By David Farrell
The Breakfast Club is coming to Toronto's FLOW 93-5
"This show is going to be massive," says general manager Steve Parsons. But many are calling out the station for shelving the city's local talent for controversial imported content. — Radheyan Simonpillai, Now
CFC hosts Bell Media Prime Time TV Program Showcase
On Wednesday, March 11 at TIFF Bell Lightbox, the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program Showcase celebrated six wickedly talented new writers and warmly (re)introduced them to an audience of industry executives, partners and donors, cast and crew, and family and friends, and the screen industry at large.
The Bell Media Prime Time TV Program has developed a reputation industry-wide as the go-to source for exciting, talented new TV series writers and for creating original series content for the marketplace. As Tom Hastings, Director, Original Programming, Drama at Bell Media shared at the showcase, “I think what’s so exciting about this incredible program, for me and the creative team at Bell Media, is that we’ve been able to get to know and work with so many of the residents from each of the year’s programs,” added Hastings. “I noticed that every single production that we have going on in the original programming department at Bell Media has a CFC alumnus/a. It’s really impressive.”
Afterwards, Erin Burke, CFC’s Associate Director of Programs & Content, introduced the “teasers” that were premiered at the showcase. She explained that in addition to the storyroom work with Bruce, the writers develop their own original series and write their pilot scripts. Part of that process includes writing and creating a short teaser for their series – which requires them to distill their series concept into a four-minute piece of content. Each teaser features original work from the 2019 Slaight Family Music residents. — CFC
Media affected by the pandemic
The National Association of Broadcasters has postponed its April NAB Show, the organization announced Wednesday. The show, to have been held in April, but now NAB is considering its options for a future date. NAB EVP Dennis Wharton said that one possibility could be to beef up the NAB Show New York on Oct. 21-22.
Also in the week, CBS, NBC and Disney have announced a cessation of live audiences for a variety of day and late-night shows, including Dr. Phil and the Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Wendy Williams Show, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. — Deadline, Broadcasting+Cable
Media giants brace for another wild day on Wall Street
Media stocks were smacked Thursday as the NBA’s suspended rest of season focused investors on a potential ad slump and accelerated cord cutting with trading halted temporarily for the second time this week as the market plunged. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline
Joe Biden: The fantabulist
The evidence is in: Joe Biden has a habit of making things up. And it’s not just wrong — it could hurt him in a general election contest against Donald Trump. According to The Intercept's Mehdi Hasan, if you think the guy who made up getting arrested in South Africa, who falsely claimed to have marched in the civil rights movement, is the “safe” candidate against Trump, then you’re lying to yourself. — The Intercept
