New-look Saturday Nights: CBC plans to ‘lean in harder’ on sports with HNIC deal over

TORONTO - The NHL's long, storied tradition on the CBC is over now that the venerable "Hockey Night in Canada" television program has been iced after a near 75-year run.

While noting it was "an end of an era," CBC Sports executive director Chris Wilson said the change gives the broadcaster an opportunity to take its sports coverage "to the next level."

"Nothing has changed in our strategy," Wilson said. "We're just going to lean in harder and do even more for Canadian athletes to share their stories."

Rogers Communications and the CBC did not extend their sub-licensing agreement that expired when the NHL playoffs ended last weekend. The public broadcaster instead plans to "significantly increase sports coverage of high-performance athletes and events" as it plans for new-look programming on Saturday nights.

End of NHL broadcasts on CBC raises public access questions, advocacy group says

A media advocacy group says the end of NHL broadcasts on CBC television raises concerns about public access to a cherished Canadian tradition.

Friends of Canadian Media says “Hockey Night in Canada” has been a shared national experience for generations and is calling on policy-makers to consider rules to prevent major cultural and sporting events from moving exclusively behind paywalls.

Sportsnet and the CBC announced Tuesday that NHL broadcasts will not return to the public broadcaster next season, ending a nearly 75-year run on the network.

“Its departure from free television raises important questions about whether Canada should adopt anti-siphoning rules, similar to those used in other countries, to ensure that events of exceptional cultural and national significance remain accessible to all Canadians rather than exclusively to paying subscribers,” Friends of Canadian Media, a non-partisan advocacy group founded in 1985, said in a statement.

Some ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ highlights from the show’s long, storied history

TORONTO - For the first time in the long, storied history of "Hockey Night in Canada," the program will not air on the CBC when the NHL season begins this fall. In a joint statement Tuesday, Rogers Sportsnet and the CBC said that the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts.

Here are a few HNIC highlights from over the years:

Oct. 11, 1952: Canada’s first televised NHL game airs. René Lecavalier handles play-by-play in French for the matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings.

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Tradition Gone: ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ NHL broadcasts won’t return to CBC next fall

TORONTO - "Hockey Night in Canada," a program featuring National Hockey League games that has been part of the national fabric for nearly 75 years on CBC television, will not return to the public broadcaster next season.

A sub-licensing agreement between Rogers Communications and the CBC that allowed HNIC to air on the network expired at the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The two sides did not extend the partnership for the 2026-27 campaign, the first year of Rogers' 12-year, $11-billion broadcast rights deal with the NHL. The CBC previously aired national games on Saturdays, along with all four playoff rounds each year.

"After a successful 12-year partnership, Sportsnet and CBC today announced the public broadcaster will no longer carry NHL broadcasts after the current season as it moves forward with a new sports programming strategy following the unprecedented success of the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games," Sportsnet and the CBC said Tuesday in a joint statement. "Watching hockey on Saturday night is a time-honoured tradition for Canadians, and Sportsnet is privileged to continue delivering that tradition. 

Upcoming TV production spotlights Winnipeg artisans

Think Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but for Winnipeg artisans instead of U.S. eateries.

That was Amanda Buhse’s pitch to Rogers. Television executives approved.

Now Buhse, whose Coal and Canary candles have landed in Hollywood swag bags and Manitoba markets, is hitting the road with a camera.

She aims to produce an eight-episode series called Made in Winnipeg. It will air on Rogers TV this fall, by current timelines.

CRTC aims to combine consumer protection codes for internet, phone and TV services

GATINEAU - Canada's telecommunications and broadcasting regulator is launching a consultation to review its consumer protection codes, with the goal of simplifying and combining them into one.

The CRTC says those regulatory documents — which individually cover wireless, internet and TV providers as well as disconnection terms — include consumer protections that are not consistent across services due to having been implemented at different times.

It says this has created confusion for customers while being administratively burdensome for companies, especially since Canadians often purchase bundled internet, phone and television services.

Through its consultation, the regulator hopes to make consumer protections easier to understand, reduce billing surprises and help Canadians make informed choices, while also improving consistency for service providers and resolving customer complaints faster.

Disney Plus orders Bruce McCulloch comedy and a doc about one of Canada’s largest manhunts

Disney Plus says it has ordered two made-in-Canada series, marking the first time the U.S. streaming giant has ordered original, locally produced content north of the border.

One of the shows is a scripted comedy executive produced by Bruce McCulloch of "Kids in the Hall" fame.

The eight-episode series is called "Knighted" and is described as an absurd, docu-style look at the secrets in a medieval-themed dinner-theatre company.

It's produced by Heavy Lifting Productions, who are also behind the upcoming P.K Subban drama "Junior" that was recently ordered by CBC.

Elisha Cuthbert wanted her character’s joy to permeate ‘Every Year After’

When Elisha Cuthbert signed on to portray single mom Sue Florek in "Every Year After," the highly anticipated TV adaptation of Carley Fortune's debut novel, she had her work cut out for her.

