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Discovery Channel (Canadian TV channel)

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Discovery Channel
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNationwide
Headquarters9 Channel Nine Court, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
OwnerCTV Specialty Television, Inc. (80% and managing partner)
Warner Bros. Discovery (20%)
(2953285 Canada Inc.)
Sister channelsAnimal Planet
Canal D
Discovery Science
Discovery Velocity
Investigation Discovery
History
LaunchedDecember 31, 1994; 29 years ago (1994-12-31)
Links
WebsiteDiscovery Channel Canada

Discovery Channel (often referred to as simply Discovery; formerly Discovery Channel Canada and referred to as Discovery Canada) is a Canadian discretionary specialty television channel majority-owned by CTV Specialty Television, Inc., a joint venture of Bell Media and ESPN Inc. It is headquartered at 9 Channel Nine Court in the Agincourt neighbourhood of Scarborough in Toronto, Ontario.

Launched on December 31, 1994, as a Canadian version of the U.S. cable network of the same name, it was originally devoted to factual programming related to science, technology, and nature. Through multiple ownership changes over the years, the channel is currently majority-owned and operated by Bell Media, with a 20% share held by Discovery Channel's U.S. parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, and a minority share also owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation through ESPN Inc. (via the CTV Specialty Television subsidiary, stemming from that subsidiary's ownership of sister network TSN; ESPN is not believed to be involved in the operation of the channel).

The channel will relaunch as a Canadian version of USA Network, under licence from NBCUniversal, on January 1, 2025, immediately after its rights to the Discovery Channel brand expire. A new, separate Discovery-branded channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media is scheduled to launch in Canada the same day.

As a former Category A service, Discovery Channel was required to be carried on the basic service of all digital cable providers across Canada. This channel was, and still is, typically offered optionally at the discretion of cable or satellite providers.

History

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Early years

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Discovery Channel Canada logo used from 1995 to 2009.

In October 1992, brewer John Labatt Ltd.—owner of TSN through its JLL Broadcast Group division, later renamed Labatt Communications—announced an agreement with Discovery Communications to apply to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a specialty television licence, to launch a Canadian service similar to the Discovery Channel in the United States. Under the agreement, Discovery Communications would supply up to 400 hours of programming per year to the Canadian channel.[1]

Following hearings in February 1994, the channel was licensed by the CRTC that June, as part of a wave of new licences that included the specialty channels now known as CMT, CTV Drama, Slice, Showcase, and W Network.[2][3] During the licensing process, the venture had received numerous letters of support from various science-focused and educational groups, and academics such as John Polanyi and Susan Mann.[4] In its application, the channel promised a daily science-focused show, the first of its kind in North America, tentatively titled Canada Magazine.[4]

The Discovery Channel launched in Canada on December 31, 1994, at 8 p.m. ET.[5] The network was owned by Labatt Communications in partnership with Discovery Communications (which owned 20% of the venture), and was headed by former CBC executive Trina McQueen.[4] Due to foreign ownership restrictions, Labatt Communications was later spun off and renamed NetStar Communications, as Labatt had been acquired by Interbrew.[6]

The channel initially carried 40% Canadian content and 60% foreign content, but committed to eventually airing a total of 60% Canadian content throughout the broadcast day, with 20% of its programming originated by Discovery Channel U.S., and the remaining 20% coming from other international producers.[5][6] The proposed Canada Magazine, which debuted as @discovery.ca and was later retitled Daily Planet, was part of the channel's launch schedule and ran until 2018.[6]

On March 24, 2000, the CRTC approved a proposal by CTV Inc. to acquire voting interest in NetStar Communications Inc. CTV renamed the company CTV Specialty Television Inc.

A high definition simulcast feed of Discovery Channel that broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format was launched on August 15, 2003.[7] The feed would later be shut down on December 19, 2005, and be replaced by a separate category 2 digital cable specialty channel called Discovery HD Theatre.

Logo used from 2009 until sometime in May 2020.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the channel followed its U.S. counterpart's shift away from natural history towards adventure and reality programming targeting male audiences, with series like Deadliest Catch, Highway Thru Hell, and Canada's Worst Driver.[8]

Bell Globemedia was renamed to CTVglobemedia on January 1, 2007, after BCE Inc. reduced the stake to 15%. Bell Canada reacquired CTVgm in 2010 from The Woodbridge Company and renamed that division to Bell Media on April 1, 2011.

