The Movie Network

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The Movie Network

Type	Premium television service
Country	Canada
Availability	Eastern Canada
Owner	Astral Television Networks Inc. (Astral Media)
Key people	John Riley - President and CEO
Launch date	February 1, 1983
Past names	First Choice First Choice Superchannel
Website	themovienetwork.ca

The Movie Network (TMN) is a Canadian general-interest premium television service, specifically east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories. (The equivalent service available in Western Canada and the territories is Movie Central.) The Movie Network is owned by Astral Media. The name was formerly abbreviated to TMN, which remains a common informal name, including in this article (to avoid ambiguity), although the preferred short form at present appears to be M.

The Movie Network is carried by various eastern Canadian cable and satellite television providers via digital means, including Bell ExpressVu, Rogers Digital Cable, Vidéotron Digital Cable, Star Choice, EastLink, and more.

1 Channels and content
2 History
3 Duopoly Issue
4 CRTC License-related
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Channels and content

TMN operates seven multiplex channels. Mpix and Mescape are part of a separate licence and may be sold separately from the five other channels.

The Movie Network or M: the main "flagship" feed; blockbuster movies and major original series	MMore: a secondary channel with similar content to The Movie Network	MExcess: action, adventure, adult movies	MFest: film festival and international movies
MFun!: lighter movies including comedies	The Movie Network HD: a high definition feed, alternating between simulcasts of The Movie Network and its various multiplex channels (other than Mpix and MEscape).	MMore HD: a secondary high definition feed, alternating between simulcasts of The Movie Network and its various multiplex channels (other than Mpix and MEscape).	The Movie Network On Demand: a video on demand service delivering content from The Movie Network.
Mpix: classic thrillers, suspenseful and action-packed movies	Mescape: classic quality drama and light-hearted entertainment.	MHD: A high-definition feed simulcasting Mpix and Mescape.	Mpix On Demand: a video on demand service delivering content from Mpix and Mescape.

MZoo Logo

TMN offers an extensive variety of first-run movies and television programs such as Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fat Actress, Dead Like Me, The Comeback, Entourage, The Sopranos, Rome and others, mostly from HBO or Showtime as well as original content such as G-Spot, Terminal City, Stuntdawgs, and more. Most original content is co-produced in patnership with Movie Central.

Selected time blocks are branded MZoo (family movies on the main channel on weekends) and MAfterhours (adult movies on MExcess overnight).

Movies air on The Movie Network approximately 10-12 months after they were in theatres, 3-6 months after pay-per-view and over 1½ years before regular television. Sports coverage is permitted, but in such limited amounts that it is rarely seen, in contrast to HBO and Showtime.

In 2005, TMN introduced video on demand services for digital cable subscribers, The Movie Network On-Demand, including those of Rogers and Cogeco, Compton Communications and Eastlink. Content includes films and television series from The Movie Network and its 5 multiplex channels excluding Mpix and Mescape. Also on December 19, 2006, Astral launched Mpix On Demand, another video on demand service that includes content from Mpix and Mescape.

On Feburary 1, 2007, TMN launched MMore HD; a secondary high definition feed, alternating between simulcasts of The Movie Network and its various multiplex channels (other than Mpix and MEscape).

Programmes broadcast on TMN are rated according to the Ontario Film Review Board.

[edit] History

In 1976, Communications Minister Jeanne Sauve was quoted as saying "(Canadian) pay television is inevitable".

During the 1970s when HBO and Superstation WTBS became available on satellite in North America, some Canadians who were living in underserved rural areas, wanted access to these services. The Saskatchewan government together with Cable Regina set up a provincial pay-tv network called Teletheatre in 1979.

Growth of grey market TVRO dishes by 1980 led the government of Pierre Trudeau to allow for pay television in Canada, and that there would be hearings to license Canadian pay television networks.

In September, 1981 the CRTC held a hearing in Hull, Quebec to license Canada's first pay-television networks. There were more than 24 applicants.

