mace wrote:

CTV simsubs a fair amount of U.S. programming. When CFTO was carried on Buffalo cable systems, instead of substituting the local feed over both channels, a simple notice was placed on the screen indicating that the channel was temporarily unavailable.

  
Maybe some FCC rule that says they can't run the local feed over both channels?  Anyway seems an outdated way to handle this.  As a cable subscriber it would be annoying, so I can see if they just pulled the channel or put on the jewellery or kitten and puppy channel. 

I don't know for certain but I do know the major networks like Sportsnet and TSN all have their own mobile units which they use for their broadcasts.  Rogers and Bell co-own Dome Productions which has a total of 18 HD production trucks that cover professional sports all over North America. https://www.domeproductions.com/about-us/#:~:text=Dome%20Productions%20is%20North%20America's,Rogers%20Media%20and%20Bell%20Media.
I found this article which was kind of interesting.  It is all about being a sports camera operator.  From VOX..https://www.vox.com/2015/9/24/9391749/sports-camera-operator-tv

When I was in college at Conestoga, we once had a gentleman from CBC sports talk to us about sports television coverage.  I remember he asked if anyone in our graduating year was interested in sports camerawork.  He mentioned that the industry was in real need of camera operators for sports events and that the job included lots of travel and extensive training from CBC sports.  This was in 1977, so I wonder how much this has changed in 2025. 

RadioActive wrote:

I'd forgotten Craig Ferguson, definitely the most bizarre and best talk show satire ever. He would deliberately rip up his questions when a guest came on, he had a robot skeleton as his co-host and yes, of course, Secretariat - the pantomime horse - was always a highlight. 

What a great show and there's never been another one like it. Each show truly was a "great day for America." Amazing.

I saw Craig Ferguson live in Kitchener.  He came here two years in a row.  On his TV show he mentioned many times that he wouldn't be going to the Grammy Awards even with an album that was nominated in the Best Comedy category.  He said he opted to go to Kitchener Ontario for a live show instead.  I saw that show and he was really good.  Nothing like his late night program but very funny and entertaining.  

When working at CFOS in 1981, we hosted three busloads of listeners to Nashville for a six day excursion.  We went to the Grand Ole Opry for the Saturday evening live show on WSM.  No country heavyweights showed up that night, but the auditorium was packed.

The thing I remember most was the live broadcast on WSM.  It was fine except for all of the many "live copy" commercials on air.  Most of these were read by the announcer live right on the stage.  I felt sorry for the guy, he kicked the hell out of half of the live ads he read that night.  As an announcer it was cringe worthy.

On the bus going back to the hotel one of our listeners commented out loud how poor the WSM announcer was reading the ads on air.  He said any of the CFOS announcers would have done a better job!  Our station manager and his wife were also on the trip, and he heard the comment loud and clear.

I find that Colbert isn't funny, his monologues are predictably political all the time.  He has too many politicians on as guests.  Why his show usually is number one for the late night talkers is beyond me, since his show is not that entertaining.  

Jimmy Fallon is down right annoying.  His ego is through the roof.  He does have some funny bits, but his constant dancing around the stage and playing air guitar like he is some kind of rock star is embarrassing to watch.  NBC seems to love him, and showcasing him in other prime time game shows, or specials which all bomb in the ratings.  But yet, here he is again, hyping another prime time special or new book.  Wish that he would take a page from Johnny Carson and let his guests talk and be the focus.  Fallon is always trying to upstage his guests and be the centre of attention. 

Kimmel I like sometimes, and other times find he asks stupid inane questions of his guests.  He is the most genuine of the hosts, but a lot of the bits on his show are not funny and sometimes kind of crude.  He has always had a bit of a fixation regarding Canada and talks about the country and politicians more than the other hosts.  Remember his months of talking about the late Rob Ford almost daily in his monologues? Or sending Guillermo and a crew to Dildo Newfoundland to interview the locals about Jimmy running for mayor.

