CMT (Canadian TV channel)

CMT is a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel that is owned as a joint venture between Corus Entertainment (which owns a controlling 90% interest) and Viacom (which owns the remaining 10%), owners of the flagship CMT cable channel in the United States. The channel airs country music and family-oriented general entertainment programs in the form of music videos, award shows, concerts and sitcoms.

It is one of two Viacom-branded channels that are owned by Corus, the companies also partner on Nickelodeon.

History

First and only New Country Network logo used from 1995 to 1996.

First CMT logo used from 1996 to 2000.

Second CMT logo used from 2000 to 2006.

Prior to the launch of CMT Canada, the American-based country television network, Country Music Television, had been available in Canada since 1984, one year after the channel's launch in the United States.^[2]

In June 1994, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) licensed a series of new Canadian specialty television channels; among the ones whose licence was granted was The Country Network, whose programming provisions required it to primarily feature country music videos (a minimum of 90%). The licence was granted to a partnership between Maclean-Hunter (which owned 60% majority control) and Rawlco Communications (which owned the remaining 40%).^[3]

Third CMT logo used from 2006 to 2008.

Fourth CMT Logo used from 2008 to 2010.

Fifth CMT Logo used from 2010 to 2015.

At this time, the CRTC had a policy that if a Canadian specialty service was licensed and that service's format was competitive with a foreign service's format that was licensed to operate in Canada, the foreign service could be dropped from the list of channels eligible for cable carriage in Canada.^[3] Due to Country Music Television's competitive format, the CRTC terminated CMT's eligibility rights in Canada as a foreign service on June 6, 1994. Television distributors such as cable and satellite television operators could continue distributing Country Music Television until The Country Network began operations.^[3]

In March 1994, one year before the channel's launch, Maclean-Hunter had been purchased by Rogers Communications.^[4]

On January 1, 1995, the channel launched as New Country Network (NCN). On that date, Canadian pay television service providers were no longer allowed to offer Country Music Television.^[5] In retaliation to being barred from Canada, the American service launched a complaint under the North American Free Trade Agreement and ceased carriage of videos by Canadian artists without major U.S. record deals.^[6]

After months of negotiations, the matter was settled when it was announced that CBS Cable, then owners of CMT, would purchase a minority stake in the service. NCN was relaunched as CMT on October 31, 1996.^[6] The majority interest was acquired by Shaw Communications at the same time; it was later included in the spinoff of the broadcasting assets then owned by Shaw as Corus Entertainment in 1999. The controversy also resulted in an effective change to CRTC policy – if a foreign channel is already available in Canada and a new Canadian equivalent is subsequently licensed, cable providers are no longer required to drop the foreign service.

CMT HD

CMT HD is a high definition simulcast feed of CMT, which broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format. In early 2014, Telus TV announced on its website that it would carry the HD feed of CMT Canada.^[7]

Programming

When CMT was launched as New Country Network on January 1, 1995, the CRTC required that 90% of the station's programming consist of music videos.^[8] The CRTC dropped that requirement to 70% on February 28, 2001.^[9] The percentage was further reduced to 50% on February 28, 2006,^[10] making it, more or less, like its American counterpart.

CMT airs music videos throughout the day in blocks titled My CMT Morning, CMT Music, Number 1s, CMT Social, CMT Rewind, Old School, Wide Open and CMT Spotlight, along with the weekly Chevrolet Top 20 Countdown. During the evening hours, CMT airs a mix of acquired programming consisting of sitcoms (such as Rules of Engagement, Reba and According to Jim), reality series (such as America's Funniest Home Videos, Wife Swap, Cash and Cari, Bayou Billionaires and Swamp Pawn), Canadian-produced programs (such as Deal with It, Just for Laughs: Gags, Wipeout Canada and Undercover Boss Canada) as well as original series (such as CMT's Hottest, Best in Chow, Cash Mob and Pick a Puppy).

Hosts/presenters

Current hosts

• Paul McGuire – host of Chevrolet Top 20 Countdown and CMT's Hottest

Former hosts

• Casey Clarke (now at CIGV-FM in Penticton, British Columbia)
• Cliff Dumas (now host of the Weekly Country Countdown)
• Shannon Gaye
• Gnarley Charley (now at KSKS in Fresno, California)
• Stu Jeffries (now at CHBM-FM in Toronto)
• Nicola Jones (previously at CHCH in Hamilton, Ontario) - now deceased (Oct 2014)
• Ashley Kranz (winner of CMT Canada's "CMT Casting Call 2007" competition)
• Elissa Lansdell (now host of My Rona Home)
• Beverley Mahood
• Melissa Parrott (winner of CMT Canada's "CMT Casting Call 2009" competition)
• Hal Roberts (now with We Mean Business TV airing on CHCH-TV Hamilton)
• Colleen Rusholme (now at CING-FM in Hamilton)
• Greg Shannon (now at CKGY-FM in Calgary, Alberta)
• Nancy Sinclair
• Brian "Hurricane" Smith
• Tamara Stanners (now at CKPK-FM in Vancouver)
• Lindsay Stone

See also

• CMT (US)

References

External links

• Official website

Music television channels in Canada
Music and entertainment	Aux CMT Much MusiquePlus Vintage TV
24/7 music videos	Stingray Juicebox Stingray Loud Stingray Retro Stingray Vibe
Third-language	ATN B4U Music ATN Mastiii ATN MH 1 ATN Sony Mix Greek Music Channel Melody Hits Rotana Clip Rotana Mousica SchlagerTV
Multilingual	Stingray Music (audio only)
Foreign	Afrotainment Music ARY Musik Channel V Ritmoson Latino
Defunct	bpm:tv CoolTV Edge TV M3 Max Trax Video Italia