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Canal+ France
	Canal+ logo
Launched	4 November, 1984
Audience share	3.6% (May 2009, )
Country	France
Website	www.canalplus.fr
Availability
Terrestrial
SECAM	Normally tuned to 4 in France; (partially encrypted)
TNT	Channel 4
Satellite
CanalSat	Channel 4
Cable
Numericable	Channel 4
IPTV
Freebox TV	Channel 4
Neuf	Channel 4
Alice France	Channel 4
DartyBox	Channel 4
Orange TV	Channel 4

Canal+ ("Canal Plus", "C+" meaning "Channel Plus/More" in French) is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted. The un-encrypted programmes can be viewed free of charge on Canal+ and on satellite on Canal+ Clair (Clear).

Canal+ is a supporter of the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) initiative (a consortium of broadcasting and Internet industry companies including SES Astra, OpenTV and Institut für Rundfunktechnik) that is promoting and establishing an open European standard for hybrid set-top boxes for the reception of broadcast TV and broadband multimedia applications with a single user interface.

[edit] History

After the announcement about the launch of the fourth French television channel Canal+ started broadcasting on November 4, 1984. In 1986, the channel had one million subscribers. It has produced numerous auteur films, including David Lynch's The Straight Story, Mulholland Dr., and Inland Empire.

With the launch of the digital satellite platform Canalsatellite on April 27, 1996, Canal+ received two new sister channels: Canal+ Jaune and Canal+ Bleu.^[2] A fourth channel, called Canal+ Vert came along on August 31, 1998. The channels changed their names to Canal+ Décalé, Canal+ Cinéma and Canal+ Sport.

In September 2005, Canal+, Canal+ Cinéma and Canal+ Sport started broadcasting in the French digital terrestrial television network. The free-to-air parts of Canal+ had already been broadcasting for a few months by then. In August 2008, Canal+ started broadcasting the encrypted parts of its main channel in high-definition in the terrestrial network. Canal+ plans to turn off the analogue terrestrial signals by 2010.^[3]

[edit] Les Chaînes Canal+

Les Chaînes Canal+^[4] is the brand name used for all the Canal+-branded channels in France. Prior to 2008 it was called Canal+ Le Bouquet.

Channel	Launched	Notes	Availability				Format	Broadcast Hours
Channel	Launched	Notes	Terrest. SECAM	DTT	Satellite, IPTV	Cable	Format	Broadcast Hours
Canal+ P&S	1984	Broadcast in Pan and scan. It will stop on 2010	4	No	No	No	4:3 SDTV	24 hours
Canal+	1996	previously known as Canal+ 16/9 then as Canal+ Hi-Tech	No	No	4	4	16:9 SDTV	24 hours
Canal+ HD	2006	previously known as Canal+ 16/9 then as Canal+ Hi-Tech	No	4	182	354	16:9 HDTV	24 hours
Canal+ Cinéma	1996	A dedicated movie channel, previously known as Canal+ Jaune	No	31	10	402	16:9 SDTV	07:00 - 04:00
Canal+ Sport	1998	A sports channel, previously known as Canal+ Vert	No	32	11	403	16:9 SDTV	07:00 - 04:00
Canal+ Family	2007	A children's channel	No	No	12	405	16:9 SDTV	07:00 - 04:00
Canal+ Décalé	1996	Shows repeats of programs shown on Canal+, previously known as Canal+ Bleu	No	No	13	401	16:9 SDTV	07:00 - 04:00

Those channels are sold as a package on Satellite and DSL TV. On digital terrestrial television, only Canal+, Canal+ Cinéma and Canal+ Sport are available in widescreen with Dolby Digital surround sound.

[edit] European sister channels

As Canal+ was launched in new markets the brand has been used in several countries. When launching additional channels the channels were usually given colour-coded names, such as Canal+ Blue and Canal+ Green. Many of these subsidiaries have been sold, and as of 2007 only the Spanish and Polish Canal+ were partially owned by French Canal+.

