New series joining the 2025-26 AMI-audio schedule as of Sept. 2, include:

Reflections, Tuesday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET

Hosted by Ramya Amuthan (Kelly & Ramya), Reflections listens in on how we make sense of the world, through conversation and the lens of the lived experience of the disability community, weaving our questions with your stories. Contributors to Reflections include Kelly MacDonald, Grant Hardy, Joeita Gupta, Beth Deer and Nisreen Abdel-Majid. Available as an audio podcast.

Disability Rights, and Wrongs: The David Lepodcast 

In this audio podcast, outspoken disability rights advocate David Lepofsky  and AMI’s Jacob Shymanski welcome guests to discuss the latest in disability rights…and wrongs.

Returning programming on AMI-audio:

Voices of The Walrus, Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday at 8 a.m. ET

Veteran radio broadcaster Roger Ashby takes you into the pages of The Walrus, with a chorus of vibrant voices bringing to life essays and fiction from some of Canada’s best writers. Available as an audio podcast.

My Life in Books with Red Széll, Monday and Thursday at 8 a.m. ET

Join broadcaster Red Széll for My Life in Books with Red Széll, featuring one-on-one interviews with audiobook authors who discuss their life, works and three books that have resonated with them. Available as an audio podcast.

Maclean’s Magazine, Tuesday and Friday at 8 a.m. ET

Anastasia Maclean and Paul Berry present a selection of feature articles from the most recent edition of Maclean’s.

The Guardian Daily, daily at 9 a.m. ET

Hosted by Mike Ross, listen for a selection of feature articles from The Guardian, a British daily newspaper with a distinctly international outlook  focused on politics, economics and environmental issues.

The Globe and Mail Today, daily at 10 a.m. ET

Corinne Van Dusen and Matt Speirs deliver the Canadian news, editorials and business, sports and entertainment stories pulled from the latest edition of The Globe and Mail.

The Washington Post This Week, daily at 11 a.m. ET

Shawn Lavigne and Paul Berry read American news and opinions from the latest edition of The Washington Post.

Double Tap, daily at noon ET

Tune in daily for new episodes of Double Tap for discussions, led by Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, on news, reviews and technology stories of interest  to people who are members of the blind, partially sighted and disability community. Also available as an audio podcast and video podcast on YouTube.

Audiobook Café (formerly AMI Audiobook Review), Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. ET

Host Jacob Shymanski keeps you up to date with the latest audiobook releases and literary news, sharing in-depth conversations with authors, narrators and industry experts. Available as an audio podcast.

Para Sport Nation, Sunday, Monday and Saturday at 1:30 p.m.  ET

Para Sport Nation is where elite competition meets real stories from the  world of Para sport. Hosted by Paralympian Nathan Clement and AMI’s Alex Smyth, each episode dives into the athletes, events, and moments shaping adaptive sport in Canada and beyond. Also available as an audio podcast and video podcast on YouTube.

AMI-tv

Highlights of AMI-tv’s upcoming fall programming include:

September

Our Community returns Thursday, Sept. 4, at 9:30 p.m. ET to AMI-tv and AMI+ 

Celebrating its 10th season on AMI-tv, the Golden Sheaf Award-nominated Our Community highlights the people, places and organizations that have made life more enjoyable for Canadians with a disability. Organizations featured in the 12-episode 10th season include Vancouver’s All Bodies Dance project, Ontario’s WindReach Farm and Saskatchewan’s Prairie Branches.

Desert Racers debuts Friday, Sept. 19, at 9 p.m. ET on AMI-tv

Bruce Cook, the star of AMI’s IndieFEST award-winning By Hook or By Cook, is back with the brand-new six-episode series Desert Racers, exclusively on AMI-tv. Jimmy Diaz, a small-town Baja dreamer, teams up with the paraplegic daredevil to take on the most grueling off-road race in  the world: The Baja 1000. Desert Racers is produced by Render Digital Media. 

October

Game Changers returns Thursday, Oct. 2, at 9 p.m. ET to  AMI-tv and AMI+

Each episode of Game Changers finds Dave Brown in his element, visiting stunning locales while spending the day chatting with notable Canadians. Upcoming guests in the 20-episode, second season include Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Olympic gold medal-winning  hockey goaltender Sami Jo Small, comedian Courtney Gilmour, Barenaked Ladies’ Kevin Hearn, hockey analyst and internet personality Steve Dangle, Gavin Crawford (Because News) and professional race car driver Marie-Soleil Labelle. Game Changers is produced by FRANK Digital.

November

Got Game returns Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 9 p.m. ET to AMI-tv and AMI+

Hosted by Joshua Ang, the six-episode second season of Got Game explores coming-of-age in a board game café as six youths with disabilities share their stories in a round table discussion while playing inclusive tabletop games, recognizing the individualism of these youth aside from  their disability. Got Game is produced by Mountain Road Productions.

