Launched September 1, 1994 Language English Owned by AMC Networks | Country United States Broadcast area Nationwide | |
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Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
480i (SDTV) Slogan Always On, Slightly Off TV shows Portlandia, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Maron, The Increasingly Poor Deci, The Birthday Boys | ||
IFC (an initialism of the network's former name, the Independent Film Channel) is an American cable and satellite television network that is owned by AMC Networks. Programming on the channel includes both original and acquired series, and fan favorite films that are "always on, slightly off."
Contents
- Original focus on independent films
- Format change
- Scripted
- Award shows
- Acquired
- Future programming
- Documentaries
- Anime
- Programming blocks
- IFC HD
- IFC Free
- IFC Films
- IFCcom
- Web series
- Blogs
- Canada
- References
As of February 2015, approximately 73,333,000 American households (63% of households with television) receive IFC. In March 2015, Dish TV's Sling TV announced it would soon begin making AMC channels available to cord cutters, including AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV, and WE tv.
Original focus on independent films
The channel debuted on September 1, 1994, under the ownership of Rainbow Media, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation; IFC originated as a spin-off of then-sibling channel Bravo, which focused at that time on a wider variety of programming than IFC, including arts-related programming. The Independent Film Channel originally operated as a commercial-free service, with films being shown without interruption.
In 2005, IFC opened the IFC Center, a movie theater for independent film in New York City. In 2008, IFC launched its Media Lab Studios, a section of its website on which users can enter IFC-sponsored film contests, and can view others’ films. Numerous contests are run simultaneously, each with a different focus and guidelines for entries, and are presented by IFC and another sponsor. Recent contest sponsors include Scion, Absolut Vodka, and Red Bull. In 2008, Rainbow Media acquired competing independent film service Sundance Channel from Robert Redford and Showtime Networks.
Format change
By the mid-2000s, IFC began shifting away from running only independent films; original and acquired television series began to be incorporated within the channel's programming inventory. In March 2010, IFC unveiled a newly redesigned logo and a new slogan – Always On. Slightly Off - which reflects IFC's shift from merely airing independent films to also airing cult television series and specials with an indie flavor and sensibility. Around this time, IFC became an advertiser-supported service and started commercial advertisements between programs. Theatrically released feature films, many of whom AMC holds television rights to, also became part of IFC's schedule.
On December 8, 2010, IFC began airing commercials within its programming, a move that sparked controversy among its viewers. Along with this, IFC began to censor its programming. Most notably, The Whitest Kids U'Know had profanity bleeped and nudity blurred. In addition, all sex scenes from movies that featured nudity were now edited out. Despite continuing to air advertisements during its programming, IFC largely reversed its censorship practices and started to air R-rated movies and TV-MA rated series uncensored. The channel would publicly trumpet this fact in 2012 by releasing ads featuring showings of back-to-back blocks of movies like the Friday the 13th film series, highlighting the nudity and gore. However, episodes of some programs rated TV-14 are still censored.
On July 1, 2011, Rainbow Media was spun off from Cablevision into a separate company, which was renamed AMC Networks. The name "IFC" is now an orphan initialism. On January 9, 2014, network general manager Jennifer Caserta announced: "The name 'Independent Film Channel' has been legally retired...starting today, IFC is legally IFC." Beginning in May, the IFC logo, which was used since 2010 was rendered in 3-D.
Scripted
Award shows
Acquired
Future programming
Documentaries
Anime
Programming blocks
IFC HD
IFC HD is a high definition simulcast feed of IFC that broadcasts in the 1080i resolution format. IFC HD is available on Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cablevision, Verizon FIOS, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Charter Communications, Dish Network, AT&T U-verse, Optimum and several other major cable providers.
IFC Free
IFC operates a video on demand television service called IFC Free, which is available at no additional charge to digital cable and satellite subscribers. IFC Free offers program content available in standard or high definition, consisting of independent and theatrically-released feature films and original programs, including premieres of IFC programs before their initial broadcast on the linear television channel.
IFC Films
AMC Networks operates an independent film studio, IFC Films, which launched in 2001 and produces independent films for theatrical release. IFC Films has entered into several ventures in new distribution models for video on demand (VOD) and DVDs. The company has released over 600 films.
IFC.com
IFC's website, ifc.com, features blogs and news about film, music, and politics in addition to content about IFC's series, documentaries, and programming. The site also features exclusive web content consisting of a variety of original web series.
Web series
Blogs
Canada
The Canadian version of the Independent Film Channel launched on August 15, 2001 under the ownership of Salter Street Films, under a brand licensing agreement with Rainbow Media. Alliance Atlantis acquired the channel in December 2001, through its purchase of Salter Street Films. On January 18, 2008, a joint venture between Canwest and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners known as CW Media, acquired control of IFC through its purchase of Alliance Atlantis' broadcasting assets, which were placed in a trust in August 2007.
On October 27, 2010, IFC Canada's ownership changed again through Shaw Communications' acquisition of Canwest and Goldman Sachs' interest in CW Media. As with its U.S. namesake, the channel originally focused almost exclusively on smaller independent films. However, IFC Canada has broadened its programming focus to include more mainstream films from large production studios as the U.S. channel has done. It has also de-emphasized the use of the full Independent Film Channel name, instead using the IFC acronym, possibly due to the decrease in the number of independent films on its schedule.
As of 2014, none of IFC's original programming has aired on this channel. Rival broadcaster Bell Media currently owns exclusive rights to their shows and has aired them on their various networks, including The Movie Network and MuchMusic.