- Comedy Gold (TV channel)
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Comedy Gold 
Comedy Gold logo Launched September 7, 2001 Owned by Bell Media Picture format 480i (SDTV) Country Canada Broadcast area National Headquarters Toronto, Ontario Formerly called TV Land Canada (2001-2010) Sister channel(s) Comedy Network Website Comedy Gold Availability Satellite Bell TV Channel 637 Cable Available on many Canadian cable systems Check local listings, channels may vary IPTV Bell Aliant TV Channel 265 Bell Fibe TV Channel 637 MTS Channel 232 Optik TV Channel 183 SaskTel Channel 142 Comedy Gold is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel that focuses primarily on sitcoms from the 1970s to 1990s. It is wholly owned by Bell Media and is an offshoot of The Comedy Network.
Contents
History
On November 24, 2000, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) granted Craig Media, through its subsidiary Craig Broadcast Systems Inc., permission to launch a national category 2 digital specialty channel tentatively known as Retro; a channel described as being "devoted to classic television programming".[1]
Former logo for TV Land Canada. Used from 2001-2010.
In August 2001, before the channel had launched, Craig Media announced it has reached a deal with US-based MTV Networks, to launch Retro as a domestic Canadian version of the US specialty channel, TV Land.[2] The channel launched in September 2001 as TV Land Canada with a slate of programming focusing on sitcoms and dramas. MTV Networks would purchase a minority share in the service months later.
In April 2004, CHUM Limited announced it would purchase Craig Media for $265 million CAD. Included in the sale were Craig's 80.1% interest in TV Land Canada.[3] The sale was subject to CRTC approval and was approved on November 19, 2004.[4] The transaction was completed on December 1, 2004.[5]
In July 2006, Bell Globemedia (later CTVglobemedia) announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated $1.7 billion CAD, including TV Land Canada.[6] The sale, also needing approval from the CRTC, was approved on June 8, 2007,[7] with the transaction completed on June 22.
On June 21, 2010, it was announced that TV Land Canada would be re-branded as Comedy Gold, an offshoot of The Comedy Network, effective August 2, 2010. The rebranded channel focuses primarily on sitcoms and sketch comedy programs from the 70s, 80s and 90s.[8] Viacom sold back their stake in the channel to CTV after the rebrand took place.[9]
Ownership changed hands once again when on September 10, 2010, BCE (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD.[10] The deal which required CRTC approval, was approved on March 7, 2011[11] and closed on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.[12]
Programming
Further information: List of programs broadcast by Comedy GoldReferences
- ^ Decision CRTC 2000-548; CRTC; 2000-12-14
- ^ TV Land, MTV and Craig Broadcast Systems to Launch New Canadian Services in September; PR Newswire; 2001-08-21
- ^ CHUM buying TV broadcaster Craig Media for $265M; CBC; 2004-04-12
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2004-502; CRTC; 2004-11-19
- ^ CHUM completes $265 million purchase of Craig Media and financing Fasken Martineau
- ^ Bell Globemedia acquires CHUM; Fasken Martineau; 2006-07-12
- ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-165; CRTC; 2007-06-08
- ^ CTV tweaks TV Land Canada's focus, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2010
- ^ http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ownership/cht209d.pdf
- ^ Bell Canada (2010-09-10). "Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV". CNW Group. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2010/10/c8677.html. Retrieved 2010-09-10.
- ^ CRTC approves BCE's purchase of CTVglobemedia
- ^ Bell completes acquisition of CTV, launches Bell Media business unit CNW 2011-04-01
External links
Bell Media Inc. (subsidiary of BCE Inc.) Conventional television Specialty / pay television CTV SpecialtyAnimal Planet · Discovery Channel · Discovery Science · Discovery World HD · ESPN Classic · NHL Network · RDS · RDS2 · RIS · TSN · TSN2 · Viewers ChoiceMuch MTV GroupOtherBookTelevision · Bravo! · Comedy Gold · E! · FashionTelevisionChannel · Investigation Discovery · Space · The Comedy NetworkRadio stations (Bell Media Radio) AMRadio networksTSN Radio · Bob FMBell Media broadcasting studios Vancouver · Toronto (9 Channel Nine Court · 299 Queen Street West · Masonic Temple · 250 Richmond Street West)Other Bell Media-owned assets Agincourt Productions · Autohound · Bell Media Radio Sales · CTV Music · Dome Productions · Exploration Distribution · Exploration ProductionsAssociated foundations Bravo!FACT · MuchFACTPredecessors and historic brands See also Some of the assets listed above are only partially owned by Bell Media. Refer to full asset list for detailed information. Preschoolers Children and teens General audiences Animal Planet • Comedy Gold • Crossroads Television System • DejaView • Family • Historia • History Television • The Pet Network • Teletoon (English • French) • Teletoon Retro (English • French) • TVtropolis • VRAK.TVDefunct Additional resources on North American television North America List of local television stations in North America · DTV transition · North American TV mini-templateCanada Canadian networks · List of Canadian television channels · Table · Local Canadian TV stations · List of United States stations available in Canada · 2001 Vancouver TV realignment · 2007 Canada broadcast TV realignmentMexico Mexican networks · Local Mexican TV stationsUnited States American networks · List of American over-the-air networks · Local American TV stations (W) · Local American TV stations (K) · Fox affiliate switches of 1994 · 2006 United States broadcast TV realignment · List of Canadian television stations available in the United States · Insular Areas TVCategories:- Canadian digital cable television networks
- Bell Media
- Television channels and stations established in 2001
- Television comedy
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