Dept., played a key role in developing Capilano University’s Costume for Stage & Screen Program. Her work can be seen in productions like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, (2021 CAFTCAD Award for Excellence in Textiles), Snakes on a Plane, Chronicles of Riddick and Catwoman.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has extended voting and rescheduled some events around the 97th Oscars due to the impact of the Los Angeles-area fires. The Oscars nomination voting period is extended through Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. PT. The Oscars nominations announcement is rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, at 5:30 a.m. PT. The live announcement will be a virtual event without in-person media coverage. The Oscars Nominees Luncheon will not be held this year, while the Scientific and Technical Awards, scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18, will be rescheduled to a later date to be determined. The 97th Oscars will still be held Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.
Curling Ontario is partnering with Cogeco’s YourTV during the upcoming Ontario Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships, taking place at the Cobourg Community Centre, Jan. 19-26. The three-year partnership, covers events in 2025, 2027 and 2028. YourTV will be the exclusive broadcaster of the championships, providing live coverage of the games directly to viewers’ televisions. With this partnership, Curling Ontario says it aims to expand the reach of the championship games, promoting the sport and connecting with curling enthusiasts everywhere. Each draw will feature a highlighted game broadcast on YourTV, while additional sheets will be available for streaming on the yourtv.tv website. Full coverage will also be available on the Super Sports Pak through most cable providers in Ontario.
CTV Wild Channel premieres new Canadian original docuseries My Pet Ate What? on Sunday, Jan. 26. The 14-episode series follows Vancouver-based father-son duo, Dr. Eugene Gorodetsky (Dr. G) and Ben Gorodetsky, as they tackle the “off menu” meal choices of B.C. pets. Two new episodes will air every Sunday. The series is produced by Tyson Media Productions (Pets & Pickers) in partnership with Bell Media.
Chris Sharpe, a producer with Black Film Space Manitoba, has announced the premiere of groundbreaking documentary Relationship Remix, premiering Feb. 14 on CBC Gem. Black Film Space Manitoba is dedicated to creating inclusive storytelling opportunities that reflect the diverse voices of the Canadian prairies. Relationship Remix offers a fresh exploration of Canada’s fastest-growing demographic, mixed-race couples, highlighting the importance of embracing diversity in building a more inclusive society. It takes viewers deep into the lives and emotions of five married and dating couples in mixed relationships from Manitoba.
Media Pulse, a Blue Ant Media company and connected TV (CTV) marketplace, and Gusto TV, have announced that Media Pulse now has exclusive streaming access to Gusto TV’s inventory in Canada. With the new partnership, Media Pulse will offer clients direct ad insertion opportunities across the full range of Gusto TV CTV inventory, spanning over 60 original titles, including series like Cook Like A Chef, Bonacini’s Italy and Flour Power.
National Canadian Film Day (CanFilmDay) returns on April 16 with programming spotlight, Something to Believe In, focused on stories that capture the power of art, community, of having a dream, and fighting for what you believe in. An opportunity to gather together to indulge in some of Canada’s best cinema, the spotlight showcases Canadian favourites old and new, including some of the top films from 2024 festivals, including Canada’s 2025 Oscar submission Universal Language (dir. Matthew Rankin); Bergers (Shepherds) (dir. Sophie Deraspe), winner of Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival; and Yintah (dir. Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell, Michael Toledano), winner of Best Canadian Documentary Award at the 2024 Hot Docs Festival. Browse the full list of films at canfilmday.ca/spotlight.