Flavour Network
{{Short description|Canadian TV channel}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=March 2023}}
{{About|the Canadian television channel formerly known as Food Network|the current Canadian channel using that name|Food Network (Canada)}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = Flavour Network
| logo = Flavour Network logo.svg
| logo_size =
| launch_date = {{start date and age|October 9, 2000}}
| closed_date =
| picture_format = 1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
| network =
| owner = Corus Entertainment
(Flavour Network, Inc.)
| country = Canada
| language = English
| area = Nationwide
| headquarters = Toronto, Ontario
| former_names = Food Network Canada (2000–2005)
Food Network (2005–2024)
| replaced =
| sister_channels = DTour
Home Network
W Network
| timeshift_service =
| website = {{URL|https://www.flavournetwork.ca/|flavournetwork.ca}}
| online_serv_1 = StackTV
| online_chan_1 = Internet Protocol television
| online_serv_2 = RiverTV
| online_chan_2 = Channel 12 (HD)
| online_serv_3 = Rogers Xfinity
| online_chan_3 = Channel 95 (HD)
| logo_caption =
| image =
}}
Flavour Network (formerly Food Network) is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. It broadcasts programming related to food, cooking, cuisine, and the food industry, including competition, reality, and travelogue-style programs.
The channel was originally established on October 9, 2000 as a Canadian version of the American cable channel Food Network, in a joint venture between Corus, Alliance Atlantis, and Food Network U.S. majority owner E. W. Scripps Company. It replaced the U.S. version of Food Network (which had been distributed in Canada since 1997) on television providers. Through various ownership changes, Corus Entertainment later became the majority owner of the channel.
In June 2024, Rogers Sports & Media announced that it had acquired Canadian rights to Warner Bros. Discovery factual and lifestyle television brands beginning in 2025, including Food Network. Rogers announced its intent to relaunch Food Network as a new discretionary specialty channel on January 1, 2025. Corus announced that it would continue to operate its existing Food Network channel under a new brand, replacing Food Network U.S. programming with other acquisitions to accompany its existing Canadian productions. The new brand was later announced as Flavour Network, which launched on December 30, 2024.
History
The 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.
Image:Food Network Canada Old Logo.svg
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.
File:Food Network Canada logo.svg
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2559262-shaw-communications-closes-purchase-of-canwest-tv-assets-rebrands-as-shaw-media/ |title=Shaw Communications closes purchase of Canwest TV assets, rebrands as Shaw Media |date=October 27, 2010 |publisher=Therecord.com |access-date=2013-12-22}}{{cite web|url=http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2010/r101022.htm |title=CRTC approves Shaw's purchase of the Canwest Global television properties |publisher=Crtc.gc.ca |date=2010-10-22 |access-date=2013-12-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220233335/http://crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2010/r101022.htm |archive-date=2013-12-20 }} A high definition simulcast launched on October 5, 2011.[http://shawmediatv.ca/press/read/?1571 Food Network Canada looking better than ever] Shaw Media press release 2011-10-05 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.[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/bce-to-sell-assets-to-corus-as-part-of-astral-deal/article9272784/ BCE to sell assets to Corus as part of Astral deal], The Globe and Mail (via Reuters and The Canadian Press), March 4, 2013. The sale closed in April 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.corusent.com/home/Corporate/PressReleases/tabid/1697/Default.aspx?Id=2602 |title=Press Release - Corus Entertainment Receives CRTC Approval on TELETOON Canada Inc., Historia and Séries+ Acquisitions |publisher=Corusent.com |access-date=2013-12-22 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923210749/http://www.corusent.com/home/Corporate/PressReleases/tabid/1697/Default.aspx?Id=2602 |url-status=dead }}
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.{{cite news|title=Corus Entertainment acquires Shaw Media for $2.65-billion|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-acquires-shaw-media-for-265-billion/article28140989/|access-date=13 January 2016|work=The Globe and Mail}}{{cite web|url=http://www.corusent.com/news/corus-entertainment-completes-acquisition-shaw-media/|title=Corus Entertainment Completes Acquisition of Shaw Media|access-date=April 2, 2016|archive-date=June 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610040835/http://www.corusent.com/news/corus-entertainment-completes-acquisition-shaw-media/|url-status=dead}} On December 12, 2016, sister brand Cooking Channel was launched by Corus, using the W Movies license.{{cite web |title=Corus feeds the food genre with new channel |url=http://realscreen.com/2016/10/19/corus-feeds-the-food-genre-with-new-channel/ |access-date=19 October 2016 |website=Realscreen}}
= Relaunch as Flavour Network =
{{see also|2024 Canadian specialty television realignment}}
