YTV (TV channel) facts for kids

YTV is a Canadian TV channel that started on September 1, 1988. It is owned by a company called YTV Canada, Inc., which is part of Corus Entertainment. YTV focuses on shows for kids and families.

The channel's name was once thought to be short for "Youth Television." However, the channel's website has said this is not true. YTV has two versions that run on different time schedules: one for the Eastern part of Canada and one for the Pacific part. As of 2013, over 11 million homes in Canada could watch YTV.

YTV Shows and Blocks

YTV creates its own shows. It also buys and helps make programs with the U.S. channel Nickelodeon. YTV aims its shows at children and young teenagers, usually from ages 9 to 16.

Current Show Blocks

YTV organizes its shows into special blocks. Here are the ones you can watch now:

• The Zone - This block airs on weekday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. It features both animated and live-action TV series. It is hosted by Jason Agnew and Tyra Sweet.
• The Zone Weekend - This is a weekend morning version of The Zone. It is hosted by Jason Agnew and airs from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST.
• Big Fun Movies - This block shows movies. You can watch films Monday to Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., and on weekends at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EST. Duhin Nanda hosts the Sunday movies.

Seasonal Show Blocks

YTV also has special blocks for different times of the year:

• Mucho Marcho - This block airs movies every March.
• Fang-Tastic - This block shows Halloween specials and movies every October.
• Merry Everything - This block airs holiday specials and movies all through December. It used to be called "Big Fun Holidays" and "Merry 6mas."

Past Show Blocks

Over the years, YTV has had many different show blocks:

• The Treehouse - This was a daily block for preschoolers. It had hosts called PJs and puppets called The Fuzzpaws. Shows included Wishbone and The Big Comfy Couch. This block later became its own TV channel, Treehouse TV, which started in 1997.
• YTV News - This was a 30-minute news show for kids. It covered news from Canada and around the world.
• The Breakfast Zone - This block aired in the mornings. It was like The Zone but focused more on the hosts talking.
• Brainwash - This was a weekend morning block hosted by Carrie Funkwash and Ed Brainbin. It featured shows like Sailor Moon and The Pink Panther.
• The Dark Corner - This block aired on Saturday evenings and showed scary or spooky TV shows. These included Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?.
• Vortex - This block aired on Saturday mornings from 2001 to 2006. It focused on action cartoons.
• Bionix - This block showed action programs and anime (Japanese animation). It aired from 2004 to 2010.
• CRUNCH - This was a Saturday morning block dedicated to animated shows. It ran from 2006 to 2013.

Show Hosts

Before the mid-1990s, YTV called its show hosts "PJs." This was like how music hosts are called DJs. The hosts now just use their names.

Current Show Hosts

The Zone and The Zone Weekend are currently hosted by Spencer Litzinger and Tyra Sweet.

Past Show Hosts

Other YTV Channels and Services

YTV has other channels and services that are part of its family.

Treehouse TV

Treehouse TV is a channel that shows programs for preschoolers, usually from ages 2 to 5. It started on November 1, 1997. The channel's name comes from YTV's old "The Treehouse" show block. Treehouse TV is available across Canada and shows its programs without commercials.

Nickelodeon Canada

Nickelodeon Canada is a channel that started on November 2, 2009. It is based on the U.S. channel Nickelodeon. Like the original Nickelodeon, this channel shows programs for children and younger teenagers, usually from ages 7 to 11. These include both live-action shows and cartoons.

Past Online Services

YTV used to have some online services:

• YTV GO - This was a mobile app that let you watch episodes of YTV shows. It was available for free if you already subscribed to certain TV providers. The app worked from 2015 to 2019.

Other YTV Projects

YTV has also been involved in other projects over the years.

• Whoa! magazine - This was YTV's official magazine. It started in 1999 and had articles and fun content for kids. It was available in stores and online. YTV stopped being involved with the magazine in 2009.
• Big Fun Party Mix - This was a series of music CDs. They had songs from popular artists and music featured on YTV's own music shows.
• Yabber.net - This was an online chat room that was watched by moderators to keep it safe. It ran from 2001 to 2004. You could even chat live with celebrities and YTV hosts!
• Keep It Weird - This is a YouTube channel. It features cartoons from Nelvana (another company owned by Corus Entertainment), old Nickelodeon shows, and YTV's own original programs. It started in 2015 and got its current name in 2018.

YTV Around the World

YTV has been available in a few other countries too:

• Jamaica - You can watch it on Flow Cable systems.
• Bahamas - It used to be on Cable Bahamas systems but was removed in September 2020.

See also

In Spanish: YTV para niños