Television in Quebec is a part of the
culture of Quebec
The culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting predominantly from the shared history of the French-speaking North American majority in Quebec. Québécois culture, as a whole, constitutes all distinctive traits – spirit ...
, with over 99% of households owning a television in Quebec. Long a preferred medium of many of Quebec's actors, artists, and writers, television has been one of the important forces in Quebec society, including its substantial influence in a series of dramatic changes in the 1960s: the
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution (french: Révolution tranquille) was a period of intense socio-political and socio-cultural change in French Canada which started in Quebec after the election of 1960, characterized by the effective secularization of govern ...
.
Types of television
Although broadcast in
French, ''la télévision québécoise'' has little relationship to its gallic cousin; it is decidedly
North American in its approach: a 30-minute programming grid, commercials, local stations, along with the distinction between broadcast television formed around networks of stations—which is freely available to anyone with a TV within their broadcast area—and cable television channels—which requires a subscription to receive.
Broadcast television
The four major broadcast television networks in Quebec are
Ici Radio-Canada Télé,
TVA
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a Federal government of the United States, federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, an ...
,
Noovo
Noovo is a Canadian French-language terrestrial television network owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The network has five owned-and-operated and three affiliated stations throughout Quebec, although it can also be seen over-the-air ...
and
Télé-Québec
The Société de télédiffusion du Québec (; en, Quebec Television Broadcasting Corporation), branded as Télé-Québec (), is a Canadian French-language public educational television network in the province of Quebec. It is a provincial Cro ...
. Some local advertising is aired and stations produce local newscasts, but all four networks otherwise air virtually identical schedules throughout Quebec, with the network signals being essentially the output of their Montreal flagships. Local stations affiliated with the networks are located in each of the 10 television markets of Quebec:
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...
,
Gatineau–
Ottawa,
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional cou ...
,
Saguenay,
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of ...
,
Rivière-du-Loup
Rivière-du-Loup (; 2021 population 20,118) is a small city on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. The city is the seat for the Rivière-du-Loup Regional County Municipality and the judicial district of Kamouraska. Its one of ...
,
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 ...
,
Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and
Carleton-sur-Mer.
TVA is by far the most watched network: in fall 2006, it held 28% of the Quebec francophone primetime television audience, compared to Radio-Canada's 19% and Noovo's 14%.
Given the predominantly French-speaking population, only
CBC, the English-language television service (
CBMT-DT
CBMT-DT (channel 6) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, broadcasting the English-language service of CBC Television. It is owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation alongside Ici Radio-Canada Télé flagship C ...
) funded by the government of Canada, is available over the air throughout the province. Montreal has local owned-and-operated stations of
CTV (
CFCF-DT),
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 ...
(
CKMI-DT), and
Citytv (
CJNT-DT
CJNT-DT (channel 62) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the Citytv network. Owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media, the station maintains studios inside the Rogers Building at the corner of McGill ...
), Canada's three main English-language networks, while Gatineau receives all three networks as part of the
Ottawa media market; Global is also available over-the-air in Quebec City and Sherbrooke through
rebroadcasters of the Montreal station.
Cable television
Quebec has the lowest cable television-satellite television penetration rates in Canada, with 85.7% of Quebecers having cable television, as of 2006.
Vidéotron
Vidéotron is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable television, interactive multimedia development, video on demand, cable telephony, wireless communication and Internet access services. Owned by Quebecor, it primarily ...
and
Cogeco are the largest cable companies in Quebec, although a large number of independent cable companies exist. These compete against satellite companies
Bell Satellite TV
Bell Satellite TV (french: Bell Télé; formerly known as Bell ExpressVu, Dish Network Canada and ExpressVu Dish Network and not to be confused with Bell's IPTV Fibe TV service) is the division of BCE Inc. that provides satellite television ser ...
and
Shaw Direct
Shaw Direct is a direct broadcast satellite television distributor in Canada and a subsidiary of the telecommunications company Shaw Communications. As of 2010, Shaw Direct had over 900,000 subscribers. It broadcasts on Ku band from two commu ...
, as well as Bell's
IPTV
Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is the delivery of television content over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This is in contrast to delivery through traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television formats. Unlike downloaded med ...
service
Bell Fibe TV.
The industry
There are two primary television seasons of approximately 13 weeks each with the first being a fall season running from the beginning of September to December and, then, a winter season running from January to April. It is during these two periods that the majority of new domestic series air.
Nearly all Quebecois television outlets are owned by six companies: the federally owned
Société Radio-Canada
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. ...
, the provincially owned
Société de télédiffusion du Québec, and private companies
Groupe TVA
Groupe TVA Inc. is a Canadian communications company with operations in broadcasting, publishing and production. It was founded as Télé-Métropole Corporation in 1960, and owned CFTM-TV, Montreal's first privately-owned francophone station. It ...
,
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media 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 in Toronto, Onta ...
