Knowledge Network
{{short description|Canadian TV channel in British Columbia}}
{{Distinguish|Knowledge Channel}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = Knowledge Network
| logo = Knowledge_Network_2012.svg
| logo_size = 260px
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2012
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1981|1|12}}
| closed_date =
| picture_format = 1080i (HDTV)
480i (SDTV)
| network =
| owner = Knowledge Network Corporation
| parent = Government of British Columbia
| country = Canada
| area = British Columbia
Alberta
| headquarters = Burnaby, British Columbia
| replaced =
| sister_channels =
| timeshift_service =
| website = {{URL|https://www.knowledge.ca}}
| terr_serv_1 =
| terr_chan_1 =
| sat_radio_serv_1 =
| sat_radio_chan_1 =
| online_serv_1 =
| online_chan_1 =
}}
Knowledge Network, also branded as British Columbia's Knowledge Network and K:, is a Canadian publicly funded educational cable television network serving the province of British Columbia. It is owned by the Knowledge Network Corporation, a Crown corporation of the Government of British Columbia,{{Cite web|url=http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/lc/statreg/07022_01|title=Knowledge.ca|website=www.knowledge.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-03-02|archive-date=2018-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303050740/http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/lc/statreg/07022_01|url-status=live}} and began broadcasting on January 12, 1981. Michelle van Beusekom is the CEO.{{Cite web |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/michelle-van-beusekom-named-new-ceo-of-b-c-s-knowledge-network/ |title=Michelle van Beusekom named new CEO of B.C.'s Knowledge Network |access-date=2023-04-18 |archive-date=2023-04-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418043532/https://broadcastdialogue.com/michelle-van-beusekom-named-new-ceo-of-b-c-s-knowledge-network/ |url-status=live }}
Knowledge Network's broadcast licence is for satellite-to-cable programming. The network is available on the Bell Satellite TV satellite service, on channel 268, on Shaw Direct channel 354, and on TELUS Optik TV channel 117 (HD) & 9117 (SD). It has also been broadcast over-the-air in remote locations throughout British Columbia, with these repeater sites being operated by local volunteers in the few areas of the province where cable television is not available. The network used the callsign CKNO,{{cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2017/2017-183.htm|title=Call for licence renewal applications|first=Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|last=(CRTC)|website=crtc.gc.ca|access-date=17 November 2018|archive-date=16 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116131640/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2017/2017-183.htm|url-status=live}} although the transmitters were assigned numeric callsigns with the prefix "CH" due to being low-powered.{{cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1994/DB94-444.htm|title=ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 94-444|first=Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|last=(CRTC)|website=crtc.gc.ca|access-date=17 November 2018|archive-date=17 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117104853/https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1994/DB94-444.htm|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.global-cm.net/TV%20CAN-BC.pdf|title=BRITISH COLUMBIA – TV Reception By Location|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327015650/http://www.global-cm.net/TV%20CAN-BC.pdf|archive-date=March 27, 2014|url-status=dead}}
Knowledge receives funding both from the British Columbia government and from public donations.{{cite web|url=https://www.knowledge.ca/partners|title=Knowledge Partners|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-03-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303050805/https://www.knowledge.ca/partners|archive-date=2018-03-03}} The station provides programming through its broadcast channel, websites and apps. Knowledge Network also invests in documentaries and children's programs produced by independent filmmakers and helps to develop skills within the independent production community.{{Cite web|url=https://www.knowledge.ca/about|title=Knowledge.ca|website=www.knowledge.ca|language=en|access-date=2018-03-02|archive-date=2018-03-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303050855/https://www.knowledge.ca/about|url-status=live}}
Overview
Knowledge Network is British Columbia's public educational broadcaster and is required to be distributed on the basic cable tiers of all cable providers in British Columbia.
