Discovery Channel (Canadian TV channel)

Discovery Channel (often referred to as simply Discovery) is a Canadian specialty television channel owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc. (a joint venture between Bell Media (80%) and ESPN Inc. (20%), which owns 80% majority of the channel) and Discovery, Inc. (which owns the remaining 20%). The channel is devoted to nature, adventure, science and technology programming.

Discovery Channel
LaunchedJanuary 1, 1995 (1995-01-01); 24 years ago
Owned byBell Media
CTV Specialty Television (80% and managing partner)
Discovery, Inc. (20%)
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
SloganGrab life by the globe
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Broadcast areaNationwide
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Sister channel(s)Animal Planet
Canal D
Discovery Science
Discovery Velocity
Investigation Discovery
Websitediscovery.ca
Availability
Satellite
Bell Satellite TVChannel 520 (SD)
Channel 1602 (HD)
Shaw DirectChannel 505 (SD)
Channels 93 and 593 (HD)
Cable
Available on most cable systemsChannel slots vary on each provider
IPTV
Bell Aliant Fibe TVChannel 286 (SD)
Channel 430 (HD)
Bell Fibe TVChannel 520 (SD)
Channel 1520 (HD)
Bell MTSChannel 104 (SD)
Channel 1104 (HD)
SaskTelChannel 51 (SD)
Channel 351 (HD)
Telus Optik TVChannel 701 (HD)
Channel 9701 (SD)
VMediaChannel 42 (HD)
ZazeenChannel 89-91 (HD)

History

Licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1994, Discovery Channel launched on January 1, 1995 under the ownership of NetStar Communications Inc. On March 24, 2000, the CRTC approved a proposal by CTV Inc. to acquire an 80% voting interest in NetStar Communications Inc. (the remaining 20% owned by ESPN Inc.). CTV renamed the company CTV Speciality Television Inc.

A high definition simulcast feed of Discovery Channel that broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format was launched on August 15, 2003.[1] The feed would later shut down on December 19, 2005, and be replaced by a separate category 2 digital cable specialty channel called Discovery HD Theatre.

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.[2]

In November 2015, Bell Media announced Discovery Channel Canada's first original scripted drama, the Jason Momoa-fronted Frontier, chronicling the North American fur trade. The series was picked up internationally by Netflix.[3]

Programming

In addition to shows acquired from its American counterpart, the Canadian Discovery Channel produces much of its own original programming, including its former flagship daily science news program, Daily Planet, and its own domestic version of Cash Cab.[4] Several programs produced by the Canadian Discovery Channel (such as How It's Made) have also aired on the U.S Science Channel.

Since 2018, due to the 2015 retirement of genre protection rules that mandated the channel's programming, Discovery has been airing reruns of scripted programs with science and technology themes (such as The Big Bang Theory and CSI: NY).[5]

Original series
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See also

References
  1. Over-the-Air Transmitters Now Broadcasting CTV High-Definition Signals in Toronto and Vancouver CTV 2005-08-17
  2. Discovery Channel and Bell Media Factual Networks Announce Fall 2011 "Must See" Highlights CNW 2011-06-17
  3. "Netflix Picks Up Canadian Period Action Series 'Frontier' Starring Jason Momoa". Deadline. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  4. "Bell Media cancels shows 'Daily Planet' and 'Innerspace,' lays off 17 positions". The London Free Press. 2018-05-24. Retrieved 2018-05-25.
  5. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (March 12, 2015). "Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-86". Retrieved May 12, 2018. (paragraph 254)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2006-02-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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