Knowledge Network
Knowledge Network, also branded as British Columbia's Knowledge Network, is a Canadian publicly funded educational cable television network serving the province of British Columbia. It is owned by the Knowledge Network Corporation, a Crown corporation of the Government of British Columbia,[1] and began broadcasting on January 12, 1981. Rudy Buttignol is president and CEO of British Columbia's Knowledge Network.[2]
Knowledge Network logo | |
Country | Canada |
---|---|
Broadcast area | British Columbia |
Slogan | BC's Public Broadcaster |
Headquarters | Burnaby, British Columbia |
Programming | |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) 480i (SDTV) |
Ownership | |
Owner | Knowledge Network Corporation (Government of British Columbia) |
History | |
Launched | January 12, 1981 |
Links | |
Website | http://www.knowledge.ca |
Availability | |
Cable | |
Shaw Cable (BC only) | Channels vary (SD) Channel 230 (HD) |
Available on most British Columbia cable systems. | Check local listings, channels may vary |
Satellite | |
Bell Satellite TV | Channel 268 (HD/SD) |
Shaw Direct | Channel 354 (SD) Channel 9 / 509 (HD) |
IPTV | |
Optik TV | Channel 117 (HD) Channel 9117 (SD) |
Knowledge Network’s broadcast licence is for satellite-to-cable programming. The network is available on the Bell Satellite TV satellite service, on channel 268, on Shaw Direct channel 354, and on TELUS Optik TV channel 117. It has also been broadcast over-the-air in remote locations throughout British Columbia, with these repeater sites being operated by local volunteers in the few areas of the province where cable television is not available. The network used the callsign CKNO,[3] although the transmitters were assigned numeric callsigns with the prefix "CH" due to being low-powered.[4][5]
Knowledge receives funding both from the British Columbia government and from public donations.[6] The station supports lifelong learning for children and adults by providing quality, commercial-free programming through its broadcast channel, websites and apps. Knowledge Network also invests in documentaries and children’s programs produced by independent filmmakers and helps to develop skills within the independent production community.[7]
Overview
Knowledge Network is British Columbia's public educational broadcaster and is required to be distributed as part of the basic cable service in British Columbia.
When Knowledge first signed on in 1981, its broadcast schedule originally ran from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. In later years, it broadcast from 7:00 a.m.-12 a.m. until July 2007, when programming hours were expanded to 6:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m. In late 2007, Knowledge Network began changing its logo from the green tree to its new wordmark logo, and as of June 2008 the green tree logo has been removed. The channel is currently a 24-hour broadcaster.
The network obtains an average of 1.5 million viewers, or over one-third of British Columbians per week.[8] Currently, within the province, the station holds the number one position on weekday mornings for kids age two to six. Also, it has experienced an increase in viewers age 29 to 49 for its prime time programs.
In its programming, Knowledge Network covers a range of topics including politics, history and culture, arts and music, health, parenting, and science. It has a children's block, Knowledge Kids, that features characters Luna, Chip and Inkie.[9]
With funding from the provincial government and over 40,000 individual donors, Knowledge Network acquires and commissions over 750 hours of original programming per year.
In 2011, Knowledge Network acquired Shaw Media's stake in the children's television service BBC Kids, and converted it into a commercial-free service.[10]
Knowledge Network launched an HD feed on September 25, 2013.[11] It became available to customers of Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct on October 8, 2013.[12]
Logos
- Logo used from 2007–2008
- Alternate logo, now used as the on-air bug. Was the main logo from 2008–2010.
- Logo used from 2010–2012
- British Columbia's Knowledge Network 2012. Current logo.
References
- "Knowledge.ca". www.knowledge.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- "Knowledge.ca". www.knowledge.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- (CRTC), Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. "Call for licence renewal applications". crtc.gc.ca. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- (CRTC), Government of Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. "ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 94-444". crtc.gc.ca. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- http://www.global-cm.net/TV%20CAN-BC.pdf
- "Knowledge Partners". Archived from the original on 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- "Knowledge.ca". www.knowledge.ca. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- "TV network rebrands and alters programming". Vancouver Sun. 2008-09-17. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- kkadmin (4 November 2015). "About Us". Knowledge Kids. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- "BBC Worldwide and Knowledge Network Corporation Enter Joint-venture for BBC Kids Channel" (Press release). Knowledge Network Corporation. 2011-01-17. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
- "Annual Report 2011–2012" (PDF). Knowledge Network Corporation. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
- "K: HD starts Sept. 25. Will Shaw carry it?". Shaw Communications. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
External links
- Official website
- "Knowledge Network’s CEO weighs in on the importance of public broadcasting."
- Global Civic Policy Society
- Westland – A television series on environmental issues aired on the Knowledge Network from 1984 to 2007 - UBC Library Digital Collections