Starting Wednesday, veteran broadcaster Kevin Frankish will host 640 Toronto’s weekday morning show, Toronto Today, while current host Greg Brady steps away from the microphone to run for office in the upcoming federal election.
“I’ve made a big decision to seek the House of Commons seat in the riding of Ajax as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada,” Brady said in a Corus Radio press release. “As such, ethically, and practically, the right thing is to take a leave of absence from the 640 Toronto airwaves. My colleagues and the listeners mean the world to…
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Rogers says the complaint is ‘completely without merit’
By Ahmad Hathout
A national news channel is alleging Rogers is unjustly keeping it from distribution to a broader cable audience, but the cable giant is calling the complaint meritless.
The News Forum, which was granted mandatory distribution on cable in 2022, alleges that, unlike its competitors, it has been denied equal access by being excluded from Rogers’s legacy or grandfathered cable packages.
Before it received mandatory distribution under the Broadcasting Act’s 9.1(1)(h) rule, the independent news service negotiated its current distribution agreement with Rogers as an exempt undertaking the year before. But while it…
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Evanov Communications announced Monday seasoned radio personality Ryan Gosse is joining its Hot Country 88.5 Toronto/Newmarket and Hot Country 93.9 Brantford stations as afternoon drive host, starting Tuesday, March 18.
Gosse joins Evanov after working more than eight years at Rogers Sports and Media’s Country 106.7 (CIKZ-FM) in Kitchener, Ont.
“Ryan is well known for his engaging on-air presence and deep connections within the country music industry,” said an Evanov press release announcing his hiring. “His extensive background includes interviews with top country artists and a strong social media presence that resonates with both listeners and musicians alike.”
“Ryan’s…
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By Connie Thiessen
Dina Pugliese has made her return to Citytv’s Breakfast Television (BT) after a two-year break from morning TV.
Pugliese, who previously ended a 16-year run with the show in February 2023, has been named co-host and co-executive producer. She returns following the network’s release of Sid Seixeiro and Meredith Shaw last month.
Pugliese will be joined by co-host Tim Bolen, who has been a host and anchor on the morning show on Hamilton’s CHCH-TV for the past 13 years, in addition to Devo Brown, Melanie Ng, Frank Ferragine (aka Frankie Flowers), Caryn Ceolin and Tammie Sutherland.
When she walked away…
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The CRTC on Friday rejected a WildBrain application alleging Bell is disadvantaging its children’s programming to the benefit of Corus in the English-language markets.
Both Bell and Corus rejected the notion that there was any preferential treatment that disadvantaged WildBrain, as it sought to negotiate carriage with the large broadcaster.
That’s despite the commission finding that WildBrain and Corus have similar services, an important component to establish in an undue preference complaint. As a result of this determination, the commission said it found no need to get into whether there was any undue preference or disadvantage.
The commission urged…
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Rogers charges OUTtv using regulatory system to stop it from making commercial decisions
By Ahmad Hathout
LGBTQ+ TV broadcaster and streamer OUTtv is alleging Rogers is violating Wholesale Code rules by shuffling the network into a less popular cable TV package.
The subscription-based service is alleging in a Part 1 application dated March 5 that the cable company is violating section 9 of the code by not putting the network in the “best available” package, negatively impacting its wholesale fee revenue. The complaint alleges that Rogers shuffled the service it must carry out of a “Premier” package and “into a different and…
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By Connie Thiessen
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) and 25 of its radio members – including Rogers Sports & Media, Bell Media, Cogeco, Stingray, Pattison Media and Corus Entertainment – have written to the CRTC asking the commission to tear up its recent notice of consultation on updated rules for the radio and audio sector and start over.
Released on Feb. 20, the consultation will inform work to update the definition of what constitutes Canadian content on radio and audio streaming services. It also outlines a financial contribution framework for broadcasters that the CAB says suggests that…
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The CRTC last week asked Bell, Rogers and Telus to make available as soon as possible new international roaming offerings the big three telecoms have told the commission they are planning to introduce, and to ensure these new offerings are easily found on their websites.
In response to an October 2024 letter from the CRTC calling on the telecoms to reduce international roaming fees and provide more flexible options, Bell, Rogers and Telus reported to the commission they have introduced or plan to introduce new international roaming offerings that include:
monthly…
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Telus and Rogers have reached a distribution agreement for the latter’s new Food Network, HGTV, Discovery, Investigation Discovery, Bravo and Magnolia channels.
Telus announced Wednesday its Optik TV customers are now getting an exclusive free preview of Rogers’s premium lifestyle and entertainment channels until April 14.
Starting April 11, Optik TV customers will be able to add the individual channels to their existing plan for $5 each or choose from two theme packs: Food & Home for $10 per month, which includes Food Network, Magnolia Network and HGTV; or Discovery & Reality, also $10 per month, which includes Bravo, Discovery and…
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By Ahmad Hathout
The Federal Court of Appeal on Tuesday granted Rogers its request to appeal two decisions of the CRTC that froze its ability to move certain Corus channels in its cable packages.
Rogers had provided notice that it was terminating its carriage agreement with Corus by the end of 2024 and, as part of that, wants to remove Corus’s Slice from certain television packages and replace the media company’s Flavour and Home networks with its own Food Network and HGTV so customers, it says, are not scrambling to find the American programming it…
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