Channel Zero (company)

2308740 Ontario Inc. (doing business as Channel Zero) is an independent Canadian broadcasting and media group, which holds assets in television broadcasting and film distribution.

2308740 Ontario Inc.
Channel Zero
TypePrivate company
IndustryMedia
Founded2000
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario
,
Canada
Key people
Cal Millar, President & COO
Romen Podzyhun, Chairman & CEO
ProductsBroadcasting, Television Production
Websitewww.chz.com

The company is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, with its main office in the Junction.

Ownership structure

After a settlement following a lawsuit in 2011 with former co-owners Harold Balde and Anthony D'Andrea, "Channel Zero" created a new simplified ownership structure for all of "Channel Zero" licences, under the name 2308740 Ontario Inc.[1]

  • C.J. ("Cal") Millar - President and C.O.O; 39.3%
  • Romen Podzyhun - Chairman and C.E.O; 39.3%
  • Christopher J. Fuoco - Vice-President, Sales and Marketing; 21.4%

Assets

Television

Channel Zero owns six specialty television channels, including three pornographic channels. CHCH Hamilton is the company's sole over-the-air station, which it acquired from Canwest[2] and took control of on August 31, 2009. It is an independent station licensed to Hamilton, Ontario and was previously an owned-and-operated station of the Canadian E! television system. As part of the same transaction, Channel Zero also acquired CJNT Montreal, which it later sold to Rogers Media in 2012.[3]

Conventional Television

Specialty Television Channels

Distribution

Ouat Media (pronounced "what media") is a film sales and distribution company founded in 2006 that specializes in short-form content.[4]

Films distributed by Ouat include:

Previously owned assets
  • andPOP - In June 2013, Channel Zero announced that it had acquired a majority interest in ANDPOP Inc., the owners of ANDPOP.com, a pop culture entertainment website, and ChartAttack.com, a website devoted to independent and alternative music.[5] Both ChartAttack.com and ANDPOP.com have since been shuttered, while a television series based on andPOP began broadcasting on CHCH-DT on March 22, 2018.[6] The series' show page has since been removed, as of January 2020.[7]
  • Bloomberg TV Canada - a business news and information specialty channel established in November 2015. The channel was discontinued in October 2017 and replaced with BNN Bloomberg on Canadian television service provider's systems.
  • Bollywood Times - a Hindi-language specialty channel that showed Bollywood films encompassing a variety of genres. Originally launched by FDR Media Group, the channel was later operated by Channel Zero at an undisclosed point by 2016.[8][9] Bollywood Times ceased broadcasting in January 2018.
  • CJNT-DT / Metro 14 - On June 30, 2009, Channel Zero acquired CJNT, a Montreal-based operation from Canwest after the latter filed bankruptcy for CJNT.[10][11] The CRTC approved the sale on August 28, 2009.[12][13] The station adopted a new schedule featuring a mix of music videos and already existing local ethnic programming during the day, and foreign movies at night, and reverted to branding itself as simply CJNT. On June 14, 2010, Channel Zero announced it would be rebranding CJNT as Metro 14 in the fall, to appeal to a wider urban audience; the "14" represents its cable slot on Vidéotron in the Greater Montreal area.[14][15] On February 2, 2011 at 6:00 a.m. EST, the station officially rebranded as Metro 14, behind the original announced date of fall 2010.[16] In 2012, Rogers Media announced its acquisition of CJNT from Channel Zero, to convert the station into an owned-and-operated station of Citytv.
  • Fight Now TV - An American combat sports specialty channel broadcasting programming related to wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts, and other combat sports. The channel launched in May 2011 and ceased broadcasting in June 2014.
  • Mehndi TV - a Hindi-language specialty channel that broadcast programming aimed at women. Originally launched by FDR Media Group, the channel was later operated by Channel Zero at an undisclosed point by 2016.[8][9] Mehndi ceased broadcasting in January 2018.
  • Movieola - Originally launched on September 1, 2007 as a Category B specialty channel dedicated to short films from various genres including action, comedy, drama. The channel was eventually shuttered on December 1, 2012, replaced by Rewind on television, and relaunched as an online film service. Ultimately, the Moveiola website was shut down months after Rewind's launch.

References and notes
  2. Channel Zero Inc. agrees to purchase CHCH-TV Hamilton and CJNT-TV Montreal from Canwest; CNW Group; 2009-06-30
  3. "CRTC increases the diversity of voices in the Montreal market". Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  4. http://www.ouatmedia.com/
  5. 60 Years Strong! CHCH announces all that's in store for Fall 2013 Newswire press release 2013-06-11
  6. CHCH PRESENTS andPOP, A NEW WEEKLY POP CULTURE SHOW CHCH.com 2018-03-15
  7. https://www.chch.com/shows
  8. "Ownership Chart 246 - FDR Media - Specialty Services" (PDF). CRTC. March 2, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  9. Paddon, Natalie; Buist, Steve (March 15, 2016). "CHCH bankruptcy: Channel Zero and its web of companies trigger federal investigation". The Hamilton Spectator. Metroland Media Group. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  10. Channel Zero Inc. agrees to purchase CHCH-TV Hamilton and CJNT-TV Montreal from Canwest CNW Group (2009-06-30)
  11. Channel Zero Inc. agrees to purchase CHCH-TV Hamilton and CJNT-TV Montreal from Canwest (Video News Coverage) (2009-06-30)
  12. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-536
  13. Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2009-537
  14. Channel Zero loads up on U.S. network series, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 June 2010
  15. http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=115859021792151&id=119179104768932
  16. Channel Zero rebrands, repositions, CJNT Montreal, Cartt.ca 2011-02-02
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