Bravo! (Canada)
| Bravo | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | January 1, 1995 |
| Owned by | Bell Media |
| Picture format |
1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
| Slogan | Very Bravo |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
| Formerly called | Bravo! (1995–2012) |
| Website | bravo.ca |
|
Availability
|
|
| Satellite | |
| Bell TV | Channel 620 (SD) Channel 1734 (HD) |
| Shaw Direct | Channel 523 (SD) Channels 82 and 582 (HD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on most Canadian cable systems | Consult your local cable provider for channel availability |
| IPTV | |
| Bell Aliant Fibe TV | Channel 203 (SD) Channel 420 (HD) |
| Bell Fibe TV | Channel 620 (SD) Channel 1620 (HD) |
| Bell MTS | Channel 123 (SD) Channel 1123 (HD) |
| Optik TV | Channel 9302 (SD) Channel 302 (HD) |
| SaskTel | Channel 73 (SD) Channel 373 (HD) |
| VMedia | Channel 40 (HD) |
| Zazeen | Channel 121 (HD) |
Bravo (styled bravo) is a Canadian English language Category A cable and satellite specialty channel that is owned by Bell Media.
The channel was founded as a Canadian version of the U.S. channel Bravo (which is now owned by NBCUniversal), and originally focused on performing arts, drama, and independent film. However, as with its U.S. counterpart, the channel has largely dropped its arts programming, and now focuses primarily on mainstream films and scripted series.
In the 1980s, a precursor to Bravo existed called C Channel. The service was a national commercial-free pay television channel that focused on arts programming. C Channel launched on February 1, 1983 before it went bankrupt and ceased operations five months later on June 30 of that year due to its inability to attract a sufficient number of subscribers at a price of $16 per month.
Over 10 years later, another attempt at an arts-based channel was proposed when CHUM Limited applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a license to operate Bravo. In June 1994, CHUM's application for Bravo was approved, citing its nature of service as focusing on "performance and drama programming, as well as documentary and discussion."
Bravo was launched on January 1, 1995 at 3pm, with an introductory slide of a letter from Moses Znaimer explaining how Bravo was intended to help show that TV was not "a monumental waste of time", as he claimed most people thought of it, followed by their first program, the BBC documentary TV Is King. It focused on arts programming, including music, ballet, literature, television and film drama, visual arts, modern dance, opera and architecture. As a condition of licence, Bravo was to contribute a predetermined amount or percentage of its revenues to ArtsFACT (now called Bravo!FACT), a fund established to provide grants for the production of Canadian short films covering a wide range of arts-related disciplines. Films funded by Bravo!FACT have regularly aired on the channel.
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Wikipedia