Seth Meyers is my favourite, but some won't like his humour.  He is very political, however usually confines it to his very funny A Closer Look.  His bits and comments usually make me laugh.  Seth does a great impersonation of Trump in terms of the voice and mannerisms.  Since his show is on later, the program is a bit more laid back and the host not as charged up as Fallon and Colbert.   

I think Trump has a love/hate for Hollywood.  After all he was a part of that circle for many years, and some would argue he still is.  Trump loves the spotlight and exposure and this is what Hollywood and media represent to him.  He does hate the Hollywood elite, and this tariff ruling if implimented will make it very difficult for producers and the film/TV companies.  

The reason production is done outside of the US and California in particular is to keep costs down.  The US dollar alone balloons the price of production.  Everybody has tax breaks now for film production (including California) so the competition is like never before.  Producers will go where their dollars go further, and right now that doesn't appear to be Hollywood.  

If Trump is successful with this tariff of 100% then that would scuttle most production outside of the US.  However the Governor of California says that Trump doesn't have the authority to impose tariffs on movie production. 

Maybe it was the fact that the new Little House On The Prairie is being filmed in Winnipeg put President Trump over the edge.  He claims that the movie industry in the US is in peril, so bring on some new big tariffs on movies not filmed in the USA.  More from Deadline...https://deadline.com/2025/05/trump-movie-tariffs-hollywood-1236384980/

St. Pierre is a show that I have only watched once.  It was pretty good and the film location makes for some exotic looking storylines.  Wild Cards is another that I have watched a few times and didn't mind.  Wild Cards, St. Pierre and Murdoch Mysteries all have humour blended in most episodes. 

Heartland and Murdoch are CBC's big hits internationally and it looks like North of North is also showing a lot of promise outside of Canada.  On Netflix the first season, which is currently running has been well received by audiences and crtics.  The series was renewed by the streamer after only two episodes. 

I had a similar experience in Paris and Oxford England when visiting a friend in the early 80's.  We had beer bought for us from WW2 veterans in both of these cities in small pubs.  People always want to know where tourists are from and often assume you are American or sometimes Australian.  When we told them we were Canadian we were invited to sit with them and they immediately insisted on buying us a drink.  Very touching and humbling experience when the vets told us how much it meant to them when Canada took part and sacrificed so much in both world wars.  

Retail is an interesting business.  I remember around 2017 about nine months prior to Sears Canada closing down, the retailer was pitching to Canadian Tire to buy them.  A Canadian Tire owner told me that they had looked at buying Sears Canada outright, but Sears had too many poor locations and stores that needed expensive updating.  And they also had a lot of stores that were either too close to an existing Canadian Tire or in the same plaza or power centre. 

I have noticed on Rob Snow's program (Now You Know With Rob Snow) the callers often are poor.  People that have trouble putting a sentence together and don't have much to say.  Rob seems to get regular callers and many of them sound like they call in when they have nothing else to do. 

 

ABC has shrunk their prime time programming for this summer.  The network hasn't scheduled anything 8 to 9pm on four evenings. Speculation is that Hulu may fill in the gaps.  More from TV Ratings Guide..http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/2025/04/abc-announces-summer-2025-schedule.html 

I agree, the new version of any show rarely is better or even equals the original.  And Match Game has had many remakes over the years.  Looks like this latest revamp will debut in the summer, so likely will have a limited run.  

Brad wrote:

For those who never saw the Comedy Network, Montreal-shot Canadian version, take a peek:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIdOzHtEv-4

The panel rotates, but had comedians, some American celebrities, and mostly those who used to be on the Much Music show Video on Trial.

I did watch the Comedy Network version of Match Game from time to time.  It wasn't bad and always featured the amusing Sean Cullen.  I think it was on for about 3 years and finished up about a year before ABC brought it back with Alec Baldwin.  I am sure ABC is producing the game show in Montreal to keep the cost down.  Maybe Bell is involved so it might show up either on CTV or return to the Comedy Network. 

I  wonder if and when CTV or CBC will be claiming ratings victory on last night's coverage.  Right now CBC News Network is coming up #2 on the Bell Fibe tracking and CTV's News Channel is #5.  However CBCNN is still all election coverage (they were live all night) and CTV News Channel is now mixing in other news.