Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian
mass media
Mass media refers to a diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. The technologies through which this communication takes place include a variety of outlets.
Broadcast media transmit information ...
company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from
Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at
Corus Quay
Corus Quay, originally named First Waterfront Place, is an eight-storey commercial office tower located on a waterfront site in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building is the first major development planned for the East Bayfront district, and co ...
in Toronto, Ontario.
Corus has a large presence in Canadian broadcasting as owner of the national
Global
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003
* ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007
* ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989
* ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015
* Bruno ...
network (15 conventional stations), 39 radio stations, and a portfolio of 33
specialty television
A specialty channel (also known in the United States as a cable channel or cable network) can be a commercial broadcasting or non-commercial television channel which consists of television programming focused on a single genre, subject or targeted ...
services; the company's domestic specialty brands include
Showcase
Showcase or vitrine may refer to:
*Cabinet (furniture)
*Display case
Music
* ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961
* ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
,
SériesPlus
SériesPlus (formerly Séries+) is a Canadian French language specialty channel devoted to French-language scripted comedy and dramatic programming. The channel is owned by Corus Entertainment.
History
On May 11, 1999, Alliance Atlantis Communi ...
,
Slice,
Teletoon
Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and " cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts ...
,
Télétoon
Télétoon (styled as TĒLĒTOON) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of " télévision" and "cartoon". As of 2013, along with its Englis ...
,
W Network
W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience.
W Network was established in ...
, and
YTV. It also operates services under
brand licensing agreements with
A&E Networks
A&E Networks (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 General Entertainment Content division. The company ...
(
History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
and
Lifetime),
Paramount Global
Paramount Global (doing business as Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate owned and operated by National Amusements (79.4%) and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York. I ...
(
CMT and
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
),
Walt Disney Television
Disney General Entertainment Content, doing business as Walt Disney Television, is an American entertainment company that oversees television content and assets owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. Forming the company's General Enter ...
(including its
Disney Branded Television
Disney Branded Television is a unit of Disney General Entertainment Content which oversees development and production of content geared towards children, teenagers and families for Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD. The unit al ...
,
Freeform, and
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
units), and
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at 230 Park Avenue South in New York City. It was formed after the spin-off of WarnerMedia by AT&T, and its merger with Di ...
(
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
,
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
, and lifestyle brands).
Corus owns the animation studio
Nelvana, animation software vendor
Toon Boom Animation
Toon Boom Animation Inc. is a Canadian software company that specializes in animation production and storyboarding software. Founded in 1994 and based in Montreal, Quebec, Toon Boom develops animation and storyboarding software for film, televi ...
, and as well as the children's publisher
Kids Can Press
Kids Can Press is a Canadian-owned publisher of children's books, with a catalog near 1000 picture books and 500 e-books, non-fiction and fiction titles for toddlers to young adults. The Kids Can Press list includes characters such as Franklin ...
. The second incarnation of Shaw's
media division—formed from the properties of the bankrupt
Canwest Global
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting an ...
—was subsumed by Corus on April 1, 2016, giving it control of the over-the-air Global network and 19 additional specialty channels. In May 2019, Shaw announced that it would sell its shares in Corus for roughly $500 million.
History
Establishment
In September 1998,
JR Shaw
James Robert Shaw (August 14, 1934 – March 23, 2020) was a Canadian businessman. He founded Alberta-based Shaw Communications in 1966 and was the executive chairman of the company. As of 2016, Shaw and other members of his family controlled 85 ...
and Shaw Media CEO John Cassaday announced plans for Shaw Communications to spin out its media properties, including radio stations and television specialty channels, into a company which would be known as Corus Entertainment. The spin-out would leave Shaw as a "pure play" telecommunications company.
The decision to spin out the properties was meant to comply with current
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) recommendations, which discouraged
vertical integration
In microeconomics, management and international political economy, vertical integration is a term that describes the arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is integrated and owned by that company. Usually each member of the suppl ...
by cable companies that also owned media properties. Corus would be a separate, publicly traded company, first listed on the
Toronto Stock Exchange
The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX; french: Bourse de Toronto) is a stock exchange located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the 10th largest exchange in the world and the third largest in North America based on market capitalization. Based in t ...
in September 1999, but it would still be
primarily controlled by the Shaw family.
