2015 in Canadian television

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2015. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

Events

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Notable events

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January

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Date Event
8 Global News suspends Leslie Roberts, the anchor and executive editor of its local newscasts on flagship station CIII-DT, after a Toronto Star investigation reveals that he is also a silent partner in a public relations firm which was regularly placing its clients on his own programs.[1]
26 CTV suspends all scheduled broadcasts of the new season of its sitcom Spun Out, after cast member J. P. Manoux is arrested on charges of voyeurism.[2]

February

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Date Event
13 The Quebecor Media-owned news channel Sun News Network ceases broadcasting.[3]

March

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Date Event
1 The 3rd Canadian Screen Awards airs on CBC.[4]

April

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Date Event
12 Kevin Bazinet wins the third season of La Voix.I
16 Broadcaster Corus Entertainment announced that it had reached an agreement with the Disney–ABC Television Group to acquire long-term, Canadian multi-platform rights to distribute Disney Channel's programming library and associated brands. As a result, Canadian versions of Disney Channel in English and French would launch on September 1, 2015.
Date Event
12 Sarah Hanlon wins season 3 of Big Brother Canada.
20 Corus Entertainment announces that its three CBC Television affiliate stations in Ontario — CHEX-DT in Peterborough, CHEX-TV-2 in Oshawa and CKWS-DT in Kingston — will switch their affiliation to CTV effective August 31. Legally, the affiliation deal is described by Corus as a "program supply agreement" (the term "affiliation" has specific legal implications under CRTC rules), as Corus maintains editorial control over the stations' programming and the ability to sell local advertising, and is not delegating responsibility for CTV programs aired by the stations to Bell Media, CTV's parent company.[5][6]

June

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Date Event
1 After 15 years, Cogeco officially signs Bpm:tv off the air.[7]
9 The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation fires Evan Solomon, the host of Power & Politics on CBC News Network and The House on CBC Radio One, after the Toronto Star publishes conflict of interest allegations that Solomon was using his journalistic connections for personal benefit by running a private art sales brokerage business for clients including past interview guests on his CBC shows.[8]

December

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Date Event
11 CHCH-DT announces that due to the bankruptcy of its production entity, Channel 11 L.P., created by Channel Zero, which in turned stemmed from the loss of federal subsidy and an inability to draw "national advertising revenue" to a local station, the station's news department would experience major cutbacks; the station's daytime rolling news blocks and all weekend newscasts were immediately canceled. The station's morning newscast (Morning Live) and its 6:00 and 11:00 evening newscasts will continue.[9]

Television programs

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Programs debuting in 2015

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Start Date Show Channel Source
January 3 Guilt Free Zone APTN [10]
January 7 The Book of Negroes CBC Television [11]
January 9 Sports on Fire HBO Canada
January 8 The Expandables HGTV [12]
Sunnyside City [13]
January 13 Schitt's Creek CBC Television [14]
January 21 Young Drunk Punk City
CBC Television
[15]
February 2 Songs of Freedom Vision TV
February 18 X Company CBC [16]
March 17 Game of Homes W [17]
May 4 Game On YTV [18]
May 12 Masters of Flip W
May 21 Between City
June 23 Fool Canada CBC Television
Still Standing
July 4 Panda Pop: The Animated Series College
August 31 Chef in Your Ear The Food Network [19]
September 1 First Dates Canada Slice [20]
October 2 Crash Gallery CBC Television [21]
October 4 Exhibitionists [21]
Keeping Canada Alive [21]
October 5 This Life [21]
October 14 The Romeo Section [21]
November 6 Interrupt This Program [21]
November 8 Blood and Water OMNI
Date unknown Le nouveau show ARTV, Ici Radio-Canada Télé

Changes of network affiliation

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Show Moved from Moved to
Fugget About It Teletoon at Night Adult Swim

Programs ending in 2015

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End date Show Channel First aired Status Source
January 5 Johnny Spencer College 2008 Cancelled
January 29 Detentionaire Teletoon 2011 Ended
May 25 Grojband 2013 Canceled
July 11 Packages from Planet X 2014
July 16 Steven and Chris CBC 2008 [22][23]
July 29 Rookie Blue Global Television Network 2010 Ended

Television stations

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Stations changing network affiliation

