Viceland (Canadian TV channel)

Last updated
Viceland
Viceland.svg
Country Canada
Broadcast areaNationwide
Headquarters Toronto, Ontario
Programming
Picture format 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner
History
LaunchedSeptember 7, 2001
ClosedMarch 31, 2018
Former namesThe Biography Channel Canada (2001–2016)

Viceland was a Canadian pay television channel. It was owned by Vice Network Canada, Inc., which was owned by Rogers Media with minority ownership by Vice Media. It was a Canadian version of Viceland, broadcasting lifestyle-oriented documentary and reality series aimed towards a young adult demographic.

Contents

The network was originally established as a Canadian version of the U.S. network The Biography Channel, as a joint venture between Rogers, Shaw Communications, and A&E Networks. Shaw and A&E later sold their shares to Rogers. As part of a larger licensing agreement with A&E Networks, Shaw launched a Canadian version of Biography Channel's successor in the U.S., FYI, in 2014.

On November 5, 2015, Rogers announced that it had partnered with Vice to be the Canadian launch partner for its new television brand Viceland, which replaced H2 in the U.S. as part of a similar joint venture with A&E. Vice Media acquired a 30% minority stake in the Canadian network. After low viewership and profitability, Rogers and Vice announced the termination of the partnership, and the complete shutdown of the channel effective March 31, 2018.

History

As The Biography Channel

Biography Channel (1999-2007) logo.svg
First The Biography Channel logo used from 2001 to 2008.
The Biography Channel.svg
Second and final The Biography Channel logo used from 2008 to 2016.

Licensed as The Biography Channel by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on November 24, 2000; [1] the channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as a joint venture between Rogers Media (33.34%), Shaw Communications (33.33%) and A&E Networks (33.33%)—who owned the network's American counterpart. In 2006, both Shaw and A&E sold their interests in the channel to Rogers. The U.S. Biography Channel relaunched as FYI on July 7, 2014; Shaw's Twist TV became a Canadian version of FYI on September 1, 2014. [2]

As Viceland

On November 5, 2015, Rogers announced that it would serve as the Canadian partner for Viceland, a new millennial-focused channel programmed by Vice Media, and that The Biography Channel would be rebranded to Viceland. [3] [4] Vice Media had partnered with A&E Networks (who owns 10% of the company) to launch Viceland in the U.S. as a replacement for H2. [5] [6] [7]

Rogers and Vice Media had already begun to collaborate in October 2014, when Vice announced a CDN$100 million joint venture with Rogers to build a studio in Toronto's Liberty Village neighbourhood for producing original content. [4] Rogers also announced an intent to launch Vice-branded television and digital properties in Canada in 2015. Rogers CEO Guy Laurence described the proposed studio as "a powerhouse for Canadian digital content focused on 18- to 34-year-olds" which would be "exciting" and "provocative". [8] [9] In 2015, Rogers-owned television network City introduced Vice on City—an anthology series featuring short-form content produced by Vice's Canadian reporters. [10] Vice Media was originally established in Montreal, but had moved to New York City due to difficulties in reaching a sufficient scale in Canada at the time. The company believed that Rogers' investment in Vice helped to better achieve these goals. [3]

Pre-launch programming for Viceland began at 5:00 a.m. ET on February 29, 2016 with Bar Talk, an hour-long special featuring Vice Canada's head of content Patrick McGuire, followed by a countdown to the official launch later in the day. [11] [12] [13]

In November 2017, The Globe and Mail reported that Rogers intended to cease providing funding to Viceland in early 2018, citing inside reports of low viewership and unprofitability. Representatives of both companies to declined to comment. [14] On January 22, 2018, Rogers and Vice jointly announced a termination of their partnership. The channel shut down on March 31, 2018, and its licence was revoked by request of Vice Network Canada on April 1. Immediately after that, the channel space that was created by The Biography Channel in 2001 simply ceased to exist. Vice will inherit complete ownership of the Toronto studio. [15] [16] Several small providers replaced it with FX, giving it wider distribution.

