Sundance Channel (Canadian TV channel)

Sundance Channel was a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment that aired various films.

This article is about the Canadian TV channel. For the American TV channel formerly known as Sundance Channel, see SundanceTV.
Sundance Channel
Sundance Channel logo
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaNationwide
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Programming
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
(2013-2018)
480i (SDTV)
(2001-2018)
Ownership
OwnerCHUM Limited
(2001–2006)
CTVglobemedia
(2006–2010)
Corus Entertainment
(2010–2018)
Sister channelsMovieTime
IFC
Showcase
Action
DejaView
CMT
ABC Spark
W Network
CosmoTV
BBC Canada
History
LaunchedSeptember 7, 2001 (2001-09-07)
ClosedMarch 1, 2018 (2018-03-01)
(16 years, 5 months and 22 days)
Former namesDrive-In Classics (2001-2010)

The channel was founded in 2001 as Drive-In Classics by CHUM Limited, the owner of Citytv, that aired Drive-In B films and other programming related to it. Drive-In Classics was acquired by CTVglobemedia in 2007 and was resold to Corus Entertainment in 2009.

In March 2010, Drive-In Classics became Sundance Channel which aired programming focused on independent films, documentaries, music series, dramas and more. The channel closed its doors on March 27, 2018.

History

As Drive-In Classics

In June 2001, CHUM Limited was given approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national category 2 specialty channel known as "The Drive-In Channel", with programming described as being centred on "Drive-In B movies and series, as well as occasional magazine-style shows focusing on the genre".[1]

Drive-In Classics logo (2001-2010)

The channel was launched only three months later, on September 7, 2001 at 9:00 p.m. EST under the name "Drive-In Classics",[2] which focused on showing primarily films from the B movie genre, focusing on films popular at the drive-in theatres in the 1950s to 1970s, and a number of television series including The Hilarious House of Frightenstein and Xena: Warrior Princess.

Programming on Drive-In Classics were organized into themes including: Martial Arts Mondays - fight-themed movies, Western Wednesdays - Western movies, Steamy Windshields (Fridays) - teenage-themed movies, Horror Marathon (Saturdays) - horror films and Salem's Lot, various films picked by host Rob Salem, which was ended on August 30, 2009.

In July 2006, Bell Globemedia announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated $1.7 billion CAD, included in the sale was Drive-In Classics.[3] The sale was approved by the CRTC in June 2007,[4] with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007 while the Citytv stations were sold to Rogers Media.

On July 14, 2009, CTVglobemedia announced the sale of Drive-In Classics and SexTV: The Channel to Corus Entertainment for $40 million CAD.[5] Before the sale was approved, Corus announced in late September that they planned to rebrand the channel, but did not give any specific details regarding the rebranding.[6] The sale was approved by the CRTC on November 19.[7]

As Sundance Channel

On December 8, 2009, Corus announced that Drive-In Classics would be rebranded as a Canadian version of Sundance Channel (now known as SundanceTV) on March 1, 2010 under an agreement with the American channel's owner, AMC Networks (formerly known as Rainbow Media Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Cablevision), which would not own any stake in the Canadian channel.[8][9] The channel was rebranded on March 1, 2010 as planned, focusing its programming on independent films, documentaries, scripted drams and comedies, and musical performances.

In February 2018, a notice was posted on Sundance Channel's website that the channel was closed on March 1, 2018. Shortly after this, the channel space that was created by Drive-In Classics in 2001 simply ceased to exist. The CRTC revoked the channel's broadcast license on March 27, 2018.[10]

Programming

Includes former programming as of December 2014.

Acquired from SundanceTV

Other Acquired Programming

Sundance Channel HD

Telus has announced on their website that they will carry the HD feed of Sundance Channel (Canada).[11] Shaw Direct and Bell Satellite TV never launched it in time due to the channel's closure.

See also

References
  1. Decision CRTC 2001-305; CRTC; 4 June 2001
  2. "Drive-In Classics". Archived from the original on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
  3. "Bell Globemedia acquires CHUM | Deals & Cases | Fasken Martineau". Fasken.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  4. "ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-165". CRTC.gc.ca. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  5. Corus to acquire Drive-In Classics and SexTV from CTVglobemedia for $40 million; The Canadian Press; 14 July 2009
  6. "Corus shuttering Discovery Kids, will re-brand Sex TV and Drive-In Classics channels", CARTT.ca, September 29, 2009
  7. "ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-706". CRTC.gc.ca. 19 November 2009. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  8. "SUNDANCE CHANNEL RISES IN CANADA - Corus Entertainment". Corusent.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  9. "Archived copy" (PDF). stream1.corusent.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2018-107". CRTC. March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  11. "Select your region". Telus.com. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
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