The Hot Sheet tracks Canadian box-office results for the period July 7-13, 2006 and DVD sales in Canada for the period June 26-July 2, 2006.

Ghyslaine Côté’s Le Secret de ma mère has managed to pack Quebec cinemas since its July 7 opening, taking in $606,778 on 88 screens in its opening week, for an impressive per-screen average of $6,895.

Renters and retailers expect decent demand for Equinoxe Films’ Beowulf & Grendel, slated to street on July 18.

Top 20 TV Programs tracks ratings for the top 20 television shows in Canada for the period July 10-16, 2006.

The final game of the FIFA World Cup tournament that saw Italy defeat France on July 9 brought in an average of 2.8 million viewers for CTV – peaking at four million for the match-ending penalty kick shootout – capping a record ratings month for soccer in Canada.

CHUM’s big day ended with a big shock for the nearly 300 employees who were handed pink slips on July 12, within hours of news that the broadcast giant was being bought out by CTV parent Bell Globemedia, pending regulator approval.

* Marni Shulman-Tucker has joined Alliance Atlantis as its VP of content for Showcase Action, Showcase Diva and IFC, coming over from CTV Travel. AA has also promoted Muriel Solomon to VP of marketing and publicity for its lifestyle networks.

CSI still selling

There’s been a significant growth in the number of Canadians who watch satellite TV, according to a new report from the CRTC that says profits and market share were up for DTH satellite and multipoint distribution systems in the period between 2001 and 2005.

Despite Bell Globemedia’s proposed buyout of CHUM, it’s business as usual for the latter’s new broadband service MuchAXS.

Ruling on Bell Globemedia’s proposed takeover bid of CHUM Ltd. will show just how much teeth the federal regulators have.

Richard Stursberg is CBC’s executive VP in charge of English television.