 | |
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | National |
| Headquarters | Toronto,Ontario |
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Accessible Media |
| Sister channels | AMI-tv |
| History | |
| Launched | December 16, 2014 |
| Links | |
| Website | AMI-télé(in French) |
AMI-télé is aCanadian French languagedigital cablespecialty channel owned by the non-profit organizationAccessible Media Inc. (AMI). AMI-télé is a French version of AMI's English-language serviceAMI-tv, and broadcasts a selection of general entertainment programming with accommodations for those who arevisually orhearing impaired, consisting ofdescribed video on the primary audio track andclosed captioning available across all of its programming. The channel also broadcasts series on accessibility- and disability-related topics.
AMI-télé is licensed by theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as aCategory A "must-carry" service; it must be carried on the lowest level of service by all licensed digital cable,satellite television, andIPTV providers in Canada.
In January 2013, when the CRTC opened a new round of applications for must-carry channels, AMI submitted an application for aFrench-language sister channel of AMI-TV known as AMI-TV Français, which would have a similar format to its English-language counterpart. AMI justified the need for the channel by noting that the three provinces which host the majority of Canada'sfrancophone population—New Brunswick,Ontario, andQuebec—had above-average levels of vision loss and other vision-related conditions.[1] On August 8, 2013, the CRTC approved the application; the CRTC recognized that given the impact of AMI-tv's English service, a French service would have an equivalent impact on Canada's francophone community.[2]
The service launched on December 16, 2014 asAMI-télé in both SD and HD.[3] Much like AMI-tv, the channel was owned by a joint venture betweenShaw Media andAccessible Media, both owning 50%.
On January 13, 2016, Accessible Media announced that it would acquire Shaw Media's stake in AMI-télé, giving it full ownership. The sale was part of a corporate re-organization tied to Shaw Media's proposed sale toCorus Entertainment, which had been approved by the CRTC in March 2016. Shaw Media was renamed to Corus Holdings Inc. four months later on September 1; the transaction was approved by the CRTC on December 20, 2016, and completed on January 1, 2017.[4]