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.{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/media-centre/press-releases/corus-provides-update-on-programming-and-trademark-output-arrangements/|title=CORUS PROVIDES UPDATE ON PROGRAMMING AND TRADEMARK OUTPUT ARRANGEMENTS|author=Corus Entertainment|date=June 7, 2024|access-date=June 10, 2024}} 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.{{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}} Rogers subsequently announced that it would launch its own Food Network linear channel on January 1, 2025.{{Cite web |title=Rogers deal to shift Discovery Science, OWN, Animal Planet channels to streaming, on demand |url=https://www.cochraneeagle.ca/lifestyle/rogers-deal-to-shift-discovery-science-own-animal-planet-channels-to-streaming-on-demand-9446381 |access-date=2024-08-28 |website=Cochrane Eagle|date=August 28, 2024 }}
Corus stated that it intended to continue operating most of the affected networks under new brands, maintaining their existing original programming while making new content acquisitions to supplant WBD-owned programs. In September, Corus announced that the current Food Network would rebrand as "Flavour Network" on December 30, 2024, with the channel's slate for the 2024–25 season featuring new and renewed original series (including new series featuring Andrew Phung and Pamela Anderson, and Top Chef Canada being renewed for a twelfth season), and new acquisitions (including Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars and Kitchen Nightmares among others). 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).{{cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/technology/article-corus-announces-two-new-lifestyle-networks-after-rogers-scoops-up-food/|title=Corus announces two new lifestyle networks after Rogers scoops up Food Network and HGTV|first=Alex|last=Nino Gheciu|work=The Globe and Mail|date=September 18, 2024|access-date=September 18, 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Thiessen |first=Connie |date=2024-09-18 |title=Corus unveils Flavour Network and Home Network |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/corus-unveils-flavour-network-and-home-network/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Broadcast Dialogue |language=en-US}}
At some point after the rebranding, Television Food Network, G.P. divested its stake in the subsidiary that holds Flavour Network's license to Corus Media Holdings, making it sole owner.{{Cite web |title=Ownership Chart 32i: Corus Media Holdings - Discretionary Services |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/ownership/eng/cht032i.pdf |access-date=2025-05-26 |publisher=CRTC |format=PDF}}
Programming
{{Main|List of programs broadcast by Flavour Network|List of Flavour Network personalities}}
Original series that have been broadcast by Flavour Network include competition series such as Top Chef Canada (an adaptation of the U.S. Top Chef franchise), The Big Bake,{{Cite web |title=Edmonton-area bakers featured on Food Network Canada Halloween show |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8171920/edmonton-sherwood-park-bakers-food-network-canada-halloween/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} Great Chocolate Showdown,{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2019 |title=Food Network Canada sets premiere for "Great Chocolate Showdown" |url=https://realscreen.com/2019/12/06/food-network-canada-sets-premiere-for-great-chocolate-showdown/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211050036/https://realscreen.com/2019/12/06/food-network-canada-sets-premiere-for-great-chocolate-showdown/ |archive-date=February 11, 2021 |access-date=August 14, 2021}} and Junior Chef Showdown,Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2020/03/13/young-chefs-showcase-their-culinary-skills-in-food-network-canadas-junior-chef-showdown/ "Young chefs showcase their culinary skills in Food Network Canada's Junior Chef Showdown"]. TV, eh?, March 13, 2020. as well as other series such as Carnival Eats and Project Bakeover.Rick Stiebel, [https://www.saanichnews.com/entertainment/langford-bakery-finds-recipe-for-appearance-on-the-food-network/ "Langford bakery finds recipe for appearance on the Food Network"]. Saanich News, June 23, 2021.{{Cite web |last=Pinto |first=Jordan |title=Corus slates eOne’s Project Bakeover for winter 2021 |url=https://playbackonline.ca/2020/12/18/corus-slates-eones-project-bakeover-for-winter-2021/ |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Playback Online}} In the past, it also produced Canadian adaptations of Food Network competition franchises, such as Chopped{{Cite web |last=David |first=Greg |date=2017-05-18 |title=Chopped Canada cancelled by Food Network Canada |url=https://www.tv-eh.com/2017/05/18/chopped-canada-cancelled-by-food-network-canada/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=TV, eh? |language=en-CA}} and Iron Chef.{{Cite web |title=Gail Simmons and Chris Nuttall-Smith, from ‘Iron Chef Canada,’ talk making show uniquely Canadian |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4565139/iron-chef-canada-gail-simmons-chris-nuttall-smith/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}
As Flavour Network, much of the network's acquired programming comes from The Roku Channel, Studio Ramsay Global, PBS, ITV Studios, and other international broadcasters.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.flavournetwork.ca/}}
- Adams, Liz; [http://www.strategymag.com/articles/magazine/20000717/specialty-foodnetwork.html?word=Food&word=Network&word=cooks&word=Canadian&word=menu Food Network cooks up Canadian menu]; Strategy Magazine; 07/17/2000.
- [http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2000/DB2000-217.htm Decision CRTC 2000-217]; CRTC; 07/04/2000.
{{Corus Entertainment}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Food Network (Canadian TV channel)
Category:Television channels and stations established in 2000
Category:Corus Entertainment networks
Category:Specialty television channels in Canada