Lifetime (Canadian TV channel)


Lifetime is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. Based on the American cable network of the same name, Lifetime broadcasts films, dramatic television series, and reality series aimed at women.

History

In November 2000, Alliance Atlantis was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to launch a television channel called Romance Television, described as "a national English-language Category 2 specialty television service devoted to romance. Programming will include relationship- themed game shows and magazine style programs featuring romantic vacation resorts. Other programs will explore romantic moments in people's lives, as well as classic romantic feature films, epic mini-series and made-for-television movies."
The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as Showcase Diva, a spin-off of Showcase. Programming consisted of primarily television dramas and films.
On January 18, 2008, acquired control of Showcase Diva through its purchase of Alliance Atlantis' broadcasting assets, which were placed in a trust in August 2007.
On October 27, 2010, ownership changed again as Shaw Communications gained control of Showcase Diva as a result of its acquisition of Canwest and Goldman Sachs' interest in CW Media.
On May 30, 2012, it was announced that Showcase Diva would be rebranded as a Canadian version of Lifetime on August 27, 2012, through a brand licensing agreement with the U.S. channel's parent company A&E Networks. The rebrand would result in the addition of more reality series, talk shows and other original series from Lifetime to the channel's films and television dramas.
An HD feed was launched on May 29, 2013, along with HD feeds for H2, Slice, and the DHX-owned Disney Junior On April 1, 2016, Shaw Media was subsumed by Corus Entertainment.