“PEOPLE LOOK AT the news and see Black and brown faces reading the news,” says Hamlin Grange, who used to do just that for a living.
It’s progress, but it’s far from good enough.
“That’s representation, not inclusion,” Grange told our Bill Roberts in a recent interview for the Cartt.ca podcast. Without people of color in decision-making roles, or “power-broker” positions like executive producer, or even higher up – and there are very few Black, Indigenous and people of colour in such jobs in Canadian media – the industry can’t claim to be making progress. So much remains to be done.
Grange…
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Minister raises, and tamps down, expectations
By Greg O’Brien
HERITAGE MINISTER STEVEN Guilbeault gave precious little away last Wednesday afternoon during a CMPA- and AQPM-sponsored town hall meeting.
As is well known by now in the TV and production communities, after five years of study and work through three different Heritage ministers, the federal government will finally have something concrete to announce sometime during the next session of Parliament this fall. It is expected Wednesday’s Throne Speech will have something to say about new broadcasting legislation.
While Minister Guilbeault was asked a few different ways during the interactive virtual session (he’s pictured…
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TORONTO — CBC’s Schitt’s Creek had a historic night at the 72nd Emmy Awards on Sunday, winning a total of nine awards this year, including Outstanding Comedy Series, marking the first time a Canadian television program has taken the top comedy series prize.
It was also the most primetime Emmy awards ever won by a Canadian series, as well as being the most Emmy wins in a single season for any comedy series.
In addition to winning for outstanding comedy series, other awards went to: Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy for outstanding lead actress and outstanding lead actor in a comedy…
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TORONTO – CBC and Radio-Canada Media Solutions today announced the launch of a branded content division.
Called Tandem, the CBC says it can now enhance its offer to advertisers and media agencies in Canada with the dedicated service for the creation of unique and distinctive branded content.
“The launch of Tandem is in response to what our advertising partners have been asking us for: the opportunity to work with our country’s most trusted media brand to create content experiences that resonate with Canadians on a deeper level,” said Barbara Williams, executive vice-president, in the press release.
“Tandem will help Canada’s strongest brands…
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TORONTO – Kids and family entertainment maker and broadcaster WildBrain, announced Thursday it has reorganized its distribution team.
As part of its new structure, the company has appointed Caroline Tyre (above) to the new position of vice-president, global sales and rights strategy, and created a new role for Lara Ilie, who will take the title vice-president, revenue share and transactional.
Tyre will be responsible for leading WildBrain’s international sales team outside of China and will oversee the implementation of the company’s commercial content strategy, says the company press release. She will report to Deirdre Brennan, executive vice-president, content partnerships and will…
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TORONTO — CBC announced today production on season three of its hit original drama series Coroner has started in Toronto. The series is produced by Muse Entertainment, Back Alley Films and Cineflix Studios.
Inspired by the best-selling series of books by M.R. Hall, Coroner is created for television by Morwyn Brebner (Saving Hope, Rookie Blue) and stars Serinda Swan (Inhumans, Ballers) as coroner Dr. Jenny Cooper.
Joining the cast this season are Mark Taylor (Flashpoint) as Clark, a crown attorney working with Jenny on a new inquest, and Uni Park (Kim’s Convenience) as Melanie, the coroner office’s new pathologist. Returning cast…
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NEW YORK — U.S. media conglomerate WarnerMedia today announced the creation of a new Canadian talent development team which will focus on increasing representation of diverse talent in front of and behind the camera.
The company says the move is part of its ongoing commitment to building a more inclusive and innovative industry and to forging deeper connections with audiences around the world.
Leading the new Canadian talent development team’s efforts under WarnerMedia’s Global Access Programs initiative are Canadian industry notables Deanna Cadette (pictured, left), serving as executive director, and Melanie Nepinak Hadley (mush gih wii kihnew ikwe, right) in the…
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TORONTO — Pier 21 Films (the production company behind political satire series The Beaverton) today announced it has made two new appointments in its development division.
Former CBC executive Karen Tsang (right) has been hired as Pier 21 Films’ new vice-president of development, and Bill Lundy has been promoted to senior vice-president of development. Both will report to the company’s chief operating officer, Nicole Butler.
Lundy and Tsang will collaborate on Pier 21 Films’ development projects as well as expand the company’s reach for developing new intellectual property while continuing to grow relationships with networks in Canada and internationally, says the…
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TORONTO — Season four of CBC’s The Great Canadian Baking Show will feature two new hosts — comedians, actors, writers and Second City alumni Alan Shane Lewis (pictured, left) and Ann Pornel (right), the public broadcaster announced today.
The two new hosts will join returning judges Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley to cheer on 10 new Canadian amateur bakers as they compete in a series of themed culinary challenges that celebrate their diverse backgrounds, families and communities.
Based on the hit British format and produced by Proper Television, production on the fourth season of The Great Canadian Baking Show is currently…
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By Steve Faguy
MONTREAL — Ratings for sports-talk radio stations in Canada’s five largest markets rebounded this summer after losing half their audience in the spring as the Covid-19 pandemic ground sporting events to a halt, according to a Cartt.ca analysis of public Numeris data (please see charts below).
The eight stations (four TSN, three Sportsnet and one RNC Media) in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal saw a combined average minute audience of 17,200 in the three months ending Feb. 23. In the spring, when NHL and NBA teams would normally be making playoff runs and MLB and MLS teams…
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