First Choice pay-tv

A pay-TV license was issued by the CRTC to First Choice Canadian Communications Corp. on March 18, 1982. When First Choice, as TMN was then known launched on 1 February 1983, it was a national pay-TV service, which had after September, 1984, used the First Choice-Superchannel name. After a disappointing run for pay services in general, the industry was restructured and First Choice was restricted to eastern Canada, with the newly-formed Superchannel (now Movie Central) taking territorial rights in the west. It took the slogan "Canada's Movie Network", which eventually led to its current name in 1993.

The first movie ever to air on First Choice (now TMN) was Star Wars.

They were also licensed for and owned a French-language channel called Premier Choix, which merged with another (Quebec-based) pay-television network TVEC, to form Super Écran, which is still in operation today.

[edit] Ownership

When First Choice initially made its application to the CRTC in September, 1981, the following individuals and companies were part of the proposed channel:

Donald Sobey - of the Sobeys supermarket chain
J. R. McCaig
Norman Keevil
Royfund Equity Ltd. - Royal Bank of Canada mutual fund division
AGF Management Ltd.
Manufacturers Life Insurance Co.

Together they had $19 million in equity financing and proposed to spend $310.4 million over five years on Canadian television production. Estimated profit (over 5 years) would be $3.1 million.

Today, The Movie Network is owned by Astral Media of Montreal.

[edit] Management

Donald MacPherson, First Choice President 1983-1984
Harold Greenberg, First Choice President 1984-1996

[edit] Programming

Before other Canadian specialty networks like TSN and MuchMusic were licensed, First Choice was the network for watching premium (commercial-free) professional sporting and concert events. Sports came from such sources as ESPN, USA Network, and HBO.

Before the advent of stereo television and home theatre systems we have today, subscribers who paid for cable FM service could receive a stereo feed of First Choice.

Its slogan was: "Look out for number one! Look out for First Choice!"

[edit] Controversy

First Choice originally aired programming from the American Playboy Channel. Feminist groups voiced their opposition to this.^{[citation needed]} First Choice aired a two-hour block of Playboy programming during a late night time slot on Friday during its first year.

[edit] Pricing

When First Choice applied to the CRTC, they initially estimated that to program major American movies, entertainment specials and Canadian movies and specials, pay for satellite time, and marketing of the channel, they could sell it to the cable companies at a wholesale rate of $7.50/month. However, by the time the channel launched, and the cable companies had their take of the pay-tv pie, the retail cost of First Choice jumped significantly to $15.95.

[edit] Duopoly Issue

Currently, there is a debate over the current duopoly of The Movie Network and Movie Central. No other premium networks broadcast within Canada. Critics argue this limits competition and consumer choice, while proponents of the current system say there is very little in content or functionality that it is not already offered by the existing services.

In July, 2005, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission or CRTC, the Canadian federal broadcast regulator, announced that public hearings would begin on October 24, 2005 on four broadcast group applications for new national pay TV licences. Each applicant said they would commit towards the creation of more Canadian program content.

The four applicants were:

Spotlight Television, a joint venture between George Burger, a former executive at Alliance Television, and pro-sports mogul Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of the private investment company Kilmer Van Nostrand.

The Canadian Film Channel, from Channel Zero, operators of the current digital specialty channels Movieola and Silver Screen Classics. It is proposing all Canadian movies all the time but only as a supplementary service to existing pay channels.

Allarco Entertainment, from the Alberta-based Allard broadcast family that pioneered pay TV with the former Superchannel before it was sold to Shaw Communications and then to Corus Entertainment as Movie Central.

BOOMTV from Archambault Group, an Eastern Canadian music and DVD retail chain and a division of Quebecor Media Inc., which operates Sun Media, Vidéotron and the SUNTV station.

On May 18, 2006, it was announced that the Allarco Entertainment application was accepted, while the other three were rejected. [1] This approved application effectively ends the Movie Network/Movie Central duopoly.

[edit] CRTC License-related

CRTC Public Notice 1981- - Applicants for pay television licenses
CRTC Decision 1982- Original license (March, 1982)
CRTC Decision 1984- Superchannel and First Choice reorganization

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Westell, Dan. "Pay-TV: Visions of riches lure big bidders", Globe and Mail, September 26, 1981

[edit] External links

Astral Media Inc.

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