,
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, ...
, and
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 ...
. These companies produce programming themselves or, more commonly, by independent producers. Tax breaks provided to independent producers have increased their workload, although the two largest networks produce a large amount of programming themselves.
Television production is centred in Montreal, where Radio-Canada and TVA have their large studio complexes and where most other independent studio facilities exist. A small amount of national programming is produced in Quebec City, in accordance with the licenses of the broadcast networks.
The French-language television industry in Canada is heavily dependent on original, domestic productions—even more so than English-language outlets. As the French-language stations did not compete with U.S. stations, and viewers were relatively uninterested in dubs of U.S. imports, there was a larger incentive to invest in original dramas and entertainment programming catered towards the captive Quebecois audience.
Quebecois television has been described as having an insular "star system" that favours local talent—insofar that personalities may frequently appear across different programs. ''
Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'' media writer Steve Faguy found that there were at least 40 different Quebecois programs with formats dependent on celebrity guests (either as a participant or interview subject). In April 2016, during an interview on Radio-Canada's ''
Tout le monde en parle'', Quebecois musician
Pierre Lapointe
Pierre Lapointe (born 23 May 1981) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. His work largely follows in the tradition of French chanson, though he is influenced by modern pop music. Defining himself as a "popular singer", he has built an egocentric pe ...
criticized the lack of diversity in the personalities seen on Quebecois television, which he described as a "culture of emptiness". Lapointe explained that "I'm sick of always seeing the same faces, and I'm one of those faces." The episode aired against the 2016
Artis Award The Artis Award is based on popular vote and is presented for achievements in French-Canadian ( Québécois) television; called in French the Prix Artis. Many notable Québécois performing artists have been honored with this award, like Rémy Gir ...
s on TVA, which featured many of the same nominees and winners as the previous year's edition.
History
Television began in Quebec (and in Canada) on September 6, 1952, with the launch of
CBFT
CBFT-DT (channel 2) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, serving as the flagship station of the French-language service of Ici Radio-Canada Télé. It is owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (known in Fren ...
in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, the first station in what would become Radio-Canada's television network. Borrowing the technical standards and
frequency plan
A frequency plan, bandplan, band plan or wavelength plan is a plan for using a particular band of radio frequencies, that are a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Each frequency plan defines the frequency range to be included, how channels a ...
from television in the United States, the station broadcast on the lowest channel, channel 2. Though initially bilingual, carrying programming from sister broadcaster
CBC as well, the network would hold a monopoly on French-language television during all of the 1950s.
This "golden age" would end with a producers' strike at Radio-Canada in December 1958. The strike would lead one popular television host,
René Lévesque
René Lévesque (; August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Québécois politician and journalist who served as the 23rd premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Québécois political leader since Confederation to attempt ...
, to launch a career in politics, one that would lead him to found the
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishin ...
and, later, nine-years as the
Premier of Quebec
The premier of Quebec ( French: ''premier ministre du Québec'' (masculine) or ''première ministre du Québec'' (feminine)) is the head of government of the Canadian province of Quebec. The current premier of Quebec is François Legault of th ...
.
In 1961,
Télé-Métropole in Montreal signed on the air with decidedly populist programming. Known as ''le 10'' for its channel number, it was first private French-language television broadcaster, the station would become the backbone of what is now the largest and highest-rated network in Quebec. In 1971, the network was formalized and given a name: TVA. By the early 1980s, its broadcast coverage reached nearly the entire province.
Colour began to be introduced in the 1960s, and by the end of the decade, unique cable television programming began with the introduction of ''télévision communautaire'', the
community channel.
Radio-Québec, now
Télé-Québec
The Société de télédiffusion du Québec (; en, Quebec Television Broadcasting Corporation), branded as Télé-Québec (), is a Canadian French-language public educational television network in the province of Quebec. It is a provincial Cro ...
, began in 1972, creating a third network, focusing on cultural and educational programming; first, its programming only appeared on cable, three years later, it began broadcasting as Montreal's first UHF station.
In the following years, additional Quebec cable networks appeared: TVSQ, covering sports, and surpassed in 1988 by
RDS; TVJQ, with children's programming, later becoming Le Canal Famille, and now
VRAK.TV
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 ...
; the TEQ, carrying an assortment of ethic programming, and now
CJNT-TV
CJNT-DT (channel 62) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the Citytv network. Owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media, the station maintains studios inside the Rogers Building at the corner of McGill C ...
; and TVFQ-99 (now
TV5 Québec Canada
TV5 Québec Canada (abbreviated to TV5) is a Canadian French-language specialty channel that focuses primarily on programming from international French-speaking broadcasters.
The channel shares a broadcast licence with its sister network, Unis, ...
).
In 1986, Télévision Quatre-Saisons, later V, now
Noovo
Noovo is a Canadian French-language terrestrial television network owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The network has five owned-and-operated and three affiliated stations throughout Quebec, although it can also be seen over-the-air ...
