From Selina Williams of Avenue Edmonton:

• Ron Scott Goes Back To Black
  Ron Scott is the first indigenous person outside of Toronto to produce, own and run a one-hour dramatic series about Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. The locally shot Blackstone, which airs on ATPN, features even more firsts for First Nations Canadians. Read more.

From Carsten Knox of the Globe and Mail:

• Picnicface: From Halifax to the Comedy Network, by way of YouTube
  group of young Canadians gets together and forms a comedy troupe. They perform onstage, doing improv, sketch comedy and individual standup – and soon their very specific brand of humour reaches an audience of millions. This is, more or less, the story of Kids In The Hall, and something similar is happening with the Halifax group Picnicface. Read more.

From a media release:

Dina Pugliese Named Host of Canada’s Got Talent on Citytv; Opera Sensation Measha Brueggergosman and Renowned Songwriter Stephan Moccio Join Martin Short on Judging Panel

As Canada’s Got Talent’s Live Theatre Audition Tour gets underway this week, Citytv today announced the host and remaining judges for the highly-anticipated talent competition. Breakfast Television Toronto’s Dina Pugliese will host the original Canadian reality series, while prominent soprano Measha Brueggergosman and distinguished musician Stephan Moccio join internationally-renowned Martin Short on the judging panel.

Continue reading Dina Pugliese named host of Canada’s Got Talent →

From a media release:

THE COMPETITION INTENSIFIES! ONLY FOUR BANDS LEFT ON COVER ME CANADA

CBC’s new live weekly musical competition series, COVER ME CANADA, took to the streets this past week as the five remaining bands Warren Dean Flandez, Living in Red, Ali Milner, Melanie Morgan and Whosarmy thrilled Toronto crowds at a special outdoor concert held at St. James Cathedral Park on Thursday, October 13th at noon. The bands were joined by host Nicole Appleton who mingled with the crowds to find out who their favorite band is for the win.

On this week’s show Canada’s favourite soprano, Measha Brueggergosman stopped by to talk with Cover Me Canada’s host, Nicole Appleton. Canadian guitar legend Rich Dodson from the country rock trio The Stampeders was on hand to watch Warren Dean Flandez perform his 1971 number 1 hit song Sweet City Woman.

At the conclusion of the show, the bottom three bands, Living In Red, Melanie Morgan and Warren Dean Flandez were called to centre stage to hear their fate. One would be saved from elimination, and one would go home. At that time it was revealed that Melanie Morgan, who covered Lay It On The Line by Triumph, was safe from being eliminated by the judges in tonight’s episode because she had the highest social media score of the three. Canadian audiences determine which artist is safe after the results of the online voting and social media engagement for each band is tallied. At the conclusion of tonight’s show the COVER ME CANADA judges Jordan Knight (New Kids On The Block), chart-topping R&B sensation Deborah Cox and star-maker manager and record exec Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls), announced that Living In Red, who covered Run To You by Bryan Adams, was eliminated.

Canadians have the chance to bring back one band who thought their COVER ME CANADA journey was over. In a one-time vote on October 23, 2011 fans will be asked to put their support behind their favourite eliminated band. The eliminated band that garners the most online votes will return in episode seven and continue to compete for the $100,000 cash prize and a recording contract for an original single to be released by Universal Music Canada. For additional details about how to support your favourite competitor visit: www.cbc.ca/covermecanada.