CTV Wild Channel
{{Short description|Canadian specialty television channel}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = CTV Wild Channel
| logo = CTV Wild Channel Logo.png|
| logo_caption =
| logo_size = 180px
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2001|09|07}}
| closed_date =
| picture_format = 1080i (HDTV)
(2011–present)
480i (SDTV)
(2001–present)
| network =
| owner = Animal Planet Canada Inc.
{{small|CTV Specialty Television (80%)
AP Ventures Company (20% - BBC Studios/Warner Bros. Discovery)}}
| country = Canada
| area = National
| headquarters = 9 Channel Nine Court, Scarborough, Ontario
| former_names = Animal Planet (2001–2024)
| replaced =
| sister_channels = CTV
CTV 2
CTV Comedy Channel
CTV Drama Channel
CTV Life Channel
CTV Nature Channel
CTV News Channel
CTV Sci-Fi Channel
CTV Speed Channel
Oxygen
USA Network
| timeshift_service =
| website = {{URL|www.animalplanet.ca|CTV Wild}}
}}
CTV Wild Channel is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel majority-owned by Bell Media. The channel primarily broadcasts factual series and documentaries relating to animals.
The network was originally established in 2001 as a Canadian version of the U.S. cable network Animal Planet, expanding upon CTV's existing relationship with Discovery Communications for Discovery Channel. Today CTV Wild Channel is owned by the Animal Planet Canada Company, which is a consortium consisting of CTV Speciality Television Inc. which owns 80% of the company (CTV Speciality Television Inc. is a division of Bell Media who owns 70% and ESPN owning 30%; stemming from its ownership of TSN, although it is not believed to be involved in the channel's operations), with a further 20% stake held by Canadian AP Ventures Company (a joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and BBC Worldwide, stemming from the American version of Animal Planet originally having BBC Worldwide as an investor).{{Cite web |title=Ownership - BCE - Bell Media - Discretionary Services (other than Mainstream Sports) |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/ownership/eng/cht143l.pdf |access-date=2025-01-01 |publisher=CRTC}}{{cite web |date=March 31, 2006 |title=BBC Worldwide Annual Review 2005/06 |url=http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreviews/review2006/BBCWWAnnual%20Review2006.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503215455/http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreviews/review2006/BBCWWAnnual%20Review2006.pdf |archive-date=May 3, 2011 |access-date=April 30, 2011 |work=BBC Worldwide}}
In January 2025, the channel was rebranded as CTV Wild Channel, due to Bell losing its rights to Warner Bros. Discovery factual brands and related programming to Rogers Sports & Media. Rogers does not plan to launch a new linear channel for Animal Planet, with its programming to instead be distributed via digital platforms.
History
In November 2000, CTV Inc. was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch Animal Planet, a service described as being "broadly based on family entertainment that will combine high-quality Canadian programming and attractive series and documentaries from the U.S. counterpart, in the United States.
The channel was launched under its current ownership structure (with the exception of Bell Media, wherein Bell Globemedia, later renamed CTVglobemedia, owned its shares at the time) on September 7, 2001.[http://ctvmedia.ca/animalplanet/releases/release.asp?id=6767&yyyy=2001 Animal Planet Launch] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426031822/http://ctvmedia.ca/animalplanet/releases/release.asp?id=6767&yyyy=2001 |date=April 26, 2012 }} Bell Globemedia press release September 6, 2001
On June 30, 2008, Animal Planet unveiled a new on-air appearance, including a new logo and graphics, to align itself with the American service which had updated its appearance earlier that year.[http://bellmediapr.ca/animalplanet/releases/release.asp?id=10376&yyyy=2008 Animal Planet Debuts A New Look and Striking New Programming During National Freeview this July] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425124357/http://bellmediapr.ca/animalplanet/releases/release.asp?id=10376&yyyy=2008 |date=April 25, 2012 }} CTVglobemedia press release June 5, 2008
Ownership changed once again when BCE (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) acquired 100% interest in CTVglobemedia and was renamed to Bell Media on April 1, 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2010/10/c8677.html|title=Bell to acquire 100% of Canada's No.1 media company CTV|publisher=CNW Group|author=Bell Canada|date=September 10, 2010|access-date=September 10, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100913060021/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2010/10/c8677.html| archive-date= September 13, 2010 | url-status= live}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20110310170422/http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110307/crtc-approves-ctvglobemedia-purchase-by-bce-110307 CRTC approves BCE's purchase of CTVglobemedia][http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2011/01/c8471.html Bell completes acquisition of CTV, launches Bell Media business unit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110404113706/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2011/01/c8471.html |date=April 4, 2011 }} CNW April 1, 2011