, launched as the newest television network, and the first to be distributed by satellite. With stations in Montreal and Quebec City, its reach was extended with partnerships with Radio-Canada affiliates elsewhere in the province, creating what is known as a
twinstick
A duopoly (or twinstick, referring to "stick" as jargon for a radio tower) is a situation in television and radio broadcasting in which two or more stations in the same city or community share common ownership.
United States
In the United States, ...
.
At the same time, expansion of the number of cable channels continued: MusiquePlus (now
Elle Fictions
Elle Fictions (stylized ELLE Fictions) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Remstar Media Group. The channel broadcasts general entertainment programming targeting young adult women.
It was first established in 1986 as the m ...
) in 1986;
MétéoMédia
MétéoMédia is a Canadian French-language weather information specialty channel and web site owned by Pelmorex. MétéoMédia primarily serves viewers in Quebec, although some cable TV systems in Ontario and New Brunswick carry the channel as we ...
in 1987; Réseau de l'information (now
ICI RDI
Ici RDI (stylized ICI RDI) is a Canadian French-language specialty news channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (known in French as Société Radio-Canada). The channel began broadcasting on January 1, 1995 as Réseau de l'informa ...
) and
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 ...
in 1995; MusiMax (now simply known as
Max),
Canal Vie,
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 ...
, and
Le Canal Nouvelles
Le Canal Nouvelles (LCN) is a Canadian French language discretionary service 24-hour headline news channel owned by Groupe TVA, a division of Québecor. Its broadcasting headquarters are located in Montreal, Quebec. The channel, operated and pro ...
in 1997;
Évasion
Évasion is a Canadian French language discretionary service channel owned by Groupe TVA. The channel broadcasts programming devoted to travel and adventure.
History
In May 1999, a consortium consisting of BCE Inc. (50.1%), Groupe Serdy (19.9%), ...
,
Historia, Séries+ (now
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 ...
) and Canal Z (later renamed as Ztélé; now simply known as
Z), in 2000; and ARTV (now
Ici ARTV
Ici ARTV (stylized as ICI artv) is a Canadian French language specialty channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (known in French as Société Radio-Canada). The channel broadcasts the arts and culture including music, dance, thea ...
) in 2001.
In the middle of the decade, as the growth of digital cable expanded, digital-only cable channels began to appear; today they include such channels as
AddikTV
addikTV is a Canadian French-language specialty channel owned by Groupe TVA, a division of Quebecor Media. The channel is devoted primarily to French-language drama programming focusing on mystery, suspense, and thriller TV series and films. Th ...
,
Argent
In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to ...
,
CASA,
Cinépop,
MOI ET CIE,
Prise 2
Prise 2 (French: ''"Take 2"'') is a Television in Canada, Canadian French language specialty channel owned by Groupe TVA, a division of Quebecor Media.
Prise 2 broadcasts television series and films, primarily from Quebec and the United States, ...
,
RDS2
RDS2 is a Canadian French language sports specialty channel, acting as the secondary feed of French language television network Réseau des sports, owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc. The channel was launched on October 7, 2011, to coincide wit ...
,
RDS Info
RDS Info is a Television in Canada, Canadian French language Category A services, Category A digital cable 24-hour sports information specialty channel. It is owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc., a division of Bell Media (80%) and ESPN (20%).
...
,
Télétoon Rétro
Télétoon Rétro was a Canadian French language Category B specialty television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was based on the former Télétoon programming block ''Télétoon Retro'' and was dedicated to broadcas ...
and
TVA Sports
TVA Sports is a Canadian French-language sports specialty channel owned by the Groupe TVA, a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media. The channel is a general-interest sports network, and the first major competitor to RDS, the only other ...
.
See also
*
List of Quebec television channels
This is a list of Quebec television channels.
French broadcast networks
* CFTU-DT (''Canal Savoir'')
* Ici Radio-Canada Télé
* TVA (Quebecor)
* Télé-Québec
* Noovo
English broadcast channels
Quebec is predominantly francophone, with it ...
*
List of Quebec television series
This is a non-exhaustive list of French-language television series from Canada. Most such television series are produced in Quebec, although a small number are also produced elsewhere in Canada. Series produced outside Quebec are noted below with ...
*
List of Quebec media
This is a list of Quebec media.
News services
* CNW Telbec
* La Presse Canadienne
Newspapers
Daily
* '' 24 Heures'' ( Quebecor)
* '' Le Devoir'' (independent)
* '' Le Droit'' produced in Ottawa, but also distributed in Gatineau and elsewh ...
*
Culture of Quebec
The culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting predominantly from the shared history of the French-speaking North American majority in Quebec. Québécois culture, as a whole, constitutes all distinctive traits – spirit ...
References
{{Canada topic, Television in
Mass media in Quebec