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CTV Sci-Fi Channel
Country	Canada
Broadcast area	National
Headquarters	299 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Programming
Picture format	1080i HDTV; (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	CHUM Limited (1997–2007); CTVglobemedia (CTV Limited) (2007–2011); BCE Inc. (2011–present)
Parent	Bell Media
Sister channels	CTV; CTV Drama Channel; CTV Comedy Channel; CTV Life Channel; CTV News Channel; CTV 2; Z
History
Launched	October 17, 1997; 27 years ago
Former names	Space (1997–2019)
Links
Website	www.ctv.ca/sci-fi

CTV Sci-Fi Channel is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Bell Media subsidairy of BCE Inc.. The channel primarily broadcasts speculative fiction and related programming.

The network was launched on October 17, 1997 as Space under its original parent company CHUM Limited. Its slogan, The Imagination Station, continued to be used informally by its fans for many years after its retirement. In 2007, Space was acquired by CTVglobemedia, after acquiring CHUM Limited, while the Citytv stations were sold to Rogers Media. The channel adopted its current name in 2019.

History

The channel was licensed by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in 1996.^[1] It launched on October 17, 1997 at 6:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. PT), as Space: The Imagination Station, launching under the ownership of CHUM Limited, airing the film Forbidden Planet, followed by a commentary on that film by author Robert J. Sawyer, followed by the film Mars Attacks!. The Sawyer commentary was the first example of the interstitial materials — mostly produced by Mark Askwith — that became SPACE's signature: short, snappy, mini-documentaries on science fiction and science topics shown between programs, collectively known as "SPACE Flow". Daily installments include Space News (formerly SPIN, for "Space Information and News").^[2]

CTVglobemedia took over Space on June 22, 2007, as a result of a takeover of CHUM Limited.^{[citation needed]} At the same time, the Citytv stations were sold to Rogers later that year. Ownership changed hands once again when on April 1, 2011, BCE Inc. gained 100% control of CTVglobemedia's non-publishing assets that it did not already own, placing Space under the ownership of Bell Media.^{[citation needed]}

On February 8, 2011, the Reeves-Stevenses submitted a letter to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in support of an application by CTVglobemedia to renew the broadcasting license of Space.^[3]

On July 6, 2011, a high definition simulcast of Space was launched.^[4] It is available through all major television providers in Canada.

On March 4, 2013, Space introduced a new logo to coincide with the premiere of the channel's new original co-production Orphan Black. A Bell Media executive explained that the branding was designed to reflect upon the broadening of the sci-fi genre beyond outer space and "people in polyester onesies running around with taser guns", by portraying the new logo in the form of real-life objects with a "phenomenal twist" to symbolize the "space around you".^[5] Through Bell Media's acquisition of Astral Media, Space is now co-owned with the French-language, sci-fi channel, Ztélé (since renamed Z).

On June 7, 2018, it was announced that Space would be rebranded as "CTV Sci-Fi", as part of a re-alignment of several Bell Media specialty channels under the CTV brand.^[6] The following year, it was revealed the channel would instead rebrand as CTV Sci-Fi Channel on September 12, 2019.^[7]

Programming

CTV Sci-Fi Channel's programming includes scripted television series and films primarily focused on the science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, horror, and paranormal genres, often in a marathon format outside of prime time. The channel's original programming has included in-studio shows (including the daily newsmagazine Innerspace), scripted dramas, as well as shows co-produced with the U.S. channel Syfy, from which the channel also acquires the bulk of its programming.

The channel holds the linear television rights to the Star Trek television franchise in Canada, holding library rights to past Star Trek television seasons and movies, and having acquired the rights to the newer Star Trek era run, Star Trek: Discovery, produced for the Paramount+ streaming service.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

Current programming

Original

SurrealEstate (2021)

Acquired

Former programming

Original

Acquired

The 4400
Arrow
Babylon 5
Battlestar Galactica
Being Human
Beyond
Blood Ties
Captain Star (2005–2006)
Cosplay Melee
Dark Angel
Dark Matters: Twisted But True
Dead Set
Deadly Class
The Deep
Defying Gravity
Do No Harm
The Dresden Files
Enigma
The Expanse
Farscape
Firefly
The Following
Ghost Mine
Grimm
Hex
Hilarious House of Frightenstein
Krypton
Lost
Lost in Space
The Lost Room
Manimal
Medium
Merlin
Mutant X
Night Stalker
The Outer Limits
Paranormal Witness
Perversions of Science
Primeval
Prisoners of Gravity
Quantum Leap
Relic Hunter
Ripper Street
Roar (US series)
Robot Combat League
Robotech
Sanctuary
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
The Sentinel
Smallville
Space Precinct
Stan Against Evil
Stargate Universe
Supernatural
Surface
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Threshold
Total Blackout
Total Recall 2070
The Triangle
True Blood
Utopia
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
War of the Worlds
The X-Files
Z Nation

Former annual events

The Spacey Awards: Space previously presented its own awards called the Spacey Awards to the best in sci-fi, fantasy and horror films, TV shows, and video games. Some of the awards are voted on by viewers and the others by Space.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: Aired for many years in December 25.
The Twelve Days of Space-mas: Twelve days of marathons, either of popular Space programs or of similarly-themed, sci-fi or fantasy films. This normally includes the Doctor Who Christmas special on Christmas Day.