OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada)

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network logo
Launched	September 1, 1999
Owned by	Corus Entertainment
Picture format	1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV)
Country	Canada
Broadcast area	National
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario
Formerly called	Canadian Learning Television (1999-2008) Viva (2008-2011)
Website	OWN
Availability
Satellite
Bell TV	Channel 526 (SD) Channel 1711 (HD)
Shaw Direct	Channel 507 (SD)
Cable
Available on most Canadian cable systems	Check local listings, channels may vary
IPTV
Bell Aliant TV	Channel 285 (SD)
Bell Fibe TV	Channel 526 (SD) Channel 1526 (HD)
MTS	Channel 114 (SD)
Optik TV	Channel 202 (SD) Channel 651 (HD)
SaskTel	Channel 52 (SD)

Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. OWN is a specialty television service targeted to women, offering a blend of lifestyle, information, and entertainment programming.

History

In September 1996, Learning and Skills Television of Alberta Ltd. (LSTA) (controlled by CHUM Limited through a 60% interest in the company) was granted a television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) called Canadian Learning Television.^[1] The channel was licensed to provide "formal and informal educational programs on a wide range of topics."^[1]

The channel launched on September 1, 1999 as Canadian Learning Television^[2] with a mix of educational and informational television programs. CHUM would later gain 100% ownership of the channel when it completes it purchase of the remaining interest in LSTA on February 15, 2005.^[3] The company would later be renamed Access Media Group.

In 2003, Canadian Learning Television adopted a new logo and on-air presentation. With this change began the use of referring to the channel as CLT in most media rather than using its full name, although Canadian Learning Television remained its official name.

In July 2006, Bell Globemedia (later CTVglobemedia) announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated $1.7 billion CAD, included in the sale was CLT.^[4] The sale was subject to CRTC approval and was approved in June 2007,^[5] with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007.

In less than a year after taking ownership of CLT, on March 7, 2008, CTVglobemedia announced it would sell CLT to Corus Entertainment for approximately $73 million CAD.^[6] The deal was approved by the CRTC on August 22, 2008.^[7] The transaction was then finalized on September 1, 2008.

In October 2008, Corus announced it would relaunch CLT as Viva, a female-focused entertainment and lifestyle channel targeting the baby boomer demographic. The rebrand took effect on November 3, 2008.^[8]

On September 29, 2010, Corus announced it had finalized an agreement to launch a Canadian version of the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada in 2011.^[9] Although Corus had said the new channel would involve rebranding an existing channel of theirs, it had not announced which channel it would be, nor did Corus announce a specific launch date. However, in November 2010, Corus officially announced that Viva was chosen to be rebranded as OWN and that it would launch on March 1, 2011.^[10] This is two months later than the January 1, 2011 launch of OWN in the United States. During that time, selected OWN programming was broadcast on Viva as well as another Corus-owned female-focused channel, W Network.

OWN HD

On March 1, 2011, to coincide with the launch of OWN, Corus launched OWN HD, a high definition simulcast of OWN's standard definition feed. It is currently available on Bell TV, Bell Fibe TV, Rogers Cable, EastLink, Vidéotron, and Optik TV.

Programming

As CLT, when the channel initially launched, it aired a mix of formal and informal educational and informational programming in the style of news magazines, talk shows, documentaries, and more. Over time, the channel introduced more entertainment-based programs such as films and television dramas.

The channel aired a similar schedule to that aired by Access (now called CTV Two Alberta), a television service in Alberta which aired a mix of entertainment and educational programming, both of which were under the same ownership of CHUM and later CTVglobemedia before CLT was sold to Corus Entertainment.

As Viva, the channel aired a mix of entertainment and loosely-based educational programming to satisfy its CRTC licence requirements, and to that end, many programs continued to be tied to some sort of ongoing course at a Canadian post-secondary institution as it did under CLT. However, with the changeover to Viva, most of the programs had begun with a short introduction from an instructor at the applicable institution.

Under the OWN moniker, the channel continues to target female audiences with programming ranging from lifestyle, information, and entertainment programming.

Logos

1999–2003	2003–2008	2008–2011	2011–present

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Decision CRTC 96-600". CRTC. 1996-09-04. http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1996/DB96-600.HTM. 
2. ^ Official Website Archive retrieved on 2011-09-18
3. ^ The history of CHUM Globe and Mail article 2006-06-12
4. ^ Bell Globemedia acquires CHUM; Fasken Martineau; 2006-07-12
5. ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-165; CRTC; 2007-06-08
6. ^ Corus buys CLT from CTVglobemedia, CBC, 2008-03-07
7. ^ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-206; CRTC; 2008-08-22
8. ^ Corus set to bow new women's specialty net MediaInCanada.com 2008-10-15
9. ^ OWN: THE OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK COMES TO CANADA, CNW, 2010-09-29
10. ^ CORUS ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES MARCH 1, 2011 AS THE CANADIAN LAUNCH DATE FOR OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK, CNW, 2010-11-09

External links

• OWN