REVOLVING DOOR:
Gabrielle Marchand has been announced as the new morning show co-host on Winnipeg’s Bounce 99.9 (CFWM-FM). Marchand has most recently been seen in mornings as a host on Global News in the market. She joins veteran personality Beau (aka Wolfgang Frietzche), who has been heard solo in the time slot since early 2023. Bounce Mornings with Beau & Gabby will make its debut on Monday, Dec. 1, following Frietzche’s recovery from previously-scheduled knee replacement surgery. Read more here.
Joel Jeffrey has returned to the morning show on 96.3 Cruz FM (CFWD-FM) Saskatoon, alongside Stacie Cooper. Jeffrey previously stepped away from the station in 2017 to teach at Western Academy Broadcasting College.
Jade Nixon joins Josh Hylden as one-half of Josh & Jade, the new weekday afternoon show on CFAX 1070 Victoria. Nixon has held various roles with Bell Media in the market since 2023, including being heard doing fill-in on 107.3 Virgin Radio (CHBE-FM). Hylden has been with CFAX since 2013.
James Cybulski is joining the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) broadcast team. Cybulski, a veteran of sports talk radio in the Vancouver market, will be calling games for the Vancouver Goldeneyes, who begin their inaugural season on Nov. 21.
Tara Clow has been promoted to the position of Assistant Regional News Director – National at Acadia Broadcasting. Clow has been with the company for more than a decade, also serving as the morning news anchor for numerous stations, including 91.9 The Bend (CKNI-FM) Moncton, 97.3 The Wave (CHWV-FM) and Country 94 (CHSJ-FM) Saint John, 98.1 Charlotte FM (CHTD-FM) St. Stephen, CKDR 92.7 FM Dryden and 89.5 The Lake (CJRL-FM) Kenora, among others.
Deb Rent is the new Executive Director at the Fabienne Colas Foundation (FCF), the non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion in the arts. Rent previously helmed Development and Partnerships for the organization from 2018-23 after a long career in news radio in the Maritimes.
Alexandre Avon has been promoted to Vice-President, Strategic Alliances and Brand Partnerships at Just For Laughs Group. The organization says the new vice presidency marks an important milestone in making strategic alliances a cornerstone of its business model, activating year-round collaborations across its properties and digital media, and no longer solely during its festivals. Avon previously held the title of Chief Marketing Officer.
Dave Budge has filled the Independent Broadcast Director position on the board of the Canadian Journalism Collective (CJC), the non-profit created to oversee the distribution of Google funds under the Online News Act. He’ll serve alongside Independent Publisher Director Iain MacKinnon and Raymond Lafond, President and Independent Chair. Budge retired as VP of News & Information at Rogers Sports & Media in 2023 after five decades in broadcast news.
Trevor Treweeke has been appointed to the Network Media Group board of directors. Treweeke is a capital markets professional with more than 12 years of experience advising early-stage and small-cap companies on growth, financing, and corporate strategy. He also serves as a director of mobility device supplier, Cheelcare.
Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and David Errington have joined the board of directors of the National Screen Institute (NSI). Tailfeathers is an award-winning writer, director, producer, actor, and “recent transplant” to Winnipeg, where NSI is headquartered. Errington is the President & CEO of Accessible Media Inc. (AMI).
RADIO & PODCAST:
Arsenal Media is set to acquire the BPM Sports network of radio stations in Quebec from RNC Media. Quebec’s first French-language sports network, BPM Sports launched in 2022. The stations include CKLX 91.9 Montreal, CHXX 100.9 Quebec City, and CFTX 96.5 Gatineau. Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction would bring the number of radio stations owned and operated by Arsenal to 28. Read more here.
SiriusXM Canada has announced that Subaru Canada is the latest automaker to participate in its new three-year extended trial program. Beginning with select 2026 model year vehicles, Subaru drivers will receive a three-year trial subscription to SiriusXM’s audio entertainment service, included at no additional cost. The extended trial will come standard on select Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, and Impreza trims, automatically activated upon vehicle purchase.
The Wellness Prescription podcast, hosted by chiropractor Dr. Claudia Machiella, is moving to Zoomer Radio’s 96.7 FM as well at AM740 (CFZM-AM), starting Sunday, Nov. 30 at 7 a.m. ET. Machiella, co-founder of The Centre for Health and Rehabilitation in Woodbridge, ON, has previously been heard on 105.9 The Region (CFMS-FM) Markham.