{{see also|2024 Canadian specialty television realignment}}
On June 10, 2024, Rogers Sports & Media announced it had reached an agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) for Canadian rights to its lifestyle brands beginning in January 2025, which were subsequently confirmed to include Animal Planet.{{cite web|url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/rogers-scoops-warner-bros-discovery-rights-from-corus/|title=Rogers scoops Warner Bros. Discovery rights from Corus and Bell|first=Connie|last=Thiessen|work=Broadcast Dialogue|date=June 10, 2024|access-date=June 10, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/06/10/rogers-licensing-deals-nbcuniversal-warner-bros-discovery/|title=Rogers announces licensing deals with NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Discovery|work=CityNews.ca|date=June 10, 2024|access-date=June 10, 2024}} This led to a lawsuit by Bell, which claimed the move would violate previous non-compete clauses with WBD; the matter was settled out of court in October.{{cite web|url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/bell-files-injunction-against-rogers-in-warner-bros-discovery-content-battle/|title=Bell files injunction against Rogers in Warner Bros. Discovery content battle|first=Connie|last=Thiessen|work=Broadcast Dialogue|date=June 28, 2024|access-date=June 28, 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Whittock |first=Jesse |date=2024-10-08 |title=Bell Expands Warner Bros Discovery Pact For HBO & Max Content And Ends Legal Action Over Rogers Deal |url=https://deadline.com/2024/10/bell-warner-bros-discovery-hbo-max-deal-expands-1236109976/ |access-date=2024-10-08 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}} Rogers announced that Animal Planet content would move to its on-demand and streaming platforms including Citytv+, rather than a new linear channel.{{cite web|url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/rogers-outlines-plans-to-launch-new-channels/|title=Rogers outlines plans to launch new channels|first=Connie|last=Thiessen|work=Broadcast Dialogue|date=August 28, 2024|access-date=August 29, 2024}}
On October 17, 2024, Bell Media announced the channel would rebrand as CTV Wild Channel on January 1, 2025. The channel will carry over certain Canadian series previously commissioned by Bell for Animal Planet Canada, as well as other animal-related content from third-party distributors.{{cite press release|url=https://www.bellmedia.ca/the-lede/press/bell-media-brings-powerhouse-brands-usa-network-and-oxygen-true-crime-to-canada/|title=Bell Media Brings Powerhouse Brands USA Network and Oxygen True Crime to Canada|author=Bell Media|date=October 17, 2024|access-date=October 17, 2024}}
The CRTC lists AP Ventures, Inc. (an joint venture of WBD and BBC Studios) as holding a 50% stake in the CTV Speciality subsidiary that holds CTV Wild Channel's license;{{Cite web |title=Ownership Chart 143l: Bell Media Holdings - Discretionary Services |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/ownership/eng/cht143l.pdf |access-date=2025-01-27 |publisher=CRTC |format=PDF}} it is not yet known if WBD and BBC Studios will divest their stakes in the channel due to its change of Canadian partner.
Animal Planet HD
On June 17, 2011, Bell Media announced that it would launch Animal Planet HD, a high definition (HD) simulcast of the standard definition feed, by the end of 2011.[http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2011/16/c6859.html Discovery Channel and Bell Media Factual Networks Announce Fall 2011 "Must See" Highlights] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629071409/http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2011/16/c6859.html |date=June 29, 2011 }} CNW June 17, 2011 The channel launched on December 15, 2011, initially on Bell Fibe TV and Shaw Cable and launched at a later date on Telus TV.[http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/896021/animal-planet-hd-investigation-discovery-hd-and-discovery-science-hd-launch-today Animal Planet HD, Investigation Discovery HD and Discovery Science HD Launch Today] Bell Media press release December 15, 2011 About six years later, Shaw Direct added it and 5 other HD channels (Business News Network, Cooking Channel, Crime & Investigation, OWN, and Travel + Escape) to the channel listing on September 21, 2017.
Logos
File:Animal Planet logo.svg|2008-2020
File:2018 Animal Planet logo.svg|2020–2025
File:CTV Wild Channel Logo.png| 2025–present
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.animalplanet.ca}}
{{Bell Media}}
{{ESPN}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Specialty television channels in Canada
Category:English-language television stations in Canada
Category:Television channels and stations established in 2001