STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE Extends to 90 Minutes as New Broadcasters Join the Largest Single-Show Broadcast Event in Canadian History

News provided by

Apr 22, 2020, 08:00 ET

– Ten new broadcasters welcomed to the all-Canadian broadcast –
– The historic event now begins at 6:30 p.m. across all markets / 7 p.m. NT on Sunday on 120 platforms –

Tags: #StrongerTogether #TousEnsemble

TORONTO, April 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - After incredible response and interest, the previously announced all-Canadian special, STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE, has been extended to a 90-minute broadcast now airing 30 minutes earlier at 6:30 p.m. across all markets / 7 p.m. NT on Sunday, April 26. The event, in support of frontline workers fighting the battle against COVID-19, and Food Banks Canada, has become the largest single-show broadcast in Canadian history, with 10 additional broadcasters joining Bell Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, Corus Entertainment, Groupe V Média, and Rogers Sports & Media to present the star-studded, commercial-free broadcast, now available on an unprecedented 120 platforms.

New broadcasters joining the STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE broadcast include ATN, APTN, Blue Ant Media, Wild Brain, Hollywood Suite, NTV, OUTtv, Stingray, Super Channel, and Unis TV. As well, more than four dozen new radio stations have come on board, including Bell Media's EZ Rock as well as participating stations from Arctic Radio, Blackburn, First Peoples Radio, Harvard, Pattison, Rawlco, Stingray, and Vista radio networks (see broadcast details below).

"We are grateful for the many calls and e-mails from iconic Canadians offering to help and be part of this historic broadcast, and can't wait to share more details tomorrow," said Lindsay Cox, Senior Vice-President, Showrunner, and Executive Producer, Insight Productions. "We are also thankful to the growing list of broadcast partners who have been able to find time in their schedules to allow us to tell even more stories of the frontline workers, community heroes, and food banks making a difference right now."

Conceived and produced in an unprecedented collaboration between Insight Productions, Bell Media Studios, and CBC/Radio-Canada, STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE is presented in part through the support of MADE | NOUS, the national, consumer-focused, industry-wide movement recognizing and celebrating creative Canadian talent.

Canadians who are able are invited to donate to Food Banks Canada in association with the broadcast to support local food banks from coast-to-coast-to-coast as they face the drastic impacts of COVID-19.

Featuring a mix of music, messages, and more, STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE presents homegrown artists, activists, actors, and athletes sharing their stories of hope and inspiration in a national salute to frontline workers combatting COVID-19. Canadian talent are uniting to show everyone working on the front lines of this pandemic that we are all #StrongerTogether.

With final participants to be announced tomorrow, talent performing and appearing to date include Alessia Cara, Arkells, Barenaked Ladies, Bianca Andreescu, Bryan Adams, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Céline Dion, Chris Hadfield, Connor McDavid, David Suzuki, Eric McCormack, Hayley Wickenheiser, Howie Mandel, Jann Arden, Jason Priestley, Margaret Atwood, Marie-Mai, Michael Bublé, Penny Oleksiak, Rick Hansen, Rick Mercer, Russell Peters, Sarah McLachlan, Shania Twain, Sofia Reyes, Tessa Virtue, Will Arnett, William Prince, and more.

Broadcast Details
STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE will air on at least 120 platforms, including live, simultaneous French translation on ICI ARTV, SériesPlus, VRAK, V, and Unis TV. The special can also be viewed on:

44 TV Platforms:
ABC Spark, ATN HD, ATN LIFE, ATN PUNJABI PLUS, ATN PM ONE, ATN TAMIL (JAYA TV), ATN GUJARATI, ATN BANGLA, ATN CRICKET PLUS, ATN FOOD FOOD, APTN, A.Side, BBC Earth, CBC, CBN, Citytv, Cottage Life, CP24, CTV, CTV2, FX, Family Channel, Global, HIFI, Hollywood Suite 2000s, ICI ARTV, Love Nature, MUCH, MTV, National Geographic, Makeful, NTV, OMNI Television, OUTtv, SériesPlus, Slice, Smithsonian Channel Canada, Stingray Hits, Stingray Retro, Super Channel Fuse, TSN, Unis TV, V, VRAK

12 Streaming Platforms:
CBC.ca, CBC Gem, CBC Listen app, CTV.ca, CTV app, Citytv.com, ETCanada.com, Global TV app, GlobalTV.com, GlobalNews.ca, iHeartRadio.ca, iHeartRadio Canada app

53 Radio Platforms:
CBC Music, CBC Radio One, EZ Rock, Sirius XM Channel 169, Virgin Radio as well as additional stations from Arctic Radio, Bell Media, Blackburn, First Peoples Radio, Harvard, Pattison, Rawlco, Stingray, and Vista radio networks

11 On Demand Platforms:
CBC Gem, Crave, CTV.ca, CTV app, Global TV app, GlobalTV.com, ICI TOU.TV, iHeartRadio.ca, iHeartRadio Canada app, Stingray Qello, Super Channel On Demand

Food Banks Canada
Viewers and listeners who are able are invited to support Food Banks Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Food banks are concerned about the amount of food they have in stock as demand increases while food donations and volunteers decline rapidly. Funds raised as a result of STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE will be used to source essential food and support items across the Canadian food bank network and support operational innovation, including creating alternative delivery systems to best serve people in need during COVID-19.