When Knowledge first signed on in 1981, its broadcast schedule originally ran from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. In later years, it broadcast from 7:00 a.m.-12 a.m. until July 2007, when programming hours were expanded to 6:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. In late 2007, Knowledge Network began changing its logo from the green tree to its new wordmark logo, and as of June 2008 the green tree logo has been removed. The channel is currently a 24-hour broadcaster.
The network obtains an average of 1.5 million viewers, or over one-third of British Columbians per week.{{cite web | url=http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=d0dd61d4-a0f5-413d-b890-a29c7a2a05bb&p=1 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119062050/http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=d0dd61d4-a0f5-413d-b890-a29c7a2a05bb&p=1 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-01-19 | title=TV network rebrands and alters programming | date=2008-09-17 | access-date=2009-10-29 | publisher=Vancouver Sun }} Currently, within the province, the station holds the number one position on weekday mornings for kids age two to six. Also, it has experienced an increase in viewers age 29 to 49 for its prime time programs.
In its programming, Knowledge Network covers a range of topics including politics, history and culture, arts and music, health, parenting, and science. It has a children's block, Knowledge Kids, that features characters Luna, Chip and Inkie.{{cite web|url=http://www.knowledgekids.ca/about-us|title=About Us|last=kkadmin|date=4 November 2015|website=Knowledge Kids|access-date=17 November 2018|archive-date=17 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117063303/http://www.knowledgekids.ca/about-us|url-status=live}}
With funding from the provincial government and over 40,000 individual donors, Knowledge Network acquires and commissions over 750 hours of original programming per year.
In 2011, Knowledge Network acquired Shaw Media's stake in the children's television service BBC Kids, and converted it into a commercial-free service.{{cite press release | url = http://www.knowledge.ca/press/bbc-kids-industry | title = BBC Worldwide and Knowledge Network Corporation Enter Joint-venture for BBC Kids Channel | date = 2011-01-17 | publisher = Knowledge Network Corporation | access-date = May 22, 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120422043732/http://www.knowledge.ca/press/bbc-kids-industry | archive-date = April 22, 2012 }}
Knowledge Network launched an HD feed on September 25, 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.knowledge.ca/files/pdf/about_2011-12_annual_report.pdf |title=Annual Report 2011–2012 |publisher=Knowledge Network Corporation |page=14 |access-date=October 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021112612/http://www.knowledge.ca/files/pdf/about_2011-12_annual_report.pdf |archive-date=October 21, 2012 }} It became available to provincial customers of Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct on October 8, 2013.{{cite web |url=https://community.shaw.ca/message/45497#45497 |title=K: HD starts Sept. 25. Will Shaw carry it? |publisher=Shaw Communications |access-date=September 23, 2013 |archive-date=September 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928054726/https://community.shaw.ca/message/45497#45497 |url-status=live }}
Controversy
In February 2022 an internal audit{{cite web |title=BC Knowledge Network Prelicenses 2014-2021 Independent Equity Audit Report |url=https://www.knowledge.ca/sites/default/files/PDFs/Equity-Audit-Report-on-BC-Knowledge-Network_FINAL_November%2026-2021.pdf |website=www.knowledge.ca |publisher=Knowledge Network Corporation |access-date=19 June 2022 |archive-date=24 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524194138/https://www.knowledge.ca/sites/default/files/PDFs/Equity-Audit-Report-on-BC-Knowledge-Network_FINAL_November%2026-2021.pdf |url-status=live }} of the Knowledge Network Corporation, conducted by the Castlemain Group, was released to the public. The audit revealed that under former President and CEO Rudy Buttignol's leadership, 98.3% of the Knowledge Network's $2.054 million pre-licence funding was awarded to production companies with "non-diverse" owners. The remaining 1.7% ($34,000) had been awarded to production companies owned by people of colour. Meanwhile, Indigenous filmmakers have received none of that funding.{{cite news |last1=Griffiths |first1=Nathan |title=Audit shows deep racial inequities at B.C.'s Knowledge Network |url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/television/funding-audit-shows-deep-racial-inequities-at-b-c-s-knowledge-network |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=Vancouver Sun |date=9 February 2022 |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210003210/https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/television/funding-audit-shows-deep-racial-inequities-at-b-c-s-knowledge-network |url-status=live }}
The Racial Equity Screen Office, the Vancouver Asian Film Festival and the Documentary Organization of Canada had lobbied the broadcaster for more than a year to conduct the audit and release the results.
