By Greg O’Brien
GIVE THE DEPARTMENT OF Canadian Heritage and Minister Steven Guilbeault some credit for coming up with amendments to the Broadcasting Act which seem, at least upon first reading, like they can actually be turned into law in a minority Parliament.
This is something Guilbeault said would be coming some weeks ago, knowing there is only so much change for which the federal government can marshal support from its political rivals. He told an industry town hall in September: “One of the things we had to think long and hard about is do we go with this massive…
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TORONTO – Host David Suzuki goes to the “front lines of the climate rebellion” to launch the 60th season of The Nature of Things, on Friday, November 6th at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.
In Rebellion, the new documentary from producers/directors Mark and Caitlin Starowicz, Suzuki profiles activists in the revolt, from Greta Thunberg to Gail Bradbrook as well as featuring interviews with leading figures in the climate crisis, including Sir David Attenborough and will also hear from the likes of Jane Fonda, Varshini Prakash, Bill McKibben and Bhavreen Kandhari.
“Suddenly people are hearing,” Attenborough tells Suzuki….
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Broadcasting industry needs relief from Covid, Netflix impacts
By Denis Carmel
GATINEAU – Back in July, the newly invigorated Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) requested measures to provide regulatory relief to private Canadian broadcasters on an urgent basis in the face of the hardships presented by the Covid-19 crisis.
The Commission responded on September 17, by issuing a call for comments on the application – along with some of its own preliminary views on the CAB’s application – while also asking for comments on seven specific questions.
Of course, the CAB application represents the views of its members suffering serious ad…
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TORONTO — CBC announced today award-winning journalist and anchor Ginella Massa (above) is joining CBC News as a new national primetime host.
Massa comes to CBC from Citytv’s CityNews in Toronto, where she hosts three nightly newscasts and is well-known for her field reporting. She will join CBC in mid-November to begin developing a new 8 p.m. weeknight program, which is planned for launch on CBC News Network in early 2021, says the CBC press release announcing her move to the public broadcaster.
In addition to hosting the new primetime program, Massa will be part of CBC news specials and…
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TORONTO — CBC and Telefilm Canada today announced acclaimed director and screenwriter Deepa Mehta’s new film Funny Boy will have its exclusive world broadcast premiere on CBC and CBC Gem on December 4.
Based on the coming-of-age novel by Shyam Selvadurai about growing up gay in Sri Lanka during the deadly Tamil-Sinhalese conflict, the film is co-written by Mehta (Water, Heaven on Earth, Midnight’s Children) and Selvadurai. Funded by Telefilm Canada and CBC Films, the movie is produced by David Hamilton and Hussain Amarshi. The film stars Brandon Ingram in his feature film debut, Nimmi Harasgama, Ali Kazmi, Agam Darshi,…
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OTTAWA — Monday afternoon CBC/Radio-Canada issued a press release to counter what it calls “incorrect reporting” posted on websites and circulating on social media about its funding from the federal government.
“Over the past several days, a number of Internet sites including Blacklock’s Reporter, the Post Millennial, Rebel Media, and True North, have been claiming, “CBC-TV Gets A Covid Bailout” and “Trudeau Liberals give failing CBC-TV bailout”. The reports have been amplified on social media,” reads the CBC/Radio-Canada press release.
“These claims are incorrect,” continues the public broadcaster’s release. “Neither CBC TV nor CBC/Radio-Canada has received additional funding from the…
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OTTAWA — CBC News today announced a new weekly program to be hosted by CBC’s chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
Starting November 1, Rosemary Barton Live will air on Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on CBC News Network, and simulcast from 11:00 to 11:30 a.m. ET (noon AT, 12:30 NT) on CBC TV and CBC Gem. The live format of the show will provide a mix of breaking political news and conversations with newsmakers and Canadians across the country, “providing audiences with the facts and context that will help them navigate political forces shaping their daily…
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MONTREAL — Telefilm Canada announced today its support for the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s Being Black in Canada incubator program for Black filmmakers, joining current major partners Netflix, the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and National Bank.
The Being Black in Canada Program is Canada’s largest mentorship, training and creation program entirely dedicated to Black filmmakers. It was created in Montreal in 2012 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, and presented its first cohort in 2014. Colas (pictured, far left, with director Spike Lee, centre, and members of the program’s 2019 cohort) is a Haitian-Canadian actress, director and producer, and she…
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EDMONTON — Bell Media’s CTV Edmonton today announced Kent Morrison and Ziyah Karmali (pictured left to right) are the new co-host team for CTV Morning Live, beginning Monday, November 2.
Karmali is already a familiar face to viewers in the region, having most recently worked as a weather anchor for CTV News Edmonton. Born and raised in Edmonton, she has spent more than a decade working in local TV and radio. She began her career as a newspaper columnist prior to moving to television, and is an avid sports fan who has worked with both Edmonton’s CFL team as well…
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By Catherine Tait
IN ANOTHER CRUEL TWIST of this pandemic, just when trusted local news has never been so important, its survival is in peril.
If there’s one thing this COVID crisis has shown us, it’s that accurate information can literally be a matter of life and death. And the most critical information is often the news that is closest to home: Is my child’s school safe? What businesses are open or closed in my community? Where can I get a COVID test? What can I do, safely, to support my parents in their retirement home?
Since this pandemic officially began in…
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