In September 1999, Corus acquired the broadcasting assets of the
Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada () is a management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. Its core holdings are insurance, retirement, wealth management and investment management, including a portfol ...
, which included four television stations and sixteen radio stations. One of these stations,
CHAU-TV
CHAU-DT is a French language television station serving as an affiliate of TVA in Carleton-sur-Mer, Quebec, Canada. It broadcasts an analogue signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter near Rue de la Montagne in Carleton-sur-Mer.
Owned by TÃ ...
, was later re-sold to
Télé Inter-Rives
Télé Inter-Rives ("Inter-Riverbank Television", literal translation) is a broadcasting company based in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. The Simard family holds a 55% stake in Télé Inter-Rives, with Quebecor (owner of Groupe TVA and the TVA network) ...
. In October 1999, it was announced that as part of the break-up of
Western International Communications
WIC Western International Communications Ltd. (or WIC) was a Canadian media company that operated from 1982 to 2000, with operations including broadcast and specialty television, radio, and satellite distribution via a majority interest in Can ...
(WIC), Corus would acquire the company's 12 radio stations and most of its specialty channels, including stakes in
Family Channel,
SuperChannel and
MovieMax!.
Growth, acquisitions
In September 2000, after negotiations and rumoured offers by other studios, Corus announced that it would acquire the Toronto-based animation studio
Nelvana for $540 million; the deal was considered to be a complement to its children's television networks (which had often acquired programming from Nelvana), including
YTV,
Treehouse
A tree house, tree fort or treeshed is a platform or building constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level. Tree houses can be used for recreation, work space, habitation, a han ...
, and its stakes in
Family Channel,
Teletoon
Teletoon (stylized as TELETOON) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of "television" and " cartoon". The channel primarily broadcasts ...
, and its French counterpart
Télétoon
Télétoon (styled as TĒLĒTOON) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Teletoon Canada, Inc., a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of " télévision" and "cartoon". As of 2013, along with its Englis ...
. Corus also stated that it planned to use the purchase to help launch a preschool-oriented cable network in the United States.
In March 2001, in response to complaints by the CRTC over its near-monopoly on ownership of children's specialty channels in Canada, Corus sold its stake in Family Channel to
Astral Media for $126.9 million, making it a sister channel to
The Movie Network
Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc.
Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...
and giving them full ownership.
Corus also sold its stake in the Western Canadian pay-per-view service
Viewers Choice
Viewers Choice was a Canadian English language pay-per-view (PPV) and near video on demand service. It was owned by Viewers Choice Canada Inc., which at the time of its closure was majority-owned and managed by Bell Media, with minority partner ...
to Shaw Communications for $22.6 million, and acquired the
Women's Television Network
W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience.
W Network was established in ...
(WTN) from Shaw (which had bought its parent,
Moffat Communications
Moffat Communications was a Canadian cable and broadcasting company. Privately owned by the Moffat family, the company was based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It first went public on the stock market in 1972.
In an interview with the Free Press reporter ...
, for its cablesystem assets) for $132.6 million.
In August 2002, Corus sold
CKDO
CKDO (1580 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, serving the eastern suburbs of the Greater Toronto Area. The station airs a classic hits/oldies format and is owned by Durham Radio Inc. CKDO is one of only two rad ...
and
CKGE-FM
CKGE-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 94.9 FM from Oshawa, Ontario. The station broadcasts an active rock format under the brand name ''94.9 The Rock''.
History
The station was launched in 1957 by Lakeland Broadcasting as CKLB- ...
to Durham Radio.
In May 2002, Corus announced that it had acquired a 50% stake in
Locomotion
Locomotion means the act or ability of something to transport or move itself from place to place.
Locomotion may refer to:
Motion
* Motion (physics)
* Robot locomotion, of man-made devices
By environment
* Aquatic locomotion
* Flight
* Locomo ...
