At last. After years of getting by with a lousy 50 channels, the CRTC has finally given the go-ahead to 40 new digital specialty stations which will be premiering this fall in a cable package near you.
Pop some corn, sit back in the ol lazy boy, and well see you, maybe, in the spring. Heres an overview of a few of these new stations for a complete list, visit www.shaw.ca.
Sports
Ten, count-em TEN new sports stations. Well five, not including Leafs TV and Raptors NBA TV, which will probably only be available in Toronto, RDS Sports, which is in French, The Racing Network, which is nothing but horse racing 24 hours a day, and Eurosport News, which is too much soccer and cricket for my tastes.
WTSN This is essentially TSN for womens sports. An excellent idea, actually, and its about time, too. The station and the Web site at www.wtsn.ca will go live on Sept. 7.
Xtreme Sports Surfing, skateboarding, mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding, plus other extreme sports will dominate this CanWest-Global offering. Its a good idea, too, but its hardly original ESPN 2, or XPN, has been a success in the U.S. for years. There isnt a Web site just yet, but when its ready there will be a link at www.globaltv.ca .
The NHL Network You only think that you cant get enough of hockey. With 24 hours of highlights and news, youll get your fill and then some. They will broadcast a few games, probably blacked out, during this first season. No word on a Web site yet, but you can be sure its coming.
Fox Sports World Canada Fox Sports World is the same idea as ESPN, TSN and SportsNet, but focuses a lot of its attention on sports like soccer and rugby. Visit www.foxsports.com for more details. Youll need Flash for this site.
ESPN Classic Canada Classic moments in sport, especially Canadian sport. This would include events like the 72 series verses Russia, and the Jays World Series victories in the 90s. Once again, no word on the ESPN Classic Canada Web site, but you can visit ESPN Classic at http://espn.go.com/classic/ .
Nature
Its ironic, but people seem to spend a lot of time indoors watching whats going on outside. Granted, youre not going to see a giraffe give birth in Whistler, but its still ironic.
Animal Planet Dedicated solely to animals, typically documentaries, this Discovery Channel spin-off is already a hit south of the border. Visit www.animalplanet for a preview of whats ahead. There are also Discovery Channels on Civilization, Health, Wings, and another spin-off for Kids. Thats a lot of television to watch, but at least its educational and somewhat inspirational.
WETV Also known as The Green Channel, WETV focuses its attention on the natural environment, the good, the bad and the ugly. Especially the good while the station wants to be realistic, it will try to be as positive as possible. Visit www.wetv.com for more information.
Music
When music turned into a visual experience rather than an aural one, I have no idea, but several new music video stations are being launched this fall. I just hope they show the occasional music video to go along with the endless interviews, promos and VJ banter.
MTV Canada This is basically the same as MTV for the U.S., and that means Tom Green show, Jackass, and as many boy and girl bands as you can stomach. Visit www.mtv.com to get an idea of what to expect.
MuchLoud MuchMusic for hard music lovers.
MuchVibe MuchMusic for Hip Hop, R&B, Soul and Reggae, not that these types of music dont already get their props. Visit www.muchmusic.ca for more on these.
EdgeTV An alternative music video station, although can any band really be considered alternative once their label spends money taking them the mainstream route of music videos? Visit www.edgetv.com for the answer to this and other important questions.
Movies
Movies are generally one of the more worthwhile uses of the television, especially for all those insomniacs and people busted between Whistler paydays. There are seven new movie channels to choose from.
Lonestar Western television shows and movies. No site yet.
Movieola Short films of all kinds, from animated shorts to Academy Award winning vignettes. Presumably for people in a rush. No site yet.
Mystery Professor Plum in the library with the pipewrench. Movies and television shows where our mental superiors deduce the identity of the murderer in the last five minutes. Visit http://mystery.encoremedia.com/ .
Scream Horror and suspense movies and television that will raise the hair on the back of your neck, which is unfortunate for anyone hiding behind you. No Web site just yet.
Showcase Action and Showcase Diva Uncut action movies and chick flicks with the usual Showcase edge. Visit www.showcase.ca for more details.
IFC Independent Film Channel Canada here, challenging you to tune in.
Personal development
Although the producers of Temptation Island would have us believe otherwise, reality television has a good side.
PrideVision TV Its here, its queer, for people who prefer their own gear. The first gay station on television to view current affairs, health, fitness, relationships and travel through rainbow coloured glasses, boyfriends and girlfriends. Visit www.pridevisiontv.com for un-straight talk.
One: The Body, Mind and Spirit Channel Personal growth, healthy living, spirituality and optimism. Visit www.onebodymindspirit.com for the low fat high carbohydrate version.
M The hormonal opposite of the Womens Television Network, devoted to mens interests. No Web site is available; see also "Sports."