Launched April 1, 2010 Country Canada Headquarters Montreal, Quebec | Owned by TVA Group Broadcast area National | |
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Picture format 480i (SDTV)
1080i (HDTV) | ||
Yoopa (stylized YOOPA) is a Canadian French language Category B specialty channel owned by TVA Group, a division of Quebecor Media. Yoopa broadcasts programming targeted toward preschoolers, aged 2 to 6.
Contents
A magazine for parents using the Yoopa name was launched on April 1, 2010 in conjunction with the launch of the television channel. The magazine replaced EspaceParents.ca, owned by TVA Publications, a division of Groupe TVA.
History
In February 2010, TVA Group was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a television channel called TVA Junior, described as "a national French-language Category 2 specialty programming undertaking aimed exclusively at children from two to six years old."
The channel was launched on April 1, 2010 in standard and high definition as Yoopa.
Dispute with Vrak.TV Junior
Before Yoopa's launch and its approval by the CRTC, fellow broadcaster Astral Media had been approved for a similar channel in March 2006 called Vrak.TV Junior. Prior to its launch, Astral Media claimed that it had secured carriage on a number of other television providers, except Vidéotron — who has a hold of 51% of the Quebec market, the largest French market in Canada — owned by Quebecor Media, the parent of TVA Group. Astral claimed Vidéotron's refusal to carry the channel was to avoid competition for its upcoming channel, Yoopa. Astral attributed the delay in the launch of Vrak Junior to Vidéotron's refusal to carry the channel. Vidéotron categorically denied the accusation.
Vrak.TV Junior was launched on July 5, 2010 as Playhouse Disney Télé (now called Télémagino) on Bell TV. Vidéotron launched the channel on March 1, 2011.