Super Channel Entertainment Network (Formally and commonly known as Super Channel) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...

premium

cable Cable may refer to: Mechanical * Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof * Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...

and

satellite television Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna comm ...

channel owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc. Super Channel's programming primarily includes theatrically released, first to television

motion pictures A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, along with documentaries and other niche programs. The current Super Channel service was launched in 2007, and is not affiliated with the two pre-existing English-language premium channels which used the name at various times prior to 2001, which were later known as

Movie Central Movie Central (occasionally abbreviated as "MC", mostly in program guides) was a Canadian English language Category A premium cable and satellite television channel that was owned by Corus Entertainment. Movie Central was designated to operat ...

(in

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

; defunct since March 2016) and

The Movie Network Crave (formerly The Movie Network or TMN) is a Canadian premium television network and streaming service owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. Launched in 1983 as the national service First Choice, early difficulties and a subsequent ...

(in

Eastern Canada Eastern Canada (also the Eastern provinces or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of the Hudson Bay/ Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newfoundland and Labrado ...

; merged with and relaunched as Crave in 2018). The Allards were the original owners of Movie Central, and later re-acquired rights to the Superchannel trademark. Prior to 2016, Super Channel was the first and only general-interest English-language pay television service authorized to operate nationally. Family Channel (with its multiplex channel

Family Jr. Family Jr. is a multiplex channel of the Canadian specialty channel Family Channel. It broadcasts children's programming aimed at viewers aged 2 to 7. The channel launched on November 30, 2007 as a Canadian version of Playhouse Disney, under ...

) was the only other national pay television channel, though it currently operates as a de facto basic tier specialty channel. Super Channel is available on nearly all major cable and satellite providers including Telus Optik TV,

Bell Satellite TV Bell Satellite TV (french: Bell Télé; formerly known as Bell ExpressVu, Dish Network Canada and ExpressVu Dish Network and not to be confused with Bell's IPTV Fibe TV service) is the division of BCE Inc. that provides satellite television ser ...

Shaw Direct Shaw Direct is a direct broadcast satellite television distributor in Canada and a subsidiary of the telecommunications company Shaw Communications. As of 2010, Shaw Direct had over 900,000 subscribers. It broadcasts on Ku band from two commu ...

Access Communications Access Communications is a Canadian telecommunications service provider operating in over 235 communities in Saskatchewan. Headquartered in Regina, the co-operative provides internet, cable television, telephone and security services to reside ...

, Cogeco, Rogers Cable,

Shaw Cable Shaw Communications Inc. is a Canadian telecommunications company which provides telephone, Internet, television, and mobile services. Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Shaw provides home telecommunications services primarily in Alberta and Br ...

, Eastlink,

SaskTel Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation, operating as SaskTel, is a Canadian crown-owned telecommunications firm based in the province of Saskatchewan. Owned by the provincial government, it provides wireline and wireless communicat ...

, Westman Communications,

Bell MTS Bell MTS Inc. (formerly Manitoba Telecom Services) is a subsidiary of BCE Inc. that operates telecommunications services in Manitoba. Originally established as Manitoba Government Telephones after the Government of Manitoba purchased the Manitob ...

Novus Novus ("new" in Latin) may refer to: Companies * Novus Biologicals, a biotech company based in Littleton, Colorado, US * Novus Entertainment, a Canadian telecommunications company * Novus International, an animal health and nutrition company * Nov ...

VMedia VMedia Inc. is a Canadian telecommunications company and broadcast distribution provider. It offers VoIP telephone and home security services across Canada; DSL and cable Internet in Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Br ...

RiverTV RiverTV is a Canadian OTT internet television service owned by VMedia that launched on June 4, 2020. RiverTV is a virtual multichannel video programming distributor ( vMVPD), primarily offering Canadian specialty channels and video on demand co ...

, and other providers. Super Channel was granted as a "must carry" service by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), meaning all television service providers must carry the service on their systems.

History

Pre-Launch

Allarco was one of four applicants for new pay television licences that were considered at a public hearing held by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on October 24, 2005. Its competing applicants were: * BOOMTV, to be operated by the

Archambault Archambault, is the largest music retailer in the province of Quebec, Canada, as well as a major retailer of books, DVDs, periodicals, musical instruments, sheet music, games, toys and gift ideas. Its e-commerce site, www.archambault.ca, is the ...

unit of

Quebecor Media Quebecor Media Inc. is a Canadian media conglomerate that owns a wide array of media outlets, as well as an internet service provider. History In 1983 Quebecor purchased the Winnipeg Sun newspaper, which had been independently run. The newspa ...

