2011 in Canadian television

Last updated

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2011. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

Contents

Events

January

DateEvent
5The US-Canadian animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic begins airing on Treehouse.
6Almost 7 million people watch the 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships final on TSN and RDS. [1]
11 YTV and Family Channel both launch high-definition simulcasts of their east coast video feeds, effectively becoming the first children's networks in Canada to air in HD. These feeds are available through all major television providers in Canada. The latter also undergoes a major rebranding.

February

DateEvent
7 Niagara News TV, a Category B regional news channel serving the Niagara Region, begins broadcasting in Niagara Falls on Cogeco Cable digital channel 556. The channel would later indefinitely suspend operations on April 18, 2011, because of "technical difficulties" cited by owner Peninsula Broadcasting Corporation's president Frank Thibault, with plans to resume operations by fall 2011. [2]

March

DateEvent
1 Corus Entertainment relaunches Viva as the Canadian version of the Oprah Winfrey Network.

April

DateEvent
12A combined 3.2 million people watch the 2011 federal leaders debate on the three main networks. [3]
18Category B channel Sun News Network debuts, with Toronto independent station CKXT-DT and its Hamilton, Ottawa and London translators being effectively turned into a full-power broadcast relay of the network in Southern Ontario.

May

DateEvent
2 Mlle, a French-language Category B service aimed at women owned by Groupe TVA, launches.

June

DateEvent
1WildBrain TV debuts as Disney XD; the Astral Media-owned Category B channel (licensed separately from premium channel Family Channel, which carries programming from the U.S. Disney XD's sister network Disney Channel) is aimed at boys between 7 and 15 years old. Unlike Family and its multiplex channel Disney Junior and Astral's movie channels The Movie Network and MPix, and like their joint venture Teletoon (co-owned with Corus Entertainment at the time) and their BC CBC affiliates, the channel runs commercials during programs.
158.7 million people watch Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals on CBC. [4]
24 OLN is launched in high-definition.

August

DateEvent
2Launch of W Network in high-definition.
27The state funeral for opposition leader Jack Layton airs live on all the main television networks. [5]
29The A television system, as well as Alberta-based educational/entertainment service Access rebrand as CTV Two. At the same time, CJAL-TV (channel 9) in Edmonton and CIAN-TV (channel 13) in Calgary, which both relayed Access' programming over-the-air sign off the air as Access is licensed as a satellite-to-cable undertaking.
31Analog television is switched off in all of Canada.

September

DateEvent
7The 2011 Gemini Awards air on CBC Television.

October

DateEvent
3 Rogers Communications launches CityNews Channel, a Category B 24-hour regional cable news channel available in Ontario, based out of the studios of Citytv flagship station CITY-DT.
31 FX Canada launches across the country, the Rogers Communications-owned Category B channel primarily carries original programming from the U.S. cable network FX.

November

DateEvent
1 Toronto station CKXT-DT (channel 52) and its Hamilton and London, Ontario transmitters shut down. CKXT's Ottawa transmitter shut down more than two months earlier on August 31. The move by owner Quebecor Media was due to a CRTC inquiry in early July on the company's usage of the CKXT signal to simulcast Sun News.

Television programs

Programs debuting in 2011

Series currently listed here have been announced by their respective networks as scheduled to premiere in 2011. Note that shows may be delayed or cancelled by the network between now and their scheduled air dates.

ShowStationPremiere Date
InSecurity CBC January 4
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Treehouse TV January 5
Almost Naked Animals YTV January 7
The Marilyn Denis Show CTV January 10
Being Human Space January 17
Skins The Movie Network/Movie Central
Blackstone APTN January 25
Mr. Young YTV March 1
Funny as Hell HBO Canada March 11
My Babysitter's a Vampire: The Series Teletoon March 14 (English)
February 28 (French)
Endgame Showcase March 14
Splatalot! YTV
Scaredy Squirrel April 3
Wipeout Canada TVtropolis
Til Debt Do Us Part: Home Edition HGTV April 7
Decked Out
Top Chef Canada Food Network
King Showcase April 17
XIII: The Series April 20
Combat Hospital Global April 21
Really Me Family April 22
Debra! Family June 4
Picnicface The Comedy Network August 31
Intervention Canada Slice September 9
Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays CBC September 14
Cover Me Canada September 18
Crash Canyon Teletoon at Night
Recipe to Riches Food Network and Global October 19
The West Block Global November 6

