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April 26th, 2007

Another US channel in Canada or is it?

E! network coming to Canada.

It may be another one that looks like a duck but doesn’t quack like a duck, so it may not be a duck.

On the north side of the Canadian / US border we have numerous television channels that carry the same names and logos as their original southern cousins.
That is exactly what they are, a cousin, or a distant relative.

For most of the Canadian viewers it doesn’t really matter, however for people that know the original channels it’s a shocker and feels like a fraud.
I hear that from the people that tasted the original channels by the “grey or black” market then converted to the “approved” and legal Canadian satellite systems just to learn that what they thought they are going to get, wasn’t so.
Channels like Bravo, Discovery, History, Food, OLN and many, many more are very different north and south of the border.

I think it would be fabulous to have more and more unique Canadian channels on our satellite systems, but they should have their own names and programming. Making deals with the channel from the U.S., just to have the right to  use their name and logos, just to pretend to be them doesn’t look right to me.

Why is that? Why do they want to fool Canadian viewers? What about the CNN or Fox  News? Will they have to add Canadian content to it as well? May be they already did?

Why can’t we have packages with true US channels and packages with true Canadian channel? It would be so much simple. I am realy frustrated with all the rules, regulations, rights, control and the way they are stering the whole ship. It is going to sink.

April 26th, 2007

E! network coming to Canada

Couple days ago we learned from the news thet the popular E! network is coming to Canada, however with Canuck flavour.

Bellow is the actual press release.

“CanWest MediaWorks (TSX:CGS) announced Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement with E! Networks in the United States to bring the entertainment channel north of the border.

CanWest’s CH network will be rebranded as E! on Sept. 1, the company says, and will feature many of the channel’s most popular shows, including the “E! True Hollywood Story,” along with some new Canadian entertainment programming.

E! will be available on multiple platforms including broadcast, online, mobile, video-on-demand and satellite radio.

CanWest’s deal with E! features a commitment to develop and co-produce Canadian content programming for the network, the company says. That initiative will be supported by a development fund.

“What we’re adding is some of the E! content which will replace some of our other foreign content and putting a brand on top of the whole station which will bring the station’s schedule together,” said Barbara Williams, senior vice-president of programming and production for CanWest MediaWorks.

“Our Canadian content commitments are completely intact.”

The Canadian E! schedule will feature a mix of prime-time network programming and will add the extensive library of E! content during daytime, late prime time and weekends.

Kathleen Dore, president of Canadian television at CanWest MediaWorks, referred to the launch of E! in Canada as CanWest’s “second conventional television network” alongside Global Television. “

April 19th, 2007

April Rumours on Showtime and more

CHANNEL UPDATES FOR LARGE C-BAND DISH.
The minute I get any information on channels going off or coming on or disappearing, I will let you all know immediately.
Please see attached the latest information I have on channel updates.
C-BAND:  SOON TO BE CHANNEL CHANGES *
CHANNELS LEAVING ANALOG ON JUNE 1, 2007 (Already in digital format)
SHOWTIME WEST (GO/15), TMC EAST (F3/17), TMC WEST (G0/18), FLIX (F4/22)
DISCOVERY (F4/21) LEAVING ANALOG JUNE 23RD
(Discovery East will be available on 4DTV when it moves.  It should be a seamless transition as all other Discovery channels are already in 4DTV format)
CARTOON (G1/8)  LEAVING ANALOG JUNE 29TH
CINENMAX EAST (G1/19) LEAVING ANALOG AUGUST 31ST
GOLF CHANNEL WILL BE ON X4/410 AS SOON AS THEY GET THE CONTRACT DONE.
NO NEWS ON ESPN/ESPN2 AS OF THIS DATE.
*ALL INFORMATION ON CHANNELS LEAVING WAS FOUND IN THE ONSAT AND ORBIT MAGAZINE AND MAY NOT BE ACURAT AS THE WEREWRONG IN THE PAST, SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATIONS.
STILL AVAILABLE ON ANALOG AS OF TODAY’S DATE:
CNN, HEADLINES NEWS, CARTOON, COMEDY CENTRAL, DISCOVERY, TBS, TNT, USA/SCIFI, WEATHER, WGN, HBO/MAX, SHOWTIME/TMC/FLIX.
STILL NO INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING CHANNELS:
NICKELODEON, SPIKE, GOLF CHANNEL, E-TV, DISNEY, ABC FAMILY, ESPN and ESPN2.