Canada’s Major Broadcasters Unite to Support Frontline Workers with All-Canadian, Star-Studded Special Stronger Together, Tous Ensemble, April 26

– New one-hour broadcast to premiere on CBC, Citytv, CTV, Global, and V as well as select specialty networks, radio stations, and streaming platforms across Canada –
– Canadian artists, activists, actors, and athletes join together to support frontline workers and Food Banks Canada’s $150 million campaign to provide immediate support to food banks across Canada during COVID-19 –
– Céline Dion, Michael Bublé, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Sarah McLachlan, Howie Mandel, Jann Arden, Rick Mercer, Alessia Cara, Russell Peters, Connor McDavid, and more to make appearances and perform from their homes –

Tags: #StrongerTogether @CTV @CBC @Radio-Canada @City_tv @GlobalTV

TORONTO, April 20, 2020 /CNW/ – Bell Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, Corus Entertainment, Groupe V Média, and Rogers Sports & Media are coming together in a show of support for the frontline workers fighting the battle against COVID-19 across Canada. Featuring a star-studded lineup of homegrown artists, activists, actors, and athletes, the multi-platform, all-Canadian special STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE airs on English and French services on Sunday, April 26 at 7 p.m. across all markets/7:30 p.m. NT.

Conceived and produced in an unprecedented collaboration between Insight Productions, Bell Media Studios, and CBC/Radio-Canada, the broadcast will see more than two dozen TV, radio, and streaming platforms donate their air-time for the one-hour, commercial-free presentation (see broadcast details below). 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.

“Frontline workers, across so many sectors including food banking, have been drastically impacted by COVID-19,” says Chris Hatch, CEO of Food Banks Canada.  “They need our support and we are thankful for STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE for helping our most vulnerable neighbours.”

Featuring a mix of music, messages, and more, STRONGER TOGETHER, TOUS ENSEMBLE presents iconic Canadians 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 additional details to be confirmed later this week, 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 more than two dozen platforms, including live, simultaneous French translation on ICI ARTV, SériesPlus, VRAK, and V. The special can also be viewed on:

Bell Media

 

CBC/Radio-Canada

 

Corus

 

Rogers Sports & Media

 

Groupe V Média

 

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:

 

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

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

 

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.