History
Family was licensed as a pay TV service by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on December 1, 1987 as a joint venture between Allarcom Pay Television Limited (later acquired by Western International Communications) and First Choice Canadian Communications Corporation (by then a division of Astral Communications), with both companies owning a 50% stake in the service. It was launched as Family Channel on September 1, 1988. On October 1, 1999, the channel was rebranded Family. In 2000, Corus Entertainment acquired Western International Communications' stake in the service and subsequently sold it to Astral in 2001.
Family was originally offered by cable companies as a stand-alone channel; however, beginning in October 1997, most cable and satellite providers started offering the channel as part of a package with that year's wave of new specialty channels. While Family initially continued its "pay" format, including broadcasts of older Disney movies which would be repeated several times a month, it soon changed its programming practices such that it now operates as a de facto specialty channel, much like similarly themed channels such as YTV. However, in line with CRTC regulations for premium channels, no commercials are shown, aside from promotions for other Family programs and Family-sponsored contests aired between shows. Some advertisers work around this rule by co-sponsoring contests which are then promoted on the channel.
Family also offers promotions of video games and theatrical/DVD movies via interstitial programs using the name "Blast". Dance Fever, which was aired on Family in 2003, was the only program to have ever taken breaks during the show. Family was the last English-language children's network in Canada to switch to a 24/7 broadcast schedule, finally eliminating its off-air hours on July 1, 2007.
In February 2007, Family began airing short programs from Disney Channel, such as Disney's Really Short Report, Meet the Family, and the returning feature Movie Surfers, alongside their own interstitials, such as music videos ("FamJam"), contest promotions, and movie interviews from corporate sister The Movie Network.
On January 11, 2011, Family debuted a new logo and on-air identity to coincide with the launch of its new high-definition feed.
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