Bravo!

CHANNEL: Bravo!

COUNTRY: Canada

LAUNCH DATE: January 1, 1995

OWNERSHIP: CTV Ltd.

DISTRIBUTION: 6.9 million subscribers

DESCRIPTION: Created to fill the void of relevant cultural programming in Canada, the channel covers all aspects of the arts—from music, ballet and drama to literature, architecture and the art of speech.

SENIOR MANAGEMENT:
VP & General Manager: Isme Bennie
Manager, Programming & Acquisitions: Jonah Zalken
Production Executive, Documentaries & Alternative Programming: Charlotte Engel
Director, Sales, News & Entertainment: Catherine McCutcheon

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: With a wide spectrum of original and acquired arts content, Bravo! reaches out to adults 25 to 54 with programming that is "stimulating, enlightening and reflects its commitment to developing and supporting Canadian talent," explains Isme Bennie, the channel’s VP and general manager. "Bravo! is really the best arts channel in Canada. Dedicated to diverse, high-quality arts programming, Bravo! serves as a window to the arts and artists in Canada. Programming includes dance, music, literature, theatre, cinema and visual arts."

The channel broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including the series Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… and At The Concert Hall, along with Canadian performance specials like Caesar & Cleopatra; Canadian documentaries that run during Bravo! Docfest; the literary-award special The Scotiabank Giller Prize; and a variety of multicultural specials like Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life and Byron Chief-Moon: Grey Horse Rider.

"Much of the schedule is originally commissioned or is produced in-house and offers viewers a chance to look at the thriving arts community across the country," explains Bennie. "Bravo! is also committed to developing, supporting and showcasing Canadian talent. We fund 150 hours of independent Canadian-made arts programming per year, award 120 Bravo!FACT grants to Canadian filmmakers for short films per year and promote the arts community with Bravo!’s in-house productions."

Some original Bravo! productions include At The Concert Hall, a concert series; Arts & Minds, a weekly half-hour arts magazine show; Bravo!FACT Presents, a showcase of short films commissioned by Bravo!; and the recently added The O’Regan Files, a series where Canada AM‘s Seamus O’Regan conducts in-depth conversations with arts luminaries and other prominent figures.

The part of the schedule that is acquired comes primarily from Canadian independent producers. And a bulk of its international performance specials are purchased from European and American suppliers. First-run theatrical movies are often purchased from studios.

WHAT’S NEW: In January, Bravo! launched the Bravo! broadband player (watch.bravo.ca), which allows viewers to stream select acquired programs and original productions via the site. The website also acts as a promotional vehicle, functioning not only as a resource for finding out what’s on the linear station, but it also includes programming descriptions, features from Bravo!News and information about events happening in communities across Canada.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello With… is among the new network highlights, airing Saturdays at 8 p.m. Johnny Cash: Behind Prison Walls will debut May 4, while Paul Potts: By Royal Command launches June 1. Bravo! will also air blockbuster thriller and action films every Sunday at 9 p.m., beginning June 7, with Bravo! Sunday Cinema: Summer Thrillers. June will further see the launch of Battle of Wills. And Star Portraits heads to the network in September.

WEBSITE:

www.bravo.ca