Canadaland’s latest podcast, What Is Happening Here, explores the rise of anti-Jewish hate in Canada. Hosted by Jesse Brown, the podcast promises “disarmingly candid conversations” with guests from Indigo CEO Heather Reisman to antizionist leader Moez Zaman and Jewish antizionist activist Dave Meslin. Canadaland bills the podcast as “a clear-eyed, rational, and humanistic attempt to get past the name-calling, dogma, slogans and righteousness, in order to have a desperately-needed conversation about what has changed for Jews in Canada.” The six-episode offering is a co-production with The Canadian Jewish News.
Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights have released a study of more than 600 weekly podcast listeners that finds despite the rise of podcast video use, 92% of consumers are listening to podcasts. Cumulus and Signal Hill commissioned Quantilope to conduct the study between Oct. 8-21, ahead of the release of their Fall 2025 Podcast Download report. An analysis of the consumer study found that while podcast consumers have the option to either watch or listen, the vast majority (92%) continue to choose to listen. Just eight per cent say they only watch podcasts. Read more here.
LISTEN: While there was little in the recent federal budget for commercial radio and television broadcasters, Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) President Kevin Desjardins believes there’s still reason for optimism in the sector. We welcome Desjardins back to Broadcast Dialogue – The Podcast to talk about the CAB’s ongoing lobby efforts to help set private broadcasters up for success, the current climate on Parliament Hill, and more.
LISTEN: Jessica Rhodes, founder of Interview Connections, is on the latest Sound Off Podcast discussing the evolution of the podcast guest industry. She emphasizes the importance of being a podcast guest for business owners to reach new audiences and explains the benefits of niche podcasts over large, broad ones. Rhodes also highlights the significance of a strong online presence and the need for proper promotion of podcast episodes, as well as insights on leveraging AI for podcast booking.
SIGN OFFS:
Steve Duffy, 73, on Nov. 11, after battling Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) disease. Duffy had a 44-year radio career on Vancouver Island, starting at CJAV-FM Port Alberni in the early 1970s. From there, he Dj’ed in Courtenay, before arriving in Victoria at CKDA in 1976 as a reporter, which allowed him to integrate his love for sports into his work. After a change of ownership at CKDA, he continued his career with The Q (CKKQ-FM), eventually joining CFAX 1070 where he was best known as the voice of morning sports. Duffy was caught up in cutbacks at Bell Media in 2017.
TV & FILM:
Numeris has signed a deal with Amazon Ads, adding Prime Video to its national Video Audience Measurement (VAM) solution. Prime Video is the first digital streaming service to be made available within the solution, enabling advertisers to capture and analyze viewership, alongside linear TV providers. Numeris says its national VAM data now covers 95% of Canadian linear, streaming, and digital platforms, giving advertisers and broadcasters the most complete view of screen audiences by platform, device, and market. Read more here.
The 112th Grey Cup attracted an average audience of 4.02 million viewers across TSN, CTV, and RDS, up +12% over last year’s broadcast. Overall, the broadcast reached 10 million unique Canadian viewers across Bell Media’s networks, with an average audience of 4.07 million tuning in for mgk’s halftime show. TSN’s live streaming audiences saw an increase of +27% over last year’s championship game, while its social media accounts recorded nearly 12 million impressions and four million video views across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube. TSN’s TikTok Live Stream garnered more than 150,000 views.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has unveiled its 2025–26 broadcast schedule. Beginning Friday, Nov. 21, national coverage will be available via the league’s returning partners TSN and RDS, CBC/Radio-Canada, and Prime Video, with Sportsnet making its return as a broadcast partner this season. All 120 regular-season games will be available live, including Tuesdays on Prime Video and Wednesdays on TSN, with Thursdays airing on both TSN and Sportsnet. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday games will be carried across CBC, TSN, and Sportsnet. All 30 Montréal Victoire games will be broadcast in French across RDS (17), Radio-Canada on ICI TÉLÉ and ICI TOU.TV (7), and Prime Video (6).
Prime Video in Canada will stream the Black Friday Football game on Nov. 28 between the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles. The first NFL game to stream globally on Prime Video, Canadian rights have been secured with the game to stream in both English and French at 3 p.m. ET, with no subscription or Prime membership required. The global presentation will incorporate several advanced features to enhance coverage, including Rapid Recap, High Definition-HDR video, and Next Gen Stats powered by AWS. Ahead of the Black Friday Football game, Prime Video will broadcast the return of “The Skins Game,” featuring the PGA Tour’s Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele and Keegan Bradley from Panther National in South Florida. Prime Video will then transition to South Philadelphia, when pregame coverage commences at 2:45 p.m. ET, prior to kickoff at 3 p.m. ET.
Sphere Media and Montreal prodco Zone 3 are merging. Together, they’ll create and produce both French- and English-language content for local markets and international broadcasters and platforms. Zone 3 is best known for producing Family Feud Canada. Sphere Media productions include series like Cardinal, Transplant, Sort of, Small Achievable Goals, and Wayward. Sphere is also a shareholder, alongside Bell Media, in UK-based international distributor Sphere Abacus.
