TORONTO – Corus Entertainment wants Cupid’s arrows to find the hearts and minds of young Canadian women as it launches CosmoTV on Valentine’s Day with Bell ExpressVu.
Inspired by Cosmopolitan, the best-selling women’s magazine, CosmoTV will offer 18-34-year-old women a number of things Corus’ other channel for women, W, doesn’t offer.
The channel counts Hearst Entertainment, the magazine’s publisher, as a minority partner and the digi-net’s content sounds quite like the magazine’s.
Its flagship series “Oh So Cosmo” is meant to be “the ultimate guide for the single girl,” says the press release. A nationwide search is on in the first Canadian CosmoTV Bachelor search; and men, Manolos and martinis will take centre stage every Saturday night with uncut episodes of Sex and the City
Supermodels, star-makers and dirty cows punch up CosmoTV’s reality block, and Hangover Weekends will debut on Saturday. And, fans can surf CosmoTV.ca for “gotta-try-that sex tips, Cosmo quizzes and Canada’s most eligible bachelors,” adds the release.
"There is a lot of excitement about the launch of CosmoTV – this is the first English-language version of the channel in the world and we’re thrilled that we’re offering it to Canadian women," said Susan Ross, executive vice-president and general manager, lifestyle, drama and movies, at Corus, in the press release. "Cosmo is an iconic brand, one that really resonates with young women. And with Corus’ long standing experience in women’s specialty television – right out of the gate we have a good head start at making this a success."
“Targeting women 18-34, CosmoTV programming runs the gamut from comedy to drama to relationship and reality programming. Like the magazine, the focus for CosmoTV is men, sex and relationships, packed with the kind of information that best girlfriends share over drinks,” adds the release.
Other grabbers on the schedule include The Agency, a seven-part series following bookers from the top-flight Wilhelmina modeling agency; Abbey and Janice: Beauty and the Best, a six-parter featuring Britain’s Next Top Model star Abbey Clancy and uber-supermodel Janice Dickinson as they break Abbey into the American modeling world; and Dirty Cows, a hilarious look at a bunch of English roses who fight dirty to win the hand – and land – of a wealthy, handsome farmer.
While ExpressVu will be first, “ongoing negotiations with additional carriers are continuing,” says the company’s release.