, a Latin American and Spanish channel focusing primarily of animated series targeting teens and young adults.
Hearst Corporation
Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, televis ...
owned the other half.
In March 2004, Corus and Astral announced that it would acquire and swap radio stations in Quebec; Corus acquired the
Radiomédia network (including
CKAC) and
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
's
CFOM
CFOM-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec, licensed to Lévis. The station has a hot adult contemporary format since August 2014.
Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 102.9 MHz using a direct ...
, while Astral acquired
CFVM-FM Amqui,
CJOI-FM
CJOI-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Rimouski, Quebec.
Owned and operated by Bell Media, it broadcasts on 102.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 33,600 watts ( class B) using an omnidirectional antenna.
The sta ...
and
CIKI-FM
CIKI-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Rimouski, Quebec.
Owned and operated by Bell Media, it broadcasts on 98.7 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power of 41,300 watts and a peak effecti ...
Rimouski
Rimouski ( ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski is the site of Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), t ...
,
CFZZ-FM
CFZZ-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and serving Greater Montreal as a rimshot signal. Owned and operated by Bell Media, it is part of the "Boom" network. As such, the station has an old ...
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and
CJDM-FM
CJDM-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Drummondville, Quebec.
It is owned and operated by Bell Media, and broadcasts on 92.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts ( class A) using an omnidirectional antenn ...
Drummondville
Drummondville is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste.
Drummondville is ...
. Corus also sold its
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta, and key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and education. ...
stations
CKGY-FM
CKGY-FM is a radio station located in Red Deer, Alberta. Owned by Stingray Group, it broadcasts a country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or mak ...
and
CIZZ-FM
CIZZ-FM (98.9 FM) is a radio station in Red Deer, Alberta. Owned by Stingray Group, it broadcasts a classic rock format branded as ''Z98.9''.
As CKRD-FM, the station was a network affiliate of CBC Stereo from 1977 to 1981.
In April 2021, CIZZ ...
to
Newcap Radio
Stingray Radio (formerly Newcap Radio) is a Canadian radio broadcasting conglomerate owned by Stingray Group. It owns and operates 101 radio stations in Canada—making it the second-largest radio conglomerate in Canada behind Bell Media. It also ...
.
In July 2007, Corus acquired
CKBT-FM
CKBT-FM is a Canadian radio station broadcasting at 91.5 FM in Kitchener, Ontario. The station broadcasts a CHR/Top 40 format branded as ''91.5 The Beat'', with studios & offices located in Kitchener, However, its transmitter is south of Ayr. T ...
and
CJZZ-FM from
Canwest
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting an ...
.
In June 2008,
CHRC was sold to the ownership group of the
Quebec Remparts
There have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts (french: Remparts de Québec) that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The first edition played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has pla ...
hockey team.
Additional partnerships, Corus Québec sale
Also in August 2007, Corus Entertainment announced a partnership with
Hearst Corporation
Hearst Communications, Inc., often referred to simply as Hearst, is an American multinational mass media and business information conglomerate based in Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Hearst owns newspapers, magazines, televis ...
to launch
Cosmopolitan TV
Cosmopolitan Television is a television network brand that ...
. In March 2008,
CTVglobemedia
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
sold
Canadian Learning Television
Oprah Winfrey Network, more commonly shortened to OWN, is a Canadian English language discretionary service channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was launched in September 1, 1999 as Canadian Learning Television (CLT) by Learning and ...
to Corus for $73 million
Corus launched a Canadian version of
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
on November 2, 2009, replacing the localized version of
Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids (stylized as Discovery K!ds) is a brand name owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Starting as a television segment within the Discovery Channel, the brand expanded as a separate television channel. Most of its worldwide channels were e ...
. In 2010, Corus's sister company Shaw Communications re-entered the broadcasting industry through its acquisition of the media assets of the bankrupt
Canwest
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting an ...
, which re-formed the
Shaw Media
Shaw Media was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. Shaw Media owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice (TV channel), Sli ...
division.
