Food Network is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel based on the American cable network of the same name. It airs programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry. The Canadian version of Food Network is a joint venture between Food Network Canada Inc. a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment and the U.S. network's parent company Television Food Network, G.P. (which is majority-owned by Warner Bros. Discovery).
 | |
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Food Network Canada Inc. (80.15%, via Corus Entertainment – managing partner) Television Food Network G.P. (19.85%; Warner Bros. Discovery/Nexstar Media Group[1]) |
| Sister channels | Cooking Channel DTour HGTV Magnolia Network |
| History | |
| Launched | October 9, 2000 |
| Former names | Food Network Canada (2000–2005) |
| Links | |
| Website | flavournetwork |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| StackTV | Internet Protocol television |
| RiverTV | Channel 12 (HD) |
| Rogers Ignite | Channel 95 (HD) |
Although the U.S. version of the channel became available in Canada from 1997 onwards, this channel went on the air on October 9, 2000, under the joint venture of Corus, Alliance Atlantis and E. W. Scripps Company. Through various ownership changes over the years, Corus fully regained ownership of the channel in 2016.
In June 2024, it was announced that Rogers Sports & Media had acquired the Canadian rights to all Warner Bros. Discovery lifestyle and factual brands; as a result, the channel will rebrand as Flavour Network on December 30, 2024, which will replace Food Network U.S. programs with other acquisitions to accompany its existing Canadian productions. Rogers is scheduled to launch a second iteration of Food Network under its ownership on January 1, 2025.
History
editThe U.S. Food Network was available in Canada since 1997 and became one of the more popular foreign cable channels available in Canada. This prompted the creation of a Canadian version which would then be able to access ad revenue through commercials under Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) regulations. Corus Entertainment and Alliance Atlantis launched the channel on October 9, 2000 at 6:00 a.m. EST.
The licence for Food Network Canada was approved by the CRTC in early 2000. The channel was launched in October of that year; on the day of the launch, the U.S. service was removed from the list of foreign channels eligible to be broadcast in Canada.
On January 18, 2008, a joint venture between Canwest and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners known as CW Media bought Alliance Atlantis and gained AAC's interest in Food Network.
On October 27, 2010, ownership changed again as Shaw Communications gained control of Food Network as a result of its acquisition of Canwest and Goldman Sachs' interest in CW Media.[2][3] A high definition simulcast launched on October 5, 2011.[4] On March 4, 2013, Corus Entertainment (also controlled by the Shaw family) announced the sale of its 22.58% ownership interest in Food Network to Shaw Media, in exchange for Shaw's 49% stake in ABC Spark.[5] The sale closed in April 2013.[6]
On April 1, 2016, Shaw Media was subsumed into Corus as part of a corporate reorganization, which reunited Food Network with the active Corus channels.[7][8] On December 12, 2016, sister brand Cooking Channel was launched by Corus, using the W Movies license.[9]
On June 7, 2024, Corus announced it had been informed by Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) that the latter would be ending its trademark licensing and program output agreements for some WBD-branded channels at the end of 2024.[10] Three days later, Rogers Sports & Media announced it had reached an agreement with WBD for Canadian rights to lifestyle brands including Food Network beginning in January 2025.[11] Rogers subsequently announced it intends to launch its own Food Network linear channel on January 1, 2025.[12]
Corus said in its June announcement that it intended to continue operating many of the affected channels under new brands, with their existing Canadian programming along with "alternate foreign content supply".[10] In September, Corus announced that the current Food Network would rebrand as "Flavour Network" on December 30, 2024, with its lineup including new and renewed Canadian-produced series (including the next season of Top Chef Canada, and new series featuring Andrew Phung and Pamela Anderson), and new acquisitions (including Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars and Kitchen Nightmares). Some repeats of Food Network U.S. programming will continue airing into 2025, while the network's launch lineup also includes a program licensed from WBD-owned Max (Chasing Flavor with Carla Hall).[13][14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Channick, Robert (September 19, 2019). "Nexstar completes purchase of WGN owner Tribune Media". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ "Shaw Communications closes purchase of Canwest TV assets, rebrands as Shaw Media". Therecord.com. October 27, 2010. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "CRTC approves Shaw's purchase of the Canwest Global television properties". Crtc.gc.ca. October 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ Food Network Canada looking better than ever Shaw Media press release 2011-10-05
- ^ BCE to sell assets to Corus as part of Astral deal, The Globe and Mail (via Reuters and The Canadian Press), March 4, 2013.
- ^ "Press Release - Corus Entertainment Receives CRTC Approval on TELETOON Canada Inc., Historia and Séries+ Acquisitions". Corusent.com. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "Corus Entertainment acquires Shaw Media for $2.65-billion". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "Corus Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Shaw Media". Archived from the original on June 10, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
- ^ "Corus feeds the food genre with new channel". Realscreen. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ^ a b Corus Entertainment (June 7, 2024). "CORUS PROVIDES UPDATE ON PROGRAMMING AND TRADEMARK OUTPUT ARRANGEMENTS" (Press release). Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ Thiessen, Connie (June 10, 2024). "Rogers scoops Warner Bros. Discovery rights from Corus and Bell". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
- ^ "Rogers deal to shift Discovery Science, OWN, Animal Planet channels to streaming, on demand". Cochrane Eagle. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ Nino Gheciu, Alex (September 18, 2024). "Corus announces two new lifestyle networks after Rogers scoops up Food Network and HGTV". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ Thiessen, Connie (September 18, 2024). "Corus unveils Flavour Network and Home Network". Broadcast Dialogue. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
External links
edit- Official website
- Adams, Liz; Food Network cooks up Canadian menu; Strategy Magazine; 07/17/2000.
- Decision CRTC 2000-217; CRTC; 07/04/2000.