The channel you likely watched High School Musical on for the first time will soon be gone.
What happened: Canadian media company WildBrain is shutting down its four kids’ TV channels after both Rogers and Bell failed to renew deals to carry them. This means that Family Channel, a staple of Millennial and elder Gen Z childhoods, is not long for this world.
- The station was beloved for its mix of original programs (remember Life with Derek?) and for carrying U.S. content, often from Disney (this block of shows remains undefeated).
Zoom out: A similar story is playing out with Corus Entertainment, which is shutting down the Canadian versions of Disney XD and Nickelodeon on September 1. And while that old workhorse YTV survives, for the first time in 30 years, it won’t play Nick programming.
Why it’s happening: Kids’ TV has migrated almost entirely to YouTube and streaming, where Blippi and CoComelon reign supreme. Traditional kids’ broadcasting has withered away, as folks who still have cable or satellite bundles are typically empty nesters.
Why it matters: Kids’ TV remains a multibillion-dollar industry that Canada continues to play a major role in. However, the death of these stations is a worrying sign that less Canadian content will be produced — content stipulations that resulted in classic Canadian shows don’t yet apply to the web — and national funding for such programming is drying up.—QH