On April 30, 2010, Corus announced that it would sell its Québec radio stations, with the exception of
CKRS
CILM-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Saguenay, Quebec. The station carries adult contemporary format as part of the Rythme FM network.
Owned by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 98.3 MHz using a directional antenna with an av ...
, to
Cogeco for $80 million, pending CRTC approval. Corus cited their low profitability in comparison to their stations elsewhere as reasoning for the sale. On June 25, it was reported that Corus had agreed to sell CKRS to Radio Saguenay, a local business group. The sale of the Corus Québec stations was approved by the CRTC on December 17, 2010, on the condition that Cogeco-owned
CJEC-FM
CJEC-FM (WKND 91.9) is a French-language Canada, Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec.
Owned and operated by Leclerc Communication, it broadcasts on 91.9 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power ...
and Corus-owned
CFEL-FM
CFEL-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Quebec City, Quebec, but the station's official city of license is Lévis.
Owned and operated by Leclerc Communication Inc., it is a Class C1 FM station which broadcasts on 102. ...
and
CKOY-FM
CKOY-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 107.7 MHz using a directional antenna with an average effective radiated power of 11,000 watts and a peak effectiv ...
be sold to another party by December 2011. On January 13, 2011, competing broadcaster
Astral Media announced that they would seek legal action to stop the sale of these stations to Cogeco, citing the fact that it would own more stations than Astral in the Montreal market, making the competition unfair.
On November 9, 2010,
Hasbro Studios
Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
signed an agreement with Corus to broadcast their productions on its networks.
In March 2012, Corus and Shaw launched
ABC Spark
ABC Spark is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was launched on March 26, 2012, replacing the declining channel Dusk.
ABC Spark is based on the U.S. subscription channel Freeform (previously ...
, a localized version of U.S. cable network
ABC Family
The American cable television, cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform (TV channel), Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and s ...
, with Shaw owning 49%.
In July 2012, the Teletoon Canada venture (50% with Astral Media) similarly launched a
Canadian version of
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
and
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
.
Re-organization
In March 2013, as part of
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
's proposed acquisition of
Astral Media, Corus reached a deal to acquire Astral's stakes in
Historia,
Séries+, and
TELETOON Canada Inc., as well as the
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
radio stations
CJOT-FM
CJOT-FM (99.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Ottawa, Ontario. It broadcasts a classic hits format and is owned by Corus Entertainment. The station uses its on-air brand name '' Boom 99.7''.
CJOT's studios and offices are lo ...
and
CKQB-FM
CKQB-FM (106.9 FM, ''Jump! 106.9'') is a radio station licensed to Ottawa, Ontario. Owned by Corus Entertainment, it broadcasts a Top 40/CHR format. CKQB's studios are located at 1504 Merivale Road in Nepean along with sister station CJOT-FM, ...
, for $400.6 million. This aspect of the deal, intended to quell concerns from the CRTC regarding Bell's
total market share after the merger, was approved by the
Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau (french: Bureau de la concurrence) is the competition regulator in Canada. It is an independent Canadian law enforcement agency that ensures that markets operate in a competitive, innovative manner.
Headed by the Comm ...
on March 18, 2013.
In an unrelated deal, Corus also announced that it would acquire Shaw Media's stakes in ABC Spark, Historia, and Séries+ in exchange for cash and its minority stake in
Food Network Canada
Food Network, formerly called Food Network Canada, is a Canadian English language specialty channel based on the U.S. cable network of the same name. It airs programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. The Canadian versi ...
(quickly ended in April 2013).
[ Corus indicated that these purchases were meant to help the company expand its television holdings in the competitive Quebec market. Corus also planned to open a new office in Montreal following the sale.][ On January 1, 2014, the acquisition was completed.
On September 1, 2013, Corus's television business was reorganized into five divisions; Corus Kids, Corus Women and Family, Corus Content Distribution and Pay TV, Corus Airtime Sales and Corus Média (for French-language assets). The Corus Kids division was subdivided into operations for their eight TV channels, Nelvana, and Kids Can Press.
