Canadian TV Hispanic and Italian culture TV channel
TLN (an abbreviation from its full name Telelatino) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by TLN Media Group. The channel primarily broadcasts lifestyle programming surrounding the cultures of Latin America and Italy, including cooking and travel-related programs, as well as coverage of international soccer, and mainstream television series and films.
Launched on October 2, 1984, TLN was originally a consortium of Joseph Vitale, Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamérica, and the owners of the Citytv and Global Television Network. In 1994, Shaw Communications acquired CHUM Limited's stake in the service, and in 1999, Aldo Di Felice acquired Canwest's shares in the service while Shaw's media assets were spun off to form Corus Entertainment the same year. In 2009, I.P. Rosati Holdings acquired OTI's shares in the service and, in 2019, Corus sold its stake in the service to its existing partners and Di Felice.
TLN previously broadcast in a trilingual format, carrying programming in the Italian, Spanish, and English languages (with the latter usually focusing on off-network reruns of entertainment programs starring actors of Italian or Spanish descent). This format was later phased out with the launch of sister digital cable channels dedicated solely to Italian- and Spanish-language programs, and TLN subsequently relaunched in 2018 with a larger focus on lifestyle programming.
History.
TLN was licensed by the CRTC on April 2, 1984, to TLN Media Group, at the time owned by Joseph Vitale, Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamérica CHUM Limited and Canwest, along with that of MuchMusic (also owned by CHUM Limited); the channel was launched on October 2, 1984, as Telelatino, broadcasting a trilingual format, focusing on Italian, Spanish and English programming.
In 1994, Shaw Communications acquired CHUM Limited's stake in TLN. In 1999, Aldo Di Felice acquired Canwest Global Communications' shares in TLN, and the assets of Shaw were spun off to form Corus Entertainment.
On October 23, 2007, TLN launched TLN en Español, a Category B Spanish language general entertainment channel. The channel would later be relaunched as Univision Canada in 2014. In 2009, Organización de Telecomunicaciones de Iberoamérica traded its stake in TLN to I.P. Rosati Holdings for $57 million. In 2011, the channel started to refer itself to as TLN on-air.
In 2015, TLN was given a graphical overhaul, introducing an updated wordmark over a red background, and a new lineup with a greater focus on lifestyle Italian and Spanish programming.
In April 2018, the network introduced a new marketing campaign, "Colour Your Life", to signal a shift in focus for the channel to include "all lovers of the mainstream cultural lifestyle" in addition to existing viewers, after having phased out its foreign-language programs in favour of more lifestyle programming relevant to Italian and Spanish culture.
Corus Entertainment previously owned a 50.5% majority share in the service; it later sold its interest to its existing partners and Di Felice for $19 million in 2019.
Programming.
The network primarily airs programming related to Italian and Spanish cultures, including travel and cuisine.
TLN broadcasts a substantial amount of soccer programming, airing Serie A matches since 1984. TLN later secured the rights to air all Serie A matches between 2018 and 2021. and UEFA Champions League matches involving Italian and Spanish teams from 2002 to 2009. In 2009, TLN secured the rights to the UEFA Europa League to become the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of this tournament through to 2012.
In 2006, TLN partnered with CBC Sports to sub-license its rights to FIFA tournaments, including the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup. In 2015, TLN also sub-licensed Spanish-language rights to the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto from CBC, collaborating with the U.S. Spanish rightsholder ESPN Deportes.
Controversy with RAI.
From its inception up until mid-2003, TLN's Italian programming was derived primarily from RAI, Italy's state owned broadcaster, which made a commitment in 1984 to supply programming to Canada through TLN for as long as TLN was licensed in Canada. A dispute arose in 2003 when the head of RAI's international channel, decided to repudiate RAI's supply obligations as well as its 2001 agreement to launch a 24-hour RAI Canada channel, in favour of challenging Canada's regulatory regime by indicating that it wanted to deliver RAI programming through its own international channel on its own terms without restriction and not through TLN or through any Canadian programming partner.
In 2003, RAI pulled its content from TLN and petitioned the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to allow it to broadcast RAI International in Canada. This effort was backed by Rogers Communications, who sponsored RAI's application to get on the CRTC's approved list. After initially being rejected by the CRTC in 2004 in strong terms, RAI International was eventually approved by the CRTC in the spring of 2005 and began broadcasting in June 2005. After RAI International was launched in Canada, TLN began airing programming from Mediaset.
TLN Media Group.
TLN is the flagship television network of the TLN Media Group, a consortium owned by three prominent Italian Canadian families and network president Aldo Di Felice, that is dedicated to multi-ethnic programming. In addition to TLN, the company also owns the following television assets:
References.
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