Canadaworld TV License Bid Unveiled

CanadaWorld TV License Bid Unveiled

Partnership of leading and multiculturally attuned Canadian media organizations
seeking CRTC licence to operate national, multi-ethnic television service

 

Last week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that CanadaWorld TV is one of a select group of qualified applications under consideration to operate a national, multilingual, multi-ethnic TV channel with mandatory distribution across Canada.

CanadaWorld TV is a partnership of the most dedicated, experienced and accomplished ethnic media leaders in the country and Canada’s leading broadcasters: Dr. Shan Chandrasekar of Asian Television Network; Corus Entertainment Inc.; and the longstanding ethnic community shareholdersand management of TLN Media Group. The application is also supported by Canada’s national public broadcaster, the CBC. With its diverse and experienced governance structure, CanadaWorld TV will be uniquely positioned to adapt to Canada’s changing ethnocultural demographics and remain relevant to Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

CanadaWorld TV intends to operate a national, multilingual, multicultural television service devoted to programming produced by, and for, Canada’s ethnic communities. The service would include many new and progressive elements in the selection, production, scheduling and distribution of programming, which will appeal to a broadly representative set of minority linguistic and cultural Canadian populations, including newcomers to Canada.

Aldo Di Felice, President of TLN Media Group commented, “I am honoured to be part of the team that conceived and created this groundbreaking new Canadian channel proposal. It is the highlight of my 25 year career in Canadian media to be personally involved in partnership with the most dedicated, experienced and accomplished media leaders I know and respect. The CanadaWorld TV concept is the fruit of our relentless mission to build an ethnic media operation that will super-serve our diverse population.”

Dr. Shan Chandrasekar, founder, President and CEO, Asian Television Network stated, “As lifelong advocates for Canadian diversity we have the partnerships, roots in the community and commitment to make CanadaWorldTV a success.  We have always been focused on servicing the ethnic community and will provide an exceptional service for Canadians.“

Doug Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Corus Entertainment Inc. commented “Corus is pleased to support and be a partner in the CanadaWorld TV initiative. The applicant group has the highest degree of credibility and this operation will be in the hands of Canada’s two most experienced ethnic specialty television broadcasters.”

Last year, the CRTC recognized Canada’s need of access to multilingual, multi-ethnic programming, particularly national, regional and local news and information shows produced from a Canadian point of view. The CRTC will hold a public hearing starting October 15, 2018, to evaluate the applications.

About Asian Television Network International Limited (ATN)
ATN serves Canada’s diverse cultural communities with 54 specialty television channels. The Company offers its flagship ATN-HD general interest service, 3 sports Channels, 4 news Channels, 5 Bollywood movie channels and a variety of channels that include 4 music Channels, 4 lifestyle Channels, 3 Chinese Channels, 6 Punjabi channels, and several regional language channels. ATN operates a South Asian Radio Service on Satellite Radio across The United States and Canada. Some ATN content is also available on any Bell mobile phone that supports video. ATN has programming alliances with leading international broadcasters like Doordarshan, Star Network (News Corp), Sony Entertainment Television, Viacom, Times Television Network, B4U Network, NDTV, Disney, ARY Group and many more. ATN channels are available on various Cable, Satellite and IPTV Platforms across Canada like Shaw Cable, Bell TV, Rogers Cable, Bell Fibe TV, TELUS Optic TV, Shaw Direct, Cogeco Cable, V Media and Others.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that creates and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. The company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompasses 44 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a global content business, digital assets, live events, children’s book publishing, animation software, technology and media services. The Corus roster of premium brands include Global Television, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network Canada, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, National Geographic, Q107, CKNW, Fresh Radio, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada. Visit Corus at www.corusent.com

About TLN MEDIA GROUP (Telelatino Network Inc.)
TLN Media Group is Canada’s most influential multicultural media company, connecting cultures on television, online and in communities through storytelling and shared experiences. The company reaches millions of Canadians from a state-of-the-art digital production and broadcast facility in Toronto, Canada.  In addition to TLN, its flagship English-language channel, the company also offers Canada’s most widely-distributed foreign language television channels lead by Univision Canada and Mediaset Italia. Additional Italian channels include TeleBimbi and TGCOM24.  The family of Spanish channels is made up of TeleNiños and a group of 4 leading foreign services; Cinelatino, Wapa TV, Television Dominicana and CentroAmerica TV. TLN also operates English language specialty channel EuroWorld Sport.  A leader in supporting and developing Canadian multiculturalism, TLN Media Group produces hundreds of hours of unique and culturally significant programming and hosts the country’s largest Latino street festival, TD Salsa in Toronto featuring the free street festival, TD Salsa on St. Clair.  TLN Media Group shareholders include Corus Entertainment, a leading Canadian media and content company, together with prominent members of the Italian Canadian community.