MTM says when anglophones look for news online, over half still turn to the websites of established broadcasters like CBC, BBC, CTV, and CNN, while nearly 20% get their online news from the website of a major daily Canadian newspaper. More than half of French-speakers say they turn to the websites of established broadcasters like Radio-Canada, TVA Nouvelles, and MétéoMédia, with three in seven mentioning newspaper websites like La Presse and the La Presse+ app.

MTM found that 87% of anglophones and 89% of francophones engage with news monthly by watching specialty news channels, reading online news articles, or watching news clips online.

Age influences preferred news sources, with older Canadians tending to watch more specialty news channel content, while younger viewers were twice as likely to use YouTube as a news platform.

MTM also looked at how newcomers to Canada are engaging with news, finding that four in five consume news monthly. Two-thirds read news online, and just over three in five watch news online. Newcomers to Canada are most likely to use smartphones to access news, followed by computers. Tablet usage for news is notably lower among newcomers compared to those born in Canada (10% vs. 20%).

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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%.

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The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) has announced the winners of the 23rd Annual DGC Awards, presented online Monday. The Queen of My Dreams led the film categories with director Fawzia Mirza tying with We Forgot to Break Up director Karen Knox for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film. The Queen of My Dreams also tied for the win in the Best Production Design (Limited Budget) category, alongside the drama Kipkemboi. Series capturing multiple awards included What We Do in the Shadows, Fellow Travelers, Halo, and Bones of Crows, which picked up two honours apiece. Kaniehtiio Horn, who wrote, directed and starred in thriller Seeds, was recognized wtih the Jean–Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award. Nicole Close won this year’s DGC Impact Award, presented in recognition of outstanding service and leadership to the production community at large. Find the full list of winners here.

The Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) has handed out the 2024 Rosie Awards. Multiple award winners included Julian Black Antelope, who was named Best Host and Best Screenwriter, Documentary under 30 Minutes for Secret History: Women Warriors “Ladies First”; and Patrick McLaughlin, who picked up both Best Cinematographer, Scripted Over 30 Minutes and Best Cinematographer, Documentary, Under 30 Minutes. Cody Lightning comedy Hey Viktor!, short film Crow, and documentaries Magic Hours and Legends of the Pony Express also secured multiple wins. Find the full list of winners here.

ACTRA Manitoba will host its 7th annual awards on Nov. 23. Productions garnering multiple performance nominations include CTV’s Acting Good; Sony Pictures’ Sniper: Rogue Mission; and indie film Melaleuca. Find the full list of nominees here.

The Weather Network says it has seen a 94% average increase in measured audience in the last 12 months amongst those aged 25-54, following its adoption of Numeris’ Enhanced TV Audience Measurement (TAM) solution. Announced this spring, Numeris’ Hybrid Linear TV measurement incorporates Return Path Data (Big Data) from Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) to TAM data (Panel data). With a full year of data now available, Numeris says the solution offers more granular and stable measurement, expanding the effective sample size, 2+, by over 25,000. The Weather Network says the enhanced methodology has substantiated significantly greater reach of its content. Read more here.

Prime Video has unveiled the trailers for two new Canadian Original docuseries set for release this November. In Cold Water: The Shelter Bay Mystery is a three-part series that recounts the  investigation into the drowning of school teacher Laura Letts-Beckett while on a fishing vacation in the Canadian Rockies, set to premiere on Nov. 12. Hard North streams Nov. 29, following a diverse group of young Canadians as they embark on a challenging mission to build a life in the vast and unforgiving Canadian wilderness. Created by Paul Kilback (Tornado Hunters, Mysteries from Above, Life Below Zero Canada), the eight-episode series following aspiring homesteaders Matty Clarke in Lake St. John, NL; Margot Bossus in Plata Trap-Line, Rogue Range, Yukon; Billy Rioux in Gaspé Peninsula, Que.; and couple Emily Veilleux and Gilbert Chookomoolin in Peawanuck, ON. 

MEDIAPRO Studio U.S. & Canada unveiled the first projects born of its recent North American expansion during a special panel at MIPCOM Cannes 2024. The studio’s upcoming slate includes the series Witness 36, a spy thriller created by Daniel Burman and featuring Evan Katz as showrunner; the remake as an English-language series of Juan José Campanella film Son of the Bride; Screaming Ball of Chaos, a bank robber comedy created by Juliet McDaniel, and I Love the Prime Minister, a half-hour comedy set in Canada with Matt Hastings as showrunner. Films include Mother Wolf, a family drama starring Melissa Leo, and the feature film adaptation of Is There No Place on Earth for Me?, written and directed by John Turturro. In non-fiction content, the docuseries Hollywood Homicide: Robert Blake stands out, a true crime series produced by the late actor’s son; and the U.S. adaptation of the studio’s hit game show format Catch Me If You Can, with Antony Carbone as showrunner.

Media Technology Monitor (MTM) has released a new report exploring co-viewing in detail. It finds half of online Canadians (50%) co-view multiple times a week and three quarters (76%) say they do it at least once a month. Those aged 35-49 are most likely to co-view (73%). While co-viewing is more common in multi-person households, MTM also finds that three in 10 of those who live alone (30%) still do it weekly. The TV set is by far the most common screen on which people co-view content – more than four-fifths of co-viewers (82%). Over half (53%) said it was the only screen they use.

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