Animal Planet (Canadian TV channel)

Animal Planet is a Canadian English language specialty television channel. Animal Planet broadcasts a variety of programming featuring animals.

Animal Planet
Animal Planet logo
LaunchedSeptember 7, 2001 (2001-09-07)
Owned byBell Media (64%)
ESPN Inc. (16%)
BBC Studios (10%)
Discovery, Inc. (10%)
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
(2011–present)
480i (SDTV)
(2001–present)
SloganSurprisingly Human.
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNational
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Sister channel(s)Discovery
Discovery Science
Discovery Velocity
Investigation Discovery
WebsiteAnimal Planet Canada
Availability
Satellite
Bell TVChannel 525 (SD)
Channel 1612 (HD)
Shaw DirectChannel 553 (SD)
Channel 181 (HD)
Cable
Available on most Canadian cable systemsCheck local listings, channels may vary
IPTV
Bell Aliant Fibe TVChannel 257 (SD)
Channel 509 (HD)
Bell Fibe TVChannel 525 (SD)
Channel 1525 (HD)
Bell MTSChannel 251 ([SD)
Channel 1251 (HD)
Optik TVChannel 9721 (SD)
Channel 721 (HD)
SaskTelChannel 93 (SD)
Channel 393 (HD)
VmediaChannel 251 (HD)
ZazeenChannel 94 (HD)

The channel is owned by Animal Planet Canada Company, which is a consortium consisting of CTV Speciality Television Inc. which owns 80% of the company (CTV Speciality Television Inc. is a division of Bell Media who owns 80% and ESPN owning 20%), and Canadian AP Ventures Company who owns 20% (Canadian AP Ventures Company is owned by BBC Studios at 50% and Discovery, Inc. at 50%). Through this ownership structure, this effectively gives Bell Media 64% ownership and control, with ESPN 16%, BBC Studios 10%, and Discovery Inc. 10% ownership.

History

In November 2000, CTV Inc. was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch Animal Planet, a service described as being "broadly based on family entertainment that will combine high-quality Canadian programming and attractive series and documentaries from Animal Planet in the United States."[1]

The channel was launched under its current ownership structure (with the exception of Bell Media, wherein Bell Globemedia, later renamed CTVglobemedia, owned its shares at the time) on September 7, 2001.[2]

On June 30, 2008, Animal Planet unveiled a new on-air appearance, including a new logo and graphics, to align itself with the American service which had updated its appearance earlier that year.[3]

On September 10, 2010, BCE (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD.[4] The deal which required CRTC approval, was approved on March 7, 2011[5] and closed on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.[6]

Animal Planet HD

On June 17, 2011, Bell Media announced that it would launch Animal Planet HD, a high definition (HD) simulcast of the standard definition feed, by the end of 2011.[7] The channel launched on December 15, 2011 initially on Bell Fibe TV and Shaw Cable and launched at a later date on Telus TV.[8] Shaw Direct added it and 5 other HD channels (BNN Bloomberg, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, OWN, and Travel + Escape) on September 21, 2017.

Logos
2008–2011

References
  1. Decision CRTC 2000-552 CRTC December 14, 2000
  2. Animal Planet Launch Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Bell Globemedia press release September 6, 2001
  3. Animal Planet Debuts A New Look and Striking New Programming During National Freeview this July Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine CTVglobemedia press release June 5, 2008
  4. Bell Canada (September 10, 2010). "Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV". CNW Group. Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  5. CRTC approves BCE's purchase of CTVglobemedia
  6. Bell completes acquisition of CTV, launches Bell Media business unit CNW April 1, 2011
  7. Discovery Channel and Bell Media Factual Networks Announce Fall 2011 "Must See" Highlights CNW June 17, 2011
  8. Animal Planet HD, Investigation Discovery HD and Discovery Science HD Launch Today Bell Media press release December 15, 2011
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