2015 in Canadian television

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2015. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

Events

Notable events

January

Date	Event
8	Global News suspends Leslie Roberts, the anchor and executive editor of its local newscasts on flagship station CIII-DT, after a Toronto Star investigation reveals that he is also a silent partner in a public relations firm which was regularly placing its clients on his own programs.[1]
26	CTV suspends all scheduled broadcasts of the new season of its sitcom Spun Out, after cast member J. P. Manoux is arrested on charges of voyeurism.[2]

February

Date	Event
13	The Quebecor Media-owned news channel Sun News Network ceases broadcasting.[3]

April

Date	Event
12	Kevin Bazinet wins the third season of La Voix.

May

Date	Event
12	Sarah Hanlon wins season 3 of Big Brother Canada.
20	Corus Entertainment announces that its three CBC Television affiliate stations in Ontario — CHEX-DT in Peterborough, CHEX-TV-2 in Oshawa and CKWS-DT in Kingston — will switch their affiliation to CTV effective August 31. Legally, the affiliation deal is described by Corus as a "program supply agreement" (the term "affiliation" has specific legal implications under CRTC rules), as Corus maintains editorial control over the stations' programming and the ability to sell local advertising, and is not delegating responsibility for CTV programs aired by the stations to Bell Media, CTV's parent company.[4][5]

June

Date	Event
1	After 15 years, Cogeco officially signs Bpm:tv off the air.[6]
9	The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation fires Evan Solomon, the host of Power & Politics on CBC News Network and The House on CBC Radio One, after the Toronto Star publishes conflict of interest allegations that Solomon was using his journalistic connections for personal benefit by running a private art sales brokerage business for clients including past interview guests on his CBC shows.[7]

December

Date

Event

11

CHCH-DT announces that due to the bankruptcy of its production entity, Channel 11 L.P., created by Channel Zero, which in turned stemmed from the loss of federal subsidy and an inability to draw "national advertising revenue" to a local station, the station's news department would experience major cutbacks; the station's daytime rolling news blocks and all weekend newscasts were immediately canceled. The station's morning newscast (Morning Live) and its 6:00 and 11:00 evening newscasts will continue.[8]

Television programs

Programs debuting in 2015

Series currently listed here have been announced by their respective networks as scheduled to premiere in 2015. Note that shows may be delayed or cancelled by the network between now and their scheduled air dates.

Start Date	Show	Channel	Source
January 7	The Book of Negroes	CBC Television	[9]
January 8	The Expandables	HGTV	[10]
	Sunnyside	City	[11]
January 13	Schitt's Creek	CBC Television	[12]
January 21	Young Drunk Punk	City CBC Television	[13]
February 2	Songs of Freedom	Vision TV
February 18	X Company	CBC	[14]
March 17	Game of Homes	W	[15]
May 4	Game On	YTV	[16]
May 21	Between	City
June 23	Fool Canada	CBC Television
	Still Standing
August 31	Chef in Your Ear	Food Network Canada	[17]
September 1	First Dates Canada	Slice	[18]
October 2	Crash Gallery	CBC Television	[19]
October 4	Exhibitionists		[19]
	Keeping Canada Alive		[19]
October 5	This Life		[19]
October 14	The Romeo Section		[19]
November 6	Interrupt This Program		[19]
November 8	Blood and Water	OMNI

Programs ending in 2015

End date	Show	Channel	First aired	Status	Source
January 29	Detentionaire	Teletoon	2011	Ended
May 25	Grojband		2013	Canceled
July 11	Packages from Planet X		2014
July 16	Steven and Chris	CBC	2008		[20][21]

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Notability	Source
January 17	Don Harron	90	Canadian actor, writer, and radio personality, best known for appearances as Charlie Farquharson on Hee Haw and other programs.	[22]
April 15	Jonathan Crombie	48	Best known as Gilbert Blythe in the Anne of Green Gables television movies.	[23]
April 23	Lois Lilienstein	78	Musical performer who starred on The Elephant Show and Skinnamarink TV as a member of children's trio Sharon, Lois & Bram.
August 4	Chris Hyndman	49	Interior designer, talk show host (Designer Guys, Steven and Chris)	[21]
November 20	Jim Perry	82	American-born game show host (Canadian shows included Definition, Headline Hunters, Miss Canada pageant)	[24]

References

1. "Global TV anchor Leslie Roberts suspended". Toronto Star, January 8, 2015.
2. "How J.P. Manoux’s arrest put Spun Out behind bars: Menon". Toronto Star, January 29, 2015.
3. "Sun News Network goes off the air". Globe and Mail. February 13, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
4. "Local TV landscape changes as CHEX strikes deal with CTV". Peterborough Examiner, May 20, 2015.
5. "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2015-403". CRTC. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
6. Cogeco announces bpm:tv's shutdown
7. Donovan, Kevin (June 9, 2015). "CBC host Evan Solomon fired after Star investigation finds he took secret cut of art deals". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
8. "CHCH TV suspends newscasts as company declares bankruptcy". Hamilton Spectator, December 11, 2015.
9. "Book of Negroes debuts Jan. 7 on CBC". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, November 27, 2014.
10. "HGTV’s ‘The Expandables’ helps create space for cramped homeowners". Global News, January 9, 2015.
11. "Sunnyside a surreal new Canadian sketch-com awash in ponies". canada.com, January 7, 2015.
12. "How Eugene Levy convinced CBC to name his show ‘Schitt’s Creek’". Toronto Star, January 12, 2015.
13. "Calgary-shot Young Drunk Punk to get second run on CBC this fall in innovative deal between networks". Calgary Herald, January 9, 2015.
14. Brioux, Bill (December 31, 2014). "Canadian TV to watch for in 2015". The Canadian Press. Toronto Star. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
15. "Cameron Mathison Talks 'Game Of Homes' Anticipation". ET Canada, March 12, 2015.
16. "It's Game On for Daily Show's Samantha Bee". Toronto Star, April 29, 2015.
17. "Food Network to Launch Canadian Original Series". Broadcaster, July 31, 2015.
18. "Shaw Media Begins Production on New Documentary Series to Appear on Slice". Broadcaster, January 12, 2015.
19. "CBC-TV Unveils Fall Schedule". Broadcaster, September 16, 2015.
20. "Chris Hyndman death prompts end of Steven and Chris show". CBC News, August 21, 2015.
21. Christopher Hyndman, co-host of CBC's Steven and Chris, dead. CBC News, August 4, 2015.
22. Obituary for Don Harron from the Globe and Mail, 1/17/2015
23. "Jonathan Crombie, Anne of Green Gables actor, dead at 48". CBC News, April 18, 2015.
24. "Jim Perry, game show 'king', dies at 82". CTV News. Retrieved 20 November 2015.