Family Channel

**Family Channel** (often known as simply **Family**) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by DHX Media.

    Family's programming is aimed towards the tween and teenage demographics, broadcasting domestic and imported children's television series, teen dramas, off-network sitcoms, and theatrically released and made-for-television movies targeted towards the demographics. Family is headquartered in the Brookfield Place office complex, near the Financial District of Downtown Toronto. It has transmitted from Corus Quay since at least 2014.

When Family was launched in 1988, much of its programming was heavily sourced from the American cable network Disney Channel. These rights lapsed in 2015 and were acquired by Corus Entertainment, who launched its own Canadian versions of Disney Channel and its sister networks. The network has since relied on acquisitions from other sources.

As of March 2013, Family Channel is available to approximately six million pay television households in Canada; it also has the highest total viewership among Canada's children's television channels. It broadcasts Eastern Time Zone feeds in both standard definition and high definition, and a Pacific Time Zone feed solely in standard definition. While it previously operated with a commercial-free format due to its status as a premium channel, the formal categorization has since been deprecated by the CRTC, allowing Family to transition to an ad-supported format similar to conventional specialty channels.

## Programming

List of programs broadcast by Family Channel
Family's daytime lineup primarily consists of original and imported series aimed at pre-teens and young teenagers, as well as a primetime block featuring reruns of sitcoms and other programs aimed at an older teenage audience.

Historically, Family had been the main Canadian outlet for the programming of the U.S. cable network Disney Channel, including its live-action and animated programs, as well as its made-for-TV films. Family began to phase out Disney programming in late 2015 following Corus Entertainment's acquisition of exclusive Canadian rights to Disney Channel's programming and associated brands. For a period, the network also aired programming from Disney Channel's spin-off network Disney XD; these programs were phased out following the launch of a local Disney XD channel run by Family in 2012. Family has also acquired and aired programming from other sources, including previous live-action Nickelodeon series, and the Australian series *The Elephant Princess*. Since the loss of Disney programming, the majority of Family's acquired programming have come from AwesomenessTV and DreamWorks Animation, as part of output deals with DHX Media.

Family and DHX have co-commissioned programming with the U.S. network Universal Kids. Universal Kids had also acquired the U.S. rights to another Family series—*The Next Step*—and provided additional funding for its sixth season due to reduced financial commitments by DHX. Family and CBBC also co-commissioned the children's horror anthology *Creeped Out*.

Family airs films on Friday and Saturday evenings and on weekend afternoons; they consist of either theatrical releases, or, previously, Disney Channel made-for-TV films. Family commissioned its first original movie, *Vacation with Derek*, a movie based on the popular original series *Life with Derek*, which premiered on the channel in June 2010. In addition, Family Channel has also been involved in one other made-for-TV film co-production, the 2010 film *16 Wishes*, which was co-produced in association with Disney Channel and MarVista Entertainment.

As previously mandated for premium services, Family, historically, did not air traditional commercial advertising, besides promotions in between or (uncommonly) during programs for its own programming and underwritten contests, along with interstitial segments such as *Fam Jam* (which aired teen pop music videos), features on upcoming family films produced by former sister The Movie Network. After changes in CRTC policies and the network's licensing in November 2016, Family switched to a conventional, commercial-supported format for its non-preschool programs.