FAMILY CHANNEL STANDS UP TO BULLYING WITH WEEKLONG PROGRAMMING EVENT, BEGINNING NOVEMBER 14

BULLLYING-THEMED EPISODES AIR WEEKDAYS AT 4 P.M. ET/PT

Toronto, ON – 8 November 2016 – This month, Family Channel is celebrating its 14th annual Stand UP! Bullying Awareness Week campaign with an entire week of programming dedicated to bullying prevention. Airing weekdays starting at 4 p.m. ET/PT, the weeklong programming event features brand new bullying-themed episodes from the network’s top series, special messages from Family Channel stars sharing their own experiences with bullying, and exclusive footage from the 2016 Stand UP! Rally Tour. Bullying Awareness Week runs from Monday, November 14 – Sunday, November 20.  

standup_psBackstage stars Julia Tomasone and Colin Petierre pose with Fort McMurray contest winner Maddie.

Visit Family Channel’s Stand UP! site: www.family.ca/standup

Last month, Family Channel took the message of bullying prevention on the road bringing network stars Julia Tomasone and Colin Petierre (both of Backstage) into four elementary schools across the country to host Stand UP! rallies. The schools were selected in early October after Canadian students were encouraged to enter a contest by telling Family how their school stands up to bullying. This year’s winning schools were:

  • Aurora Grove Public School; Aurora, Ontario
  • Southdale North Woodside; Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
  • Westview Public School; Fort McMurray, Alberta
  • Lord Kitchener Elementary; Vancouver, British Columbia

At each rally, students were treated to a never-before-seen episode of The Next Step created specifically for Bullying Awareness Week, followed by a discussion led by a representative of the national research organization PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network), Family’s longtime partner. A TELUS WISE ambassador was on hand in both Dartmouth and Fort McMurray to discuss cyberbullying and internet safety, while Jason Colero from the Toronto Argonaut’s Huddle Up program shared his own personal experiences at the rally in Aurora. Closing out each rally in Family Channel style, hosts Julia and Colin kicked off a school-wide dance party set to this year’s Stand UP! anthem “We Stand Up” sung by cast members from Backstage. Footage from the 2016 Stand UP! Rally Tour will be featured in short documentaries that will air on Family Channel and Family.ca as part of Bullying Awareness Week.

From Monday, November 14 – Friday, November 18, viewers can tune-in daily at 4 p.m. ET/PT for bullying-themed episodes of their favourite shows including Cheerleaders, Make Me Over, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Turbo FAST and more. The dedicated lineup features a brand new episode of The Next Step on Thursday, November 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT which demonstrates how people can misuse power to bully others, as well as how power can be used to stand up to bullying. Created by Family Channel and PREVNet for the Stand UP! campaign, the stand-alone episode is accompanied by a Teacher’s Guide, available for downloaded at Family.ca. Also premiering on Friday, November 18 at 4 p.m. ET/PT is a two-part special from Backstage which deals with bullying behaviour.

In addition to the afterschool lineup, PSAs and interstitial content featuring Family stars opening up about their own bullying experiences will air all throughout the week. Interviews include: cast members from The Next Step, Backstage and We Are Savvy, Big Ticket Summer Concert performers Daya and Shane Harte, Family’s very own Deepa Prashad and more! Informative shorts created in association with TELUS WISE from the hit series Backstage and Degrassi: Next Class are currently airing, exploring issues such as cyberbullying, protecting your privacy online and internet safety.

Those interested in learning more about Family Channel’s 14th annual Bullying Awareness Week campaign can visit Family.ca/StandUp. The website offers downloadable resources including tip sheets and activities for parents, teachers and students. Plus, kids can listen to the official 2016 Stand UP! anthem, “We Stand Up!” featuring artists from Backstage, Aviva, Josh Bogert, Mckenzie Small and Kyal Legend. All of the episodes premiering as part of Family’s Bullying Awareness Week lineup will also be offered on Family.ca as well as Family OnDemand and the Family Channel App as they become available.

Family Channel co-founded Bullying Awareness Week in 2003 and developed the Stand UP! campaign in association with PREVNet (Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network), a national network of Canadian researchers, community organizations and governments committed to ending bullying and promoting positive relationships.

About PREVNet
Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network (PREVNet) is a national network comprised of 122 leading Canadian research scientists and their students from 27 universities, and 62 national youth-serving organizations. Launched in 2006 with the Networks of Centres of Excellence, PREVNet’s mission is to stop bullying in Canada and to promote safe and healthy relationships for all Canadian children and youth. Led by Scientific Co-Directors, Dr. Debra Pepler of York University and Dr. Wendy Craig of Queen’s University, this national knowledge mobilization network is the first of its kind in Canada, providing an unprecedented opportunity for social-cultural change. For more information, please visit www.prevnet.ca.

Family Channel offers the best in family television entertainment in a premium, high-definition, multiplatform environment. Dedicated to celebrating family life and providing a daily vacation for Canadian families, Family airs a unique mix of top-rated Canadian and acquired series, movies and specials. Family is also home to F2N – an entertainment haven for teens that features high quality programs after 9 p.m. Family Channel subscribers have access to the Family Channel App, Family OnDemand and Family Online at no additional cost, to see hit movies and series when they want them, where they want them. Visit us at Family.ca.

About DHX Television
DHX Television is comprised of Family Channel, Family CHRGD, Family Jr. and Télémagino, and is part of DHX Media Ltd., a leading creator, producer, marketer and broadcaster of family entertainment. Dedicated to celebrating family fun, DHX Television delivers best-in-class programming through premium subscriptions and its original production mandate, and creates and produces captivating in-market events that appeal to Canadian families. DHX Television is home to world-renowned series including The Next Step, Degrassi: Next Class and Teletubbies. DHX Media Ltd. has offices globally, and is traded on the NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange.

For additional information, please contact:

Joanna Landsberg, Publicist
DHX Television
416.977.7458
joanna.landsberg@dhxmedia.com