. While it was expected to compete directly with the existing general-interest services –

(now Crave) and

(TMN/MC) in English Canada and Super Écran (SE) in French Canada – Archambault indicated that its services would have regularly favoured first-run dramatic series. Archambault was also the only applicant for a French-language service, but indicated that this licence would be worthless without an English counterpart. * The Canadian Film Channel, proposed by

Channel Zero Inc. 2308740 Ontario Inc. (doing business as Channel Zero) is an independent Canadian broadcasting and media group, which holds assets in television broadcasting and film distribution. The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with its main of ...

It proposed to broadcast 100%

Canadian content Canadian content (abbreviated CanCon, cancon or can-con; ) refers to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requirements, derived from the Broadcasting Act of Canada, that radio and television broadcasters (includ ...

and be funded entirely by the operators of TMN/MC, in an amount equal to 12.9% of these services' gross revenues, to be required by condition of licence. Neither incumbent indicated approval for such a use of its revenues. * Spotlight Television, to be controlled by George Burger, a former executive at Alliance Television, and professional sports mogul

Larry Tanenbaum Lawrence M. Tanenbaum (born 1945) is a Canadian businessman and chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE). He owns a 25% stake in MLSE through his holding company Kilmer Sports Inc. Early life Tanenbaum was born to a Jewish family, ...

, chairman of the private investment company

Kilmer Van Nostrand Kilmer may refer to: People * Kilmer (Marvel Comics), cartoon character, a Neo superhuman * Billy Kilmer (born 1939), American former football player, coach, and commissioner * Derek Kilmer (born 1974), American politician from Washington State * ...

, which proposed a premium service much in the same vein as The Movie Network/Movie Central. It is believed that, had Spotlight's application been successful, it would have been branded as a Canadian version of the American service HBO; an "

HBO Canada HBO (previously known as HBO Canada, and still referred to as such on social media) is a Canadian premium television network from Crave (formerly The Movie Network), which is owned by Bell Media. The channel is primarily devoted to original pro ...

" channel was launched in October 2008 under the auspices of TMN/MC. The Allarco application was approved on May 18, 2006, while the other three applicants were rejected. The Allard family were also the original owners of Movie Central, which during their stewardship until 2001 was known as "Superchannel", rendered as a single word title unlike the current service (for a time in the 1980s, First Choice (now The Movie Network) had also used the "Superchannel" name under a co-branding agreement). The "Movie Central" name was adopted shortly after

Corus Entertainment Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Onta ...

acquired the service, but Corus maintained ownership of the "Superchannel" trademark. Just before the new channel's launch, the Allards re-acquired the rights to the "Superchannel" name under undisclosed terms.Is this a new pay-TV service or a rerun?
Barbara Shecter, ''

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...

'', July 30, 2007 Super Channel was launched on November 2, 2007, on

Bankruptcy and Reemergence

Super Channel's parent company, Allarco Entertainment, entered into the

Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act The ''Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act'' (CCAA; french: Loi sur les arrangements avec les créanciers des compagnies) is a statute of the Parliament of Canada that allows insolvent corporations owing their creditors in excess of $5 million to ...

on June 18, 2009. On August 31, 2010, its creditors unanimously approved a restructuring plan for the company under the act. The restructuring plan, which needed approval of the court, was later approved. On May 26, 2016, Allarco filed for bankruptcy a second time. The next round of submissions to the court are due April 21, 2017 meaning the creditor protection is still open. As part of this process 96 of the 135 licensed content agreements were terminated. On February 15, 2017, it was announced that a Canadian version of Ginx TV would launch as a replacement for one of Super Channel's multiplex channels. Replacing Super Channel 4, Ginx eSports TV Canada launched on May 4, 2017, with a live Canadian edition of ''The Bridge'', a late night talk show. On February 22, 2017, Super Channel announced it had acquired the Canadian broadcast rights to the

Legends Football League The Extreme Football League (X League) is an American women's semi-professional tackle football league. The league was originally founded in 2009 as the Lingerie Football League (LFL), and later rebranded as the Legends Football League in 2013. ...

