South Africa marks a rare opportunity for the network, which is the first in at least two decades to have exclusive rights to the massive soccer match

Millions tune in for Game 7 as Montreal inches closer to the coveted Stanley Cup

It’s springtime in TV land and the process of sprucing up primetime schedules is well underway as U.S. networks prepare to trot out fall skeds during the upfronts in May. It’s a pivotal time for Canuck programming execs at CTV, Global and Citytv, who will be one-stop shopping in L.A. to boost their primetime offerings and fill the void left by cancelled or retired shows – including long-running favorites 24 and Lost.

Canwest is boosting its lucrative stable of specialty services with an all-reality channel, set to launch on July 1. Global Reality Channel, a new category 2 service which received CRTC approval last October, promises to air ‘all reality all the time’ and will feature programs including Big Brother, The Apprentice, Fear Factor, Deal or No Deal Canada, and the granddaddy of all reality shows, Survivor.

Canadians are fairly blasé about the often-contested Cancon broadcast requirements, with over half saying that too much is being made of the issue, according to a new Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf of the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

History Television continues to see first-rate numbers for the third season of reality Ice Road Truckers, the Canwest-owned specialty’s most popular series. The show maintains a loyal audience with an average 470,000 viewers tuning in each Wednesday at 9 p.m. – comparable with its high-flying premiere of 597,000. (All numbers 2+.)