TORONTO – One of the world’s best-known music brands comes to Canada, again, on March 21.
However, this one won’t be the half-baked version of the last time MTV came to Canada in 2001 under the auspices of the former Craig Media. This time it’s owned by CTV Specialty, and is the unlamented talktv, re-branded.
The major advantages with this new incarnation of MTV in Canada is the marketing muscle CTV can put behind the brand – and talktv’s national analog cable and satellite carriage agreements. When CTV’s MTV makes its entry, it will already be in over 4.2 million Canadian homes. Craig’s MTV was a digital specialty channel and had to start from zero.
"In the next three weeks, Canadians will be introduced to one of the world’s most recognized brands – with a distinctive Canadian twist," says today’s press release,. As the start date moves closer, MTV will continue to make content announcements highlighting its new schedule and on-air talent.
Last week, MTV Live was announced – as was its location (Toronto’s Masonic Temple, right) – and in the coming days, other MTV programming, both for the MTV channel as well as for the CTV network and other media platforms, will be revealed.
"Starting today, MTV is officially open for business," said MTV senior vice-president and general manager Brad Schwartz. "And there are many more exciting announcements to come."
As reported by www.cartt.ca, MTV is a Canadian-led partnership between CTV and MTV. It’s committed to 71% Canadian programming in primetime and is programmed and managed by CTV Specialty.