Canal+ Spain, launched in 1990 by Sogecable as an analogue pay channel, similar to the French version. Now part of the Digital+ alliance.
Canal+ Flanders, became Canal+ when FilmNet was bought. Later sold and is now known as Prime TV (Telenet, a subsidiary of Liberty Global).
Canal+ Wallonia, now known as BeTV. It shares many common programs with the French channels. It is owned by VOO, a public telco in Wallonia.
Canal+ Netherlands, launched as Canal+ after buying the FilmNet channels. In 2006, the channels were the property of Liberty Global Europe and were rebranded as Sport1 and Film1.
Canal+ Poland, the channel is called Canal+, the satellite platform Cyfra+
Canal+ Scandinavia, launched as Canal+ in 1997 with the integration of the FilmNet channels. The company was sold and renamed C More Entertainment, although the brand Canal+ was still used. It was purchased by the SBS Broadcasting Group in 2005, which was merged with ProSiebenSat.1 Media in 2007. In 2008, an agreement was made to sell the channels to TV4 Group.
Tele+ Digitale, the Italian branch sold in 2003 to News Corp. and fused with Stream TV, the direct competitor. Now is called Sky Italia.
Premiere, a German premium television channel and platform launched in 1990, was founded by Canal+, Bertelsmann and Kirch. A few years later, Canal+ sold its share of Premiere. Now known as Sky Deutschland and is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and Primera.

[edit] Programmes

American TV Shows : 24 (24 heures chrono) ; 30 Rock ; Big Love ; Cold Case ; Damages ; Desperate Housewives ; Dexter ; How I Met Your Mother ; It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Philadelphia) ; Mad Men ; Pushing Daisies ; The L Word ; The New Adventures of Old Christine (Old Christine) ; The Office ; The Shield ; Two and a Half Men (Mon Oncle Charlie) and Weeds ; The Daily Show.
These American TV Shows were shown on Canal + : Boomtown ; Rome ; Six Feet Under ; Spin City ; Surface and Will & Grace.
American animated TV Shows : American Dad! ; Drawn Together ; Family Guy (Les Griffin) ; South Park and The Simpsons (Les Simpson).
American reality TV Shows : The Simple Life.
Japanese animated TV Shows : Fullmetal Alchemist ; Monster ; Noir and Samurai Champloo.
British TV Shows : Skins ; Wire in the Blood ; The Tudors (Les Tudors) ; The Office and Spooks (MI-5).
Canadian TV shows : Little Mosque on the Prairie, Life with Derek, Naturally Sadie, Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Wikinews has related news: Canadian television show to debut in French speaking countries

Original French TV Shows : Les Guignols de l'info ; Groland ; Spiral (Engrenages) ; H ; Mafiosa ; Jamel Comedy Club ; Hard ; Djihad ; Pigale, la Nuit ; La Commune ; Braquo ; Scalp ; Le Grand Journal ; La Matinale ; + Clair ; L'édition spéciale ; Jeudi Investigation ; Dimanche+ .
Kids Shows : Rugrats (Les Razmokets) ; Teletubbies ; and The Cramp Twins.

[edit] References

^ [1]
^ "L'historie du Groupe Canal+ de 1983 à nos jours". http://www.canalplusgroup.com/pid163.htm#anch_26. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
^ "Canal plans analogue switch-off". broadbandtvnews. April 3, 2009. http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=16260.
^ "Les Chaînes Canal+ : Programs for all tastes". http://www.vivendi.com/vivendi/Canal-EN. Retrieved 2009-06-25.

[edit] External links

Official Site (French)

[0] [1]

[1] "L'historie du Groupe Canal+ de 1983 à nos jours". http://www.canalplusgroup.com/pid163.htm#anch_26. Retrieved 2009-04-03.

[2] "Canal plans analogue switch-off". broadbandtvnews. April 3, 2009. http://www.broadbandtvnews.com/?p=16260.

[3] "Les Chaînes Canal+ : Programs for all tastes". http://www.vivendi.com/vivendi/Canal-EN. Retrieved 2009-06-25.

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