Disney Channel (Canadian TV channel) explained

Disney Channel
Picture Format:
Owner:Corus Entertainment
(Branding licensed from Disney Branded Television)
Country:Canada
Language:English
Area:Nationwide
Headquarters:Toronto, Ontario
Sister Channels:La Chaîne Disney
Disney Junior
Disney XD
ABC Spark
Timeshift Service:
  • Disney Channel East
  • Disney Channel West
Website:https://www.disneychannel.ca/

Disney Channel is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment under license from The Walt Disney Company, which began broadcasting on September 1, 2015. It is a localized version of the U.S. basic cable network of the same name. broadcasting live-action and animated programming aimed at children and teenagers between the ages of 9 and 18.

The channel launched as part of a new licensing agreement between Corus Entertainment and the Disney–ABC Television Group (now known as Walt Disney Television), which succeeded a previous program supply agreement between Disney and Family Channel (owned by WildBrain). Its launch marked the first time that a Disney Channel-branded television service has operated in Canada.

History

Background (1988–2015)

At the time of its launch in 1988, Family Channel, owned by DHX Media, held Canadian rights to Disney Channel's programming library.[1] [2] As such, it operated licensed Canadian versions of Disney Channel's spinoff brands, Disney XD and Disney Junior as sister networks.[3]

Launch and development (2015–2017)

On April 16, 2015, Corus Entertainment announced that it had reached a "landmark" agreement with the Disney–ABC Television Group to acquire long-term, Canadian multi-platform rights to Disney Channel's programming library; the cost and duration of the licensing deal were not disclosed. Corus also announced that it would launch a Canadian version of Disney Channel on September 1, 2015; the service consists of a linear television channel, along with TV Everywhere apps (Watch Disney Channel Canada), and video-on-demand services for television platforms. This marks Corus' second Disney/ABC-licensed service behind ABC Spark – a localized version of ABC Family. At launch, Corus stated that Disney Channel was available in 10 million households, with carriage across most major Canadian cable providers including Rogers, EastLink, and Access Communications, IPTV providers Bell MTS, Bell Fibe TV, Telus Optik TV, SaskTel, VMedia, and Execulink Telecom, and national satellite providers Bell Satellite TV and Shaw Direct.

Corus stated that it would transition "select Disney branded kids linear television offerings" to new properties under its ownership in the future;[4] and brand new Corus-operated Disney Junior and Disney XD services launched on December 1, 2015.[5] [6] [7] In the meantime, Disney Channel aired blocks featuring selected Disney Junior and XD programs.[8] Until the Disney XD and Junior blocks were finished on this channel, and for the 2015–16 television season, DHX consequently re-branded its Disney XD and Junior networks as Family CHRGD (later WildBrainTV) and Family Jr. respectively, and began phasing out Disney programming from the two channels and Family; DHX Media's licensing agreement with Disney formally ended at the beginning of January 2016.[3] [9] [10]

Present day

Disney Channel originally operated as an "exempted" Category B service:[11] under new policies implemented in 2012, channels with less than 200,000 subscribers that would otherwise meet the definition of a Category B service are exempted from licensing by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.[12] On September 1, 2017,[13] the channel became a regularly licensed discretionary service.[14]

In December 2022, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD were added to the streaming bundle StackTV, to accompany Teletoon (now Cartoon Network), Treehouse, and YTV.

Programming

See main article: List of programs broadcast by Disney Channel (Canada). Disney Channel primarily airs animated, live-action series and movies from its U.S. counterpart. It also airs programming from sister channels Disney XD and Disney Junior, interstitial programs such as Movie Surfers, a look at the latest movies from The Walt Disney Company, and special previews of new shows. In order to fulfill Canadian content requirements, Disney Channel also airs programming from other Corus-owned networks.

Programming blocks

Current

Former

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: CRTC approves Bell-Astral merger. CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 27, 2013. July 16, 2013.
  2. News: DHX to acquire Family Channel, three others from Bell Media. Bertrand Marrote. The Globe and Mail. Toronto. November 28, 2013. November 29, 2013.
  3. News: Corus gains Canadian rights to Disney Channel content. David Friend. Canadian Press. The Globe and Mail. April 16, 2015. April 16, 2015.
  4. Corus Entertainment and Disney/ABC Television Group Join Forces in Landmark Licensing Agreement. CNW Group. Corus Entertainment. April 16, 2015. April 17, 2015.
  5. Web site: Corus Entertainment Brings the Magic of Disney Junior Alive on Tuesday, December 1. Corus Entertainment. November 29, 2015.
  6. News: The Force Arrives at Corus Entertainment's Disney XD on Tuesday, December 1. November 29, 2015. Corus Entertainment.
  7. Web site: Changes to Kids Channels. August 21, 2015 . VMedia. August 26, 2015.
  8. It's #HereForReal Canada! Corus Entertainment Launches Disney Channel in 10 Million Households. September 1, 2015. Corus Entertainment. Toronto. September 2, 2015.
  9. News: Corus Entertainment snaps up Disney content from DHX Media, plans to launch Disney channel in Canada. Financial Post. Postmedia Network. April 16, 2015. April 17, 2015.
  10. News: Dickson. Jeremy. DHX TV reveals fall skeds for rebranded channels. August 21, 2015. Kid Screen. August 21, 2015.
  11. Web site: List of Exempt Category B and Exempt Third-Language Services. April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160414051439/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/BCASTING/catb_e3l.htm. April 14, 2016.
  12. Web site: Broadcasting Order CRTC 2012-689: New exemption order respecting certain programming undertakings that would otherwise be eligible to be operated as Category B services, and amendments to the Exemption order respecting certain third-language television undertakings. December 19, 2012 . CRTC. January 23, 2013.
  13. Web site: Corus Entertainment Inc. – Licence renewals for English-language television stations and services. Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. (CRTC). www.crtc.gc.ca. May 15, 2017 .
  14. Web site: Corus ownership chart. CRTC. October 3, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20121006001743/http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ownership/eng/cht032b.pdf. October 6, 2012. live.
  15. Web site: Disney Junior. November 1, 2015. disneychannel.ca Buzz Blog. Corus Entertainment. November 2, 2015.
  16. Web site: Disney XD. November 1, 2015. disneychannel.ca Buzz Blog. Corus Entertainment. https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020552/http://www.disneychannel.ca/blog/disney-xd. November 17, 2015. dead. November 2, 2015.
  17. Web site: Lab Rats: Elite Force, a Spinoff of Popular Comedy Series Lab Rats and Might Med, Premieres Wednesday, March 2 on Corus Entertainment's Disney XD - Corus Entertainment. corusent.com. March 7, 2016. March 7, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307104502/http://www.corusent.com/news/lab-rats-elite-force-a-spinoff-of-popular-comedy-series-lab-rats-and-might-med-premieres-wednesday-march-2-on-corus-entertainments-disney-xd/. dead.

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