CFL to begin augmented broadcasts of games Thursday on TSN+

TORONTO – CFL broadcasts are going to look a little different now. Starting Thursday night, broadcasts of CFL games on TSN+ will be available as augmented live streams. Viewers will see locators to help them find the ball carrier and a timer that will indicate the length of time it takes a quarterback to get a pass off. There will also be calculations on just how fast a player ran on a play. Some passing routes — commonly referred to as a route tree — will be included, with lines following the exact path a receiver takes on a play. […]

Reporterbot in space: Game developer uses journalism background as inspiration

EDMONTON - Journalism isn't the most glamorous job.

It can be thankless work and involve shoddy coffee-shop Wi-Fi, makeshift lunches low in nutritional value and long stretches of sedentariness.

Ben Gelinas is hoping his video game about journalism is both interesting and fun.

"Times and Galaxy," set for release June 21 on consoles and PC, puts players in the shoe-analogues of a robo-intern for the eponymous publication, "the solar system’s most trusted holopaper."

Five impactful moments in Celine Dion’s new documentary ‘I Am’

TORONTO – Celine Dion has bared her soul on stage for most of her life, but her new documentary reveals a previously unseen side of the famed Québécois singer. Amid her struggle with stiff person syndrome, “I Am: Celine Dion” offers an unflinching look at the 56-year-old’s private life as she manages the rare neurological disorder that can cause muscle rigidity and severe spasms, as well as affect her ability to perform. Ahead of its release on Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service June 25, here are five impactful and insightful moments from the documentary: Singer Celine Dion is seen in […]

‘Fancy Dance’ with Lily Gladstone balances heartbreak, humor in story of a missing Indigenous woman

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lily Gladstone knows the gravity stories about what she calls the “epidemic” of missing and murdered Indigenous people have. But she also values humor in telling those stories.

In “Fancy Dance,” set for a limited theatrical release Friday and streaming release on Apple TV+ June 28, Gladstone plays Jax, who has cared for her niece, Roki, since her sister’s disappearance on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. As the pair searches for their loved one and prepares for Roki’s upcoming powwow, they share moments of unexpected levity baked into the emotional story.

“You would be very hard pressed to find any Indigenous person in North America today that is not touched by an element of the story very personally,” Gladstone said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “We all know an MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person). It’s something that we all collectively kind of grieve and work to fix. … We stick together and we survive through it by being funny, by finding humor in it.”

Newcomer Isabel Deroy-Olson, who stars alongside Gladstone as Roki, said the film’s humor helps the audience get through the heavier moments of the story — which was also true for the actors.

Corus replaces CEO after losing key content rights to Rogers

TORONTO – New leadership is coming to Corus Entertainment Inc. after it lost several major Warner Bros. Discovery lifestyle television channels to Rogers Communications Inc. and continues to struggle in the current broadcasting environment. Corus said Monday that Doug Murphy was retiring from the top job and that executives Troy Reeb and John Gossling have been appointed as co-chief executives, effective immediately. The television and radio company announced on June 7 that it will lose the rights to key brands like HGTV, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Magnolia Network and OWN at the end of the year. Television and radio broadcaster […]

Celine Dion goes public with her private health struggles: What we’ve learned so far

Celine Dion is opening up about her life-altering neurological disorder ahead of the release of her documentary, “I Am: Celine Dion.” The film, set to premiere June 25 on Prime Video, details the Quebec pop superstar’s struggle with stiff person syndrome, a progressive condition that causes muscle rigidity and painful spasms. The 56-year-old singer revealed her diagnosis in December 2022, saying the rare illness prevented her from performing. All of her tour dates were cancelled in the months that followed. Celine Dion presents the award for album of the year during the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 4, […]

Charles Barkley says next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with NBA media deals

Charles Barkley said Friday that next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the NBA’s media deals. The Hall of Fame player has spent the last 24 years working as a studio analyst for TNT, which could lose the rights to broadcast NBA after next season. But no matter where the games end up, Barkley won’t be following. FILE - Charles Barkley arrives at the NBA Awards on June 24, 2019, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Barkley says next season will be his last on TV, no matter what happens with the NBA's […]

Tom Green’s reality show, comedy special among new CanCon commissioned by Prime Video

TORONTO - Comedian and actor Tom Green is angling for a return to the small screen with three new projects for Prime Video – including a reality series about his life on a farm.

