Investigation Discovery (Canada) - History

History

In November 2000, Learning and Skills Television of Alberta, a company majority owned by CHUM Limited (60%), was granted permission by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a television channel called The Law & Order Channel, described as "a national English-language Category 2 specialty television service that will feature entertainment programming about police, law, the courts, emergency and medical response teams, disaster and relief operations featuring people and organizations that uphold law and order in our society."

The channel was launched on September 7, 2001 as Court TV Canada. The channel replaced the American service, Court TV, which was available by many television service providers in Canada.

On February 15, 2005, CHUM completed the purchase of the remaining interest in LSTA, bringing its ownership to 100 percent. A year later, in July 2006, Bell Globemedia (later renamed CTVglobemedia) announced that it would purchase CHUM for an estimated $1.7 billion CAD, included in the sale was LSTA and its interest in CourtTV Canada. The sale and was approved by the CRTC in June 2007, with the transaction completed on June 22, 2007. In 2008, LSTA (then known as Access Media Group) was wound up into CTV Limited (the renamed CHUM Limited).

Despite the American service being re-launched as truTV in 2008 with a greater emphasis on reality and "caught on camera" programs, the Canadian channel continued using the CourtTV brand until August 30, 2010, when the channel was rebranded "Investigation Discovery" under a licensing agreement with Discovery Communications.

On September 10, 2010, BCE (a minority shareholder in CTVglobemedia) announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of $3.2 billion CAD. The deal which required CRTC approval, was approved on March 7, 2011 and closed on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media.