| MUMBAI:
It's a historic day not just for Canadian audiences, but for Canada's creative
and production communities too. The MTV brand debuts today in Canada. The Toronto
based CTV will replace the name of its talktv speciality channel with the MTV
brand. The MTV launch represents
the biggest multi-platform launch among all 49 worldwide MTV services comprising
the MTV Networks International family, according to MTV Networks International
president and MTV Networks vice chairman Bill Roedy.
The MTV brand will
debut in 360 degree fashion, across six different platforms. The 'Six Arms of
MTV' will incorporate numerous distribution strategies including conventional
and specialty channel platforms, mobile, Video On Demand (VOD) and in pioneering
fashion, across a newly created premium broadband service, MTV Overdrive, the
first of its kind in Canada. MTV is a newly branded
Canadian analog specialty service and offers a winning schedule, infused with
lifestyle, talk and documentary programming.
In an official statement,
the networks claims that the channel will immediately be available in 6 million
Canadian households via all major cable and DTH services. Newly created
MTVonCTV branded blocks of programming will be seen six nights a week
across Canada on CTV's conventional stations. MTV Overdrive is a new broadband
channel that represents a
first-of-its-kind in Canada. The free premium video
service harnesses the latest in technology to deliver MTV content to anyone at
broadband speeds. On demand are full-length MTV programs, daily MTV News, custom
short-form programming, movie and game reviews and much more. In addition to providing
MTV-branded content, Overdrive is MTV's answer to music authenticity in Canada
with exclusive MTV music events, artist interviews, live performances and thousands
of music videos. On Mobile will have exclusively produced MTV mobisodes
and made for mobile programming by individual carriers and also via cross-carrier
mobile distribution, MTV Mobile showcases a range of MTV programs that include
video, soundtrack ring-tones, wallpapers and more, all available for download
via mobile phones and directly off the mtv.ca website. Video on Demand
comes with an extensive line-up of MTV hit programs immediately available. In
addition, MTV is now underway with plans for an additional distribution strategy
to make MTV's hit programs available to portable video devices.
"A
new chapter in Canadian media, employing multiple platforms and
interactivity,
begins. The future is now," said Bell Globemedia president and CEO and CTV
Inc CEO Ivan Fecan.
"It's a landmark day for Canada's creative
community and viewers from coast-to-coast. A culturally vibrant country like ours
deserves its own MTV. Sharing Canada's creative talent with the world through
MTV's worldwide network puts Canada on the world stage. It's where we belong,"
said CTV programming president Susanne
Boyce. MTV, in the official
statement revealed an extensive list of 23 advertising partners who have inked
multi-platform sponsorship deals to be on-board for day one. They include Bell
Mobility, Cadbury Adams, Clean & Clear and Neutrogena Deep Clean, Coca Cola,
Colgate Palmolive Canada Inc., Columbia Brewery, Dairy Farmers of Canada Milk,
General Motors of Canada, KFC Canada, Kraft Canada, Labatt Breweries of Canada,
McDonalds Restaurants of Canada Limited, Mission: Impossible III, Molson Canadian,
Motorola, Nike, Nokia Products Limited, Pepsico, Sony Entertainment - the Benchwarmers,
Taco Bell, Telus and West 49. MTV's multiplatform advertising opportunities
will allow clients' brands to reach millions of consumers via an array of on-air
and digital assets,
including the broadband service MTV Overdrive.
"The incredible response from clients and the agency community is confirmation
that we are on target with the brand, our content and the distribution strategy,"
said MTV Canada sr VP and general manager Brad Schwartz. "We want to acknowledge
all 23 partners who have joined the MTV business from day One. Our goal is to
make MTV the preferred destination for advertisers, large and small, and we look
forward to growing together with all of our partners." | 