On August 16, 2018, Vice announced a long-term output deal with Bell Media. Viceland was not relaunched, but the new deal saw its content dispersed across some Bell-owned services such as MTV, Much, and Crave. [17] [18]

Programming

Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi stated that Viceland would view its Canadian productions as being of global interest, as opposed to a regulatory obligation of little interest of non-Canadians; one-third of the network's first slate of original programming was produced in Canada, including Cyberwar and Dead Set on Life . [4] [12] Rogers also contributed original programming, such as the scripted comedies Nirvanna the Band the Show and Fubar Age of Computer . [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language discretionary sports specialty channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, owned jointly by Bell Media (70%) and ESPN Inc. (30%), itself a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. TSN was established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. TSN is the largest specialty channel in Canada in terms of gross revenue, with a total of CA$400.4 million in revenue in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell Media</span> Canadian media company

Bell Media Inc. is a Canadian media conglomerate that is the mass media subsidiary of BCE Inc.. Its operations include national television broadcasting and production, radio broadcasting, digital media and Internet properties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corus Entertainment</span> Canadian media/broadcasting company

Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. The company was founded in 1987 as Shaw Radio, Ltd. as a subsidiary of Shaw Communications and was spun-off from Shaw in 1999. It has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. Corus is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FYI (American TV channel)</span> American pay television channel

FYI is an American basic cable channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney Entertainment subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Communications. The network features lifestyle programming, with a mix of reality, culinary, home renovation and makeover series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FYI (Canadian TV channel)</span> Defunct Canadian television channel

FYI was a former Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Discovery Health Canada, ULC, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Based on the American cable network of the same name, the channel features lifestyle programming, with a mix of reality, culinary, home renovation and makeover series.

H2 was an American specialty television channel that was owned by A+E Networks, available on multi-channel television providers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaw Communications</span> Former Canadian communications company

Shaw Communications Inc. was a Canadian telecommunications company which provided telephone, Internet, television, and mobile services. The company was founded in 1966 as Capital Cable Television Company, Ltd. by JR Shaw in Edmonton. The company was acquired by and amalgamated into Rogers Communications in 2023; most operations were rebranded to the Rogers brand beginning in July of that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian English-language specialty TV channel

The History Channel is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel that primarily broadcasts programming related to history and historical fiction. It is owned by History Television, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogers Sports & Media</span> Subsidiary of Rogers Communications

Rogers Media Inc., operating as Rogers Sports & Media, is a Canadian subsidiary of Rogers Communications that owns the company's mass media and sports properties, such as the Citytv and Omni Television terrestrial television stations, Sportsnet, OLN, localized versions of FX and FXX, the Rogers Radio stations, Frequency Podcast Network, and these properties' associated digital media outlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&E Networks</span> American media company

A&E Television Networks, LLC, stylized as A+E NETWORKS, is an American multinational broadcasting company that is a 50–50 joint venture between Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company through its Entertainment division. The company owns several non-fiction and entertainment-based television brands, including its namesake A&E, History, Lifetime, FYI, and their associated sister channels, and holds stakes in or licenses their international branches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History2 (Canadian TV channel)</span> Television channel

History2 is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel dedicated to airing historic and non-historical programming of military, science, and technology interest. The channel is owned by Men TV General Partnership, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment, with its name licensed from the U.S. company, A&E Networks, owners of the brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G4 (Canadian TV channel)</span> Former Canadian TV channel

G4 was a Canadian English-language specialty television channel owned by Rogers Media. The name was licensed from NBCUniversal, whose parent company Comcast formerly owned a minority stake in the channel. Based on the U.S subscription networks TechTV and G4, the channel was originally focused on technology-themed programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnolia Network (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian specialty channel