STARZ has announced a structural change in its Canadian operations, in concert with the release of its financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. The streamer and channel operator is moving to a content licensing agreement with Bell in Canada, which will generate international licensing revenue. STARZ ended the quarter with total North American subscribers of 19.2 million, reflecting a sequential increase of 120,000. Canadian subscribers increased by 250,000 in the quarter due to the resolution of a carriage dispute that resulted in the reinstatement of linear subscribers removed from its subscriber counts during the dispute.
APTN has unveiled its winter programming lineup. Among the new offerings are search and rescue docuseries Searchers; docuseries Hoop Nations, following Indigenous basketball players; and comedy Pitago Stop, telling the story of employees at a rest stop in a fictional Anishinaabe community.
Super Channel’s annual Heart & Home Christmas holiday movie event kicks off on Friday, Dec. 5. This year’s lineup includes eight Canadian premieres.
HBO Max has acquired Bell Media’s six-part hockey romance series Heated Rivalry for the U.S. and Australia. The deal is among those Sphere Abacus has secured ahead of the series premiere on Crave on Friday, Nov. 28. Sky has secured rights in New Zealand where it premieres Nov. 30, while Movistar Plus+ has obtained rights for Spain with a debut date TBD.
outACTRAto, the 2SLGBTQIA+ committee of ACTRA Toronto, has announced Tender Chosen as the winner of the seventh Queer Your Stories Short Film Competition, in partnership with the Inside Out film festival. Tender Chosen is written and directed by Mason McDonald, who stars as a transmasculine person who faces an unexpected and unwanted pregnancy, forced to navigate the medical system, inspired by McDonald’s own experience. The winner receives financial and in-kind production support, and the film will play at the 2026 Inside Out Toronto 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival.
REGULATORY, TELECOM & MEDIA:
The CRTC has released an updated definition of what qualifies as an audiovisual “Canadian program,” recognizing a broader range of creative roles, among other measures, to allow more programs to more easily be certified as Canadian. The CRTC’s new definition establishes a minimum percentage threshold (60%) based on the number of points a production attains, as opposed to a minimum number of points. The modernized certification framework additionally introduces bonus points, awarding one bonus point where identifiable Canadian characters and settings are included in a production; points for use of Canadian written works as source material; and if more than 50% of pre-recorded or pre-existing musical selections featured in the production are Canadian. Read more here and find industry reaction here.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) has issued a call to action to the CRTC, asking for changes to be made to the regulator’s internal processes to reduce red tape. The CAB’s suggested administrative measures include reducing the reporting burden by removing duplication and redundancy; eliminating the filing of monthly logs with unnecessary detail on every minute broadcast by TV broadcasters; streamlining radio performance evaluations; simplifying the process for reporting on radio spending; updating the commission’s data collection system; and speeding up ownership applications. Read more here.
The Western Association of Broadcasters (WAB) and the British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) are coming together to launch FWD, a new joint conference the organizations say will look “boldly to the future of media in Western Canada.” The inaugural FWD event is set to take place in Kelowna, June 3-4, promising to bring together media professionals, industry leaders and others from within broadcasting and parallel sectors. The new conference sees the two organizations join forces on an annual gathering after experiencing declining attendance numbers at their respective events in recent years. Read more here.
Freedom Mobile is expanding its presence in Manitoba with the imminent construction of a wireless network. Announced following a meeting between Quebecor President & CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau (who was in Winnipeg for the Grey Cup as owner of the Montreal Alouettes) and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, the two leaders also explored the potential for a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening the television production sector. Quebecor said in a release that Péladeau and Kinew discussed leveraging the expertise of Manitoba and Quebec producers, as well as the production facilities and capabilities of Quebecor’s MELS studios, in addition to the broadcasting reach of TVA in an effort to “deepen cultural ties between French-speaking communities.”
Welcome to the Hockey Hall of Fame Jennifer Botterill!✨
Jennifer receives her Honoured Member plaque from Jayna Hefford #HHOF2018#HHOF2025 | #HHOF
📸 Matthew Manor | HHOF pic.twitter.com/d9vydYbJnY
— Hockey Hall of Fame (@HockeyHallFame) November 11, 2025
Jennifer Botterill has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player category. Botterill, who serves as a studio analyst for Sportsnet and Hockey Night in Canada, as well as a colour commentator and studio analyst for TNT in the U.S., was a member of Team Canada at four Winter Olympic Games, winning three Gold Medals and one Silver. With Team Canada at eight World Championship tournaments, she finished third all-time in Team Canada women’s players with 184 games played and fifth all-time with 174 points.
