On November 24, 2000, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission granted Craig Media permission to launch a national Category 2 digital specialty channel tentatively known as Retro; a channel described as being "devoted to classic television programming". In August 2001, before the channel had launched, Craig Media announced it had reached a deal with U.S.-based MTV Networks, to launch Retro as a domestic Canadian version of the American classic television-focused cable channel, TV Land. The channel was launched in September 2001 as TV Land Canada, with a slate of programming focusing on classic American sitcoms and dramas. MTV Networks purchased a minority share in the service months later. In April 2004, CHUM Limited announced it would purchase Craig Media for CAD$265 million; Craig's 80.1% interest in TV Land was included in the sale. The sale was subject to CRTC approval and was approved on November 19, 2004. The transaction was completed on December 1, 2004. In July 2006, Bell Globemedia announced that it would purchase CHUM, including TV Land Canada, for an estimated CAD$1.7 billion. The sale was approved by the CRTC on June 8, 2007, with the transaction completed on June 22. On June 21, 2010, it was announced that TV Land would be rebranded as Comedy Gold, becoming an offshoot of The Comedy Network, effective August 2, 2010. The rebranded channel shifted focus to classic American sitcoms from the 1970s through the 1990s including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Murphy Brown, and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Viacom sold its stake in the channel back to CTV after the rebrand took place. The channel's ownership changed hands once again when on September 10, 2010, BCE Inc. announced that it planned to acquire 100% interest in CTVglobemedia for a total debt and equity transaction cost of CAD$3.2 billion. The deal was approved by the CRTC on March 7, 2011, and was finalized on April 1 of that year, on which CTVglobemedia was rebranded Bell Media. In June 2012, Comedy Gold unveiled a new on-air look consisting of a new logo and new on-air presentation, aligning with the relaunched Comedy Network, which itself had unveiled a new on-air rebrand in November 2011.
In June 2017, Wow Unlimited Media announced a strategic partnership with Bell, under which it would acquire an unspecified category B service to re-launch as a channel targeting children and young adults, in exchange for a minority equity stake in the company. In an October 2017 interview, Bell Media president Randy Lennox revealed that the channel would be Comedy Gold. The sale to Wow Unlimited Media was approved on July 9, 2018. On March 12, 2019, Wow Unlimited Media issued a press release stating the date upon which the channel would be fully acquired has been pushed back to either May 31, 2019, or August 30, 2019 "to pursue sponsorships and partnerships". On July 24, 2019, a representative of Bell Support revealed that Comedy Gold would be shutting down anywhere between August 30 and September 1. Wow took possession of the license on August 30, and Comedy Gold was ultimately shuttered on September 1, after which the channel space created by TV Land in 2001 ceased to exist. In its second-quarter earnings report, Wow stated that the company was "exploring strategic partnerships to structure a financially attractive business plan" for the network.
Programming
Prior to the announced sale to Wow Unlimited Media, Comedy Gold focused primarily on sitcoms and sketch comedy programs from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s ; it also carried some Canadian-produced programs. Since the announcement of its sale to Wow Unlimited Media, Comedy Gold's focus on classic comedy was downplayed and its programming shifted to reruns of general comedy-oriented shows.
