| Family | |
|---|---|
| Blue version of the Family logo | |
| Launched | September 1, 1988 |
| Owned by | Astral Media |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (2011-present) 480i (SDTV) (1988-present) |
| Country | Canada |
| Broadcast area | National (also available in Jamaica and the Bahamas) |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Formerly called | Family Channel (1988-1999) |
| Sister channel(s) | Disney Junior Disney XD The Movie Network |
| Website | Family.ca |
| Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Bell TV | 556 Family (east) (SD) 557 Family (west) (SD) 1642 Family (east) (HD) |
| Shaw Direct | Classic lineup: 540 Family (east) (SD) 541 Family (west) (SD) Advanced lineup: 170 Family (east) (SD) 171 Family (west) (SD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on most Canadian cable systems | Check local listings, channels may vary |
| IPTV | |
| Bell Aliant TV | 258 Family (east) (SD) |
| Bell Fibe TV | 556 Family (east) (SD) 557 Family (west) (SD) 1556 Family (east) (HD) |
| MTS | 153 Family (east) (SD) 154 Family (west) (SD) |
| Optik TV | 76 Family (west) (SD) 86 Family (east) (SD) 681 Family (east) (HD) |
| SaskTel | 130 Family (east) (SD) |
Family (often referred to as Family Channel) is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service marketed to children and teenagers aged 2-15. It is owned by Astral Media. The channel's headquarters are located at the Brookfield Place office complex, near the Financial District of downtown Toronto, Ontario.
Programming featured on the channel consists primarily of Canadian-produced original series, current and archived original programming imported mainly from Disney Channel in the United States and some theatrically-released feature films. The channel operates two timeshifted feeds: East (Eastern Time) and West (Pacific Time).
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Family was licensed as a pay TV service by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on December 1, 1987 as a joint venture between Allarcom Pay Television Limited (later acquired by Western International Communications) and First Choice Canadian Communications Corporation (by then a division of Astral Communications), with both companies owning a 50% stake in the service.[1] It launched as Family Channel on September 1, 1988. On October 1, 1999, the channel was rebranded Family. In 2000, Corus Entertainment acquired Western International Communications' stake in the service and subsequently sold it to Astral in 2001.
Family was originally offered by cable companies as a stand-alone channel; however, beginning in October 1997, most cable and satellite providers started offering the channel as part of a package with that year's wave of new specialty channels. While Family initially continued its "pay" format, including broadcasts of older Disney movies which would be repeated several times a month, it soon changed its programming practices such that it now operates as a de facto specialty channel, much like similarly themed channels such as YTV. However, in line with CRTC regulations for premium channels, no commercials are shown, aside from promotions for other Family programs and Family-sponsored contests aired between shows. Some advertisers work around this rule by co-sponsoring contests which are then promoted on the channel.[2] Family also offers promotions of video games and theatrical/DVD movies via interstitial programs using the name "Blast".[3] Dance Fever, which aired on Family in 2003, was the only program to have ever taken breaks during the show. Family was the last English-language children's network in Canada to switch to a 24/7 broadcast schedule, finally eliminating its off-air hours on July 1, 2007.
In February 2007, Family began airing short programs from Disney Channel, such as Disney's Really Short Report, Meet the Family, and the returning feature Movie Surfers, alongside their own interstitials, such as music videos ("FamJam"), contest promotions, and movie interviews from corporate sister The Movie Network.
On January 11, 2011, Family debuted a new logo and on-air identity to coincide with the launch of its new high-definition feed.[4]
The existence of a United States cable channel, itself long known as The Family Channel, and now known as ABC Family, has occasionally led to the presumption that the two channels are affiliated. The two channels have co-commissioned some programming in the past and both currently have a significant connection to The Walt Disney Company (Family primarily acquires its foreign programming from Disney Channel and Disney XD, while The Walt Disney Company purchased ABC Family from News Corporation in 2000). However, the two channels developed separately in each country, and as such, neither channel can be considered an international version of the other, especially given that unlike Family, ABC Family is advertiser-supported. Allarcom and First Choice had first proposed using the "Family Channel" name in 1987.[1] The American channel, initially controlled by televangelist Pat Robertson, was originally known as the CBN Satellite Service and later CBN Cable Network, before adopting the "CBN Family Channel" name in August 1988, one month before Canada's Family Channel signed on, only dropping the reference to CBN two years later in September 1990.
Despite the current dual relationships with Disney, most of ABC Family's recent original series have aired in Canada on channels other than Family (such as MuchMusic), as Family's schedule is already filled with Disney Channel programming, Canadian-produced shows and other programs focused on children and preteens. Most recently, Disney has announced a separate partnership with Corus Entertainment to launch a ABC Family-style channel in Canada in 2012 (to be named ABC Spark to avoid any confusion with Astral's service).[5] Nevertheless, some American cable providers have used Family's former "Paint and Sun" logo to represent the U.S. channel on program guides, and occasionally the reverse has occurred with ABC Family's Robertson-era logo as The Family Channel (whose "Family" script is similar to the pre-1998 logo of the Canadian channel) appearing in some Canadian listings.
