Slice is a Canadian English languagediscretionary service channel that is owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts reality shows targeting young adult women, typically dealing in subjects such as fashion and lifestyles. This channel was launched on January 1, 1995 as Life Network under the ownership of Atlantis Communications. Atlantis was acquried by Alliance Communications in 1998 and Life Network was relaunched as Slice on March 5, 2007. In 2008, Canwest and Goldman Sachs acquried Alliance Atlantis, and the channel's ownership was later sold at first to Shaw Media in 2010 and ultimately, Corus Entertainment in 2016.
History
Life Network
In June 1994, Your Channel Television Inc., a company majority owned by Atlantis Television Ventures Inc., was granted a television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for a channel called YOU: Your Channel, described at the time as broadcasting "programming consisting of documentaries and information programming." The channel was grouped into five themes, ""Habitat" stressing programming for the home and environment; "Bodyworks" covering fitness, health and nutrition; "Food Plus" including programs related to cooking and food; "Explorations" dealing with travel, adventure and nature; and "Relationships" focusing on parenting, child care, careers and personal relationships." The channel was launched on January 1, 1995, as Life Network. The channel broadcast programs in themes focusing on such areas as food, gardening, and home design. In June 1998, Atlantis Communications announced that it planned to merge with Alliance Communications, another fellow television and film producer and broadcaster, owners of History Television and Showcase at the time, to form a new company called Alliance Atlantis Communications. The CRTC approved the merger in May 1999. Programming on the channel shifted to programming about issues relating to everyday life, mostly in the form of non-competitive reality television, talk shows, as other Alliance Atlantis-owned channels such as HGTV and Food Network launched in 1997 and 2000, respectively.
Slice
Plans to relaunch the channel as Slice were announced in November 2, 2006 by Alliance Atlantis Communications. The new name and programming reflects Life's shift towards a more entertainment based schedule with what Alliance Atlantis called "addictive" programming. The name was revealed in a 2006 Life Network online survey on future programming strategies. The channel was relaunched on March 5, 2007, although the on-air branding appeared intermittently during a "sneak preview" on March 3 and 4. On January 18, 2008, a joint venture between Canwest and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners known as CW Media, acquired control of Slice through its purchase of Alliance Atlantis' broadcasting assets, which were placed in a trust in August 2007. On October 27, 2010, ownership changed again as Shaw Communications gained control of Slice as a result of its acquisition of Canwest and Goldman Sachs' interest in CW Media. On May 29, 2013, a high definition simulcast of Slice was launched.
Programming
Slice is known to air numerous series from the U.S. cable network, Bravo, in addition to producing several original programs of its own.
