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CTV Drama Channel (formerly known as Bravo) is a
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...
English language specialty channel owned by
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 ...
. The channel was founded as the Canadian version of the U.S. channel Bravo (which is now owned by NBCUniversal) on January 1, 1995 by Moses Znaimer and its owner
CHUM Limited CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto, Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in 1954. CH ...
, and originally focused on performing arts, drama, and independent film. As with its U.S. counterpart, the channel has dropped its arts programming but unlike its U.S. counterpart, which shifted to female-targeting reality and lifestyle-oriented series, the Canadian channel adopted a general entertainment format with a focus on drama. In 2007, Bravo was among the channels acquired by CTVglobemedia after buying the assets of CHUM Limited. The channel was relaunched in 2012 under a new logo and separate branding from its former American counterpart. Seven years later, the channel would rebrand again under its current name on September 12, 2019.


History

In the 1980s, a precursor to Bravo existed called
C Channel C Channel was a short-lived Canadian premium television channel specialising in arts programming. It was one of Canada's first licensed "pay TV" channels when it began in 1983 but it ended in failure within five months. History Toronto-base ...
. The service was boasted as a national commercial-free pay television channel that focused on arts programming. C Channel launched on February 1, 1983, before it went bankrupt and ceased operations five months later on June 30 of that year due to its inability to attract a sufficient number of subscribers at a price of $16 per month. Over 10 years later, another attempt at an arts-based channel was proposed when
CHUM Limited CHUM Limited was a Canadian media company based in Toronto, Ontario in operation from 1945 to 2007. The company was founded in 1945 as York Broadcasters Limited when it launched CHUM-AM 1050 but was acquired by salesman Allan Waters in 1954. CH ...
applied to the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC; french: Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes, links=) is a public organization in Canada with mandate as a regulatory agency for broadcasti ...
(CRTC) for a license to operate Bravo. In June 1994, CHUM's application for Bravo was approved, citing its nature of service as focusing on "performance and drama programming, as well as documentary and discussion". Bravo was launched on January 1, 1995, licensing the name from
Rainbow Media AMC Networks Inc. is an American entertainment company headquartered in 11 Penn Plaza, New York. AMC Networks owns and operates the eponymous cable channel and its siblings, IFC, We TV, and Sundance TV; the art house movie theater IFC Cent ...
(now known as AMC Networks), who partnered with CHUM to launch MuchMusic USA (later known as
Fuse TV Fuse is an American pay television channel launched in 1994 which was originally dedicated to music. After merging with the Latino-oriented NuvoTV in 2015, Fuse shifted its focus to general entertainment and lifestyle programming targeting mult ...
).


Sale to CTVglobemedia/Bell Media

In July 2006, Bell Globemedia (later called
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 ...
) announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated
CAD Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...
$1.7 billion, included in the sale was Bravo The sale was approved by the CRTC on June 8, 2007, and the transaction was completed on June 22, 2007 while the Citytv stations were sold to
Rogers 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, ...
. After CTVglobemedia's purchase of Bravo, the channel increasingly shifted its focus toward more television and film dramas (such as ''
Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...
''), and lessened its focus on arts programming. On September 10, 2010,
BCE Inc. BCE Inc., formerly Bell Canada Enterprises Inc., is a publicly traded Canadian holding company for Bell Canada, which includes telecommunications providers and various mass media assets under its subsidiary Bell Media Inc. Founded through a cor ...
(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. The deal was approved by the CRTC on March 7, 2011, and was finalized on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media. a high definition simulcast feed of Bravo, which broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format, was launched later that year on October 6, 2011. While under Bell Media ownership, Bravo unveiled a new on-air logo and new on-air presentation in 2012, as part of an extensive rebranding of the network. On June 6, 2013, Bell announced that Bravo would become the company's first network to implement a
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 ...
service, which would allow subscribers of participating television service providers that carry Bravo to stream video on demand content as well as a live feed of the Bravo channel via the Bravo Go app. On June 7, 2018, it was announced that Bravo would be re-branded as "CTV Drama", as part of a re-branding of several Bell Media specialty channels under the
CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...
name. The following year, it was revealed the channel would rebrand as CTV Drama Channel on September 12, 2019. Bell also announced a commitment to order 20 made-for-TV film adaptations of Harlequin novels from Harlequin Studios, which will air on CTV Drama Channel and Vrak.


