Vrak

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Vrak

2016-present Vrak logo
Country	Canada
Broadcast area	Nationwide
Headquarters	Montreal, Quebec
Programming
Language(s)	French
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Ownership
Owner	Bell Media
Sister channels	Noovo Z Canal D Canal Vie Cinépop MTV Much
History
Launched	September 1, 1988
Replaced	TVJQ
Former names	Le Canal Famille (1988–1995) Canal Famille (1995–2001) Vrak.TV (2001–2014)
Links
Website	VRAK (in French)
Availability
Cable
Available on many Canadian cable systems	Check local listings
Satellite
Bell Satellite TV	Channel 140 (SD) Channel 1870 (HD)
Shaw Direct	Channel 770 (SD) Channel 397 / 231 (HD)
IPTV
Bell Aliant Fibe TV	Channel 845 (SD) Channel 945 (HD)
Bell Fibe TV	Channel 150 (SD) Channel 1150 (HD)
Bell MTS	Channel 411 (SD)
Optik TV	Channel 8031 (SD) Channel 2031 (HD)
SaskTel	Channel 265 (SD)
Telus Quebec	Channel 29 (SD) Channel 529 (HD)
VMedia	Channel 115 (SD) (QC)
TotalTV	Channel 210 (HD)

Vrak (stylized as VRΔK) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. The channel primarily broadcasts live-action programming aimed at youth audiences.

History[]

Background[]

The youth channel TVJQ ( [fr]) went on the air in 1982 and was distributed by a subsidiary of Vidéotron.^[1] It was originally available only in the Montreal and Quebec City areas.^[2]

In 1986, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) granted a license to Vidéotron for its TVJQ channel to be carried over by other cable companies elsewhere.^[2] This made Vidéotron the first cable company in Canadian history to simultaneously be a producer of television content.^[2] However, TVJQ was intended to be temporary until a permanent channel for children would succeed it.^[2]

Le Canal Famille[]

The 1988–1995 logo of the channel as Le Canal Famille, prior to the rename to VRAK.TV. A new logo was used from 1995 until 2001 and the channel dropped the "Le" to become simply "Canal Famille".

The 2001–2007 Vrak.TV logo, featuring the channel's mascot, Bibite.^[3] The mascot was dropped in 2007, but a simplified variant of this logo was used until 2014.

The 2014 Vrak logo was used until 2016.

Licensed by the CRTC in 1987, Le Canal Famille was launched on September 1, 1988 as a replacement to TVJQ. Le Canal Famille was created by Premier Choix TVEC which itself was already partially owned at the time by Astral Media (the predecessor of Bell Media).^[4]

Le Canal Famille, name translated as The Family Channel, which was the name of another Canadian youth channel that also began airing in 1988, as well as YTV (owned by Corus Entertainment).^[5]

VRAK[]

Le Canal Famille was renamed VRAK.TV on January 2, 2001.^[6] The channel switched to an ad-supported format in 2006 to coincide with the renewal of license and launch of HD feed.

Vrak.TV was separated from its sister channels in 2013 due to the acquisition of Astral Media by Bell Media; Bell sold off Family Channel, the French version of Disney Junior, the English version of Disney Junior and Disney XD to DHX Media, and MusiMax and MusiquePlus to V Media Group.

Vrak.TV was simply renamed to just Vrak on August 25, 2014.^[7]

On September 12, 2016, Vrak changed its audience focus to the ages 13–35 group due to the success of its Vrak2 block.^[8] Some series targeting its former audience focus moved to other stations.

Programming[]

Since its creation as Le Canal Famille, the channel airs animated series, teen sitcoms and light-hearted dramas. Many of them are French dubs of English-language programs such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, What I Like About You, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, The O.C., Life with Derek, Smallville, SpongeBob SquarePants, That '70s Show, 90210, Gossip Girl, and many others. It also aired programs from Disney Channel; due to the launch of La Chaîne Disney by Corus Entertainment, the last remaining Disney Channel show on the channel, Good Luck Charlie (Bonne chance Charlie in French), was removed from the schedule in September 2016. The channel also features local Quebec French language productions, such as Il était une fois dans le trouble and Une grenade avec ça?. Other series that the channel popularized were Dans une galaxie près de chez vous and Radio Enfer. As of 2010, the channel has aired films weekly.

Initially, as required by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the channel carried no commercials until 2006.^[9] However, it aired promotional messages, interstitial programs (such as help segments known as R-Force (pronounced like "Air Force")), and public service announcements instead. The channel airs commercials as of 2006 with the launch of its HD feed and license renewal. Its former English-language counterpart (Family Channel) continued to be commercial-free until November 2016.

Unlike the other specialty channels, Vrak is the only channel on the air daily from 6am to midnight. When the station was Le Canal Famille, the station would close down at 7pm (8pm on weekends), sharing time with the flagship Super Écran channel (then also owned by Astral and now sharing Bell Media ownership with Vrak). In 2001, when the channel was revamped as VRAK.TV, its hours were increased to 10 p.m. (Super Écran followed on most systems). Vrak's current closedown time at midnight went into effect in mid-2005.

On September 12, 2016, due to the channel's changes in audience focus, its animation programming completely disappeared from the channel, eventually, they reappeared on the channel in January 2017, starting with SpongeBob SquarePants (Bob l'éponge in French).

Since May 2019, all remaining children programming on the channel has completely disappeared.

Vrak HD[]

On October 30, 2006, Astral Media launched an HD simulcast of Vrak.TV called Vrak.TV HD.

It is available on Bell Satellite TV, Bell Fibe TV, Cogeco, Optik TV, Rogers Cable, Shaw Direct and Vidéotron.

International distribution[]

• Saint Pierre and Miquelon (French overseas collectivity) - distributed on the SPM Telecom system.

See also[]

• YTV - owned by Corus Entertainment
• Family Channel - owned by DHX Media

References[]

External links[]

• Official website (in French)