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YTV (Canadian TV channel)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Canadian TV channel. For the British channel, see ITV Yorkshire. For the ABC affiliate, see WYTV. For other uses, see YTV.
Not to be confused with KYTV.
Not to be confused with Yomiuri TV.

YTV
Logo used since 2014
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNational
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario, Canada
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Timeshift serviceYTV East
G3
Ownership
OwnerCorus Entertainment
ParentYTV Canada, Inc.
Sister channelsNickelodeon
Treehouse TV
History
LaunchedSeptember 1, 1988; 36 years ago (1988-09-01)
Links
Websitewww.ytv.com
Availability
Streaming media
StackTVInternet Protocol television

YTV is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by YTV Canada, Inc. a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment.[1] The channel and its programming is targeted at children and young teenagers. Its name was originally thought to be an abbreviation for "Youth Television", though the channel's website has denied this.[2]

The channel was launched on September 1, 1988 by owners Rogers Media and CUC Broadcasting upon launch. In 1995, Shaw Communications acquired CUC's 34% stake and in 1998, it acquired Rogers' remaining interest of the channel, before Shaw's media division was spun off to form Corus Entertainment in 1999.

Since its launch, YTV has aired various programs consisting of both original live-action and animated television series, movies, and third-party shows from various international markets. In addition to its own domestic productions, YTV also airs a number of programming directly from U.S.-based Nickelodeon as well as Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network. Corus used its relationship with Nickelodeon to launch YTV's own dedicated channel in 2009.

YTV operates two time shifted feeds, running on both Eastern and Pacific Time Zone schedules, and is available in over 11.0 million households in Canada as of 2013.[3]

History

[edit]

The channel was licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1987 by Rogers Cable and CUC Broadcasting.[4][5]

The channel launched on September 1, 1988, at 7:00 p.m. with the first program being a special party celebrating the launch of YTV, hosted by John Candy.[6] At launch, Rogers held 75% of the channel while CUC owned 25%.[5]

In 1994, the stakes of YTV's ownership was changed, with CUC now owning 34% and Rogers now owning 66%. However, in 1995, Calgary-based Shaw Communications acquired CUC's stake of 34% ownership of YTV. By 1998, Shaw had secured full control of YTV. In 1999, the media assets of Shaw were spun off to form Corus Entertainment.[5]

Two Corus specialty channel applications for YTV extensions, YTV POW!, an internationally sourced kids' action, adventure and superhero genre, and YTV OneWorld, targeting children and teenagers from age 9 to 17 with travel, humour, games, and STEM were approved on September 18, 2008.[7] The YTV Oneworld license was used to launch Nickelodeon Canada.[8]

On January 11, 2011, a high-definition feed was launched.[9]

Programming

[edit]
Main article: List of programs broadcast by YTV

Current YTV original programming include hosted programming blocks, such as The Zone. In addition to original programming, YTV has historically acquired and co-produced programming with the U.S cable network Nickelodeon.[10]

Programming blocks

[edit]

Current

[edit]

Seasonal

[edit]
  • Mucho Marcho – This block airs movies every March.
  • Fang-Tastic – This block airs Halloween specials and movies every October.
  • Merry Everything – This block airs holiday specials and movies all December long. It was previously known as "Big Fun Holidays" from 2009 to 2011, and "Merry 6mas" from 2012 to 2016.

Former

[edit]
  • The Treehouse (1994–98)
  • YTV Jr. (September 7, 1999–2002)
  • YTV PlayTime (2010–12)
  • Bionix (September 10, 2004 – February 7, 2010)
  • CRUNCH (September 9, 2006 – September 28, 2013)
  • Get Real! (September 8, 2007–2008)
  • Big Fun Weeknights
  • Big Fun Fridays
  • 3 Hairy Thumbs Up (October 19, 2002 to August 31, 2008)[15]
  • Moovibot (September 5, 2008 – September 6, 2009)
  • ZAPX Movies (September 11, 2005 – November 7, 2010)
  • Vortex (September 15, 2001 – June 24, 2006), hosted by Stephanie Broschart (2001–2003) and Paula Lemyre (2003–2006)
  • Brainwash[16]
  • Snit Station[17]
  • Limbo (2000–2001)[18]
  • Toon Town Alley
  • The Alley
  • The Breakfast Zone (1995–1996)[19]
  • The B-Zone[20]
  • The Vault (1997)
  • YTV Shift[21]
  • Spine Chilling Saturday Nights (1999)
  • The Dark Corner[22]
  • Whiplash Wednesdays
  • Nickelodeon Sundays[23]
  • Famalama DingDong
  • Fam Fun[24]