]
Acquisition of Disney Channel program rights
On April 16, 2015, Corus Entertainment announced that it had reached an agreement with the Disney–ABC Television Group
Disney General Entertainment Content, doing business as Walt Disney Television, is an American entertainment company that oversees television content and assets owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. Forming the company's General Enterta ...
to acquire long-term, Canadian multi-platform rights to distribute Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's programming library and associated brands. As a result, Canadian versions of Disney Channel in English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and French launched on September 1, 2015. Further re-alignment occurred the same day, with the discontinuation of the Teletoon Retro
Teletoon Retro was a Canadian specialty channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment that was based on the Teletoon programming block. The service was dedicated to broadcasting classic animated television programs as well as some live-action s ...
brand: the English version assumed the intellectual property of Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
(which widened its carriage), and the French version being replaced by the aforementioned Disney La Chaîne
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
.[ ] New Corus-run Disney Junior
Disney Junior is an American pay television network owned by the Walt Disney Television (part of Disney General Entertainment Content) unit of The Walt Disney Company through Disney Branded Television. Aimed mainly at children two to seven y ...
and Disney XD
Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years ...
services launched as well, on December 1, 2015. Before that, the existing versions owned by DHX Media
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...
were respectively rebranded to Family Jr.
Family Jr. is a multiplex channel of the Canadian specialty channel Family Channel. It broadcasts children's programming aimed at viewers aged 2 to 7.
The channel launched on November 30, 2007 as a Canadian version of Playhouse Disney, under ...
and Family CHRGD
WildBrainTV is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by WildBrain. WildBrainTV broadcasts live-action and animated children's programming aimed towards audiences ages 6–15.
The channel first launched on June 1, 2011, under the own ...
(the latter now WildBrainTV), spinoffs of Family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
, and they lost the rights to broadcast Disney content in Canada.
Shutdown of Movie Central and Encore Avenue
On November 20, 2015, Corus announced, as a result of a strategic review, it would shut down its premium Movie Central
Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to operat ...
and Encore Avenue services on March 1, 2016 in order to focus more on its national specialty channels. Subscribers to the networks were migrated to Bell Media's The Movie Network
Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc.
Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...
and TMN Encore—ending the regional monopolies that TMN and Movie Central held in eastern and western Canada respectively. Bell Media made a payment of $211 million to Corus for assistance in coordinating this migration. Bell also announced that it would acquire Corus' stake in HBO Canada, giving them full ownership.
Subsumption of Shaw Media
On January 13, 2016, Corus Entertainment announced that it would acquire Shaw Media
Shaw Media was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. Shaw Media owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice (TV channel), Sli ...
for $1.85 billion, with Shaw Communications taking a 39% share of Corus stock. The division consisted primarily of the broadcasting assets of the former Canwest
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting an ...
, including the over-the-air Global Television Network
The Global Television Network (more commonly called Global, or occasionally Global TV) is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. It is currently Canada's second most-watched private terrestrial television network after ...
and 19 other specialty channels, such as Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
, HGTV, Showcase
Showcase or vitrine may refer to:
*Cabinet (furniture)
*Display case
Music
* ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961
* ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
, History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
, and Slice. The transaction was being used to fund Shaw Communications' purchase of wireless carrier Wind Mobile
Freedom Mobile Inc. is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider owned by Shaw Communications. It has 6% market share of Canada, mostly in urban areas of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Freedom Mobile is the fourth-largest wirele ...
. Corus' CEO, Doug Murphy, described the transaction as being a "transformational acquisition that redefines Corus and Canada's media landscape".
The transaction was officially structured as a reorganization of JR Shaw
James Robert Shaw (August 14, 1934 – March 23, 2020) was a Canadian businessman. He founded Alberta-based Shaw Communications in 1966 and was the executive chairman of the company. As of 2016, Shaw and other members of his family controlled 85 ...
