W Movies
| W Movies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Launched | September 7, 2001 |
| Owned by | Corus Entertainment |
| Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Slogan | The Channel that Brings You Movies 24/7. |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Formerly called | SexTV: The Channel (2001–2010) |
| Replaced by | Cooking Channel |
| Sister channel(s) | W Network |
| Website | W Movies |
Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Bell TV |
Channel 333 (SD) Channel 1305 (HD) |
| Shaw Direct | Channel 585 (SD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on many Canadian cable systems | Consult your local cable provider for channel availability |
| IPTV | |
| Bell Aliant |
Channel 353 (SD) Channel 464 (HD) |
| Bell Fibe TV |
Channel 333 (SD) Channel 1333 (HD) |
| MTS |
Channel 236 (SD) Channel 1236 (HD) |
| Optik TV |
Channel 9455 (SD) Channel 455 (HD) |
| SaskTel |
Channel 44 (SD) Channel 344 (HD) |
| HuronTel Digital TV | Channel 301 (HD) |
| VMedia | Channel 326 (HD) |
| Zazeen | Channel 160 (HD) |
W Movies is a Canadian English language Category B cable and satellite specialty channel that is owned by Corus Entertainment. Operating as a spinoff channel of W Network, W Movies focuses on films and film-related series aimed at women.
History
As SexTV: The Channel
In June 2001, CHUM Limited received approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national Category 2 specialty channel known as Relationship Television, a channel described as being "devoted exclusively to programming related to love, romance, marriage, relationship-themed game shows, sexuality and gender issues, family planning, relationship breakdown and magazine style programming featuring romantic vacation resorts."[1]
The channel was launched three months later on September 7, 2001 as SexTV: The Channel,[2] a channel modeled after and its name derived from SexTV, a now-former program on Citytv (which was a CHUM-owned property at the time). SexTV aired programming on sex and human sexuality, including issues on love, dating, romance and related subjects.
In July 2006, Bell Globemedia (later CTVglobemedia) announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated CAD$1.7 billion, included in the sale was SexTV: The Channel.[3] The sale was approved by the CRTC on June 8, 2007,[4] and the transaction was completed on June 22, 2007.
As W Movies
On July 14, 2009, CTVglobemedia announced that it would sell Sex TV, along with Drive-In Classics (now Sundance Channel), to Corus Entertainment for a combined CAD$40 million.[5] In late September, Corus announced that the channel would be rebranded as W Movies, a spin-off of W Network with a focus on films targeting women.[6] The sale was approved by the CRTC on November 19,[7] with the transaction being completed by December. The on-air relaunch as W Movies took place on March 1, 2010.
On October 19, 2016, Corus announced that W Movies would be shut down. It will be replaced by a Canadian version of Cooking Channel on December 12, 2016. The channel will be a spin-off of its Canadian version of Food Network; its launch will come several months after the launch of Bell Media's network Gusto TV, which competes directly against Food Network.[8]
W Movies HD
W Movies HD is a high definition simulcast feed of W Movies, which broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format; the feed launched on December 2, 2011.
References
- ↑ Decision CRTC 2001-304; CRTC; 2001-06-04
- ↑ The history of CHUM, The Globe and Mail, June 12, 2006.
- ↑ Bell Globemedia acquires CHUM; Fasken Martineau; 2006-07-12
- ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2007-165; CRTC; 2007-06-08
- ↑ Corus to acquire Drive-In Classics and SexTV from CTVglobemedia for $40 million; The Canadian Press; 2009-07-14
- ↑ "Corus shuttering Discovery Kids, will re-brand Sex TV and Drive-In Classics channels", CARTT.ca, September 29, 2009
- ↑ http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2009/2009-706.htm
- ↑ "Corus feeds the food genre with new channel". Realscreen. Retrieved 19 October 2016.