Korie Heartz grew up with the Family Channel just like her mother, who also watched the iconic station’s shows during her own childhood.
She said she hoped her own children would be the third generation in the family to enjoy the series, dramas, and programs that the television channel aired for Canadian teens and children for nearly four decades.
But that wish might not come true as WildBrain, a Toronto-based media and entertainment company, announced last week it is closing four of its channels, including the Family Channel, Family Jr., WildBrainTV and Télémagino for French-language kids.
“I feel like it’s a bit devastating,” said Heartz, 18, while visiting Oshawa Town Centre with her mother over the weekend.
WildBrain says Rogers Communications informed the company that it would remove the channels from its distribution service in the coming months.
Bell also made a similar decision earlier this year.
“In light of these events in combination with the previously announced decision by Bell to also remove the Channels, WildBrain has assessed that the Channels are no longer commercially viable and intends to cease broadcast after their removal from Rogers,” the company said in a statement released last week.
It said WildBrain will surrender the Channel licenses to the Canada Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission.
The Family Channel started broadcasting in 1988, Télémagino was launched in 2010, WildbrainTV and Family Jr. began their programs in 2011 and 2015 respectively.
The channels played a significant role in many Canadian children’s lives and became a formative part of their families, bringing a mix of domestic and imported comedy and educational content into their homes.
Heartz said she was particularly in love with “Dog With A Blog,” a sitcom about a dog blogging about the daily happenings in a newly blended family.
She is aware that not too many kids watch cable nowadays, but it is sad news for those who still do.
“There’s like a whole lot of shows on there that I really, really liked,” she said.
Rogers says Wildbrain’s viewership has declined significantly in the past few years, sharing data collected by Numeris, a media research company based in Toronto, showing the number of people watching the company’s channels dropped by 85 per cent between 2018 and 2024.
“We’re committed to meeting our customers’ changing viewing habits and providing Canadians with the content they want on their platform of choice,” a spokesman for the company said.
Bell couldn’t be reached for comment.
Among those who religiously watched the shows was Erin Gilbert, who said she was disappointed knowing the channels will stop airing.
She said she spent around ten years of her childhood with Family Channel watching many sictoms including “Life with Derek,” “Hannah Montana” and “Shake it Up.” She said she kept watching until the end of high school, when studying and work took up too much of her time.
“A lot of the shows that I loved growing up was broadcasted on that channel, so to know that my child’s not going to grow up with that station is a little sad,” she said.
But some have never stopped watching.
Jonniemay Goody, 27, said she still watches her favourite series such as “Cory in the House,” “That’s so Raven,” and “Zack and Cody” whenever she has time.
Like others, she said she also felt sad about the television networks closure.
“I’m getting to the age now where I’m going to have my own kids and they’re not going to get to kind of have that same experience with all the different shows that I did,” she said.
Goody said her mother also sometimes joined her watching the channel.
“But I don’t know if she’d miss any of the shows,” she said in an interview at Kendalwood Park Plaza in Whitby, Ont. “But I will.”
Wildbrain’s president and CEO Josh Scherba said in the company’s statement that Family Channel “has been a trusted destination for Canadian kids and families” for nearly four decades.
“We’re incredibly proud of the legacy we’ve built — thanks to our loyal viewers, dedicated television employees and the many talented Canadian producers we’ve partnered with.
He said the channels’ closure have minimal impact on WildBrain’s business and strategy, vowing that the company will remain a “global leader” in children’s entertainment.
“We have deliberately positioned our business to align with changing consumer habits, including a strategic exit from the declining broadcast space in Canada,” he added.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2025.
Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press