Branding history

[edit]
Former logo for the channel, used from 1994 to 2000. Although this logo was discontinued in 2000, it would still be used as the channel’s “de facto” logo until 2007, the "in stereo" bug until 2005 and the YTV Jr. logo until 2002, as well as the sign of the channel's transmitter building until 2010.
One of the many creature logos used from 2000 to 2007. This logotype would altered in 2003 along with addition of five new creatures.

Initially, YTV utilized computer-generated graphics in their network IDs, which were normally set against different sky backgrounds that changed depending on the time of day. The channel also started using various slogans ("The Spirit of Youth", "Young as You Are!", "The Youth Channel" and "Canada's Youth Channel") to promote and reflect their youth demographic at the time.

Over the years, the channel continued to revise their branding and promotional material. In 1993, a number of different on-air logos were taken effect, which features the logo's text placed atop of random objects. One logo variant used on production credits (and presumably the "official" logo) features an arrangement of the logo's text placed on a red screen of a stylized purple television set. In December 1994, the YTV text was changed, arranged the same way as before, though with an altered design of the TV background and logotype.

In the fall of 1998, YTV started to use a Nickelodeon-style "gross-out" factor in its branding and adopted a new slogan, "Keep It Weird". The logo was changed again in September 2000 with the TV background dropped and the YTV text modified. The channel continued utilizing various on-air logos featuring the same arrangement of the logo's text, this time on various bizarre and imaginative creatures. Many of the channel’s promos from this period often focused on promoting the brand through crude humour, often at the expense of the programs being advertised. As this advertising style permeated the station at all hours of the day, it was heavily criticized, especially by older fans of the station.

As a response, a new post-6:00 p.m. advertising style was developed for older audiences, which used a much simpler logo (similar to the current logo used today) and sleeker packaging with reduced "gross-out" tactics. Introduced on September 5, 2005, the simple logo (designed by Troika Design Group) first appeared on YTV's promos and even appeared on credits of newer original programming before being later adopted for the entire channel in 2007, replacing the creatures that had been used in rotation during the channel’s daytime hours.

On August 31, 2009, the logo was changed slightly to have featured new colours, and the background was simplified. The bumpers were reduced and were later replaced by opaque digital on-screen graphics telling viewers which programs are coming next, and promotions of the programs. As part of a slightly updated look in September 2012, the colour variants were dropped, leaving only the blue variation.

On October 6, 2014, the channel underwent a brand refresh, with new graphics and bumps created by the Toronto-based Eloisa Iturbe Studio. In addition, the channel updated its logo by having it face upwards to the left instead of directly to the audience.[25]

Program jockeys

[edit]

Beginning in September 1990, YTV called their program jockeys as "PJs" in the same vein as disc jockey (DJ) or video jockey (VJ).[26] Current hosts of these segments have since dropped the moniker as of the mid-1990s. On April 29, 2023, Corus dropped all program jockeys due to cuts from Corus CEO Doug Murphy. However, all final 3 hosts (Spencer, Kelsey, & Melony) still make appearances on social media.

Past program jockeys/hosts

[edit]
[edit]

Treehouse

[edit]
Main article: Treehouse TV

Treehouse is a Category A cable and satellite specialty channel which airs programming targeted to preschoolers ages six and younger. It launched on November 1, 1997.[48] The channel's name is taken from YTV's now-defunct children's programming block, The Treehouse. Treehouse is carried nationwide throughout Canada and it broadcasts its programming without commercial interruption.