Magnolia Network is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel that broadcasts lifestyle programming related to home design, renovations, and food. The channel's brand and much of its foreign programming is licensed from its American namesake, Magnolia Network. The channel is a joint venture between HGTV Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Viceland, and Vice TV in the United States, are brands used for television channels owned and programmed by Vice Media. Viceland launched on February 29, 2016, with two branded cable channels; the American version is a joint venture majority-owned by A&E Networks, while the now defunct Canadian version operated as a Category A-licensed specialty channel majority-owned by Rogers Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime & Investigation (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian speciality television channel

Crime & Investigation is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Mystery Partnership, a division of Corus Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FX (Canadian TV channel)</span> Canadian specialty television channel

FX is a Canadian English-language television channel owned as a partnership between Rogers Sports & Media, a division of Rogers Communications, and the FX Networks subsidiary of Walt Disney Television. Based on the U.S. cable network of the same name, FX is devoted primarily to scripted dramas and comedies.

Shomi was a Canadian subscription video on demand service jointly owned by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, in operation from 2014 to 2016. The service was viewed as a Canadian-based competitor to Netflix, with a library of 1,200 films and 11,000 hours' worth of television programs available on launch. Shomi content could be accessed as an over-the-top service through the service's website and apps, or through the video-on-demand libraries of participating television providers. The service emphasized manually curated categories of content, in contrast to the algorithmic approach used by competing services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vice Media</span> American-Canadian digital media and broadcasting company

Vice Media Group LLC is an American-Canadian digital media and broadcasting company. As of June 2021, the Vice Media Group included five main business areas: Vice.com ; Vice Studios ; Vice TV ; Vice News; and Virtue. It was cited as the largest independent youth media company in the world, with 35 offices.

Vice TV, formerly known as Viceland and also known as Vice, is an American basic cable television channel that launched on February 29, 2016, replacing H2 on most multichannel television providers in the United States. It is a part of the Viceland family of television channels by Vice Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H2 (A&E Networks)</span> Multinational brand of television channels

H2 is a brand name owned by A&E Networks, used for a sister television channel of History. The brand was debuted in September 2011 when History International in the United States was relaunched as H2. The brand was expanded outside the U.S. since then. H2 in the United States was relaunched on February 29, 2016 as Viceland, but the H2 brand is still used for sister channels to History in other markets.

References

  1. ↑ Decision CRTC 2000-460 CRTC 2000-12-14
  2. ↑ "Shaw Media and A&E to Launch Two New Specialty Channels". Broadcaster Magazine. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Vice Media to Launch Cable TV Channel in Canada". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Viceland content will be made in Canada, for a global audience". Canadian Business. Rogers Media. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "It's Official: Vice Channel to Take Over A+E Networks' History Spinoff H2". The Hollywood Reporter. 3 November 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  6. ↑ Hale, Mike (28 February 2016). "Viceland, a New Cable Channel, Aims to Stand Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "A+E Networks' H2 To Be Rebranded As Vice". Deadline. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Rogers, Vice Media strike $100M deal to create Canadian content". CBC News. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Rogers, Vice Media to partner on $100-million venture". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Best of VICE Canada Debuts Tonight on City". Vice.com. 3 January 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ "This Land is Your Land, This Land is VICELAND: New Specialty Channel Launches with Distinctive Slate of Programming, Feb. 29". Rogers Media. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  12. 1 2 "How a little magazine called VICE conquered the media world: Welcome to Viceland". Montreal Gazette. Postmedia. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  13. ↑ "Viceland Makes Its Cable Debut". Multichannel News. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Rogers to cut off support for Viceland TV station". The Globe and Mail . November 29, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  15. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (January 22, 2018). "Viceland to Go Off the Air on Canada's Rogers Communications". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  16. ↑ "VICELAND – Revocation of licence". CRTC. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
  17. ↑ "Bell Media signs new long-term broadcast agreement with Vice Media". Financial Post. 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  18. ↑ White, Peter (2018-08-16). "Vice Is Back In Business In Canada After Striking Long-Term Deal With Bell Media". Deadline. Retrieved 2018-08-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.