Launched September 7, 2001 Country Canada Headquarters Toronto, Canada Motto Surprisingly Human. | Slogan Surprisingly Human. Broadcast area National Founded 2001 Parent organization Discovery Communications | |
 | ||
Owned by Bell Media (80%)
Discovery Communications (20%)
(Animal Planet Canada Company) Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
(2011-present)
480i (SDTV)
(2001-present) Profiles | ||
Animal Planet is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel. Animal Planet broadcasts a variety of programming featuring animals.
Contents
The channel is owned by a consortium consisting of CTV Speciality Television Inc. (80%) (a division of Bell Media with 80% and ESPN with 20%); BBC Worldwide (10%); and Discovery Communications (10%).
History
In November 2000, CTV Inc. was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch Animal Planet, a service described as being "broadly based on family entertainment that will combine high-quality Canadian programming and attractive series and documentaries from Animal Planet in the United States."
The channel was launched under its current ownership structure (with the exception of Bell Media, wherein Bell Globemedia, later renamed CTVglobemedia, owned its shares at the time) on September 7, 2001.
On June 30, 2008, Animal Planet unveiled a new on-air appearance, including a new logo and graphics, to align itself with the American service which had updated its appearance earlier that year.
On September 10, 2010, BCE (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD. The deal which required CRTC approval, was approved on March 7, 2011 and closed on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.
Animal Planet HD
On June 17, 2011, Bell Media announced that it would launch Animal Planet HD, a high definition (HD) simulcast of the standard definition feed, by the end of 2011. The channel launched on December 15, 2011 initially on Bell Fibe TV and Shaw Cable and launched at a later date on Telus TV.