Nickelodeon

[edit]
Main article: Nickelodeon (Canadian TV channel)

Nickelodeon is a Category B cable and satellite specialty channel that was launched on November 2, 2009, and is based on the U.S. cable channel Nickelodeon. Like its counterparts in the U.S. and elsewhere, Nickelodeon airs programs, including both live action series and animation, aimed at children to younger teenagers, specifically targeted to ages 7–11.

Former

[edit]

Vortex on Demand

[edit]

In July 2005, Corus Entertainment partnered up with Comcast Corporation to launch a cable video-on-demand service called "Vortex on Demand" in the U.S. The deal consisted of 393 30-minute animated TV series from the Nelvana library; it aired programs such as Cadillacs & Dinosaurs and Medabots.[49][50] The service was discontinued in mid-2007.

Bionix On Demand

[edit]

In 2008, Corus Entertainment started offering a video-on-demand service called "Bionix On Demand" to Canadian cable providers. Rogers Cable and Shaw Cable were the only providers to offer the service. The service offered older and newer anime programs that did not air on YTV itself. The video-on-demand service was previously titled "YTV Anime On Demand". Bionix On Demand was discontinued on December 17, 2009, and was replaced by YTV On Demand.[51]

YTV GO

[edit]

YTV GO was a TV Everywhere mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play Store. It was available at no extra charge to all subscribed customers of Access Communications, Bell Satellite TV, Cogeco, Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct, Telus, and VMedia. It offered episodes of various programming from YTV. The app operated between September 2015 and May 1, 2019.[52][53]

Vrak.TV

[edit]
Main article: Vrak

Along with YTV, Vrak launched on September 1, 1988 as Le Canal Famillie, which began as a French version of its sister network, Family. In 2001, the channel was renamed to Vrak.TV. On July 5, 2013, due to the acquisition of Astral by Bell Media, Vrak.TV was separated from Family. In 2014, it rebranded as Vrak, while launching a new block called Vrak2. In 2016, the channel changed its demographic to the 13-35 age group due to the success of its Vrak2 block.

On August 16, 2023, Vrak and Z were removed from Vidéotron, the company that created the original channel it was based on 41 years earlier, whilst Bell removed Yoopa from all of their TV services a day later. Yoopa is now scheduled to shut down on January 11, 2024, and will be replaced with a TV broadcast version of its parent company's QUB Radio channel.

Two days later on August 18, 2023, Bell Media announced that the channel would be closing on October 1, 2023, owing to "challenges" in the broadcasting sector, lack of viewers and regulatory affairs deemed "outdated" by Bell Media.[54] On September 25, the CRTC confirmed it had revoked Vrak's licence at the request of Bell Media,[55] with the channel shut down on October 1, 2023.

[edit]
  • Whoa! Magazine, YTV's official magazine, began publication in 1999[56] by Creative House, a joint venture between the channel, Today's Parent Group and Paton Publishing.[57] It was distributed through Pizza Hut, YTV events, Chapters and Indigo bookstores, Canadian newsstands, and subscriptions.[58] Three issues were released in its first year, followed by four in 2000 before the magazine officially became a quarterly (spring, summer, fall, and winter) in 2001.[57][59] The magazine celebrated its fifth anniversary with a spring collector's issue in 2004.[60] In 2007, the magazine became available as an e-zine on YTV.com.[61] Building on that, in 2008 two additional issues (six for the year) were published as online exclusives.[62] In 2009, YTV ended its association with the magazine.[63] Patton relaunched Whoa! as a magazine/blogging platform without the YTV branding that same year, until ceasing publication in 2011 and shutting the site down in 2012.[63][64]
  • Big Fun Party Mix was a series of compilation cassettes/CDs containing songs from various tween-approved artists both Canadian and foreign, as well as tracks featured in YTV's Hit List and The Next Star, plus performances by the station's band "Nuclear Donkey". Universal Music Canada published 11 entries from 2000 to 2009.[65][66]
  • Yabber.net was a moderated online chat room operated from 2001 to 2004. The site hosted live chats between viewers and celebrities, voice actors, YTV hosts, and staff. Upon its closure, YTV.com absorbed some of its functionality.[67][68]
  • The Big Rip was an online portal for browser-based massively multiplayer online games for preteens. Developed by Corus Entertainment and Frima Studio, it launched February 15, 2007.[69] Frima later assumed complete control of the portal before ceasing updates in 2010 and later shutting down the site.
  • YTV Spills was a follow-up quarterly magazine to Whoa! produced in association with The Magazine between 2010 and 2012.[70][71]
  • Keep It Weird is a YouTube channel featuring various productions by Nelvana, another division of Corus Entertainment, along with past Nickelodeon series, channel promos, and YTV originals.[72] It launched in 2015 under the name Nelvana Retro and was later rebranded to YTV Direct in 2016 before assuming its current name in 2018.[73]