How to Donate:

SMS: Text COVID to 30333 to donate $5, $10, or $20

Online: FoodBanksCanada.ca/StrongerTogether

STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE is a joint production of Bell Media Studios, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and Insight Productions.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Twitter

@foodbankscanada

@Made_Nous

#StrongerTogether

Facebook:

FoodBanksCanada

MADE | NOUS

#StrongerTogether

Instagram:

@Foodbankscanada

@Made_Nous

#StrongerTogether

About Insight Productions
Insight Productions, known for its award-winning ratings juggernauts, is Canada's most established content producer and an industry leader in the development, financing, and production of hit programming, both scripted and unscripted, as well as digital content. Insight Senior Vice President Lindsay Cox serves as Executive Producer along with Insight's Chairman, CEO and Executive Producer, John Brunton, on STRONGER TOGETHER. Insight has a long history responding to world crises and collaborating on projects that help support relief efforts with such shows as MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS, THE CONCERT FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF and YOUNG ARTISTS FOR HAITI. With thousands of hours of programming under its belt, the company has created some of the most dynamic and top-rated programs in the world including THE AMAZING RACE CANADA – the most watched Canadian show on record, ratings hit – BIG BROTHER CANADA, Canada's national music award show - THE JUNO AWARDS, CANADA'S NEW YEAR'S EVE: COUNTDOWN which was the highest rated show on the CBC in both 2018 and 2019, TOP CHEF CANADA, INTERVENTION and original formats BATTLE OF THE BLADES, I DO, REDO & WALL OF CHEFS. Insight's scripted programming includes award-winning READY OR NOT, FALCON BEACH, HATCHING, MATCHING & DISPATCHING, A CHRISTMAS FURY, BUT I'M CHRIS JERICHO! and THE JON DORE TELEVISION SHOW along with award-winning feature documentaries HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD and GORDON LIGHTFOOT: IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND. In 2017, Insight produced THE TRAGICALLY HIP: A NATIONAL CELEBRATION, a live concert special watched by one in three Canadians. Insight Productions was founded in 1979 and has since created thousands of hours of ground-breaking content. For more information on Insight Productions, please visit www.insighttv.com or on Twitter @insightprod or Facebook www.facebook.com/InsightProductions.

About Bell Media
Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, digital media, and more. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network; 29 specialty channels, including leading specialty services TSN and RDS. Bell Media is Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 215 music channels including 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across the country, all part of the iHeartRadio brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000 faces in five provinces. The country's digital media leader, Bell Media develops and operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news and entertainment brands; video streaming services Crave, TSN Direct, and RDS Direct; and multi-channel network Much Studios. The company owns a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios; is a partner in Just for Laughs, the live comedy event and TV producer; and jointly owns Dome Productions Partnership., one of North America's leading production facilities providers. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.

About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada's trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 34 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an established creator of globally distributed content through Nelvana animation studio, Corus Studios, and children's book publishing house Kids Can Press. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, and lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada. Corus' roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX. Visit Corus at www.corusent.com.

About Rogers Sports & Media
Rogers Sports & Media is a diverse sports and content company that engages more than 30 million Canadians each week. The company's multimedia offerings include 56 radio stations, 29 local TV stations, 23 conventional and specialty television stations, podcasts, digital and e-commerce websites, and sporting events. Rogers Sports & Media delivers unique storytelling through its range of powerful brands: Citytv, OMNI Television, FX, TSC, KiSS, Breakfast Television, Cityline, CityNews, Sportsnet – Canada's #1 sports network, and the Blue Jays – Canada's only Major League Baseball team. Rogers Sports & Media is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSX, NYSE: RCI). Visit RogersMedia.com.

About Groupe V Média
Groupe V Média, a Quebec-based entertainment and content delivery company, is the largest independent media group in Canada. Groupe V Média owns conventional television network V, specialty channels ELLE Fictions and MAX, content and video-on-demand platform Noovo.ca and the 25Stanley sports news website. Its innovative content delivery strategies with strong, unifying, eye-catching themes enable its properties to reach a vast audience, anytime, on a multitude of platforms, adapting to evolving consumer and corporate trends.

About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 3,000 food banks and community agencies come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who last year – made 1.1 million visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our HungerCount report. Over the past 10 years, as a system, we have sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $70 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit www.foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.

SOURCE Bell Media