Country | Canada |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Nationwide |
Headquarters | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
Ownership | |
Owner | Knowledge West Communications (80%) BBC Studios (20%) |
Sister channels | Knowledge Network |
History | |
Launched | November 5, 2001 (22 years ago) |
Closed | December 31, 2018 (5 years ago) |
BBC Kids was a Canadian specialty television channel carrying programming for children and teenagers. [1] It was a joint venture between Knowledge West Communications, which managed the network and held the majority 80% interest and was a subsidiary of Knowledge Network, with BBC Studios licensing the BBC brand and holding the remaining 20% in the JV. Originally an ad-supported network, it transitioned to non-commercial operation when it was transferred to Knowledge.
In November 2000, Alliance Atlantis was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch BBC Kids, described as "a national English language Category 2 (what is the current category B) specialty television service devoted to top-quality educational and entertaining programming for children and youth (ages 2-17). It will feature programming primarily from the UK and around the world. 65% of the programming will target children ages 2 to 7, and 35% will target youth ages 8 to 17." [2]
The channel launched on November 5, 2001 as a joint venture between Alliance Atlantis and BBC Worldwide, the BBC's overseas operating arm. [3] [4] As was its remit, it primarily sourced its programming from networks and producers from the United Kingdom, though its programming sources were never exclusively limited to those of the BBC. This also included international co-productions, including Tots TV , Mr. Bean: The Animated Series , and Australian The Sleepover Club . It also broadcast a small amount of Canadian and Anglo-Canadian co-productions (including past-produced Alliance programming co-produced with a U.S. network such as PBS, Disney Channel, or Viacom's Nickelodeon for U.S. broadcast) to meet CRTC Canadian content regulations and quotas.
On January 18, 2008, [5] a joint venture between Canwest and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners known as CW Media, [6] acquired control of BBC Kids through its purchase of Alliance Atlantis' broadcasting assets, which were placed in a trust in August 2007. [7] It then became a part of Shaw Communications on October 10, 2010 after it acquired Canwest outright with the GSCP stake in CW Media. [8]
Shaw's ownership would be short-lived due to regulatory requirements to sell some former CW Media assets, and that process started on December 22, 2010 with early due diligence with a then-undisclosed sales partner. [9] On January 17, 2011, Knowledge Network Corporation, a Crown corporation of the Government of British Columbia, announced it had finalized an agreement to purchase the channel through a subsidiary called Knowledge-West Communications Corporation from Shaw Media. BBC Worldwide would retain its existing interest. [10] The sale was completed on April 29, 2011, and with it and CRTC approval, it converted from a commercial network to a non-commercial service, while relocating operations from Toronto to Burnaby in suburban Vancouver.
The transaction resulted in a decision by cable providers in The Bahamas and Jamaica (which generally import Canadian channels onto their services for the convenience of snowbirds visiting the West Indies) to drop the network at the end of 2011. [11] [12]
On October 2, 2018, a joint statement from Knowledge Network and BBC announced the channel would cease operations at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve 2018. [13] Though there was no reasoning for the closure said originally, then-Knowledge chief Rudy Buttignol subsequently cited the end of the CRTC's traditional protection of small and independent networks to allow for broader discretionary services without any programming restrictions. Knowledge continues to carry programming from the BBC, and CBBC/CBeebies programming as a part of Knowledge Kids, including programming from BBC Kids merged onto the Knowledge schedule. [14] On January 10, 2019, the CRTC revoked the channel's license at the request of Knowledge. [15]
The Global Television Network is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after CTV, and has fifteen owned-and-operated stations throughout the country. Global is owned by Corus Entertainment — the media holdings of JR Shaw and other members of his family.
BBC Canada was a Canadian English language specialty channel that mostly broadcast television series originally produced by the BBC, the public-service broadcaster of the United Kingdom. The channel was owned by Corus Entertainment and BBC Studios (20%).
Lifetime is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Showcase Television Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Based on the U.S. cable network of the same name, Lifetime broadcasts films, television series, and reality series aimed at women.
CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cable television channels, one in Atlantic Canada and the other in Alberta.
CHCH-DT is an independent television station in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Channel Zero, the station maintains studios on Innovation Drive in the west end of Hamilton; prior to 2021, it was located near the corner of Jackson and Caroline streets in downtown Hamilton for nearly 65 years. The station has additional offices at the Marriott on the Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Its transmitter located on First Road West in the former city of Stoney Creek was demolished in March 2024 and replaced with a new tower located on Highway 5 in Dundas, Ontario, which started transmitting in November 2023.
Cartoon Network is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers.
Animal Planet is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty television channel. Animal Planet broadcasts a variety of programming featuring animals.
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio, Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. Corus is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Ontario.
Comedy Gold, formerly known as TV Land Canada was a Canadian English language specialty channel that was owned by Bell Media focused on sitcoms and sketch comedy programs from the 1970s to 1990s.
FYI was a former Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Discovery Health Canada, ULC, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Based on the American cable network of the same name, the channel features lifestyle programming, with a mix of reality, culinary, home renovation and makeover series.
CHBC-DT is a television station in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, part of the Global Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Corus Entertainment, and maintains studios on Leon Avenue in Downtown Kelowna; its main transmitter is located on Blue Grouse Mountain in the Regional District of Central Okanagan.
CJNT-DT is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the Citytv network. Owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media, the station maintains studios inside the Rogers Building at the corner of McGill College Avenue and Cathcart Street near the Place Ville Marie complex in downtown Montreal, and its transmitter is located at Mount Royal Park, near downtown Montreal.
CBC Television is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-language counterpart is ICI Radio-Canada Télé.
Knowledge Network, also branded as British Columbia's Knowledge Network, is a Canadian publicly funded educational cable television network serving the province of British Columbia. It is owned by the Knowledge Network Corporation, a Crown corporation of the Government of British Columbia, and began broadcasting on January 12, 1981. Michelle van Beusekom is the CEO.
Showcase is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. Launched on January 1, 1995, the channel primarily airs scripted and dramatic television series.
History2 is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel dedicated to airing historic and non-historical programming of military, science, and technology interest. The channel is owned by Men TV General Partnership, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment, with its name licensed from the U.S. company, A&E Networks, owners of the brand.
BBC First is a Canadian English language high definition discretionary television channel owned by Blue Ant Media. It is a localized version of the international BBC First service, which broadcasts a variety of drama, comedy, and film programming originating primarily from the BBC.
Adult Swim is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Showcase Television, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily airs animated and live-action comedies targeting a teenage and young adult audience. Its branding is licensed from the Adult Swim programming block broadcast by Warner Bros. Discovery's Cartoon Network; it is the first full-time television channel to use the "Adult Swim" brand.
BBC Kids is the international children's brand of BBC Studios, and has been applied to a number of TV services. It draws from the long history of children's programming on the BBC, and is strongly related to the CBBC channel in the United Kingdom.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)