Channel Zero (company)
 | |
| Private company | |
| Industry | Media |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
Key people |
Cal Millar, President & COO Romen Podzyhun, Chairman & CEO |
| Products | Broadcasting, Television Production |
| Website | Channel Zero |
2308740 Ontario Inc. (doing business as Channel Zero) is an independent Canadian broadcasting and media group, which holds assets in television broadcasting and film distribution.
The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with its main office in the Junction.
Ownership structure
After a settlement following a lawsuit in 2011 with former co-owners Harold Balde and Anthony D'Andrea, "Channel Zero" created a new simplified ownership structure for all of "Channel Zero" licences, under the name 2308740 Ontario Inc..[1]
- C.J. ("Cal") Millar - President and C.O.O; 39.3%
- Romen Podzyhun - Chairman and C.E.O; 39.3%
- Christopher J. Fuoco - Vice-President, Sales and Marketing; 21.4%
Assets
Specialty channels
Channel Zero owns six specialty television channels:
- Bloomberg TV Canada - News channel devoted to global business market coverage and financial news.
- Rewind - Movie channel devoted to classic films from the 1970s to the 1990s.
- Silver Screen Classics - Movie channel devoted to classic films from the 1930s through to the 1960s.
Channel Zero also owns some foreign language channels, and pornographic channels.
Over-the-air stations
Channel Zero owns an over the air station which it acquired from Canwest[2] and took control of on August 31, 2009. The station is independent and was previously an owned-and-operated station of the E! system:
- CHCH Hamilton - Previously aired all local news during the day, but that format was abandoned as of December 2015. Movies and some U.S. programming air throughout the evenings, along with programming from sister station Bloomberg TV Canada during daytime.
As part of the same transaction, Channel Zero also acquired CJNT Montreal, which it later sold to Rogers Media in 2012.[3]
Digital
- Movieola is an online film service that broadcasts short films from various genres including action, comedy, drama, and animation.
In June 2013, Channel Zero announced that it had acquired a majority interest in ANDPOP Inc., the owners of ANDPOP.com, a pop culture entertainment website, and ChartAttack.com, a website devoted to independent and alternative music.[4]
Distribution
Ouat Media [pronounced “what”] is an Academy Award® winning film sales and distribution company, providing high-profile and award-winning short form – and now feature film and television – content from the world’s top emerging filmmakers for all international platforms.
It distributes such short films as Curfew, (International Audience Award, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival 2012); 75 Watts, (nominated for Best Short Documentary, Genie Awards 2012); Two and Two, (Nominated for Best Short Film, British Academy Film Awards 2012); God of Love, (Best Live Action Short Film, 2011 Academy Awards®); The Lost Thing, (Best Animated Short Film, 2011 Academy Awards®).
Some recent documentary feature acquisitions include: Viva Cuba Libre: Rap is War, The Blockade (Blokada), & Paramédico.
Ouat Media is run by:
- Inga Diev - General Manager
Ouat Media is based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and was created in 2006.
Previously owned assets
- CJNT / Metro 14
On June 30, 2009, Channel Zero acquired CJNT-DT, its only Montreal-based operation from Canwest after the latter filed bankruptcy for CJNT.[5][6] The CRTC approved the sale on August 28, 2009[7][8] The station adopted a new schedule featuring a mix of music videos and already existing local ethnic programming during the day, and foreign movies at night, and reverted to branding itself as simply CJNT. On June 14, 2010, Channel Zero announced it would be rebranding CJNT as Metro 14 in the fall, to appeal to a wider urban audience; the "14" represents its cable slot on Vidéotron in the Greater Montreal area.[9][10] On February 2, 2011 at 6:00 a.m. EST, the station officially rebranded as Metro 14, behind the original announced date of fall 2010.[11] In 2012, Rogers Media announced its acquisition of CJNT from Channel Zero, to convert the station into an owned-and-operated station of its Citytv television system.
- Fight Now TV
Fight Now TV was an American combat sports specialty channel broadcasting programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combat sports. The channel launched in May 2011 and ceased broadcasting in June 2014.
References and notes
- ↑
- ↑ Channel Zero Inc. agrees to purchase CHCH-TV Hamilton and CJNT-TV Montreal from Canwest; CNW Group; 2009-06-30
- ↑ CRTC increases the diversity of voices in the Montreal market
- ↑ 60 Years Strong! CHCH announces all that's in store for Fall 2013 Newswire press release 2013=06-11
- ↑ Channel Zero Inc. agrees to purchase CHCH-TV Hamilton and CJNT-TV Montreal from Canwest CNW Group (2009-06-30)
- ↑ Channel Zero Inc. agrees to purchase CHCH-TV Hamilton and CJNT-TV Montreal from Canwest (Video News Coverage) (2009-06-30)
- ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-536
- ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-537
- ↑ Channel Zero loads up on U.S. network series, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2010
- ↑ http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=115859021792151&id=119179104768932
- ↑ Channel Zero rebrands, repositions, CJNT Montreal, Cartt.ca 2011-02-02