's assets. The CRTC considers the Shaw family's assets to be a single entity for regulatory purposes, which exempted the transaction from the CRTC's tangible benefits policy and scrutiny surrounding concentration of media ownership. The reorganization was approved on March 23, 2016, and completed on April 1, 2016. At the same time, multiple Shaw Media executives joined Corus (including its former CEO Barbara Williams, as its new executive VP and COO), and the company adopted a new logo.
Attempted sale of French-language channels
On October 17, 2017, Bell Media announced its intent to acquire Historia and Séries+ from Corus for $200 million, which would have reunited them with the former Astral Media channels Canal D
Canal D is a Canadian French language discretionary service owned by Bell Media. Canal D focuses on documentary programming primarily in the form of documentary-style television series that focus on a variety of topics such as crime, biographies ...
, Canal Vie
Canal Vie is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. Canal Vie airs lifestyle and entertainment programs aimed at women in the form of talk shows, documentaries, reality TV series, and films. Programs focus on a variet ...
, Vrak
Vrak (stylized as VRΔK) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Bell Media. The channel primarily broadcasts live-action programming aimed at youth audiences.
History Background
The youth channel TVJQ () went on the air in 19 ...
, and Z. Corus stated that the two channels were not part of its "strategic priorities" at this time. On May 28, 2018, the sale was blocked and rejected by the Competition Bureau, for violating conditions imposed on Bell that prohibits the company from regaining ownership of divested Astral properties for 10 years.
Expanded partnerships, sale of Shaw Communications share
On June 13, 2018, ''The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' reported that the Shaw family was exploring the sale of its shares in Corus, in order to fund future expansion of the Freedom Mobile
Freedom Mobile Inc. is a Canadian wireless telecommunications provider owned by Shaw Communications. It has 6% market share of Canada, mostly in urban areas of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Freedom Mobile is the fourth-largest wirele ...
business. In its third-quarter financial report, Corus reported a year-over-year loss of $91 million, in comparison to a profit of $133 million in 2017. Corus also made a $1.013 billion write-down on its broadcasting businesses, resulting in a quarterly loss of $935.9 million, and cut its dividend to 24 cents. Doug Murphy acknowledged changes to the market climate for television, and stated that the company would have a larger focus on automated and "microtargeted" advertising sales going forward (in particular, using artificial intelligence to analyze information from set-top boxes to determine the best advertising strategies).
On March 4, 2019, it was announced that a full-time Canadian version of Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
would be launched. The block was shut down on that same day, and relaunched as 24-hour channel on April 1, 2019, replacing the declining channel Action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
under its existing license.
In May 2019, Shaw announced it would sell its shares in Corus in a secondary offering, at a valuation of $548 million. The sale was expected to be completed by the end of the month.
In June 2019, Corus was announced as a launch partner for Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
Channels in Canada, offering a subscription-based bundle known as StackTV
StackTV (stylized in all-caps as STACKTV) is a Canadian subscription video streaming package offered by Corus Entertainment through Amazon's Prime Video Channels. It was announced on June 3, 2019, and launched shortly thereafter as an add-on for ...
with access to live and on-demand programs from five Global TV stations and eleven Corus specialty services. At the same time, Corus would also launch a separate Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
SVOD channel known as Nick+.
In July 2019, multiple service providers began notifying their customers that two of Corus' declining specialty channels, IFC Canada and CosmoTV, would cease operations on September 30, 2019. In October 2019, FYI announced that it would shutter as well on December 31, 2019.
In March 2020, Corus replaced the individual mobile apps for most of its specialty channels with a new unified app under the Global brand, featuring content from Global, Global News
Global News is the news and current affairs division of the Canadian Global Television Network. The network is owned by Corus Entertainment, which oversees all of the network's national news programming as well as local news on its 21 owned- ...
, Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
, HGTV, History
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
, Showcase
Showcase or vitrine may refer to:
*Cabinet (furniture)
*Display case
Music
* ''Showcase'' (Bill Anderson album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Patsy Cline album), 1961
* ''Showcase'' (Buddy Holly album), 1964
* ''Showcase'' (Philly Joe Jones album), 1959 ...
, Slice, and W Network
W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts general entertainment programming oriented towards a female audience.