International distribution

[edit]
  • Jamaica – distributed on Flow Cable systems.[74]
  • Bahamas – formerly distributed on Cable Bahamas systems channel 307. Removed from the channel line up as of September 2020 due to the programming lineup changes.[75]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ownership Chart 32b" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  2. ^ "About YTV.com". November 10, 2006. Archived from the original on January 24, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  3. ^ "YTV Canada Inc. | YTV Fast Forwards to Fall with Eight Side-Splitting New Series". Newswire.ca. June 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  4. ^ Decision CRTC 87-903 CRTC December 1, 1987
  5. ^ a b c "YTV | History of Canadian Broadcasting".
  6. ^ "YTV First Night (launch special, September 1, 1988)". youtube.com. RW-TV: RetroWinnipeg. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Staff. "Radio/Television Station Group History: Corus Entertainment Inc". The History of Canadian Broadcasting. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  8. ^ Nickelodeon Canada set to launch; Media in Canada; September 29, 2009
  9. ^ "Bell Satellite launches YTV and Family Channel in high definition". Digital Home. January 12, 2011.
  10. ^ "YTV and Nickelodeon: A brand-driven partnership".
  11. ^ The Afterschool Zone Gord the PJ Man Monday, Sept. 2, 1991
  12. ^ "The Zone | Schedule and Full Episodes on YTV". YTV. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  13. ^ "YTV LAUNCHES NEW SUNDAY MOVIE BLOCK BIG FUN MOVIES WITH HOST LAURA". Newswire. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  14. ^ "BIG FUN MOVIES | Schedule and Full Episodes on YTV". YTV. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  15. ^ "3 Hairy Thumbs Up – Great Movies on YTV". March 14, 2006. Archived from the original on March 14, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  16. ^ "YTV – Brain Wash". April 12, 1997. Archived from the original on April 12, 1997. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  17. ^ "YTV – Shows – Snit Station". April 13, 2000. Archived from the original on April 13, 2000. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "YTV skews older with new after-bedtime block". Kidscreen. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  19. ^ "The Breakfast Zone". IMDb. January 30, 1995. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  20. ^ "YTV – B-Zone". April 12, 1997. Archived from the original on April 12, 1997. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  21. ^ "YTV – YTV Shift". April 12, 1997. Archived from the original on April 12, 1997. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  22. ^ "YTV – Dark Corner". June 8, 2002. Archived from the original on June 8, 2002. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  23. ^ "Corus announces YTV, Discovery Kids and Treehouse fall skeds". Kidscreen. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  24. ^ "Fam Fun | Schedule and Full Episodes on YTV". YTV. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  25. ^ Sanders, Justin W. (February 24, 2015). "Daily Brief: Brand/Rebrand: YTV". PromaxBDA.
  26. ^ Kennedy, Janice (February 22, 1991). "More Kids On The Block". Newspapers.com. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Edmonton Journal. p. 51. Retrieved November 18, 2022. In September, the cable network introduced the program jockeys to young YTV viewers.
  27. ^ "License Hey Meisha!". www.heymeisha.com.
  28. ^ "Host". LISA GILROY. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  29. ^ "Elizabeth Becker » Directors Guild of Canada". www.dgc.ca. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  30. ^ "Stéphanie Broschart". IMDb. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  31. ^ "Laura DaSilva-Reporter Demo Reel". YouTube. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  32. ^ "The Oral History of 1990s YTV". Torontoist. December 22, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  33. ^ "YTV The Treehouse [PJ Krista & PJ Simon] (July, 1998)". YouTube. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  34. ^ "ZAPX movies: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl". YTV. August 10, 2009. Archived from the original on August 14, 2009.
  35. ^ "Paula Lemyre". IMDb.
