2013 in Canadian television

The following is a list of events affecting Canadian television in 2013. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings.

Events

January

Date	Event
15	Rogers Communications acquires Shaw Communications' Mountain Cablevision system in Hamilton, Ontario as part of an agreement with Shaw for an option to purchase Shaw's AWS spectrum holdings.[1]
	Concurrent with Rogers' acquisition of Mountain Cablevision, Shaw Communications acquires Rogers' 33.3% ownership stake in specialty channel TVtropolis for $59 million.[1]
17	Rogers Media files an application with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to change programming conditions on The Score's specialty channel licence to reduce sports highlight segments during live sports programming from airing every 15 minutes to airing once hourly.[2]
21	Omni Television owned-and-operated station CJMT-DT/Toronto switches to an all-ethnic programming format with the addition of 35 hours of programming in Asian and South Asian languages (including Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Tamil, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Urdu, Vietnamese and Farsi) weekly.[3]

February

Date	Event
1	Zee TV Canada, a Category B Hindi language specialty channel owned by Ethnic Channels Group, launches.[4]
4	City expands into Eastern Canada full-time as multicultural station CJNT/Montreal begins running City's full national schedule, effectively turning CJNT into an owned-and-operated station of the Rogers Media-owned system (City's programming had been seen part-time since June 2012, alongside multicultural programs from Omni); the station also changed its on-air branding from "Metro 14" to "City Montreal". With the conversion, CJNT is now the first over-the-air television station in Canada to have its licensed format changed.[5]
27	The Movie Network launches subscription video-on-demand services for desktop computers and mobile devices: The Movie Network GO, HBO GO Canada (for streaming of HBO Canada content) and TMN Encore GO (for streaming of The Movie Network Encore content). All three services will be made available to subscribers of TMN, TMN Encore and HBO Canada at no additional cost.[6]
28	CBC News Network drops Tom Flanagan from his role as a commentator on Power & Politics following comments he made during a February 27 University of Lethbridge discussion about child pornography in which Flanagan said that there was "no harm" in viewing such material.[7][8]

March

Date	Event
4	After an earlier attempt to merge the two companies was rejected by the CRTC in October 2012, the Competition Bureau approves Bell Media's $3.38 billion takeover of Astral Media (Bell filed a formal application with the CRTC to acquire Astral on March 6). Bell will sell Family, Disney Junior (both English and French), Disney XD, Musimax and MusiquePlus as part of the deal. The ruling places restrictions preventing Bell Media from imposing restrictive bundling requirements on any provider seeking to carry The Movie Network or Super Écran (which are among the eight channels that will be acquired by Bell through the merger).[9][10]
	In relation to the Bell-Astral deal, Corus Entertainment acquires Astral Media's 50% ownership stake in Cartoon Network, Historia, Séries+, Teletoon and Teletoon Retro (along with French-language versions of the latter two networks) as part of a $400.6 million deal that also includes two Astral-owned radio stations in Ottawa. It also acquires Shaw Media's 49% interest in ABC Spark (the latter agreement will result in Corus selling its 20% interest in Food Network to Shaw).[11][12] Corus acquisition of Teletoon, Historia and Series+ was approved by the Competition Bureau on March 15.[13] The CRTC approved the sale on December 20.[14][15]
5	Bell TV becomes the first Canadian satellite provider to offer community channels, with the addition of seven channels to its line-up serving Chetwynd and Valemount, British Columbia; Neepawa, Manitoba; Hay River, Northwest Territories; Arichat, Nova Scotia; Leamington, Ontario and St. Andrews, New Brunswick.[16]
14	Global News: BC 1, a Shaw Media-owned regional cable news channel focusing on Vancouver and the province of British Columbia, launches. The channel is the first regional cable news channel in Canada located outside of Ontario.[17]
15	The Canadian Radio-Television & Telecommunications Commission rules that Corus Entertainment must comply with the licensing conditions for the Oprah Winfrey Network that require the channel to maintain formal education and preschool programming during daytime hours (encompassing 55% of its weekly schedule).[18]

April

Date	Event
14	Valérie Carpentier wins the first season of La Voix.