W Network was established in ...
on-launch. The app encompasses the TV Everywhere
TV Everywhere (also known as authenticated streaming or authenticated video on-demand) refers to a type of subscription business model wherein access to streaming video content from a television channel requires users to "authenticate" themse ...
streaming of programming from the networks for their subscribers, as well as free ad-supported streaming of selected programs from the networks without a television subscription.
In June and July 2020, Corus reached two content agreements with subsidiaries of Comcast
Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
, including Canadian rights to original series produced for its U.S. streaming service Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
(NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate corporation owned by Comcast and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States.
NBCUniversal is primari ...
) on June 23, 2020, and Canadian rights to original productions from British subsidiary Sky Studios
Sky Studios is a production company founded by Sky in June 2019 with assets from the now defunct Sky Vision. It develops, produces and funds original drama, comedy and documentary, and has investments in a number of production businesses in ...
via NBCUniversal Global Distribution (the agreements exclude DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios and simply known as DreamWorks) is an American animation studio that produces animated films and television programs and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division ...
's television subsidiary, which has a pre-existing output agreement with WildBrain
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of childr ...
).
BBC Canada
BBC Canada was a Canadian English language specialty channel that mostly broadcast television series originally produced by the BBC, the public-service broadcaster of the United Kingdom. The channel was owned by Corus Entertainment (80% & manag ...
was shut down on December 31, 2020; Blue Ant Media
Blue Ant Media Inc. is a Canadian broadcasting and media company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company was founded by Michael MacMillan and formed in 2011 following the acquisition of Glassbox Television. Its name was chosen in refere ...
would launch a ''de facto'' successor, BBC First
BBC First is an entertainment subscription television channel featuring comedy, crime, drama and film programming, originating from UK and mostly from the BBC. The channel is wholly owned and operated by BBC Studios. The channel began rolling ou ...
, in March 2021.
DIY Network was rebranded to a Canadian version of the Magnolia Network
Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related to topics such as home construction, renovation, and cuisine.
The channe ...
on March 28, 2022.
On September 1, 2022, Nick+ was decommissioned, and it was replaced with Teletoon+.
On December 1, 2022, Corus Entertainment launched a Canadian version of Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported video streaming service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Co-founded by Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in Los Angeles, California, in the United Sta ...
.
Corporate governance
The company's current CEO is Doug Murphy. Until 2003, the CEO post was filled by John Cassaday.
Sponsorships and industry partnerships
Corus is an industry sponsor of the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus
The Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, also known as the University of Waterloo Stratford School and formerly the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus, is a satellite campus of the University of Waterloo located in Stratfo ...
; Gary Maavara, Corus' Corporate Secretary, sits on the Waterloo campus' advisory board. The company also funds a couple of endowed chair
A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors. Endowments are of ...
positions, including chair in Women in Management at the Ivey Business School
Ivey Business School is a constituent unit of the University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario, Canada. Ivey offers full-time undergraduate (HBA), MBA, MSc, MFE and PhD programs and also maintains two teaching facilities in Toronto ...
(London, Ontario, Canada) beginning in 2003, and a chair in Communications Strategy at the Rotman School of Management
The Joseph L. Rotman School of Management (commonly known as the Rotman School of Management, the Rotman School or just Rotman) is the University of Toronto's graduate business school, located in Downtown Toronto. The University of Toronto has b ...
(Toronto) beginning in 2002.
Relationship with Shaw Communications
Corus Entertainment was formed from the media assets that had been owned by Shaw Communications in the years before. Shaw and Corus are independent, publicly traded companies, but nonetheless, some reports indicate that the two companies continued to have a close relationship. For several years, Corus managed advertising operations (such as TV listings channels) for Shaw's cable systems, although this operation has since been discontinued. Executives have also occasionally moved between the two companies, with former Corus Television president Paul Robertson joining Shaw to head Shaw Media
Shaw Media was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. Shaw Media owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice (TV channel), Sli ...
(the former Canwest
Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting an ...
broadcasting operations) in 2010.