Programs ending in 2011

ShowStationEnd date
Carl² Teletoon January 23
Make the Politician Work CBC February 27
Total Drama World Tour Teletoon April 24
Météo+ TFO April 28
Kid vs Kat YTV June 4
Dan for Mayor CTV September 13
Hiccups
So You Think You Can Dance Canada
How to Be Indie YTV October 24
Being Erica CBC December 12

Made for TV movies & miniseries

ShowStationPremiere Date
The Kennedys History Television April 10
John A.: Birth of a Country CBC Television September 19

Deaths

DateNameAgeNotabilitySource
January 8 Peter Donaldson 57Known best for his stage work, he had recurring guest spots on Road to Avonlea , Street Legal , and Emily of New Moon , starring as John Adams in Liberty! The American Revolution . [6]
March 26 Roger Abbott 64British-born Canadian sketch comedian, best known for his years on radio and television program Royal Canadian Air Farce (1975–2010). Also co-executive produced XPM (2003). [7]
April 4 Wayne Robson Canadian television, film and stage actor best known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-con on The Red Green Show . He won Gemini Awards for And Then You Die (1987) and The Diviners (1993). [8]
April 17 Michael Sarrazin 70Canadian film and television. Recurring role on The City . Guest spots on The Virginian , Wojeck , Street Legal , Murder, She Wrote , and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . [9]
June 9Claude Léveillée78Singer appearing on French television as an actor. [10]
July 5 Gordon Tootoosis CM69Canadian film, television, and theatre actor of Cree and Stoney descent, Order of Canada winner. In 2011, he co-starred in Blackstone , a series for APTN and Showcase. Television roles include Albert Golo on North of 60 , for which he was twice nominated for a Gemini Award, and the voice of Mushom in Wapos Bay: The Series , for which he shared a Gemini Award. Guest spots include MacGyver , Northern Exposure , Lonesome Dove: The Series, and Smallville . [11]
September 15 Frances Bay 92Canadian-born American actress ( Seinfeld , Happy Days , The Middle ) [12]

Television stations

Debuts

DateMarketStationChannelAffiliationNotes/References
August 1 Bellingham, Washington (USA)
(Vancouver, British Columbia)
KBCB-DT2 24.2 Estrella TV
August 18 KVOS-DT2 12.2 TheCoolTV (not to be confused with Canadian cable channel CoolTV)
October 3 Toronto, Ontario CityNews Channel (cable-only) CityNews

Network affiliation changes

DateMarketStationChannelOld affiliationNew affiliationReferences
April 18Toronto, Ontario CKXT-TV/DT 52 (analogue)
66 (digital)
Independent Sun News Network (simulcast)
April 25 Bellingham, Washington (USA)
(Vancouver, British Columbia)
KVOS-TV 12.1 Independent MeTV [13] [14]

Closures

DateMarketStationChannelAffiliationNotes
November 1 Toronto, Ontario CKXT-TV/DT 52 (analog)
66 (digital)
Sun News Network

See also

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References

  1. "Heart-Breaking Gold Medal Game Delivers Record Audience of 6.9 Million Viewers on TSN and RDS". Canada Newswire. January 6, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  2. Niagara News TV signs off after three months Archived 2012-02-14 at the Wayback Machine The Standard 2011-02-19
  3. Bill Brioux (April 20, 2011). "Canucks and Canadiens skate past Idol and Dancing with the Stars to top Canadian ratings". Toronto.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  4. Bill Brioux (June 21, 2011). "8.7 Mil see Bruins win while MuchMusic fans go Gaga for MMVAs". Toronto.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  5. Doyle, John (August 27, 2011). "All three major networks to carry Layton funeral". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  6. "Peter Donaldson was 'finest actor's actor'". CBC News. January 10, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  7. "Air Farce actor Roger Abbott dies". CBC News. March 27, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  8. Cudworth, Laura (April 6, 2011). "Actor Wayne Robson's death mirrors character". London Free Press. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  9. Howell, Peter (April 18, 2011). "Michael Sarrazin, 70, was Canada's Hollywood rebel". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  10. "Quebec mourns singer-songwriter Claude Léveillée". CBC News. June 9, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  11. Chung, Amy (July 5, 2011). "Canadian actor Gordon Tootoosis dies at age 69". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Retrieved December 15, 2011.
  12. "Frances Bay dies: Remembering comedian, classic 'Seinfeld' scene" From Los Angeles Times (September 19, 2011)
  13. Seattle, WA - OTA - AVS Forum
  14. OTA Station Status: Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham, WA - Digital Forum