CTV’s at home, virtual upfront presentation for advertisers took a while to start streaming Tuesday afternoon. The same thing happened Monday to Rogers/Citytv/Sportsnet. Before we all make with the media companies that can’t run media jokes, these presentations are complex productions shared with thousands of ad buyers simultaneously, on a variety of systems, across Canada
I wondered if any of the Canadian networks would dare use phrases such as “the most coveted new series of the season” to hype their September schedules. After all, thanks to COVID-19, this is a year with a record low number of American rookies to cherry pick. There weren’t even pilots to watch. It’s like
Monday morning, the newly-christened Rogers Sports & Media kicked off two days of Catch up, Up Front week in Canada. Catch up, Up Front –say it with me, you’ll get used to it. Things began at 9 a.m. with “Breakfast with Banks,” something all Canadian television executives have probably been doing the past 12 –
As it is with everything else, this is an unusual year for TV networks. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing, the major US broadcasters had to cancel their pricey upfront launches in New York in May. Instead of talent and producers doing the annual ad market meet and greet — and in
Let’s be fair. CBC has had, as the Queen once famously said, an annus horribilis. More than any other broadcaster, the pandemic ripped through their winter/spring schedule. Three months of huge Saturday ratings for a Stanley Cup playoff run packed with Canadian teams were completely wiped out. CBC lost countless hours of programming along with