SiriusXM Canada announced Tuesday the launch of Nouvelles Ondes SiriusXM, a national initiative to discover and elevate emerging francophone artists residing in Canada.
With applications now open until April 28, the cross-country search will give participating francophone solo artists and groups the chance to perform at some of Quebec’s leading music festivals, benefit from industry mentorship and compete for a $25,000 grand prize, including a performance opportunity at a major international festival in Paris, France.
Following the registration period, three finalists will be selected by a jury of music industry professionals…
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Music rights management organization SOCAN announced Wednesday its royalty revenue grew to a record $587.1 million in 2025, a five-per-cent increase over 2024.
SOCAN said it distributed $511.9 million in royalties to songwriters, composers and music publishers in 2025, closely matching the previous year’s record of $512.4 million distributed.
Breaking down the revenue figure, SOCAN said revenue from music used in Canada increased by $23.9 million to $445.5 million, led by digital revenue sources totalling $232.8 million, an 11.5-per-cent year-over-year increase. Revenue from general licensing and concerts grew 16.1 per cent, while revenue…
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The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) on Wednesday announced its council for the 2026-2028 term.
The new council will serve from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2028, representing the WGC’s more than 2,500 members across the country. The council is responsible for setting WGC policy and overseeing its activities.
Montreal-based writer and showrunner Bruce Smith (Street Legal, 19-2, Quebec Region) will continue as president. Also returning to the council are vice president Amanda Smith (Travelers, Central Region), treasurer Michael Amo (Pure, Atlantic Region), Sarah Dodd (Family Law, Pacific-Western Region), Anthony Q. Farrell (Shelved, Central Region),…
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ACTRA Toronto, the largest branch of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), on Tuesday announced Rob Halpin has been appointed as its executive director, effective April 20.
His appointment follows the departure of Alistair Hepburn, who left ACTRA Toronto earlier this year to take on the role of national executive director of the Directors Guild of Canada.
Halpin joins ACTRA Toronto from the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Canada’s largest provincial labour federation, where he worked for more than 10 years in various positions, including director of…
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Bell Media and the Ottawa Senators announced last week a new long-term broadcast rights extension that will see TSN and RDS continue to deliver live regional coverage of Senators games.
In addition, as part of the renewed agreement, TSN Radio 1200 remains the exclusive English-language radio partner of the Senators, providing live game coverage as well as insight and analysis on the team.
Ottawa Senators regional matchups are available to TSN and RDS viewers located in the team’s designated broadcast region as defined by the NHL, which includes Eastern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic…
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Regina-based How We Do It Productions, in association with Accessible Media Inc. (AMI) and Citytv Saskatchewan, on Wednesday announced production has started on the new preschool series How We Do It.
Currently filming at the John Hopkins Regina Soundstage in Saskatchewan, How We Do It (27 episodes x 7 minutes) is “a series where kids of all abilities come together to show viewers how they live their lives,” said an AMI press release.
The series “aims to empower and uplift all voices, disabled or able-bodied, by creating a welcoming and inclusive space,” the release said.
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Canada Media Fund (CMF) says it is committing to expanding funding eligibility to online streamers and international distributors in what it calls a “meaningful evolution in who gets a seat at the table.”
The fund says it wants to “remove barriers” to the money “for a wider range of creators, platforms, and partners,” which also includes indigenous and equity-deserving communities. This comes as the CRTC works to integrate streamers into the broadcasting system and having them get more involved in Canadian productions.
The CMF goal falls under the “maximize” portion of a four-part, three-year strategic plan, released Thursday.
“The…
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Amedeo Bernardi – CRRBC Founder – on connecting Canada’s independent operators
Rural Canada has a connectivity problem the big telecom players can’t solve alone. Amedeo Bernardi saw that gap in 2019 and built CRRBC (the Canadian Rural and Remote Broadband Community) to connect the independent operators, vendors, and government players doing the real work in remote areas. After ten conferences across the country, it’s become something rare: a working ecosystem, not just a networking event. On this episode, Amedeo talks about why Saskatchewan matters, why the build is never actually finished, and what “infinite build” really means for the next…
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Bell announced Monday a partnership with the Government of Saskatchewan that will see Bell AI Fabric build a 300-megawatt (MW) data centre in the rural municipality of Sherwood, Saskatchewan, just outside of Regina.
Planning approvals and permits are underway, with construction scheduled to begin this spring, Bell said in a press release. The first stage of the facility’s phased rollout is expected to come online in the first half of 2027.
Bell said this project is its largest-ever investment in Saskatchewan. The construction of the data centre will require approximately $1.7 billion…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The CRTC said Thursday it is eliminating fees that it believes are keeping customers stuck in internet and wireless service plans.
The regulator said it is targeting fees on activation, changing and canceling of those plans – with some exceptions. The fees will continue to apply where a subsidized device is provided by the wireless service provider – which represents a real cost to the business – and in a situation where the internet service provider is doing an installation at the customer’s home.
“If you were to buy or purchase a cellphone through a service provider, we already…
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