All AMI-tv originals are available post-broadcast on demand at AMI+.

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The Canadian Media Producers Association’s annual Prime Time event in Ottawa celebrates its 30th year, Jan. 29-31. This year’s ambitious programming schedule addresses both global and domestic issues facing the screen industries, including regulation, incentivizing production and investment in domestic content. Among the highlights are an “In Conversation With” Colette Watson, President of Rogers Sports & Media, as she sits down for her first interview at Prime Time to discuss Rogers’ multi-year, multi-platform deals with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery, among other topics. A one-on-one with former Conservative Heritage Min. James Moore and actress and comedian Mary Walsh of This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame, tackles the subject of political change in the air and the implications for Canada’s production sector if a Conservative government is elected. Prime Time’s closing session will feature Marie-Philippe Bouchard, the new President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, as she makes her first conference appearance since taking up the role. Read more here.

The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has announced Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi, as the first confirmed keynote speaker for its 2025 BANFF Summit Series at the 46th annual event, June 8–11, at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The festival says Sud’s keynote promises to offer invaluable insights into the evolving streaming landscape, drawing on her groundbreaking leadership at Tubi, one of the fastest-growing streaming platforms in the world. 

BANFF has teamed up with the creators of Hot Pilot Party to bring their event to the Rockies. The festival is looking for the top five unproduced comedy pilots in Canada. A single script will be chosen for the live table read, and four additional scripts will have the opportunity to be featured and receive international trade press, plus a complimentary BANFF pass. The deadline to submit is Feb. 14.

The Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative (DOV) has been renewed for 2025. Launched in 2018, Diversity of Voices (DOV), a market access program for creators who are Black, Indigenous or People of Colour, is now in its eighth year. Seventy-five DOV participants receive an all access pass to the 2025 Banff World Media Festival and will also benefit from customized industry sessions. Twenty-five qualifying participants from the 2025 cohort will be selected as Diversity of Voices Pitch Participants, and receive additional one-on-one meeting opportunities and a travel stipend. Interested candidates are invited to apply by Feb. 4.

Black Women Film! Canada (BWF) has announced the creation of new national program, Reel Change for Black Women in Film & Media, to be held in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Halifax, and Montreal. Funded by the federal ministry of Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), the bilingual program focuses on supporting Black women producers to thrive in the industry and works with industry leaders to create more inclusive working environments that support the lasting success of Black women, non-binary, and trans women producers at every stage of media and film production. Bilingual producer and on-air host Sabine Daniel has been appointed the “Reel Change” Program National Manager. 

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has released its first-ever Genre Report exploring challenges facing producers working in the Documentary and Children and Youth (C&Y) genres. Its key takeaways include that shifts in audience behaviour, structural changes in broadcasting, and funding challenges have reduced CMF participation in C&Y content, which now accounts for just 11% of total CMF funding across four genres. It also found that modernizing financing models, like including contributions from distributors or pre-sales in license fee thresholds, could reduce reliance on the limited number of Canadian broadcasters. 

The Canada Media Fund (CMF) has announced the Indigenous Company Impact Support (ICIS) program. In alignment with CMF’s mandate to support Indigenous production, ICIS provides one-time funding to companies owned and controlled by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals with projects funded by the CMF in 2022–23 or 2023–24. The successful applicants will receive up to $50,000 from the CMF. Eligible applicants will be notified and invited to apply for funding by Jan. 30. 

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) members have voted to ratify a new Independent Production Agreement (IPA) for a three-year term. The IPA serves as the collective agreement between ACTRA performers and producers represented by the CMPA and AQPM. It outlines terms, conditions, and minimum rates for both on- and off-camera performers in English-language film, television, and media productions across Canada, excluding British Columbia and Yukon, where the UBCP/ACTRA Master Production Agreement governs.

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and Rogers have announced a three-year agreement that will see Rogers return as the official Presenting Partner of the Festival, and the TIFF People’s Choice Award through 2027. The expanded partnership builds on the success of TIFF ’24, which welcomed a record-breaking 700,000 attendees. The 50th edition of the festival, presented by Rogers, will take place Sept. 4-14. TIFF and Rogers will create a new original content series in partnership with TIFF’s in-house Studio 9 production team. Rogers will also develop and produce a 50th edition TV special to be aired exclusively on Citytv. Rogers customers will also have access to VIP red carpet experiences through Rogers Beyond the Seat. 

