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Family Jr.
Family Jr. was a Canadian specialty channel owned by WildBrain. A sister channel to Family Channel, it broadcast children's programming aimed at viewers aged 2 to 7. Legally, the channel operated as a multiplex service of Family Channel, stemming from its former licensing status as a premium television service; therefore, it was distributed at no additional charge to Family Channel subscribers. Along with its French-language counterpart, Télémagino, it was available in over 4 million Canadian households as of 2013.
The channel launched on November 30, 2007, as a Canadian version of Playhouse Disney, under license from Disney Channels Worldwide (which had a library agreement with Family Channel at the time). It then rebranded under Disney's new preschool television brand Disney Junior on May 6, 2011. Following Bell Media's acquisition of Astral in 2013, the channel, along with its sister networks were divested to DHX Media in 2014. In 2015, Family Channel lost the rights to Disney Channel programming to Corus Entertainment: this resulted in the launch of a new Corus-run Disney Junior channel, and DHX's existing Disney Junior channel being rebranded as Family Jr.–a brand extension of Family Channel–on September 18, 2015.
The channel originally launched as Playhouse Disney on November 30, 2007; as Family was originally licensed as a premium television service, it is allowed to operate multiplex channels consistent with the network's licence (which dictated that it provide a service with programming aimed at youth aged 17 and younger), thus the channel did not require separate CRTC approval, and would be offered at no additional charge to television providers who already carry Family Channel.
A French-language version, originally known as Playhouse Disney Télé, was launched on July 5, 2010. Unlike the English version, it operates under a separate license.
On May 6, 2011, the networks were rebranded under Disney's new preschool television brand, Disney Junior.
On March 4, 2013, Bell Media announced that it would divest the Family Channel networks as part of its then-proposed acquisition of Astral Media. On November 28, 2013, DHX Media (now WildBrain) announced it would acquire the Family Channel networks $170 million, pending CRTC approval. On July 24, 2014, the CRTC approved DHX's purchase of the networks, and the deal was closed on July 31, 2014.
On April 16, 2015, it was announced that Corus Entertainment had acquired rights to Disney's children's television library and brands, succeeding a previous license agreement with DHX. Corus stated that following the launch of a Canadian version of Disney Channel, it would re-launch Disney's other linear children's television brands in Canada in the future. In anticipation for this transition, DHX concurrently announced that its Disney-branded networks would be re-branded as brand extensions of Family Channel; Disney Junior was re-branded as Family Jr. on September 18, 2015. A Corus-owned incarnation of Disney Junior later ran from December 1, 2015 to September 1, 2025.
On December 18, 2024, WildBrain announced that it would sell a two-thirds majority stake of its television operations—including Family Channel—to IoM Media Ventures, a Halifax-based company founded by former WildBrain CEO Dana Landry.
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Family Jr.
Family Jr. was a Canadian specialty channel owned by WildBrain. A sister channel to Family Channel, it broadcast children's programming aimed at viewers aged 2 to 7. Legally, the channel operated as a multiplex service of Family Channel, stemming from its former licensing status as a premium television service; therefore, it was distributed at no additional charge to Family Channel subscribers. Along with its French-language counterpart, Télémagino, it was available in over 4 million Canadian households as of 2013.
The channel launched on November 30, 2007, as a Canadian version of Playhouse Disney, under license from Disney Channels Worldwide (which had a library agreement with Family Channel at the time). It then rebranded under Disney's new preschool television brand Disney Junior on May 6, 2011. Following Bell Media's acquisition of Astral in 2013, the channel, along with its sister networks were divested to DHX Media in 2014. In 2015, Family Channel lost the rights to Disney Channel programming to Corus Entertainment: this resulted in the launch of a new Corus-run Disney Junior channel, and DHX's existing Disney Junior channel being rebranded as Family Jr.–a brand extension of Family Channel–on September 18, 2015.
The channel originally launched as Playhouse Disney on November 30, 2007; as Family was originally licensed as a premium television service, it is allowed to operate multiplex channels consistent with the network's licence (which dictated that it provide a service with programming aimed at youth aged 17 and younger), thus the channel did not require separate CRTC approval, and would be offered at no additional charge to television providers who already carry Family Channel.
A French-language version, originally known as Playhouse Disney Télé, was launched on July 5, 2010. Unlike the English version, it operates under a separate license.
On May 6, 2011, the networks were rebranded under Disney's new preschool television brand, Disney Junior.
On March 4, 2013, Bell Media announced that it would divest the Family Channel networks as part of its then-proposed acquisition of Astral Media. On November 28, 2013, DHX Media (now WildBrain) announced it would acquire the Family Channel networks $170 million, pending CRTC approval. On July 24, 2014, the CRTC approved DHX's purchase of the networks, and the deal was closed on July 31, 2014.
On April 16, 2015, it was announced that Corus Entertainment had acquired rights to Disney's children's television library and brands, succeeding a previous license agreement with DHX. Corus stated that following the launch of a Canadian version of Disney Channel, it would re-launch Disney's other linear children's television brands in Canada in the future. In anticipation for this transition, DHX concurrently announced that its Disney-branded networks would be re-branded as brand extensions of Family Channel; Disney Junior was re-branded as Family Jr. on September 18, 2015. A Corus-owned incarnation of Disney Junior later ran from December 1, 2015 to September 1, 2025.
On December 18, 2024, WildBrain announced that it would sell a two-thirds majority stake of its television operations—including Family Channel—to IoM Media Ventures, a Halifax-based company founded by former WildBrain CEO Dana Landry.