The Biography Channel (Canada)

The Biography Channel

The Biography Channel logo
Launched September 7, 2001
Closed February 29, 2016
Owned by Rogers Media
(Branding licensed from A&E Networks
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
Slogan True Story
Country Canada
Broadcast area National
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Replaced by Viceland

The Biography Channel was a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel. Owned by Rogers Media, it was a Canadian version of the former U.S. network of the same name, primarily carrying factual and biography programs.

History

Licensed as The Biography Channel by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on November 24, 2000;[1] the channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as a joint venture between Rogers Media (33.34%), Shaw Communications (33.33%) and A&E Networks (33.33%)—who owned the network's American counterpart. In 2006, both Shaw and A&E sold their interests in the channel to Rogers. The U.S. Biography Channel relaunched as FYI on July 7, 2014; Shaw's Twist TV became a Canadian version of FYI on September 1, 2014.[2]

On November 5, 2015, Rogers announced that it would serve as the Canadian partner for Viceland, a new millennial-focused channel programmed by Vice Media, and that Viceland would replace Biography Channel.[3][4] Vice Media had partnered with A&E Networks (who owns 10% of the company) to launch Viceland in the U.S. as a replacement for H2.[5][6][7]

Viceland replaced Biography Channel at 5:00 a.m. ET on February 29, 2016, one hour earlier than in the United States, with a one-hour special titled Bar Talk, before simulcasting the U.S. channel's countdown clock starting at 6:00 a.m.[8][9][10]

See also

References

  1. Decision CRTC 2000-460 CRTC 2000-12-14
  2. "Shaw Media and A&E to Launch Two New Specialty Channels". Broadcaster Magazine. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  3. "Vice Media to Launch Cable TV Channel in Canada". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. "Viceland content will be made in Canada, for a global audience". Canadian Business. Rogers Media. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  5. "It's Official: Vice Channel to Take Over A+E Networks' History Spinoff H2". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  6. "Viceland, a New Cable Channel, Aims to Stand Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  7. "A+E Networks' H2 To Be Rebranded As Vice". Deadline. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  8. "This Land is Your Land, This Land is VICELAND: New Specialty Channel Launches with Distinctive Slate of Programming, Feb. 29". Rogers Media. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  9. "How a little magazine called VICE conquered the media world: Welcome to Viceland". Montreal Gazette. Postmedia. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  10. "Viceland Makes Its Cable Debut". Multichannel News. Retrieved 29 February 2016.


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