Buffalo Gal Pictures has launched sister enterprise Fiasco Global Media, a new television development company dedicated to creating character-driven stories “rooted in the spirit of working-class communities and rural prairies.” Headquartered in Winnipeg and Los Angeles, Fiasco Global Media will be led by Jennifer Beasley, a former writer-turned-executive producer who has been working with Buffalo Gal since 2016, most recently holding the title of Vice-President of Development. Early projects on Fiasco’s slate include a rural half-hour family workplace comedy series from writer Garry Campbell (North of North, Kids in the Hall, Less Than Kind) and a comedic police procedural from Hollis Ludlow-Carroll, creator of Citytv TV drama Wong & Winchester. Read more here.

Prime Video has announced launch dates for a trifecta of Tom Green projects from the comedian, actor and filmmaker, offering viewers an unprecedented look into his life and career. From his groundbreaking MTV show to his Hollywood adventures and recent return to rural living, Green’s journey will be showcased in This Is The Tom Green Documentary (Jan. 24), comedy special Tom Green: I Got A Mule! (Jan. 28), and Tom Green Country (Jan. 31), an Amazon Original unscripted series, following Green as he pulls up stakes and relocates from the bright lights of Hollywood to his newly-purchased country farm. 

REV TV has signed a multi-year deal to bring NASCAR to Canadian race fans, starting this year. The NASCAR Canada Series — Canada’s only national touring racing series — will be the cornerstone of REV TV’s NASCAR coverage, including live race broadcasts. REV TV will also bring additional NASCAR International Series to Canada for the first time with the NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series and NASCAR Brasil Series race broadcasts. NASCAR has also expanded its decades-long partnership with Bell Media, which for the first time will be Canada’s home for all three NASCAR national series as it adds NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series programming to its long-standing NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series rights. Read more here.

Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) and Pilot Light Productions, in association with Ha!ifax ComedyFest, will debut a second All Access Comedy special—hosted by comic D.J. Demers on Feb. 7 on AMI-tv and AMI+. All Access Comedy is a stand-up special featuring comedians from the disability community, including Ontario comic and motivational speaker Michael McCreary, Toronto-based comedian Joze Piranian, Toronto writer and performer Dan Barra-Berger, and New York City-based comedian Tina Friml.

Quebecor Content has announced that Season 1 of acclaimed drama series, Detective Surprenant: The girl with stone eyes, has been acquired by Global Series Network (GSN) for streaming on video-on-demand platform Walter Presents. Produced by V10 Media and distributed worldwide by TVA Distribution and Incendo, the six-episode, one-hour police thriller is set to run in its original French language with English subtitles, beginning Spring 2025 in the UK, U.S., and Ireland. Curated by Walter Iuzzolino, Walter Presents is dedicated to hand-picking prestige foreign-language drama from around the world. Based on a series of novels by Jean Lemieux, Detective Surprenant: The girl with stone eyes follows Detective André Surprenant, tasked with investigating the murder of a teenage girl on the Magdalen Islands. 

Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has announced more international sales for its new 3D animated original series Millie Magnificent (52×11).The highly-anticipated preschool series based on the best-selling books by Ashely Spires is set to roll out on ABC (Australia), DR in Denmark and Télé-Québec in French Canada throughout 2025. These latest sales join a roster of previously announced international broadcasters including Canal+ (France), Treehouse/STACKTV (English Canada), YLE (Finland), RTS (Switzerland), SVT (Sweden) and HOP! (Israel).

Hollywood Suite is celebrating Black History Month in February with a curated lineup of films from Black creators, storytellers and stars, including the Canadian broadcast premiere of Canadian horror film Guess Who (2024) on Feb. 12. Starring Canadians Keeya King (Yellowjackets) and Corteon Moore (From), the Montreal-shot Guess Who sees a newly engaged couple’s visit to future in-laws turn deadly when a masked killer shows up. Viewers can also catch films by essential directors Sidney Poitier, John Singleton, Spike Lee, Cheryl Dunye and more on Hollywood Suite On Demand, beginning Feb. 1.

The post TV & Film News – Prime Time gears up for 30th anniversary edition appeared first on Broadcast Dialogue.

CTV Montreal, Noovo Info and RDS have been working out of temporary studios at the Bell campus on Nun’s Island, following a major water main break in downtown Montreal on Friday. The break, near the Jacques-Carter bridge, sent a deluge of water into nearby intersections including René-Lévesque Boulevard East at Avenue Papineau where Bell Media’s studios in the city are located. Video posted to the CTV Montreal website showed control panels, vehicles and other equipment covered in a mucky residue left behind by the torrent. Read more here.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Global Okanagan anchor Jamie Tawil signs off for the last time, but not without a heartfelt goodbye message.

