Super Channel Entertainment Network (Formally and commonly known as Super Channel) is a Canadian English language premium cable and satellite television channel owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc. Super Channel's programming primarily includes theatrically released, first to television motion pictures and television series, along with documentaries and other niche programs.
The current Super Channel service was launched in 2007, and is not affiliated with the two pre-existing English-language premium channels which used the name at various times prior to 2001, which were later known as Movie Central (in Western Canada; defunct since March 2016) and The Movie Network (in Eastern Canada; merged with and relaunched as Crave in 2018). The Allards were the original owners of Movie Central, and later re-acquired rights to the Superchannel trademark. Prior to 2016, Super Channel was the first and only general-interest English-language pay television service authorized to operate nationally. Family Channel (with its multiplex channel Family Jr.) was the only other national pay television channel, though it currently operates as a de facto basic tier specialty channel.
Super Channel is available on nearly all major cable and satellite providers including Telus Optik TV, Bell Satellite TV, Shaw Direct, Access Communications, Cogeco, Rogers Cable, Shaw Cable, Eastlink, SaskTel, Westman Communications, Bell MTS, Novus, VMedia, RiverTV, and other providers. Super Channel was granted as a "must carry" service by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), meaning all television service providers must carry the service on their systems.
History
Pre-Launch
Allarco was one of four applicants for new pay television licences that were considered at a public hearing held by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on October 24, 2005. Its competing applicants were: BOOMTV, to be operated by the Archambault unit of Quebecor Media. While it was expected to compete directly with the existing general-interest services – The Movie Network (now Crave) and Movie Central (TMN/MC) in English Canada and Super Écran (SE) in French Canada – Archambault indicated that its services would have regularly favoured first-run dramatic series. Archambault was also the only applicant for a French-language service, but indicated that this licence would be worthless without an English counterpart. The Canadian Film Channel, proposed by Channel Zero Inc. It proposed to broadcast 100% Canadian content and be funded entirely by the operators of TMN/MC, in an amount equal to 12.9% of these services' gross revenues, to be required by condition of licence. Neither incumbent indicated approval for such a use of its revenues. Spotlight Television, to be controlled by George Burger, a former executive at Alliance Television, and professional sports mogul Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of the private investment company Kilmer Van Nostrand, which proposed a premium service much in the same vein as The Movie Network/Movie Central. It is believed that, had Spotlight's application been successful, it would have been branded as a Canadian version of the American service HBO; an "HBO Canada" channel was launched in October 2008 under the auspices of TMN/MC.
The Allarco application was approved on May 18, 2006, while the other three applicants were rejected.
The Allard family were also the original owners of Movie Central, which during their stewardship until 2001 was known as "Superchannel", rendered as a single word title unlike the current service (for a time in the 1980s, First Choice (now The Movie Network) had also used the "Superchannel" name under a co-branding agreement). The "Movie Central" name was adopted shortly after Corus Entertainment acquired the service, but Corus maintained ownership of the "Superchannel" trademark. Just before the new channel's launch, the Allards re-acquired the rights to the "Superchannel" name under undisclosed terms.
Super Channel was launched on November 2, 2007, on Bell Satellite TV.
Bankruptcy and Reemergence
Super Channel's parent company, Allarco Entertainment, entered into the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act on June 18, 2009. On August 31, 2010, its creditors unanimously approved a restructuring plan for the company under the act. The restructuring plan, which needed approval of the court, was later approved.
On May 26, 2016, Allarco filed for bankruptcy a second time. The next round of submissions to the court are due April 21, 2017, meaning the creditor protection is still open. As part of this process 96 of the 135 licensed content agreements were terminated.