May

Date	Event
2	The first season of the Canadian version of Big Brother is won by Jillian MacLaughlin.
23	Fairchild Group launched sister channels to Fairchild TV and Talentvision called Fairchild TV 2 HD and Talentvision 2 HD respectively.
30	Rogers Media announces budget cuts that would result in the layoffs of 62 employees, the elimination of Omni Television's English-language South Asian newscast and shut down of Omni's production operations in Alberta (Omni stations CJCO-DT in Calgary and CJEO-DT in Edmonton will continue to broadcast, although local programming will no longer be produced by the two stations). Rogers also announces the shutdown of regional cable news channel CityNews Channel due to financial losses for the service, Rogers will focus its news efforts in the Toronto area on all-news radio station CFTR and City flagship CITY-DT's news department.[19]

June

Date	Event
27	The CRTC approves Bell Media's $3 billion merger with Astral Media: the deal was finalized on July 5, 2013, Bell's share of the English-language media increased to 35.8%, while its ownership share of French-language media increased to 22.6% of the media marketplace.[20][21]
28	After 10 years on TSN's flagship show, SportsCentre, Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole anchor their last show together; the two leave TSN to become anchors of Fox Sports Live on the upcoming U.S. sports network Fox Sports 1.[22][23]

July

Date	Event
1	Rogers Media-owned sports news and information channel The Score rebrands as Sportsnet 360.[24]
15	It was announced that Blue Ant Media had reached a deal with the Smithsonian Institution and CBS Corporation to re-launch eqhd as a Canadian version of Smithsonian Channel.[25]

August

Date	Event
26	Shaw Media-owned channel TVtropolis rebrands as DTour.[26]

September

Date	Event
4	Blue Ant Media-owned Bold relaunched as Cottage Life, a Category B specialty channel based on the company-owned magazine of the same name. The channel features lifestyle programming, including food, home improvement and outdoor series.[27]
6	The Shopping Channel relaunched with a new look.[28]
30	Bell Media-owned MuchMore re-launched as M3.[29][30]

October

Date	Event
9	For the first time in 22 years, the Sabres Hockey Network will be made available to areas of Canada within 50 miles of the First Niagara Center, including all of the Regional Municipality of Niagara. 51 Buffalo Sabres games will be carried by Bell TV each year on their own channel as part of the agreement.[31]

November

Date	Event
1	Bell Media-owned MuchMoreRetro re-launched as MuchRetro.
13	Blue Ant Media-owned eqhd re-launched as the Smithsonian Channel.[32]
26	The National Hockey League reaches a 12-year, $5.2 billion deal with Rogers Communications for exclusive English-language multimedia rights to NHL games beginning in 2014–15. The deal will see Rogers air exclusive Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday night games on Sportsnet or City, as well as sublicence Saturday night and playoff games to CBC's Hockey Night in Canada. TVA Sports also acquires French language rights in a related deal, which all told will see TSN and RDS lose national NHL rights after 2013–14.[33]
28	DHX Media announced that it would acquire four Canadian specialty television channels from the former Astral Media for $170 million, consisting of Family Channel, Disney Junior, Disney Junior (French), and Disney XD. The networks were being sold as a condition of Bell Media's 2013 acquisition of Astral.[34][35]
30	Darren Dutchyshen and Kate Beirness become the weeknight anchors on SportsCentre following the departure of Jay Onrait and Dan O'Toole. It would last for only 11 months as Dutch would return to the late night show with his longtime sidekick, Jennifer Hedger.

December

Date	Event
4	Remstar, owners of the French television system V, announced that it would acquire MusiquePlus and MusiMax from the former Astral Media for an undisclosed amount. The networks were being sold as a condition of Bell Media's 2013 acquisition of Astral.[36]
12	Bell Media launched sister channel to Canal D called Canal D/Investigation focusing on crime dramas.[37]

Television programs

Programs debuting in 2013

Series currently listed here have been announced by their respective networks as scheduled to premiere in 2013. Note that shows may be delayed or cancelled by the network between now and their scheduled air dates.

