Super Channel (Canada)

This article is about the present-day Canadian premium channel owned by Allarco Entertainment. For the pay cable service in Western Canada formerly called Super Channel from 1983 to 1984 and 1989 to 2001, see Movie Central.
Super Channel
Super Channel logo
Launched November 2, 2007
Owned by Allarco Entertainment[1]
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
480i (SDTV)
Slogan Let's see it Here!
Country Canada
Language English
Broadcast area Nationwide
Headquarters Edmonton, Alberta
Website Super Channel
Availability
Satellite
Bell TV 326–329 (SD)
1277-1280 (HD)
Shaw Direct 616-619 / 260–263 (SD)
151 & 152 / 651 & 652 (HD)
Cable
Available on most Canadian cable systems Consult your local cable provider for channel availability
IPTV
Bell Aliant 380–383 (SD)
582-585 (HD)
Bell Fibe TV 326–329 (SD)
1326-1329 (HD)
MTS 217-220 (SD)
1217-1220 (HD)
Optik TV 9417-9420 (SD)
417-420 (HD)
SaskTel 210-213 (SD)
500-503 (HD)
VMedia 334-337 (HD)

Super Channel is a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that is owned by Charles and Peter Allard through Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc. Super Channel's programming primarily includes theatrically released, first to television motion pictures and television series, along with documentaries and other niche programs. All programming is unedited and commercial free.

The current Super Channel service was launched in 2007, and is not affiliated with the two pre-existing English-language premium channels which used the name at various times prior to 2001, which were later known as Movie Central (in Western Canada; defunct since March 2016) and The Movie Network (in Eastern Canada, and operating nationally since March 2016). The Allards were the original owners of what was last known as Movie Central, and later re-acquired rights to the Superchannel trademark. Prior to 2016, Super Channel was the first and only general-interest English-language pay television service authorized to operate nationally. (Officially, Family Channel and its multiplex channel Family Junior are also national pay television channels, but those services operate as a de-facto basic tier specialty channel in most areas and on some providers.)

Super Channel is available on nearly all major cable and satellite providers including Telus Optik TV, Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Access Communications, Cogeco, Rogers Cable, Shaw Cable, Eastlink and other providers. Super Channel was granted as a "must carry" service by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), meaning all television service providers must carry the service on their systems.

History

Allarco was one of four applicants for new pay television licences that were considered at a public hearing held by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on October 24, 2005.[2] Its competing applicants were:

The Allarco application was approved on May 18, 2006, while the other three applicants were rejected.[7]

The Allard family were also the original owners of Movie Central, which during their stewardship until 2001 was known as "Superchannel", rendered as a single word title unlike the current service (for a time in the 1980s, First Choice (now The Movie Network) had also used the "Superchannel" name under a co-branding agreement). The "Movie Central" name was adopted shortly after Corus Entertainment acquired the service, but Corus maintained ownership of the "Superchannel" trademark. Just before the new channel's launch, the Allards re-acquired the rights to the "Superchannel" name under undisclosed terms.[8]

Super Channel was launched on November 2, 2007 on Bell TV as a six-channel service. Super Channel's parent company, Allarco Entertainment, entered into the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act on June 18, 2009.[9] On August 31, 2010, its creditors unanimously approved a restructuring plan for the company under the act. The restructuring plan, which needed approval of the court,[10] was later approved.

On November 2, 2016, Super Channel began to air commercial breaks and traditional advertising as part of the CRTC's "Let's Talk TV".

Channels

List of channels

Depending on the service provider, Super Channel provides up to eight multiplex channels – four 24-hour multiplex channels, all of which are simulcast in both standard definition and high definition – as well as a subscription video-on-demand service (Super Channel On Demand). Super Channel broadcasts its primary and multiplex channels on an Eastern Time Zone schedule, operating a singular feed for all channels, this results in the difference in local airtimes for a particular movie or program between two geographic locations being three hours at most.

Channel Description and programming
Super Channel 1 The main flagship feed; this channel carries general interest movies, television series, documentaries and concerts.
Super Channel 2 This channel focuses on a diverse selection of movies, series and documentaries.
Super Channel 3 This channel focuses on documentaries, film festival selections, world cinema and first to television motion pictures.
Super Channel 4 This channel features television series, documentaries, and weekly horror double bills.

Other services

Super Channel HD

Super Channel HD is a high definition simulcast feed of Super Channel that broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format. In addition to its main channel, Super Channel also operates high definition simulcast feeds of all three multiplex channels. Initially, Allarco launched two high definition feeds upon the launch of the service in November 2007: Super Channel HD 1 and Super Channel HD 2. Super Channel HD 1 simulcasted the standard definition feed of the same name, while Super Channel HD 2 initially aired programming from the three remaining SD feeds. In February 2013, Allarco launched HD feeds for the two remaining channels, Super Channel 3 and Super Channel 4, with each HD channel now simulcasting their standard definition equivalent.

Super Channel On Demand

Super Channel operates a subscription video-on-demand television service called Super Channel On Demand, which is available at no additional charge to new and existing subscribers of Super Channel. Content featured on the service includes movies, acquired foreign series and special features previously seen on the linear television network. Super Channel On Demand's rotating program selection incorporates select new titles that are added daily to existing content. Super Channel On Demand launched in February 2008, on Cogeco Cable systems in Ontario. It is available nationally by satellite providers Shaw Direct and Bell TV, and regionally by cable providers Rogers Cable, Access Communications, Cogeco, Novus, Shaw Cable, Westman Communications, Source Cable, EastLink and Vidéotron, and IPTV providers Telus TV, Bell Aliant TV, Bell Fibe TV, MTS TV and SaskTel.

Programming

Super Channel has positioned itself as a complementary service to The Movie Network and, formerly, Movie Central. The channel offers a diverse selection of television series, theatrically released and first to television movies [11] and niche programming. Its lineup includes various top American and Canadian series as well as international series, primarily from the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Programming has also included critically acclaimed documentaries, concerts, and foreign films. [12]

List of programs broadcast by Super Channel

Includes current and past programming.

Canadian Programming

Acquired programming

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.