On June 17, 2011, Bell Media announced that it would launch, for a second time, an HD simulcast feed of Discovery Channel; this feed was launched on August 18, 2011.[9]

Loss of Discovery rights, relaunch as USA (2024–25)

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See also: 2024 Canadian specialty television realignment
USA Network logo beginning January 1, 2025.

On June 10, 2024, Rogers Sports & Media announced it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) for Canadian rights to its lifestyle brands beginning in January 2025. Although not mentioned in Rogers' initial announcement, the company subsequently confirmed that the affected channels include Discovery Channel and other brands of the former Discovery Communications (pre-Scripps Networks Interactive merger) which had been managed by Bell in Canada.[10][11]

Bell then said in a statement that it would "assert [its] rights", citing non-compete protections it had previously negotiated against the launch of direct competitor channels.[12] On June 19, Bell filed for an injunction against WBD supplying any Discovery programming to Rogers for at least two years after its own deal expires, claiming it was entitled to a "window to adjust" under its outgoing contract in the event of non-renewal.[13]

According to Rogers, the injunction requested by Bell would—if granted—prevent the company from operating any linear TV channels under the relevant brands during that timeframe, but would not affect other content rights.[14] Nevertheless, Rogers subsequently announced plans to launch its own channels under the Discovery and Investigation Discovery (ID) brands on January 1, 2025, along with on-demand distribution of content from other brands of the former Discovery Communications.[15] On October 8, 2024, Bell settled with WBD, agreeing to a renewal of its separate library deals with HBO and Warner Bros. for its Crave service, as well as co-production and international distribution pacts for Bell Media original programming, allowing Rogers' relaunch of the Discovery brands to proceed.[16]

On October 17, Bell Media announced it would relaunch the channel as a Canadian version of USA Network on January 1, 2025, as part of an agreement with Comcast's NBCUniversal which will also see Bell Media's version of ID relaunched under the similar Oxygen True Crime brand. The revamped channel will carry over select reality series that had been commissioned by Discovery Canada, while also airing past and present USA series (some of which were already airing on Bell channels), including Suits and The Traitors.[17] Due to CRTC genre regulation changes in 2015, Bell can make significant programming and brand changes of this type to an existing channel without regulator approval.[18] USA and Oxygen will mark Bell's second and third active channel partnerships with NBCUniversal, following the relaunch of Star! as E! in 2010; Comcast and Bell Media's predecessors were also co-owners of OLN from 1997 to 2008.[19]

Before USA Network's relaunch by Bell, a similar attempt occurred in 2007 when Shaw Communications submitted to the CRTC to carry USA Network in Canada as a foreign service that would be eligible for carriage by domestic cable and satellite providers but was rejected on the basis that the channel carried too much programming that overlapped with the English language digital cable specialty channel Mystery TV (now known as Crime & Investigation), which was then owned jointly by Canwest and Groupe TVA.[20]

In contrast to the American channel, this channel will not air Friday Night SmackDown. These rights had been held by Rogers' Sportsnet 360 in Canada, but will move to Netflix, alongside the Canadian rights to all other WWE programming, under an agreement also taking effect in January 2025.[21][22][23] USA Network will air AEW Collision and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, both of whom have rights agreements with sister network TSN.[24] Bell has not indicated any plans to air USA's other United States sports programming on the channel, as those rights are generally sold separately in Canada (though many have aired on TSN). However, like other non-sports discretionary channels, USA will be entitled to air up to 10% sports programming—a right that has been used in the past by Rogers' FX Canada.[25][26]

Programming

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In addition to shows acquired from its U.S. counterpart, the Canadian Discovery Channel produced much of its own original programming through its Exploration Production group including its former flagship daily science news program, Daily Planet, and its own domestic version of Cash Cab.[27] Several programs produced by the Canadian Discovery Channel (such as How It's Made) have also aired on the U.S. Science Channel.