Programming

Presently, CTV Drama Channel airs a mix of programming from American cable and broadcast networks, as well as reruns of Canadian-produced shows to fulfill
Canadian content Canadian content (abbreviated CanCon, cancon or can-con; ) refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requirements, derived from the Broadcasting Act of Canada, that radio and television broadcasters (inclu ...
quotas. In its early years as Bravo, the channel often aired short films by Canadian artists between programs, funded by its foundation
Bravo!FACT BravoFACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) was a Canadian fund that ran continuously from 1995 to 2017. It was established to fund the creation of Canadian arts-based short films and videos. BravoFACT funded shorts from various subject matter ...
, which ranged from comedy to drama to opera to jazz to
animation Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
. Many of these also aired on Bravo's weekly series '' Bravo!FACT Presents''. Bravo has also produced a limited amount of scripted and non-scripted series and has broadcast many notable specials, including a telecast of Canadian rock band
Spirit of the West Spirit of the West were a Canadian folk rock band from North Vancouver, active from 1983 to 2016. They were popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences which ma ...
's ''
Open Heart Symphony ''Open Heart Symphony'' is a 1996 album by Spirit of the West, in collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The band recorded two shows with the orchestra on May 12 and May 13, 1995, at the Orpheum Theatre. The shows included severa ...
'' concert with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and three early television films within the '' Murdoch Mysteries'' franchise: ''
Except the Dying ''Except the Dying'' is a 2004 made-for-TV film starring Peter Outerbridge, Colm Meaney, Keeley Hawes, William B. Davis and Flora Montgomery. It was adapted by Janet MacLean from the novel of the same name by Maureen Jennings. Plot In this fi ...
'', ''
Poor Tom Is Cold ''Poor Tom Is Cold'' is a 2004 made-for-TV film starring Peter Outerbridge, Colm Meaney, Keeley Hawes and Flora Montgomery. The second film to feature the character of William Murdoch and his unique ways of doing detective work, the film is based ...
'' and ''
Under the Dragon's Tail ''Under the Dragon's Tail'' is a 2005 made-for-TV film starring Peter Outerbridge, Matthew MacFadzean, Hélène Joy, and Flora Montgomery. It was adapted by Janet MacLean from the novel by Maureen Jennings of the same name. Plot This is the thir ...
''.


As CTV Drama Channel


Current programming

* '' Animal Kingdom'' * ''
Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, and ...
'' * ''
The Closer ''The Closer'' is an Television in the United States, American television police procedural starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department Chief of police#United States, deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator o ...
'' * '' Chicago Fire'' * ''
Chicago Med ''Chicago Med'' is an American medical drama television series created by Dick Wolf and Matt Olmstead, and is the third installment of Wolf Entertainment's ''Chicago'' franchise. The series premiered on NBC on November 17, 2015. ''Chicago Med ...
'' * '' Chicago P.D.'' * ''
Claws A claw is a curved, pointed appendage found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine, hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus ...
'' * ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' * '' Flashpoint'' * '' The Handmaid's Tale'' * '' In the Dark'' * '' Killing Eve'' * ''
Fear Thy Neighbor ''Fear Thy Neighbor'' is an American-Canadian true crime documentary television series which premiered on April 14, 2014 on the Investigation Discovery channel. The narrator for the series is voice actress Tish Iceton. The series is an interna ...
'' * ''
Station Eleven ''Station Eleven'' is a novel by the Canadian writer Emily St. John Mandel. It takes place in the Great Lakes region before and after a fictional swine flu pandemic, known as the "Georgia Flu", has devastated the world, killing most of the popul ...
'' * ''
Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) * Walker (surname) * Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States * Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County * Walker, Mono County, Californ ...
''


As Bravo

* ''Arts & Minds'' * ''At the Concert Hall'' * ''Bravo! Videos'' * ''Bravo!FACT Presents'' * ''Bravo!NEWS'' *''
Except the Dying ''Except the Dying'' is a 2004 made-for-TV film starring Peter Outerbridge, Colm Meaney, Keeley Hawes, William B. Davis and Flora Montgomery. It was adapted by Janet MacLean from the novel of the same name by Maureen Jennings. Plot In this fi ...
'' *''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' * ''Live at the Rehearsal Hall'' * '' 19-2'' *''
Odd Job Jack ''Odd Job Jack'' is a Canadian adult animated sitcom starring Don McKellar, about one man's misadventures in temporary employment. Seen on and produced for The Comedy Network, a cable specialty channel, Adult Swim and MuchMusic in Latin America, ...
'' *''
Open Heart Symphony ''Open Heart Symphony'' is a 1996 album by Spirit of the West, in collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The band recorded two shows with the orchestra on May 12 and May 13, 1995, at the Orpheum Theatre. The shows included severa ...
'' * ''The O'Regan Files'' * ''Playlist'' * ''The People's Couch'' *''
Poor Tom Is Cold ''Poor Tom Is Cold'' is a 2004 made-for-TV film starring Peter Outerbridge, Colm Meaney, Keeley Hawes and Flora Montgomery. The second film to feature the character of William Murdoch and his unique ways of doing detective work, the film is based ...
'' * ''Star Portraits'' *''
Under the Dragon's Tail ''Under the Dragon's Tail'' is a 2005 made-for-TV film starring Peter Outerbridge, Matthew MacFadzean, Hélène Joy, and Flora Montgomery. It was adapted by Janet MacLean from the novel by Maureen Jennings of the same name. Plot This is the thir ...
''


References


External links

* {{Video on Demand Services in Canada Analog cable television networks in Canada CTV Television Network Bell Media networks Television channels and stations established in 1995 English-language television stations in Canada 1995 establishments in Canada