Lifetime (Canada) - History

History

2009-2012 Logos of former network Showcase Diva

In November 2000, Showcase Television Inc., a division of Alliance Atlantis, was granted approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) 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 another Alliance Atlantis television channel, Showcase. Programming consisted of primarily television dramas and films.

On January 18, 2008, a joint venture between Canwest and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners known as CW Media, 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 the American channel 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 U.S. to the channel's films and television dramas.