, as part of a three-year deal in which Super Channel will be the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of all LFL games through the 2019 season. The LFL will be used to launch the "Super Channel SPORTS" sub-brand that will be used for all sporting events and sports-themed programming. Super Channel 1 debuted ''LFL Football Night'' on April 22, 2017. On April 4, 2017, Super Channel announced that it would rebrand Super Channel 3 as Super Channel VAULT on April 28, 2017. The channel is described as offering programming based on "''a collection of hand-picked, fan-favourites, critically-acclaimed films."'' In 2018, after emerging from creditor protection, Allarco announced the relaunch of Super Channel with the rebranding of SC1 and SC2 as Super Channel Fuse and Super Channel Heart & Home and the service adopting the Super Channel Entertainment Network branding. In 2020, the service announced a partnership with the Canadian Film Festival, and broadcast the films that had been slated to premiere at the festival prior to its cancellation due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Canada The COVID-19 pandemic in Canada is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (). It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). Most cases over the course of the pandemic have been in Ontario, Que ...

Channels

List of channels

Depending on the service provider, Super Channel provides up to eight multiplex channels – four 24-hour multiplex channels, all of which are simulcast in both

standard definition Standard-definition television (SDTV, SD, often shortened to standard definition) is a television system which uses a resolution that is not considered to be either high or enhanced definition. "Standard" refers to it being the prevailing sp ...

and high definition – as well as a subscription video-on-demand service (Super Channel On Demand). Super Channel broadcasts its primary channel and multiplex channels on an

Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small p ...

schedule, operating a singular feed for all channels, this results in the difference in local airtimes for a particular movie or program between two geographic locations being three hours at most.

Other services

Super Channel HD

Super Channel HD is a high definition simulcast feed of Super Channel that broadcasts in the

1080i 1080i (also known as Full HD or BT.709) is a combination of frame resolution and scan type. 1080i is used in high-definition television (HDTV) and high-definition video. The number "1080" refers to the number of horizontal lines on the scre ...

resolution format. In addition to its main channel, Super Channel also operates high definition simulcast feeds of all three multiplex channels. Initially, Allarco launched two high definition feeds upon the launch of the service in November 2007: Super Channel HD 1 and Super Channel HD 2. Super Channel HD 1 simulcast the

feed of the same name, while Super Channel HD 2 initially aired programming from the three remaining SD feeds. In February 2013, Allarco launched HD feeds for the two remaining channels, Super Channel 3 and Super Channel 4, with each HD channel now simulcasting their standard definition equivalent.

Super Channel On Demand

Super Channel operates a subscription video-on-demand television service called Super Channel On Demand, which is available at no additional charge to new and existing subscribers of Super Channel. Content featured on the service includes movies, acquired foreign series and special features previously seen on the linear television network.

Programming

Super Channel's main programming consists of television series and both theatrically released and

made for TV A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

movies, including domestically produced programming, shows acquired from U.S cable networks, foreign films, and international series.Super Channel website
/ref> From its launch until December 2015, Super Channel was the broadcaster for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

films from January 2007 to February 2015.

took over the deal in January 2016 for releases starting in March 2015, and shared with

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

effective 2021, sister channel Starz Canada broadcasts the entire back catalogue.

Original programs

*'' 24 Hour Rental'' *'' Bullet in the Face'' *''Clay's POV'' *''

Darknet A dark net or darknet is an overlay network within the Internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorization, and often uses a unique customized communication protocol. Two typical darknet types are social ne ...

'' *'' Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds'' *''Fight Xchange'' *'' Forgive Me'' *''Hollywood & Vines'' *''Naked News Uncovered'' *''The Next Take'' *'' Olympus'' *'' Slasher'' (2017, moved to

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...

after the first season) *''

Spooksville ''Spooksville'' is a series of 24 children's horror fiction books by American writer Christopher Pike. All 24 books were first published between 1995 and 1998. The series is set in a remote town in the USA and revolves around the lives of five o ...

'' *''

Tiny Plastic Men ''Tiny Plastic Men'' is a Canadian television comedy series, which premiered on Super Channel in 2012. Produced in Edmonton, Alberta, the series stars Mark Meer, Chris Craddock and Matt Alden as three employees in the testing department of the ...

'' *''

Too Much Information Too much information may refer to: * Information overload, the notion that access to excessive information hampers understanding and decision-making *The idea that personal information has been shared that should be kept private Media * ''To ...

'' *''

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

'' *'' What Would Sal Do?'' *''

When Calls the Heart ''When Calls the Heart'' is an American television drama series, inspired by Janette Oke's book of the same name from her ''Canadian West series'', and developed by Michael Landon Jr. The series began airing on the Hallmark Channel in the Uni ...

References

External links

*
Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc.
{{Canadian movie channels English-language television stations in Canada Commercial-free television networks Companies based in Edmonton Movie channels in Canada Television channels and stations established in 2007 2007 establishments in Canada