In response, Melanie Mark, British Columbia's minister of Culture, appointed three new members to the Network's board. In a statement she directed Buttignol and the board to make improvements. Buttignol meanwhile claimed he had "major reservations" with the audit.{{cite news |last1=Britten |first1=Liam |title=Audit finds 'clear disparity' in Knowledge Network funding for filmmakers of colour |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/audit-finds-clear-disparity-in-knowledge-network-funding-for-filmmakers-of-colour-1.6344573 |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=CBC |date=9 February 2022 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619203850/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/audit-finds-clear-disparity-in-knowledge-network-funding-for-filmmakers-of-colour-1.6344573 |url-status=live }}
Members of the IBPOC film community claimed that Buttignol's response "contributed to an increased distrust and lack of confidence from filmmakers of colour and other concerned British Columbians".{{cite news |title=Joella Cabalu, Kris Anderson, and Meghna Haldar: Sound of silence |url=https://www.straight.com/news/joella-cabalu-kris-anderson-and-meghna-haldar-sound-of-silence |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=The Georgia Straight |date=1 April 2022 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619203836/https://www.straight.com/news/joella-cabalu-kris-anderson-and-meghna-haldar-sound-of-silence |url-status=live }} A petition on Change.org was started calling for his replacement.
On June 17, 2022, the Knowledge Network's board released a statement that Buttignol's contract had been terminated.{{cite web |title=A Message From The Board – June 17, 2022 |url=https://www.knowledge.ca/media-releases/2022/06/17/message-board-%E2%80%93-june-17-2022-0 |website=www.knowledge.ca |publisher=Knowledge Network Corporation |access-date=19 June 2022 |archive-date=20 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620162337/https://www.knowledge.ca/media-releases/2022/06/17/message-board-%E2%80%93-june-17-2022-0 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Schmunk |first1=Rhianna |title=Knowledge Network drops longtime CEO, months after diversity audit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/knowledge-network-ceo-out-after-audit-finds-funding-disparity-for-filmmakers-of-colour-1.6492860 |access-date=19 June 2022 |work=CBC |date=17 June 2022 |archive-date=19 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619203836/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/knowledge-network-ceo-out-after-audit-finds-funding-disparity-for-filmmakers-of-colour-1.6492860 |url-status=live }}
Logos
File:Knowledgenetwork.svg|Logo used from 2007 to 2008
File:Knowledge logo.svg|Alternate logo, now used as the on-air bug. Was the main logo from 2008 to 2010.
File:Knowledge network logo.svg|Logo used from 2010 to 2012
File:Knowledge Network 2012.svg|British Columbia's Knowledge Network 2012. Current logo.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.knowledge.ca/}}
- [http://povmagazine.com/articles/view/pointed-view-a-public-space-for-independent-voices "Knowledge Network’s CEO weighs in on the importance of public broadcasting."]
- [http://globalcivic.org/2012/10/24/public-salon-13-september-20-2012/| Global Civic Policy Society]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [http://digitalcollections.library.ubc.ca/cdm/landingpage/collection/westland Westland] – A television series on environmental issues aired on the Knowledge Network from 1984 to 2007 - UBC Library Digital Collections
{{Public broadcasting in Canada}}
{{British Columbia TV}}
{{British Columbia crown corporations}}
Category:Mass media in Burnaby
Category:Educational television networks in Canada
Category:Public television in Canada
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1981
Category:Television stations in British Columbia