Start Date	Show	Channel	Source
January 8	Cracked	CBC Television	[38]
January 10	Rocket Monkeys	Teletoon
January 20	La Voix	TVA
February 3	Motive	CTV	[39]
February 4	Seed	City	[40]
March 8	The Next Step	Family Channel
March 30	Orphan Black	Space
June 13	Package Deal	City	[40][41]
June 24	Satisfaction	CTV
July 4	Camp Lakebottom	Teletoon
July 15	The Amazing Race Canada	CTV	[42]
August 26	Breakfast Television (Montreal edition)	City	[43]
September 2	The Social	CTV
September 4	Forgive Me	Super Channel
September 5	Grojband	Teletoon
October 3	Played	CTV	[44]
October 22	The Illegal Eater	Travel + Escape
November 17	Sex & Violence	OutTV
December 30	The Adventures of Napkin Man	CBC

Made-for-TV movies and miniseries

Premiere Date	Title	Channel	Notes	Source
March 10	Jack	CBC Television	Biopic of Jack Layton	[45]
July 6	Everyone's Famous		Web series rebroadcast as a comedy special.
	Gavin Crawford's Wild West		Unsold pilot aired as a comedy special.

Television stations

Station launches

Date	Market	Station	Channel	Affiliation	Source
December 11	Montreal, Quebec	CFHD-DT	47.1	Independent/Omni	[46]

Deaths

Date	Name	Age	Notability	Source
Jan. 14	Conrad Bain	89	Canadian-born American actor, known for his roles as Dr. Arthur Harmon in Maude (1972-1978), Phillip Drummond in Diff'rent Strokes (1978-1986) and Charlie Ross in the short-lived Mr. President (1987-1988); guest starring roles include Westinghouse Studio One, The Defenders, N.Y.P.D., Dark Shadows, The Facts of Life, The Love Boat, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Unforgettable.	[47]
July 13	Cory Monteith	31	Canadian actor, known for his role as Finn Hudson in Glee.	[48][49]
Nov. 28	Danny Wells	72	Canadian television and film actor (The Jeffersons, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!)	[50]
Dec. 21	Geoff Stirling	92	Canadian multimedia mogul (founder of CJON-DT)	[51]