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Date Market Station Channel Prior affiliation New affiliation Source
August 31 Peterborough, Ontario CHEX-DT 12.1 CBC CTV, Global (secondary) [24][5][6]
Kingston, Ontario CKWS-DT 11.1
Oshawa, Ontario CHEX-TV-2 22 (analog)

Network conversions and rebrandings

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Old network name New network name Type Conversion date Notes
Bite Makeful August 24
Teletoon Retro Cartoon Network and Disney Channel September 1
Disney Junior Family Jr. September 18 DHX Media was acquiring the Disney rights to Corus Entertainment.
Disney XD CHRGD October 9

Deaths

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Date Name Age Notability Source
January 17 Don Harron 90 Canadian actor, writer, and radio personality, best known for appearances as Charlie Farquharson on Hee Haw and other programs. [25]
April 15 Jonathan Crombie 48 Best known as Gilbert Blythe in the Anne of Green Gables television movies. [26]
April 23 Lois Lilienstein 78 Musical performer who starred on The Elephant Show and Skinnamarink TV as a member of children's trio Sharon, Lois & Bram.
August 4 Chris Hyndman 49 Interior designer, talk show host (Designer Guys, Steven and Chris) [23]
November 20 Jim Perry 82 American-born game show host (Canadian shows included Definition, Headline Hunters, Miss Canada pageant) [27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Global TV anchor Leslie Roberts suspended". Toronto Star, January 8, 2015.
  2. ^ "How J.P. Manoux’s arrest put Spun Out behind bars: Menon". Toronto Star, January 29, 2015.
  3. ^ "Sun News Network goes off the air". Globe and Mail. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  4. ^ "Canadian Screen Awards Unveil Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter, January 13, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Local TV landscape changes as CHEX strikes deal with CTV" Archived 2015-05-21 at the Wayback Machine. Peterborough Examiner, May 20, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2015-403". CRTC. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  7. ^ Cogeco announces bpm:tv's shutdown
  8. ^ Donovan, Kevin (June 9, 2015). "CBC host Evan Solomon fired after Star investigation finds he took secret cut of art deals". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  9. ^ "CHCH TV suspends newscasts as company declares bankruptcy". Hamilton Spectator, December 11, 2015.
  10. ^ Greg David, "APTN’s Guilt Free Zone returns for raucous laughs and rockin’ talent". TV, eh?, May 22, 2018.
  11. ^ "Book of Negroes debuts Jan. 7 on CBC". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, November 27, 2014.
  12. ^ "HGTV’s ‘The Expandables’ helps create space for cramped homeowners". Global News, January 9, 2015.
  13. ^ "Sunnyside a surreal new Canadian sketch-com awash in ponies" Archived 2015-01-13 at the Wayback Machine. canada.com, January 7, 2015.
  14. ^ "How Eugene Levy convinced CBC to name his show ‘Schitt’s Creek’". Toronto Star, January 12, 2015.
  15. ^ "Calgary-shot Young Drunk Punk to get second run on CBC this fall in innovative deal between networks". Calgary Herald, January 9, 2015.
  16. ^ Brioux, Bill (December 31, 2014). "Canadian TV to watch for in 2015". The Canadian Press. Toronto Star. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  17. ^ "Cameron Mathison Talks 'Game Of Homes' Anticipation". ET Canada, March 12, 2015.
  18. ^ "It's Game On for Daily Show's Samantha Bee". Toronto Star, April 29, 2015.
  19. ^ "Food Network to Launch Canadian Original Series" Archived 2015-08-08 at the Wayback Machine. Broadcaster, July 31, 2015.
  20. ^ "Shaw Media Begins Production on New Documentary Series to Appear on Slice". Broadcaster, January 12, 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d e f "CBC-TV Unveils Fall Schedule" Archived 2016-01-07 at the Wayback Machine. Broadcaster, September 16, 2015.
  22. ^ "Chris Hyndman death prompts end of Steven and Chris show". CBC News, August 21, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Christopher Hyndman, co-host of CBC's Steven and Chris, dead. CBC News, August 4, 2015.
  24. ^ "CBC drops local TV affiliates in Oshawa, Peterborough and Kingston". Toronto Star. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  25. ^ Obituary for Don Harron from the Globe and Mail, 1/17/2015
  26. ^ "Jonathan Crombie, Anne of Green Gables actor, dead at 48". CBC News, April 18, 2015.
  27. ^ "Jim Perry, game show 'king', dies at 82". CTV News. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
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