Sarah McLachlan poses on the red carpet as she arrives at the Juno awards show in Ottawa on April 2, 2017. The Juno Awards are returning to the CBC after 16 years at CTV. Organizers behind the country's biggest music awards show say they've struck a new six-year contract with the national broadcaster. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Republished April 19, 2017 - 5:31 AM
Original Publication Date April 19, 2017 - 5:00 AM
TORONTO - The Juno Awards are returning to the CBC after 16 years at CTV.
Organizers behind the country's biggest music awards show say they've struck a new six-year contract with the national broadcaster.
It brings an end to a long-standing partnership between the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and Bell Media.
But the new deal also reunites the Junos with its original home.
CBC Radio first aired the awards show in 1973 before it started broadcasting the event on its television network in 1975.
CARAS president Alan Reid says returning to the CBC will allow for ongoing Juno programming throughout the year rather than just as a lead up to the big show.
Some viewers slammed the Juno Awards this year when co-host Russell Peters made comments some deemed offensive.
The comedian opened the show with a monologue that referenced young girls in the audience as a "felony waiting to happen.'' Peters then jokingly questioned why Heritage Minister Melanie Joly was handing out an award, but added that it didn't matter because "she's hot, so who cares?''
Some viewers and musicians took to social media to express their disgust with the comments, which led to Reid issuing an official apology on behalf of CARAS.
The Juno Awards are scheduled to air live from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver on March 25, 2018.
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News from © The Canadian Press, 2017