Vrak

Vrak
2018-present Vrak logo
Launched October 21, 2018
Owned by Bell Media
Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV)
Slogan
  1. at the Championships
    #At Now Six
    #The Television Open
Country Canada
Language French
Broadcast area National
Headquarters Montreal, Quebec
Formerly called Le Canal Famille (1988–1996)
Canal Famille (1996–2001)
Vrak.TV (2001–2014)
Replaced TVJQ
Sister channel(s) Z
Canal D
Canal Vie
Cinépop
Website VRAK (in French)
Availability
Satellite
Bell TV Channel 247(SD)
Channel 1854 (HD)
Shaw Direct Channel 775 (SD) Channel 355 / 448(HD)
Cable
Available on many Canadian cable systems Check local listings
IPTV
Bell Aliant Fibe TV Channel 8(SD)
Channel 9 (HD)
Bell Fibe TV Channel 150 (SD)
Channel 1150 (HD)
Bell MTS Channel 411 (SD)
Optik TV Channel 08(SD)
Channel 07 (HD)
SaskTel Channel 573 (SD)
Telus Quebec Channel 9 (SD)
Channel 509 (HD)
VMedia Channel 847 (SD) (QC)
Zazeen Channel 018 (HD)

Vrak (stylized as VRΔK) is a Canadian French-language Category A specialty channel aimed at youth audiences. Since 2013, Vrak is owned by Bell Media.

History

The 1988–1996 logo of the channel as Le Canal Famille, prior to the rename to VRAK.TV. A blue–green variant was used from 1996 until 2001.
The 2001–2007 Vrak.TV logo, featuring the channel's mascot, Bibite.[1] 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 Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1987, Le Canal Famille was launched on September 1, 1988 as a replacement to the youth channel TVJQ (Télévision des jeunes du Québec, otherwise known simply as Télé des Jeunes). Canal Famille was created by Premier Choix TVEC which itself was already owned by Astral at the time.

Le Canal Famille, name translated as The Family Channel, which was the name of another Canadian youth channel that also began airing in 1988.[2]

Le Canal Famille was renamed VRAK.TV on January 2, 2001.[3]

Vrak.TV was separated from its sister channel in 2013 due to the acquisition of Astral Media by Bell Media; Bell sold off Family Channel (along with the French version of Disney Junior and two English-language TV services) to DHX Media.

Vrak.TV was simply renamed to just Vrak on August 25, 2014.[4] On September 12, 2016, Vrak changed its audience focus to the ages 13-35 group due to the success of its Vrak2 block.[5]

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.[6] 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.

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).

Vrak HD

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

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

International distribution

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://opencorporates.com/companies/ca_qc/1160269370
  2. ↑ "CBC/Radio-Canada - History - 1980s". Archived from the original on 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2011-02-19.
  3. ↑ http://www.infopresse.com/archive/index/2180
  4. ↑ "VRAK - Details". bellmediapr.ca.
  5. ↑ "Changement d'orientation : la direction de VRAK explique ses choix (In French)". Huffington Post Quebec.
  6. ↑ Decision: Premier Choix: TVEC Inc. "Canal Famille" — 871204400, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 1 December 1987

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