Sundance Channel (Canadian TV channel)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2017) |
Country | Canada |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Nationwide |
Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
Programming | |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (2013-2018) 480i (SDTV) (2001-2018) |
Ownership | |
Owner | CHUM Limited (2001–2006) CTVglobemedia (2006–2010) Corus Entertainment (2010–2018) |
Sister channels | MovieTime IFC Showcase Action DejaView CMT ABC Spark W Network CosmoTV BBC Canada |
History | |
Launched | September 7, 2001 |
Closed | March 1, 2018 |
Former names | Drive-In Classics (2001-2010) |
Availability | |
Sundance Channel was a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment that aired various films.
The channel was founded in 2001 as Drive-In Classics by CHUM Limited, the owner of Citytv, that aired Drive-In B films and other programming related to it. Drive-In Classics was acquired by CTVglobemedia in 2007 and was resold to Corus Entertainment in 2009.
In March 2010, Drive-In Classics became Sundance Channel which aired programming focused on independent films, documentaries, music series, dramas and more. The channel closed its doors on March 27, 2018.
History[]
As Drive-In Classics[]
In June 2001, CHUM Limited was given approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national category 2 specialty channel known as "The Drive-In Channel", with programming described as being centred on "Drive-In B movies and series, as well as occasional magazine-style shows focusing on the genre".[1]
The channel was launched only three months later, on September 7, 2001 at 9:00 p.m. EST under the name "Drive-In Classics",[2] which focused on showing primarily films from the B movie genre, focusing on films popular at the drive-in theatres in the 1950s to 1970s, and a number of television series including The Hilarious House of Frightenstein and Xena: Warrior Princess.
Programming on Drive-In Classics were organized into themes including: Martial Arts Mondays - fight-themed movies, Western Wednesdays - Western movies, Steamy Windshields (Fridays) - teenage-themed movies, Horror Marathon (Saturdays) - horror films and Salem's Lot, various films picked by host , which was ended on August 30, 2009.
In July 2006, Bell Globemedia announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated $1.7 billion CAD, included in the sale was Drive-In Classics.[3] The sale was approved by the CRTC in June 2007,[4] with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007 while the Citytv stations were sold to Rogers Media.
On July 14, 2009, CTVglobemedia announced the sale of Drive-In Classics and SexTV: The Channel to Corus Entertainment for $40 million CAD.[5] Before the sale was approved, Corus announced in late September that they planned to rebrand the channel, but did not give any specific details regarding the rebranding.[6] The sale was approved by the CRTC on November 19.[7]
As Sundance Channel[]
On December 8, 2009, Corus announced that Drive-In Classics would be rebranded as a Canadian version of Sundance Channel (now known as SundanceTV) on March 1, 2010 under an agreement with the American channel's owner, AMC Networks (formerly known as Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision), which would not own any stake in the Canadian channel.[8][9] The channel was rebranded on March 1, 2010 as planned, focusing its programming on independent films, documentaries, scripted drams and comedies, and musical performances.
In February 2018, a notice was posted on Sundance Channel's website that the channel was closed on March 1, 2018. Shortly after this, the channel space that was created by Drive-In Classics in 2001 simply ceased to exist. The CRTC revoked the channel's broadcast license on March 27, 2018.[10]
Programming[]
Includes former programming as of December 2014.
Acquired from SundanceTV
Other Acquired Programming
- The Hour
- Innovators in Music
- Land Girls
- London Live
- Monty Python's Flying Circus
- Rake
- Shameless
- Video Killed the Radio Star
Sundance Channel HD[]
Telus has announced on their website that they will carry the HD feed of Sundance Channel (Canada).[11] Shaw Direct and Bell Satellite TV never launched it in time due to the channel's closure.
See also[]
- Sundance TV
References[]
- ^ Decision CRTC 2001-305; CRTC; 4 June 2001
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Bell Globemedia acquires CHUM | Deals & Cases | Fasken Martineau". Fasken.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
- ^ "ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-165". CRTC.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
- ^ Corus to acquire Drive-In Classics and SexTV from CTVglobemedia for $40 million; The Canadian Press; 14 July 2009
- ^ "Corus shuttering Discovery Kids, will re-brand Sex TV and Drive-In Classics channels", CARTT.ca, September 29, 2009
- ^ "ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-706". CRTC.gc.ca. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
- ^ "SUNDANCE CHANNEL RISES IN CANADA - Corus Entertainment". Corusent.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). stream1.corusent.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-107". CRTC. March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ "Select your region". Telus.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
External links[]
- Movie channels in Canada
- Former Corus Entertainment networks
- Television channels and stations established in 2001
- Television channels and stations disestablished in 2018
- Digital cable television networks in Canada
- Defunct Canadian television channels
- English-language television stations in Canada
- 2001 establishments in Canada
- 2018 disestablishments in Canada