| Slice | |
| Launch Date: | January 1, 1995 |
| Picture Format: | 1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Owner: | Atlantis Communications (1995–1998) Alliance Atlantis (1998–2008) CW Media (2008–2010) Shaw Media (2010–2016) Corus Entertainment (2016–present) (Life Network Inc.) |
| Country: | Canada |
| Area: | Nationwide |
| Headquarters: | Toronto, Ontario |
| Former Names: | Life Network (1995–2007) |
| Sister Channels: | W Network YTV Showcase ABC Spark |
| Online Serv 1: | StackTV |
Slice is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts programming targeting young adult women, including general entertainment, reality, and true crime programming.
It was launched on January 1, 1995, as Life Network under the ownership of Atlantis Communications. Atlantis was acquired by Alliance Communications in 1998 and Life Network was relaunched as Slice on March 5, 2007. In 2008, Canwest and Goldman Sachs acquired Alliance Atlantis, and the channel's ownership was later sold to Shaw Media in 2010, and ultimately, Corus in April 2016.
For most of its recent history, this channel aired a selected number programs from U.S.-based Bravo. Most of the programs that were aired were lost to the newly relaunched Bravo channel (not to be confused with the former arts channel of the same name) by Rogers Sports & Media in 2024.
In June 1994, Your Channel Television Inc., a company majority owned by Atlantis Television Ventures Inc. (Atlantis Communications), was granted a television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a channel called YOU: Your Channel, described at the time as broadcasting "programming consisting of documentaries and information programming." The channel was grouped into five themes, "Habitat" stressing programming for the home and environment; "Bodyworks" covering fitness, health and nutrition; "Food Plus" including programs related to cooking and food; "Explorations" dealing with travel, adventure and nature; and "Relationships" focusing on parenting, child care, careers and personal relationships."[1]
The channel was launched on January 1, 1995, as Life Network.[2] The channel broadcast programs in themes focusing on such areas as food, gardening, and home design.
In June 1998, Atlantis Communications announced that it planned to merge with Alliance Communications,[3] another fellow television and film producer and broadcaster, owners of History Television and Showcase at the time,[4] to form a new company called Alliance Atlantis Communications. The CRTC approved the merger in May 1999.[4]
Plans to relaunch the channel as Slice were announced in November 2, 2006 by Alliance Atlantis Communications.[5] The new name and programming reflects Life's shift towards a more entertainment-based schedule with what Alliance Atlantis called "addictive" programming. The name was revealed in a 2006 Life Network online survey on future programming strategies. The channel was relaunched on March 5, 2007, although the on-air branding appeared intermittently during a "sneak preview" on March 3 and 4.
On January 18, 2008,[6] a joint venture between Canwest and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners known as CW Media,[7] acquired control of Slice through its purchase of Alliance Atlantis' broadcasting assets, which were placed in a trust in August 2007.[8] On October 27, 2010, ownership changed again as Shaw Communications gained control of Slice as a result of its acquisition of Canwest and Goldman Sachs' interest in CW Media.[9] [10]
Slice ultimately became the de facto Canadian home to most reality programs from the U.S. cable network Bravo, not to be confused with the Canadian arts-focused channel of the same name (later renamed CTV Drama Channel). On June 10, 2024, rival broadcaster Rogers Sports & Media announced an agreement with NBCUniversal to relaunch the Bravo brand in Canada in September 2024, and that its platforms would carry new seasons of Bravo original programming going forward.[11]
As a result of the Rogers deal, Bravo originals are being phased out from the Slice schedule in early fall 2024 as ongoing seasons end, and being replaced by reality and true crime content from alternate sources such as Lionsgate Television, Paramount Global, and We TV (including new seasons of existing Slice acquisitions such as Love After Lockup, and new additions such as The Braxtons and Tia Mowry: My Next Act). One notable acquisition was The Daily Show, which had not been aired on linear television in Canada since it was dropped by its long-time home of CTV Comedy Channel in 2023.[12]
See main article: List of programs broadcast by Slice.