The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) and Bell Media today announced the 14 recipients of this year’s Bell Media National Fellowship program who will attend this year’s Festival from June 9-12 in Banff, AB. As part of the $1.8 Million Bell Media TV Skills Development Initiative, the Bell Media National Fellowship program is intended to encourage professional development in the television industry by enabling emerging creative talent – including producers, writers, and directors – to attend BANFF and benefit from the vast programming, mentorship, and pitching opportunities that the annual event has to offer.  Read More

Astral Media Inc. (Astral) and BCE Inc. (Bell) today announced they have replied to interventions filed with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), part of the CRTC’s process to review the proposed transaction to unite Astral and Bell Media. Read More

Astral Media Inc. (Astral) and BCE Inc. (Bell) today welcomed the public gazetting of their revised application to the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to unite Astral and Bell Media. Read More

Astral Media Inc. today announced that the Canadian Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) has issued a “no action letter” in connection with its previously announced acquisition by BCE Inc. (“Bell”). The issuance of this letter constitutes one of the two required regulatory approvals contemplated in the arrangement agreement entered into by Astral and Bell in connection with the transaction.  Read More

Kevin Crull, President, Bell Media, today congratulated Jeanne Beker, Canadian fashion icon and FashionTelevisionChannel host, along with Wendy Freeman, President, CTV News, for receiving the prestigious 2012 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award in the Arts & Communications category. Winners are selected based on their strategic vision and leadership, their organization’s financial performance, and their commitment to their communities. Read More

With a proudly Canadian foundation and one of Canada’s largest online communities, Bell Media announced today that its Sympatico portal is rebranding as The Loop at TheLoop.ca on Thursday, Dec. 13. The Loop is an entirely new brand destination that enhances and strengthens the most successful content on Sympatico, with more original video hosted by distinctive personalities. The Loop is a new daily destination for busy people, where users can get in the loop about the latest news and information, entertainment buzz, and practical lifestyle advice designed to help make life better and easier. New content channels, including “Living”, “Style”, and “Showbiz”, all have a lifestyle focus with fresh and fun, shareable content.  Read More

Today, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) denied BCE’s application to acquire control of Astral Media’s television and radio services because it is not in the public interest. Astral Media operates 84 radio stations and 20 pay and specialty television channels in both official languages. Read More

Today’s effort by certain cable/media competitors to launch a public misinformation campaign around Bell’s acquisition of Astral Media is clear evidence that the competitive landscape is changing, and the new reality has competitors worried. Read More

The following is a open letter for Canadian TV viewers. Read More

The nominations are in and Bell Media congratulates Production partners Epitome Pictures and Take 5 Productions on nominations for the 2012 Primetime Emmy® Awards. MuchMusic’s DEGRASSI received its second consecutive nomination for Outstanding Children’s Program while Season 2 of Bravo’s THE BORGIAS received an impressive four nods for Outstanding Costumes For A Series, Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series (including Canadian Tahira Herold), Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score) by Canadian Trevor Morris, and Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Supporting Role (including Canadians Doug Campbell, Bill Halliday, Luke Groves, Kirk Brillon, Steve Ramone Gordon, Jim Maxwell, Irit Hod, Tim Sibley, and Adam Jewett). THE 64th ANNUAL PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS air live, Sunday, September 23, exclusively on CTV. Read More