Global Okanagan will have a new time starting Monday, Aug. 19. Learn more here: https://t.co/8rzaeYW6qO pic.twitter.com/YkWVkoE81u

— Global Okanagan (@GlobalOkanagan) August 17, 2024

Global Okanagan newscasts are being delivered out of the network’s studios in Metro Vancouver going forward as Corus Entertainment continues to look for operational efficiencies. Anchor Kimberly Davidson signed off with the last live broadcast from Global’s Kelowna studios at 342 Leon Avenue on Sunday evening. Jamie Tawil, who had been anchoring Global Okanagan’s weeknight Live at 5 since late 2020, also signed off for the last time on Friday. As of Monday, the show is airing at a new time at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., with veteran announcer Coleen Christie anchoring from Global BC’s studios in Burnaby. Read more here.

FuboTV and Amazon have announced the launch of Fubo Sports Network on Prime Video Channels in Canada, marking the first time the sports network is available in Canada outside of a subscription to the Fubo platform. Fubo Sports Network carries a live sports catalogue that spans 1,000 events a year from soccer to MMA, including the English Premier League, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and World Poker Tour. Read more here.

Eugene Levy and Dan Levy are set to host the 76th Emmy Awards, the first-ever father-son duo. The awards will air live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 15.

TIFF has announced additional honourees who will be receiving TIFF Tribute Awards at this year’s festival: award-winning actor and rapper Jharrel Jerome will receive the TIFF Tribute Performer Award; and actress Zhao Tao will be presented with the TIFF Special Tribute Award. Jerome returns to the festival for the World Premiere of William Goldenberg’s Unstoppable: The Anthony Robles Story. Tao, who was ranked eighth among the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century by the New York Times in 2020, returns to TIFF for the North American Premiere of Jia Zhangke’s Caught by the Tides. The TIFF Tribute Awards gala takes place Sunday, Sept. 8, at Fairmont Royal York Hotel. 

The Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC) has announced Oscar-winning Canadian film composer Mychael Danna as the recipient of its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award. Over a 40+ year career, Danna is perhaps best known for his score on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, in addition to Girl, Interrupted; Little Miss Sunshine; Capote and Moneyball, among other feature films. The award will be presented at the third annual Canadian Screen Music Awards (CASMA) on Sept. 25 at the El Mocambo in Toronto.

WildBrain has struck an agreement with The Pokémon Company International to become the lone distributor of the single-IP Pokémon FAST (free ad-supported television) channel, starting in the U.S., followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The partnership will see WildBrain secure and launch new single-IP FAST channels with leading platforms across those regions for 22 seasons of the iconic original animated Pokémon series. WildBrain will also be selling select direct advertising inventory for the channels through its Media Solutions team. WildBrain has now launched more than 100 FAST channels for multiple brands and says since launching its FAST strategy, growth on its channels has jumped to 7.5 billion minutes watched in 2023, up from 502 million in 2019. 

Makwa Creative, HarperCollinsCanada and CBC are bringing Tanya Talaga’s The Knowing, to audiences this fall. The journalist, filmmaker, and award-winning Anishinaabe author is on a quest to find the truth of what happened to the women in her maternal family, revealing a story intertwined with Canada’s Indian Residential School system. The full four-part series will premiere Sept. 25 on CBC and CBC Gem, while the companion documentary series will make its World Premiere at TIFF on Sept. 12.

Jeremy and Jazzy, the music-driven CBC Kids Original helmed by JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter Jeremy Fisher (Jeremy) and Aiza Ntibarikure (Jazzy), debuts Sept. 2 on CBC Gem and the Jeremy and Jazzy YouTube channel. Season 2 features a new collection of children’s music, written by Fisher, with 70 new episodes launching this fall, including 28 two-minute episodes where every song becomes a story; a 30-minute Halloween special; a 30-minute holiday special; and 40 one-minute episodes of Playing With Stu, the brand’s first spinoff series about discovery and play, also debuting Sept. 2 on CBC Gem and Sept. 9 following Jeremy and Jazzy on CBC Kids. The Season 2 premiere guest stars Barenaked Ladies.

AMI+ is now accessible to Canadians on all Roku devices. Available with no subscription or sign-in required, AMI+ content includes documentaries and the series Postcards From…, Canadian Screen Award winner By Hook or By Cook, Adaptable Animals, Dish with Mary,  Healthy at Home with Bobbi Janzen, Level Playing Field, Mind Your Own Business and Our Community, among other programming. 

MTM has released updated data diving into the viewing habits of newcomers. Highlights from the Remote Control Revelations report include that over two in five newcomers (42%) have watched traditional TV in the past month, while 83% have watched some form of TV content (either paid TV service, off-air, or online TV content). In terms of online video, virtually all newcomers (99%) watch it monthly. While SVOD services such as Netflix are widely subscribed to by 86% of newcomers, paid TV services like cable, satellite, or fibre optic still attract nearly half (45%) of this audience. Newcomers are more likely to watch content in English than in any other language. Almost four in five newcomers (79%) have watched TV or video content in English in the past month, notably higher than the consumption of content in any other language, including French (10%), and Hindi (16%).

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