Since 2015, enabled by that year's retirement of CRTC genre protection rules which mandated that it predominantly air factual programming,[18] Discovery has made ventures into scripted entertainment programming with loose connections to history or STEM concepts. In November 2015, Bell Media announced Discovery Channel Canada's first original scripted drama, the Jason Momoa-fronted Netflix co-production Frontier, chronicling the North American fur trade.[28] In 2018, it began to devote portions of its schedule to reruns of police procedural series such as Criminal Minds, CSI: NY, and NUMB3RS.

Original series (aired both past and present)

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Labatt unit targets TV". Strategy. October 19, 1992. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Decision CRTC 94-283". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. June 9, 1994. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  3. ^ "Public Notice CRTC 1994-59". Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. June 9, 1994. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Trueman, Peter (August 6, 1994). "Doing its homework pays off big time for Discovery Channel". Starweek. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Bawden, Jim (December 31, 1994). "Hailing the creation of new cable services". Starweek. Retrieved October 22, 2024. The launch is set for Saturday night at 8.
  6. ^ a b c Pinto, Jordan (April 2, 2020). "Discovery Canada: Capturing the nation's imagination for 25 years". Playback. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  7. ^ Over-the-Air Transmitters Now Broadcasting CTV High-Definition Signals in Toronto and Vancouver CTV 2005-08-17
  8. ^ Mahoney, Val (December 4, 2014). "Channel of the year: Discovery Channel Canada". Playback. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Discovery Channel and Bell Media Factual Networks Announce Fall 2011 "Must See" Highlights CNW 2011-06-17
  10. ^ Thiessen, Connie (June 10, 2024). "Rogers scoops Warner Bros. Discovery rights from Corus and Bell". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  11. ^ "Rogers announces licensing deals with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery". CityNews.ca. June 10, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Faguy, Steve (June 10, 2024). "Rogers kneecaps Corus, stealing Canadian rights to HGTV and Food Network". Fagstein. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  13. ^ Hudes, Sammy (July 2, 2024). "Bell files injunction seeking to block Rogers from broadcasting Warner Bros. content". The Canadian Press. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  14. ^ Thiessen, Connie (June 28, 2024). "Bell files injunction against Rogers in Warner Bros. Discovery content battle". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Thiessen, Connie (August 28, 2024). "Rogers outlines plans to launch new channels". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  16. ^ Whittock, Jesse (2024-10-08). "Bell Expands Warner Bros Discovery Pact For HBO & Max Content And Ends Legal Action Over Rogers Deal". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  17. ^ Bell Media (October 17, 2024). "Bell Media Brings Powerhouse Brands USA Network and Oxygen True Crime to Canada" (Press release). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (March 12, 2015). "Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-86". Retrieved May 12, 2018. (paragraph 254)
  19. ^ CTVglobemedia (November 1, 2010). "CTV and Comcast International Media Group Partner to Bring E!, World's Top Entertainment Brand, Back To Canada" (Press release). Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  20. ^ https://www.thestar.com/business/shaw-decries-watchdog-for-decree-barring-usa-network/article_9b4cd06c-07a3-5b28-9252-ab35cdf48d98.html
  21. ^ Sherman, Alex; Pramuk, Jacob (2024-01-23). "Netflix to stream WWE's Raw starting next year in its biggest jump into live entertainment". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  22. ^ Otterson, Joe (2024-01-23). "Netflix, WWE Strike Deal to Move 'Monday Night Raw' to Streamer Beginning in 2025 for $500 Million per Year". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  23. ^ Carey, Ian (2024-01-25). "WWE Raw won't air on USA Network during period between TV deals". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  24. ^ "Bell Media's Discovery Channel Rebrands as USA Network in Canada on January 1 with a Blockbuster Mix of Programming". Bell Media. December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  25. ^ Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (November 2, 2016). "Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2016-436". Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  26. ^ "Rogers unveils plans for NHL broadcasts next season". Toronto Star. February 4, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  27. ^ "Bell Media cancels shows 'Daily Planet' and 'Innerspace,' lays off 17 positions". The London Free Press. 2018-05-24. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  28. ^ "Netflix Picks Up Canadian Period Action Series 'Frontier' Starring Jason Momoa". Deadline. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  29. ^ David, Greg (July 24, 2022). "Discovery reveals the 12 carvers competing in the all-new series A Cut Above, beginning August 8". TV, eh. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Bell Media.
  30. ^ "Untitled Document". Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2006-02-17.
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