The national broadcast regulator has approved two new Category B specialty channels – one a spin-off of HGTV Canada, the other targeted at fantasy sports fanatics – and a bid to launch a Metro Vancouver-market video-on-demand service.

Quest, the HGTV spin-off, is to be a national, English-language specialty Category B service that would be devoted to science and technology, nature and the environment, adventure, animal behaviour, pet care, wildlife, travel and world cultures, according to its application.

The application for The League was filed by Fight Media Inc., a company controlled by Leonard Asper. It is billed as a national, English-language specialty Category B service that would be devoted to fantasy sports leagues.

Specifically it will focus on “allowing viewers to act as owners and assume all the responsibilities associated with operating real sports franchises, and allowing viewers to create, monitor, trade and discuss players on their teams with others also playing fantasy sports.”

Its flagship programs would be studio call-in and talk shows hosted by anchors who field calls from viewers wishing to discuss their fantasy picks and drafts. The programming would be timed before and after actual sports broadcasts, so they are timely and relevant.

The application for the regional Vancouver video-on-demand service was made by Novus Entertainment, and, according to its application, would provide mostly English-language (but also 5% French and 5% of either Mandarin or Cantonese) content, largely feature films but also TV series, documentaries, kids, animation, music, adult and community programming.

The decisions were released Wednesday. Background details, including the conditions of license, can be found on the regulator’s website.

From Playback Daily