On August 2nd 2005, John S. Panikkar, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated, received CRTC approval for a broadcasting licence to operate a new Category 2 specialty programming undertaking to be known as OasisHD. The applicant proposed to offer an HD programming service featuring urban and wild landscapes by Canadian and international cinematographers.
When the channel launched in March 2006, it was under the ownership of High Fidelity HDTV.
In early 2011, OasisHD broadened its profile by becoming the first underwriter of Toronto jazz radio station JAZZ.FM’s ‘commercial-free Sundays’. Another High Fidelity-owned specialty channel, HIFI, took over the sponsorship role on JAZZ.FM in October 2011.
On December 23rd 2011 Blue Ant Media announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Canadian broadcaster High Fidelity HDTV and its four premium high definition channels – Oasis HD, eqhd, radX and HIFI HD. The transaction was pending CRTC approval. The Company would initially purchase 29.9% of shares in High Fidelity HDTV, with the remaining 70.1% closing subject to CRTC approval.
Blue Ant Media was a newly established independent media company led by media veteran Michael MacMillan, and already had controlling interest in GlassBox Television, which operated Travel+Escape, Bite TV and AUX TV.
In January 2015, Oasis was rebranded by Blue Ant as Love Nature. The channel’s content would continue to deal with animals, landscapes and wonders of the world.
Written by Pip Wedge – December, 2011
Ownership: Blue Ant
Start Year: 2006