The shows are among seven new Canadian projects commissioned by the streamer, which also ordered two true crime series, a northern survival show and a docuseries about a woman who lost her memory.

The Pembroke, Ont.-born Green, known for his sketch comedy in the 1990s "The Tom Green Show," will produce, direct and star in all three of his Prime Video ventures.

The streamer says "Tom Green Country" will offer a "heartwarming glimpse" into the comedian's life away from Hollywood on a farm in Canada with chickens, a donkey and a mule.

Actors’ union nets pay bump in one-year deal with Association of Canadian Advertisers

TORONTO - Unionized actors have a new labour deal that increases pay for commercial work involving agencies represented by the Association of Canadian Advertisers.

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, known as ACTRA, says the one-year renewal expires May 31, 2025.

The ratified National Commercial Agreement includes a five per cent general pay increase for ACTRA performers.

It establishes the terms and conditions for on-and-off-camera performers involved in commercial production.

Celine Dion goes public with her private health struggles: What we’ve learned so far

Celine Dion is opening up about her life-altering neurological disorder ahead of the release of her documentary, "I Am: Celine Dion."

The film, set to premiere June 25 on Prime Video, details the Quebec pop superstar's struggle with stiff person syndrome, a progressive condition that causes muscle rigidity and painful spasms.

The 56-year-old singer revealed her diagnosis in December 2022, saying the rare illness prevented her from performing. All of her tour dates were cancelled in the months that followed.

She's returned to the spotlight in recent weeks to talk about her efforts to return to the stage. Here's a look at what's been shared so far.

Despite progress, meaningful LGBTQ+ portrayal still lacking in Canadian media: report

A new analysis of LGBTQ+ representation in Canadian film, TV, streaming and video game industries found that there are significant gaps in how the diverse community is portrayed on screen, despite some recent improvements.

The paper published Tuesday by Pink Triangle Press said a majority of industry professionals agreed that the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters was frequently superficial, stereotypical and focused solely on trauma.

The report presented at the Banff World Media Festival was mostly based on surveys, as well as several in-depth interviews with industry professionals and an analysis of 22 hours of top-watched Canadian television shows in French and English. The data was collected from December 2023 to May.

Although 85 per cent of industry professionals said they've seen improvements in on-screen LGBTQ+ portrayals over the past five years, a "significant" gap persists in the amount and type of representation, especially when it comes to queer and transgender characters, the report said.

Fledgling Northern Super League strikes broadcast deal with Bell Media, CBC Sports

TORONTO – The Northern Super League, Canada’s new women’s pro soccer circuit, has struck a broadcast deal. NSL games will be shown on TSN, CBC-Sports and Radio-Canada. In addition, RDS will provide French-language coverage of select matches featuring the Montreal franchise. “Ensuring our matches are available to Canadians is key to the long-term growth and viability of professional women’s soccer,” league co-founder Diana Matheson said in a statement. “Our players have been behind the scenes for too long. Having Bell Media and CBC/Radio-Canada put a national spotlight on our Canadian professional players is a huge win for fans and creates […]

Rogers renews ‘Law & Order Toronto,’ adds Shania Twain to ‘Canada’s Got Talent’

TORONTO - Shania Twain sang "That don't impress me much" — but a new round of contestants on "Canada's Got Talent" will try their best.

Rogers Sports and Media says the pop-country superstar will join Citytv's hit competition series as a judge in spring 2025, alongside returning judges Howie Mandel and Kardinal Offishall and new addition, comic Katherine Ryan.

Lilly Singh and Trish Stratus will not return to judge the fourth season, a Citytv spokesperson said Monday, thanking them for "making invaluable contributions to the show."

Twain says in a statement that she's "excited to discover the amazing talent" Canada has to share.