  36. ^ "Shaun Majumder". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  37. ^ "Aashna Patel". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  38. ^ "Joyce Quansah". Linkedin. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  39. ^ "YTV Promo – The Zone (2008)". YouTube. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  40. ^ "Jennifer Racicot". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  41. ^ "Michael Quast". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  42. ^ "Anand Rajaram". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  43. ^ "Marty Stelnick". IMDb.
  44. ^ "Exan Auyoung". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  45. ^ "Tarzan Dan". IMDb.
  46. ^ "Adrian Pryce". IMDb. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  47. ^ "Mark Suki".
  48. ^ "Corus Entertainment 2000 Annual Report" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  49. ^ "CORUS ENTERTAINMENT AND COMCAST LAUNCH VORTEX ON DEMAND" (Press release). Toronto, Philadelphia: Corus Entertainment. July 7, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  50. ^ "Select on Demand". Comcast. May 16, 2007. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  51. ^ "YTV Anime On Demand". YTV. Archived from the original on November 5, 2006.
  52. ^ "Corus Entertainment Q4 2015 Anaylst Call Transcript" (PDF). Corus Entertainment. October 22, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  53. ^ "Service Update: May 1 – Corus Apps Decommission". Shaw Communications. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  54. ^ "Bell Media to shut down Vrak TV after Videotron ends its distribution | Montreal Gazette".
  55. ^ Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (September 25, 2023). "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2023-324". Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  56. ^ "Whoa Magazine". February 29, 2000. Archived from the original on October 9, 1999. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  57. ^ a b "YTV goes glossy". Playback. February 8, 1999. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  58. ^ "Watch Out For Increased Distribution Of Ytv Whoa! Magazine This Spring". Corus Entertainment. April 5, 2002. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  59. ^ "YTV WHOA! Magazine Grows Up Into a Quarterly as Kids' Magazines Flourish on the Newsstands". Corus Entertainment. June 21, 2001. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  60. ^ "YTV Whoa! collector's issue will be published in honour of our 5th anniversary!". Paton Publishing. Archived from the original on March 25, 2007. Retrieved September 27, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  61. ^ "YTV's Whoa! gets clickable". Media in Canada. April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  62. ^ "YTV Whoa – Paton Publishing". Paton Publishing. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  63. ^ a b "The New Whoa! Magazine". Paton Publishing. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  64. ^ "Whoa! Magazine". Paton Publishing. Archived from the original on October 31, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  65. ^ "YTV CD is #1 Selling Compilation in Canada". Corus Entertainment. March 27, 2001. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  66. ^ "WHO WILL BE THE NEXT STAR? NEW YTV TALENT SERIES PREMIERES FRIDAY, JULY 18 AT 6 P.M. ET/PT". Corus Entertainment. July 3, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  67. ^ "YTV launches kids Web site". Broadcaster Magazine. April 1, 2001. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  68. ^ "Yabber.net Homepage". Yabber. Archived from the original on June 14, 2004. Retrieved September 27, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  69. ^ "CORUS ENTERTAINMENT LAUNCHES UNPARALLELED ONLINE GAME-WORLD FOR TWEENS" (Press release). Toronto: Corus Entertainment. February 15, 2007. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  70. ^ "I wrote this whole magazine! I am the Anna Wintour of YTV! (If Vogue = mostly iCarly posters.) Msg me if you know kids & want copies!". Twitpic. July 29, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  71. ^ "YTV's Spills Magazine on Behance". Behance. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  72. ^ "YTV Direct". Youtube. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  73. ^ "Watch Nelvana Retro Now!". YTV. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  74. ^ "Flow Cable channel lineup". Flowjamaica.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  75. ^ Cable Bahamas channel lineup Archived August 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
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