Licensed to Alliance Atlantis in September 1996, the History Channel was launched in October 1997, and immediately became one of the most popular of the specialty channels. Utilizing programming from both Canadian and international sources, the History Channel offers a program schedule that contains documentaries and dramas that bring to viewers a panorama of the world and the events and people that have shaped its growth from the earliest days.
CanWest Media Networks acquired Alliance Atlantis in December 2007, and with it ownership of History Television. In April 2008, CanWest launched a new on-air look for the channel, which in 2009 continued to hold a leading place among the major specialty channels.
On October 8, 2009, History became available in high definition. History’s ownership changed on October 27, 2010 when Shaw Communications acquired CanWest and Goldman Sachs’ interest in CanWest Media. Shaw Media rebranded History Television as a Canadian version “History” in the U.S. on August 12, 2012. On April 1, 2016, Shaw Media was acquired by Corus Entertainment.
Ownership: CanWest
Start Year: 1997