"Game Show Channel" in Canada?

[Kniwt]

In another (non-GS) forum, a poster has suggested that the Candian Radio-Television Commission has already granted approval for a "Game Show Channel" -- but that no company has come forward to want to operate it, at least of mid-2001, which is when this info seems to date from.

But I searched the CRTC's website, and the closest thing I could find is approval for "The Gaming Channel" in 9/2001, which is -- yes -- mostly casino and bingo stuff, and is a channel that is not currently on the air.

Can someone who's more clued-in to the CRTC clarify?  If Canada were to start up its own GS channel, that could be interesting -- although the Canadian content rules could mean a *lot* of "Bumper Stumpers" (and '70s "Beat the Clock"??).  And my Canadian satellite dish would be *really* nice then.

[dzinkin]

[quote name=\'Kniwt\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 03:46 AM\'] In another (non-GS) forum, a poster has suggested that the Candian Radio-Television Commission has already granted approval for a "Game Show Channel" -- but that no company has come forward to want to operate it, at least of mid-2001, which is when this info seems to date from.

But I searched the CRTC's website, and the closest thing I could find is approval for "The Gaming Channel" in 9/2001, which is -- yes -- mostly casino and bingo stuff, and is a channel that is not currently on the air.
 [/quote]
 Here's a list of the new digital services approved by the CRTC in November 2000...

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/ENG/NEWS/RELEASES/2000/R001124-1.htm

Included under Category 2 services: The Gameshow Network (3740161 Canada Inc.)

IIRC, the U.S. Game Show Network was already carried in Canada prior to the release of this list, so it's not the same service -- but beyond that, I can't find anything else.

 - David

[Kniwt]

Ah, bingo!  That's the information I was looking for.  That lets me pump the corporation's number into the Government of Canada's search engine and find:

3740161 Canada Inc.
29 Clarendon Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K1Y 2L2

Dedicated solely to the broadcast of game shows (English)   
The Gameshow Network   
547 Gilmour, Unit
Ottawa, Ontario

Complete with the address and phone number -- and, on one page, an e-mail address -- of an actual contact from 2000 (which strikes me as probably not a very good thing to post here).

... which means there really is (or, at least, was) a company behind this -- and it is indeed a different animal than GSN.  An enterprising journalist could no doubt find something to write about this, if only to update the status of the proposal.

One possibility that I just thought of, however:  Does this Canadian corporation still exist and is actually responsible for rebroadcasting of GSN in Canada?  I just noticed that in the official Bell ExpressVu channel lineup, the channel we call GSN is actually listed as "Gameshow Network."

License expires 8/31/07.  Here's a link to the CRTC decision allowing The Gameshow Network:
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/eng/Decision.../DB2000-473.htm

And, to anyone else who's wondering "What's with that funky number?" ...
http://www.renelarson.com/articorporate.html

... Because of the difficulties in finding distinctive word names, both the federal and provincial governments have allowed the use of numbered corporations. Each government assigns a distinctive number to every corporation created. So behind each word Name Corporation there is a distinctive number. As an incorporator you simply accept whatever number is next in sequence with the federal or provincial government. This way you avoid the expense and time of searching for and reserving a distinctive word name.

[grimmte]

Hmm I live in Ottawa, perhaps I should go to this address and find out what's up.

[Ian Wallis]

Dedicated solely to the broadcast of game shows (English)
The Gameshow Network
547 Gilmour, Unit
Ottawa, Ontario

Now that we've heard the news about GSN, I hope this will eventually make it to air.  They would certainly broadcast old Canadian shows, but all Canadian cable channels also carry a certain amount of US programming too.

[vtown7]

That's really really bizarre about the gilmour address... I have a friend who lives on Gilmour... and that would be right down the street from her.

I would think it's got to be close to Bank Street (that's the main north-south street in town).

Cheers,

Ryan

[ezbidder]

There were over 260 digital category 2 channels approved by the CRTC at the time the Gameshow network was approved.  Only a fraction of them received enough financing to get on the air.    If someone is willing to finance this thing I'm sure the license holders could be convinced to joint partnership with somebody.   Canadian digital channels are a very tough business, several have already gone off the air, and one, the Green Channel has shown nothing but a green screen (literally) for about 3 months.  

EzB

[Fedya]

[quote name=\'ezbidder\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 03:09 PM\'] Canadian digital channels are a very tough business, several have already gone off the air, and one, the Green Channel has shown nothing but a green screen (literally) for about 3 months. [/quote]
 How did they get a green screen to qualify as Canadian Content?  :-p

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Fedya\' date=\'Dec 17 2003, 01:36 PM\'] How did they get a green screen to qualify as Canadian Content?  :-p [/quote]
 Two words: Ross Rebagliati. After him, pretty much anything green (and sticky, and resiny, and smokable) is honorarily Canadian.

[ChuckNet]

Now that we've heard the news about GSN, I hope this will eventually make it to air. They would certainly broadcast old Canadian shows, but all Canadian cable channels also carry a certain amount of US programming too.

Some reruns of Pitfall and Definition would be nice to see...they could even run LMaD '80, which was taped in Vancouver.

Chuck Donegan (The Wistful "Chuckie Baby")