Following Shaw's 2010 acquisition of Canwest's TV assets, the two companies incidentally became partners in certain channels including Dusk
Dusk occurs at the darkest stage of twilight, or at the very end of astronomical twilight after sunset and just before nightfall.''The Random House College Dictionary'', "dusk". At predusk, during early to intermediate stages of twilight, enou ...
(later replaced by ABC Spark
ABC Spark is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was launched on March 26, 2012, replacing the declining channel Dusk.
ABC Spark is based on the U.S. subscription channel Freeform (previously ...
) and the Canadian version of Food Network
Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
; these two partnerships were unwound in April 2013. Otherwise, there was no connection or common programming between Corus's conventional and specialty television operations and those of Shaw Media. For example, Corus owns three over-the-air TV stations which were longtime CBC affiliates, and which agreed in 2015 to switch to Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
's CTV network
The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a divis ...
, despite Shaw owning the rival Global
Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003
* ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007
* ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989
* ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015
* Bruno ...
network at the time. Following the merger of the Shaw Media properties into Corus, the Corus-operated CTV affiliates began transitioning to Global programming in September 2016 (beginning with CTV News
CTV News is the news division of the CTV Television Network in Canada. The name ''CTV News'' is also applied as the title of local and regional newscasts on the network's owned-and-operated stations (O&Os), which are closely tied to the national ...
programming being phased out in favour of Global News), and eventually switching to Global full-time after their affiliation expired on August 27, 2018.
As Corus Entertainment and Shaw Communications are both effectively controlled by JR Shaw, the CRTC considers them to be one entity regarding the "Diversity of Voices" policy and a vertical integration rule which requires television providers to carry three channels owned by unaffiliated parties for each co-owned channel they offer: due to the effective control, Corus networks that are carried by Shaw television services are subject to this rule.
See also
* List of assets owned by Corus Entertainment
* List of Canadian television channels
Television in Canada has many individual stations, networks, and systems.
National broadcast television networks
English
* CBC Television, a national public network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
* Citytv, a privately own ...
* List of Canadian specialty channels
The following is a list of Canadian specialty channels, premium television services, and most other channels not available via terrestrial television.
English
Entertainment
* ABC Spark
* Adult Swim
* AMI-tv
* BBC First
* CTV Comedy Channel
* CTV ...
* StackTV
StackTV (stylized in all-caps as STACKTV) is a Canadian subscription video streaming package offered by Corus Entertainment through Amazon's Prime Video Channels. It was announced on June 3, 2019, and launched shortly thereafter as an add-on for ...
* RiverTV
RiverTV is a Canadian OTT internet television service owned by VMedia that launched on June 4, 2020. RiverTV is a virtual multichannel video programming distributor ( vMVPD), primarily offering Canadian specialty channels and video on demand co ...
* List of conglomerates
A conglomerate is a combination of multiple business entities operating in entirely different industries under one corporate group, usually involving a parent company and many subsidiaries.
Conglomerates are typically large and multinational.
...
* Media of Canada
The media of Canada is diverse and highly regionalized. News media, both print and digital and in both official languages, is largely dominated by a handful of major media corporations. The largest of these corporations is the country’s natio ...
* Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
* Rogers Sports & Media
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, ...
* WildBrain
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of childr ...
* Blue Ant Media
Blue Ant Media Inc. is a Canadian broadcasting and media company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company was founded by Michael MacMillan and formed in 2011 following the acquisition of Glassbox Television. Its name was chosen in refere ...
* Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
References
External links
*
Corus Entertainment Inc.
- Canadian Communications Foundation
The Canadian Communications Foundation (CCF) is a Canadian nonprofit organization which documents the history of broadcasting in Canada, particularly radio and television. Since 1995, the organization has distributed its collection via an inter ...
{{Internet streaming services
Canadian brands
Corporate spin-offs
Companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange
Mass media companies established in 1999
Companies based in Toronto
Conglomerate companies of Canada
Conglomerate companies established in 1999
Publishing companies established in 1999
1999 establishments in Ontario
Television broadcasting companies of Canada
Canadian companies established in 1999