Makeful
CountryCanada
Broadcast areaCanada
HeadquartersToronto, Ontario
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format480i (SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerBlue Ant Media
Sister channelsBBC Earth
BBC First
Cottage Life
Love Nature
Smithsonian Channel
T+E
History
LaunchedMarch 5, 2005 (2005-03-05)
Former namesBiteTV (2005–2015)
Links
Websitetv.bemakeful.com

Makeful is a Canadian pay television channel owned by Blue Ant Media focused on lifestyle programming relating to do-it-yourself projects such as food, design, style, and crafts in connection with maker culture (from which the channel takes its name).

The channel was first launched on March 5, 2005, as BiteTV. Originally airing short-form reality programming, the channel eventually shifted its focus towards comedy programming. By 2013, Bite began airing general entertainment programming before ultimately relaunching under its current name on August 24, 2015.

Originally a commercial-free network, Makeful lost this status in 2010, allowing it broadcast commercials similar to other channels.

Makeful was available in 8.5 million households, as of 2013. Outside of Canada, the Makeful brand is operated by Rock Entertainment Holdings in Southeast Asia.[1]

History

As BiteTV

In December 2001, Glassbox Television was given approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a Category 2 digital specialty channel tentatively called Short TV, a channel described as "devoted entirely to short form films shot on film, video or created with computer animation. Short TV will showcase Canadian and international cutting edge short form films, from 1 to 40 minutes in length."[2] The channel was originally going to launch in April 2005, but instead launched on March 15, 2005, as BiteTV. The channel used the slogan "TV with bite". At launch, Glassbox Television held 100% of the channel.

In May 2006, BiteTV won the Pixel award from the 2006 Canadian New Media Award in the category of Excellence in Cross-Platform.[3] In April 2007, BiteTV won an International Emmy in the category of "Interactive Channel".[4]

On October 1, 2009, an HD feed of Bite was launched. During this time, it was in free preview. In June 2010, the CRTC gave Glassbox Television approval for an amendment to its nature of service, allowing it to de-emphasize its focus on short-form programming; with the amendment, BiteTV's programming would instead of consisting entirely of short-form programming, must "predominantly" feature such programming. The CRTC also granted BiteTV the ability to add sitcoms and feature films, among other programs.[5]

BiteTV logo used from 2010 to 2013.

In response to the CRTC decision, on October 22, 2010, BiteTV underwent a format and logo change, focusing entirely on comedy programming, incorporating sitcoms and feature films to its schedule, including additional sketch comedy and stand-up programs.[6]

On February 13, 2013, another brand refresh for Bite was unveiled, with a new logo and graphics.[7][8][9][10]

In 2013, Bite teamed up with Mondo Media and YouTube to create Bite on Mondo, a program in which content creators pitched ideas for new shows. The pitches are funded through Mondo and use YouTube's popularity to decide whether or not they will be picked up. The winning pitches were broadcast on Bite on August 29, 2014.[11][12] In October 2014, parent company Blue Ant Media, Mondo Media, and Corus Entertainment announced that Teletoon would air a new series featuring shorts from the program. It was expected to premiere in 2016 on Teletoon at Night, but instead premiered on September 4, 2015, as Night Sweats on Adult Swim.[13][14]

Last Bite logo, 2013 to 2015.

On-screen and interactive features

Before rebranding as a comedy channel, BiteTV maintained a multi-panel visual format that differed from most other television channels, with content surrounding programs being broadcast on the channel consisting a display of on-air promotions and upcoming shows, a BiteTV office webcam, a status bar to show the remaining time left in the show, and a feature called "The Crawl" that contained pointless facts, weird laws, updates on programming, and the PC Chat 2 Screen function.

The PC Chat 2 Screen was a function created by BiteTV that let viewers interact with the channel and other viewers by letting them comment on what would appear on-air within minutes. As with early user-generated content meant for television (mainly seen then on MTV and Tech TV), it was subject early on to contributions from viewers containing either inappropriate content or spam links which were not vetted before coming to air, requiring BiteTV to institute human and automatic moderation to keep content broadcast-safe.

As Makeful (2015–present)

On August 18, 2015, it was announced that Bite would be rebranded as Makeful, described as "a new lifestyle specialty channel celebrating the maker community and the creation of one-of-a-kind, handmade goods."[15] The channel relaunched on August 24.[16]

Programming

Makeful currently airs a mix of lifestyle, reality, and documentary programming. Original programming aired on the channel has included Landscape Artist of the Year Canada.[17] Though primarily dedicated to maker culture-based shows, the channel also airs general entertainment programming; such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?, a Canadian version of Hoarders, and Celebrity Family Feud.[18]

As Bite TV, the channel aired various comedy shows, such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Warren United. In its final years, Bite would add general audience reality shows, such as Party Down South and Cops.

References

  1. ↑ Rock Entertainment Holdings | LinkedIn
  2. ↑ Decision CRTC 2001-770, Crtc.gc.ca, 2001-12-20
  3. ↑ BITE TV WINNER IN SIXTH-ANNUAL CANADIAN NEW MEDIA AWARDS Archived 2009-08-22 at the Wayback Machine; Glassbox Television; 2006-05-31
  4. ↑ Canadian firms scoop interactive Emmy awards; CBC; 2007-04-20
  5. ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-362, Crtc.gc.ca, 2010-06-10
  6. ↑ BITE TAKES FUNNY SERIOUSLY WITH NEW LOOK AND HIT COMEDY TV PROGRAMMING, Newswire.ca, 2010-10-18
  7. ↑ Bite TV gets brand overhaul, Media in Canada 2013-8-3
  8. ↑ Bite TV Rebrands as Target Demo Changes, Marketing.ca, 2013-07-03
  9. ↑ Bite is now biTe!, Vika Creative Media 2013-13-2
  10. ↑ BITE TV REBRANDS WITH SLEEK, BOLD DESIGN, Blue Ant Media 2013-7-3
  11. ↑ BLUE ANT MEDIA & MONDO MEDIA TEAM UP WITH YOUTUBE TO LAUNCH $3 MILLION ANIMATED COMEDY PROGRAM IN CANADA Archived 2016-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, Blue Ant Media, 2013-11-3
  12. ↑ "Full episodes and TV Listings". Tvlistings.zap2it.com. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
  13. ↑ BLUE ANT MEDIA AND MONDO MEDIA ANNOUNCE BROADCAST DEAL WITH CORUS ENTERTAINMENT FOR NEW PRIMETIME ANIMATED SERIES, Blue Ant Media, 2015-1-20
  14. ↑ Patel, Sahil (October 10, 2014). "Blue Ant and Mondo Media's 'Bite On Mondo' Gets TV Show with Corus". Videoink. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  15. ↑ "UPDATED: Bite TV to become Makeful on Monday". Cartt.ca. August 18, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  16. ↑ Bite TV being crafted into Makeful, Playback Magazine, 08-19-2015
  17. ↑ Dana Gee, "Top British landscape TV hit gets a fresh coat of Canadian paint". Vancouver Sun, February 13, 2020.
  18. ↑ Makeful - TV Listings Guide
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