References

1. Rogers to Acquire Shaw's Wireless Licences and Mountain Cablevision, Broadcaster Magazine, January 15, 2013.
2. Rogers Files Application to Change Programming at The Score, Broadcaster Magazine, January 17, 2013.
3. OMNI TV Re-launches OMNI.2 with All Ethnic Programming, Broadcaster Magazine, January 18, 2013.
4. ZEE TV Cuts Ties with ATN to Launch 24/7 Network
5. "City Montreal to Debut with Full City Schedule". Broadcaster Magazine. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
6. "The Movie Network Launches Three Video Streaming Services". Broadcaster Magazine. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
7. "Ex-Harper advisor Tom Flanagan fired from CBC after saying viewing child pornography does no harm". National Post. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
8. O'Malley, Kady (2013). "UPDATE: Flanagan offers 'unreserved' apology for 'child porn' comments - Inside Politics". cbc.ca. Archived from the original on February 28, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Tom Flanagan
9. BCE takeover of Astral OK’d by Competition Bureau, The Montreal Gazette (via The Canadian Press), March 4, 2013.
10. Astral and Bell Comment on New Acquisition Application to CRTC, Broadcaster Magazine, March 6, 2013.
11. "Corus Acquires Bell Media and Shaw Media Properties". Broadcaster Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
12. BCE to sell assets to Corus as part of Astral deal, The Globe and Mail (via Reuters and The Canadian Press), March 4, 2013.
13. Corus Receives Competition Bureau Clearance to Acquire TELETOON, Historia and Series+, Broadcaster Magazine, March 18, 2013.
14. "Corus Entertainment Receives CRTC Approval on TELETOON Canada Inc., Historia and Séries+ Acquisitions". Canada Newswire. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
15. "Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2013-738". CRTC. Retrieved December 24, 2013.
16. Satellite Subscribers to See Community Channels on Bell - CACTUS, Broadcaster Magazine, March 5, 2013.
17. "Global News: BC 1 News Channel to Launch Mid-March". Broadcaster Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
18. "CRTC Says OWN Must Comply with Conditions of Licence". Broadcaster Magazine. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
19. CityNews channel shut down by Rogers, Toronto Star, May 30, 2013.
20. CRTC approves Bell's $3.4B acquisition of Astral Media, CTV News (via The Canadian Press), June 27, 2013.
21. Bell’s bid for Astral approved, The Globe and Mail, June 27, 2013.
22. Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole are leaving TSN for Fox Sports, The National Post, May 3, 2013.
23. Fox Sports 1 hires Jay Onrait, Dan O'Toole for nightly sports show, SBNation, May 3, 2013.
24. Score rebranded as Sportsnet 360 effective July 1, CFTR, June 5, 2013.
25. Smithsonian Channel Launching in Canada This Fall
26. http://www.channelcanada.com/ai1ec_event/new-channel-launch-dtour?instance_id=
27. Cottage Life To Launch National Specialty Channel, Broadcaster Magazine, April 5, 2013.
28. "Rogers Media Unveils a Brighter, Easier, and More Engaging Multi-Channel Retail Experience with the Evolution of THE SHOPPING CHANNEL, Today". Canada Newswire. September 6, 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
29. "MuchMore changes the channel, rebrands as M3". Marketing Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
30. "MuchMore channel to become M3 in the fall". Toronto Star. July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
31. Potrecz, Bill (October 9, 2013). Sabres ring in Canadian television deal. St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
32. http://blueantmedia.ca/2013/11/smithsonian-channel-launches-in-canada-with-street-stunts-in-toronto-and-vancouver/
33. "Rogers reaches 12-year broadcast deal with NHL worth $5.2-billion," from The Globe and Mail, 11/26/2013
34. "DHX Media to buy Family, other children's channels". Toronto Star. November 28, 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
35. "DHX to acquire Family Channel, three others from Bell Media". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. November 28, 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
36. "Bell Media signs deal to sell MusiquePlus and MusiMax to V Media Group". Canadian Press. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
37. Bell Media Announces Launch of French-language Channel Investigation Dec. 12 CNW 2013-11-14
38. "CBC Television Launches 2013 Winter Schedule Featuring a New Canadian Crime Drama and a Slate of Returning Hits". CBC Revenue Group. CBC.ca. November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
39. "Motive". CTV.ca. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
40. "Citytv Gives Birth to New Original Comedy Series Seed on Monday Nights Coming Feb. 4". Rogers Media TV Access. Rogers. December 11, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
41. "City Announces Fall 2013 Premiere Dates". Rogers Media TV Access. Rogers. August 9, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
42. "CTV to air 'The Amazing Race Canada' series". The Canadian Press. CTV News. December 2, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
43. "Alexandre Despatie named co-host of City Montreal’s morning show". The Gazette, June 8, 2013.
44. "CTV’s new original drama series 'Played' begins production". CTV, May 3, 2013.
45. "After filming Jack, Sook-Yin Lee and Rick Roberts have no desire to enter politics". Canada.com, March 6, 2013.
46. Faguy, Steve (2012-12-20). "CRTC approves new Montreal TV stations". The Gazette. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
47. "Conrad Bain, 'Diff'rent Strokes' Star, Dies at 89". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
48. "Hollywood Star Found Dead in Vancouver" (Press release). Vancouver Police Department. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
49. Goldberg, Lesley (14 July 2013). "'Glee' Star Cory Monteith Dies at 31". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
50. Obituary for Danny Wells from The Hollywood Reporter, 12/4/2013
51. "NL Broadcasting Icon Geoff Stirling Dead at 92". VOCM. December 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.