| ichannel | |
| Launch Date: | September 7, 2001 |
| Closed Date: | August 15, 2016 |
| Picture Format: | 480i (SDTV) |
| Owner: | Stornoway Communications |
| Country: | Canada |
| Area: | National |
| Headquarters: | Toronto, Ontario |
ichannel was a Canadian English-language Category A specialty channel owned by Stornoway Communications. Its programs focused on public, social, and current affairs. Its programming included films, documentaries, and talk shows.
In November 2000, a partnership between Stornoway Communications and Cogeco was granted a category 1 television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) called The Issues Channel, described as "a national English-language specialty television service dedicated to public affairs programming, that will examine matters of public interest and concern in an engaging format."[1]
The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as ichannel.[2]
In January 2004, the CRTC approved an application for Stornoway to acquire Cogeco's interest in the service.[3]
On August 15, 2016, iChannel ceased broadcasting, after Stornoway requested that the CRTC revoke its license “due to the inability to secure sustainable packaging by Canadian BDUs [Beoadcasting Distribution Undertakings].” The station's ad revenues had fallen from $405,966 in 2012 to $78,798 in 2015.[4]