Family's development was in fact more similar to that of Disney Channel; besides common programming and past co-commissioning of original programming, both launched as premium channels prior to pay television providers offering them as basic channels, and both channels do not offer traditional advertising (Disney Channel does not accept traditional advertising outside of PBS-style underwriter sponsorships, and breaks within programs consist largely of promotions of its own programming, and Disney Channel-produced featurettes advertising Disney films and consumer products). Due to Disney Channel's longtime programming agreement with Family, Family is often thought of as a de facto Canadian version of Disney Channel.
Family produces its own original programming, in addition to airing many series and original movies from the U.S. cable network Disney Channel, along with one current original series from Disney XD (Pair of Kings), reruns of two now-defunct flagship series' from the U.S. channel Nickelodeon (Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Zoey 101), and one current series from Australia's Network Ten (The Elephant Princess). Though the majority of Family's international programming comes from Disney Channel, some Nickelodeon live-action series ran on the channel in the past, this was even as YTV strengthened its programming ties with Nickelodeon during the 2000s; Nickelodeon's programming has now largely migrated to YTV (and its sister channel Nickelodeon Canada).
Family broadcasts episodes of its programming in order by the program's production code number, instead of the order of their original broadcast run on American and other foreign channels; many times this places episodes out of order storyline-wise, as many shows film episodes out of order. The network also utilizes an "off-the-clock" schedule for programming airing between 1 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. ET, with series airing during that period running in timeslots of 23-27 minutes, usually concurrent with the program's original runtime without commercials or promos included, as such promo breaks on Family between programs are generally of limited length during the overnight and morning hours.
The majority of foreign programming is sourced from Disney Channel however, Family also commissions its own original programming. Some of their most popular shows include Life With Derek, The Latest Buzz, Overruled!, Wingin' It and Naturally, Sadie. Originally though, Majority Rules aired on Teletoon. Past and present original programs include:
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The channel also airs films, which are run uninterrupted and typically air on weekends (with two films each on Friday and Sunday evenings, three films on Saturday evenings, and an additional movie on early Saturday and Sunday afternoons). Films aired in these timeslots consist of either made-for-TV films produced by Disney Channel or older theatrically-released feature films (from studios such as Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group). As it is licensed as a premium service, all films aired on Family are given parental advisories by either the Canadian motion picture rating system or the Canadian TV Classification System (the latter also applies to series airing on the channel), prior to the start of the feature. Films aired on Family consist of G, PG and some 14A-rated movies, no films with rated 14+ and above for non-theatrically released films or 18A and above for theatrically-released films are broadcast on the channel.
While Family broadcasts original movies produced by Disney Channel, up until 2010, Family had not produced or distributed their own original made-for-TV movies. However, due to the popularity of their original series Life with Derek, Family commissioned its first original movie Vacation with Derek, a movie based on the series which began production in the summer of 2009; the movie aired in June 2010 on Family. In addition, Family has also been involved in one other made-for-TV film co-production, the 2010 film 16 Wishes, which was co-produced in association with Disney Channel and Marvista Entertainment.
Some of the network's movies also air in a Pop Up Video-style version (similar to the special versions of select original movies produced by and broadcast on Disney Channel in the United States), with behind-the-scenes trivia overlayed onto the image, such as Vacation with Derek: What's Up Edition.[6]
On January 11, 2011, Family launched a high definition feed called Family HD that simulcasts the East Coast standard definition feed.[4] The channel broadcasts in the 1080i picture format.
Family OnDemand is a video on demand service featuring programming from Family, available to subscribers of the network. The service features original series produced by Family, as well as original programming supplied by Disney Channel, which provides the vast majority of the American program content on the linear Family channel.
A local version of Disney Junior was launched as a multiplex of Family originally known as Playhouse Disney Channel on November 30, 2007, a 24/7 commercial-free channel carrying programs aimed at preschool-aged children.[7] Unlike Family, Disney Junior has only one national feed operating from the Eastern Time Zone. For satellite, it is exclusively carried on Bell TV.
The channel was re-launched under the new Disney Junior brand on May 6, 2011.[8]
Because Family is licensed as a premium service which allows for the addition of multiplex channels that are consistent with the network's licence, no additional licence was required to launch the service. Existing subscribers of Family are automatically eligible to receive Disney Junior free of charge, subject to carriage by their television service provider; however, it is not available on a standalone basis. The use of Family's existing licence also allows the service to compete with the preschooler-aimed specialty channel, Treehouse, despite the format protection guidelines for specialty channels. This is so, because Family's nature of service is to broadcast programming targeted toward "youth to age 17", in which case, a preschool audience would qualify.[9]
A French language version of Disney Junior (then known as Playhouse Disney Télé) launched on July 5, 2010. It was rebranded as Disney Junior on May 6, 2011 to coincide with the rebranding of the English channel. However, unlike the English version of Disney Junior, the French version is a category 2 service using its own licence.
Disney Junior On Demand is a video on demand (VOD) service featuring programming from Disney Junior, available to subscribers of Family and Disney Junior. Disney Junior launched its own VOD channel on May 6, 2011. [10]
Outside of Canada, Family is seen on some cable systems in the Caribbean:
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