The character is the emotional heart of the show, but her screen time is fleeting: she dies at the beginning of the series and is seen only in flashbacks.

"Even when Sue's not there, she's so present throughout all the show," Cuthbert said on a video call.

"I just wanted her to feel joyful. I wanted people to understand when they watch the show why all these young adults feel so connected to her. And with that, I approached it with as much love and joy as I could and hope that came across."

Love, music and the return of a weird noir

There really is no excuse for staying indoors, except for streaming these five viewing suggestions.

Familiar voices: TSN’s Wileman and Caldwell to call Canada games at FIFA World Cup

TORONTO - Players aren't the only ones who feel the pressure that comes with a FIFA World Cup on home soil.

The nerves can race in the broadcast booth, too. And just like the athletes who want to peak on the sport's biggest stage, commentators also want to bring their top game on match day.

"I feel I have to over-prepare for games just as if I were going into an exam at school," said TSN soccer play-by-play broadcaster Luke Wileman. "To then have the confidence to be able to perform at my best when the game kicks off, knowing that I've done my work and I've got the notes, I've got the research.

"I might not need to use most of it, but I feel that's the best way to prepare for me to be able to do the best job I can."

Remaining 3 ’60 Minutes’ stars say they’re staying at CBS show, don’t want to see it die

NEW YORK (AP) — Saying “We don’t want to see ‘60 Minutes’ die,” the three remaining correspondents at the turmoil-plagued CBS News program have decided to stay, for now.

A memo from Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim and Bill Whitaker to fellow staffers expressed anger — and grief — over the recent firings at the show, and said the three had had “a hard time” deciding whether to remain.

“Here’s why we are staying: We don’t want to see ‘60 Minutes’ die,” the three wrote in the joint memo obtained by The Associated Press on Friday.

They expressed their regret over the recent firings of colleagues implemented by Bari Weiss, the new CBS News editor-in-chief, and the executive producer she installed last week, Nick Bilton. He replaced Tanya Simon, who was let go after a 30-plus year tenure with the show. Also dismissed were correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, among other top staffers. Scott Pelley was then fired this week after a tense confrontation with CBS News bosses.

Jennifer Whalen of CBC’s ‘Small Achievable Goals’ says show had more to explore

TORONTO - The co-creator of CBC's cancelled series "Small Achievable Goals" says the menopause comedy still has life left in it.

Jennifer Whalen says she would be interested in writing more about her character, a podcast host undergoing middle-age hormonal shifts alongside a similarly upended colleague, played by Meredith MacNeill.

"I would love to show what happens when you get to the other side — when you kind of really integrate it all and that there's like a wonderful life after the worst part of perimenopause. To show that, that would be fantastic," Whalen said earlier this week as she and MacNeill walked the red carpet at the Canadian Screen Awards.

Whalen and MacNeill, whose characters each swing through wild life turns that fuel raunchy gags and moving realizations, said they were proud of the series’ two-year run but Whalen was unclear on why CBC didn't renew the show.

Bell Media to revive ‘Big Brother Canada,’ Seth Rogen’s take on ‘The Littlest Hobo’

TORONTO -  Bell Media is reviving "Big Brother Canada," the reality TV series that was cancelled by Corus Entertainment two years ago.

Taking over as host is Andrea Bain of CTV's daytime talk show "The Social," with filming is set to begin next spring in Montreal.

The show is headlining the broadcaster's 2026/2027 programming lineup announcement, which also includes a remake of "The Littlest Hobo" produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and several new raunchy comedies such as TV version of the 1979 classic "Meatballs."

The "Big Brother" reboot is part of an overall franchise deal that will see the U.S. version of the show air on CTV and Crave in 2027. It also includes the Canadian series’ back catalogue, with 12 seasons to be available on Crave.

UFC ending pay-per-view model in Canada with Paramount Plus streaming deal

TORONTO - The UFC and Paramount plan to expand their partnership into Canada next year, the mixed martial arts organization said Thursday.

Under the six-year deal, all UFC numbered-event main cards -- traditionally known as pay-per-view events -- will be available exclusively to Paramount Plus streaming subscribers in Canada.

"I think this is a testament to the evolution of our brand and partnering with an organization like Paramount Plus," said David Shaw, the UFC's executive vice-president, head of international and content. "Ultimately, what this comes down to is a really fan-friendly opportunity and deal for our fans, but also new fans alike to experience UFC content starting in January 2027."

Last year, Paramount and the UFC announced a seven-year, multi-territory media rights partnership in the United States, Latin America and Australia.

Corus expanding ‘The Morning Show’ into the afternoon with ‘TMS2’

TORONTO - Corus Entertainment is expanding "The Morning Show" into a whole new frontier: the afternoon.

The broadcasting company announced the new program, "TMS2," at its upfront presentation on Wednesday, saying the hour-long show will debut on Global and StackTV starting in September.

It will be hosted by Morgan Hoffman, an entertainment reporter on "The Morning Show".

Christopher Mercer, Corus's senior vice-president of media sales and solutions, says it will be an ad-friendly program.