Alliance Atlantis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Alliance Atlantis Communications
<tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align:center; padding:16px 0 16px 0;"> | |
| Type | Public (TSX: AAC) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Toronto, Ontario (1998) |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario
<tr><th style="text-align:right; padding-right:0.75em;">Key people</th><td>Anthony F. Griffiths - Lead Director |
Alliance Atlantis Communications (TSX: AAC), is a Toronto-based media company, which now operates primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also has offices in Montreal (where many of the videos are packaged and distributed), Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.
Contents |
[edit] History
The current company was formed in 1998 from the merger of two former production companies, Alliance Communications and Atlantis Communications. The merger was a bit unusual in that the head of Atlantis, Michael MacMillan, became CEO of the new firm even though Atlantis was the smaller partner in the transaction[citation needed]; Alliance's CEO, Robert Lantos, was specifically interested in moving back into a production role[citation needed]. (The merger was also parodied on Made in Canada, when that show's Pyramid Productions merged with a company called Prodigy.)
At the time of the merger, both companies had launched various Canadian specialty television services; in 1995, Alliance launched Showcase Television while Atlantis launched Life Network; in fall 1997 the companies launched History Television and HGTV Canada respectively. Atlantis had also been a major investor in YTV in its first few years before selling out to what is now Corus Entertainment.
Alliance Atlantis has been known to fund projects regarded as too controversial by US companies, such as Bowling for Columbine; it was the Canadian distributor of Fahrenheit 9/11.[1] In 2003, the company purchased Salter Street Films, which produced a number of television shows for both the Canadian and international market. However, soon after the acquisition, Salter Street was disbanded and its active projects were transfered to Alliance Atlantis' own television production/development division.
Citing lower profits, it has all but closed its production arm, aside from the highly-profitable CSI: Crime Scene Investigation family of series, which it co-produces with CBS Paramount Television. It briefly maintained Salter Street's long-running This Hour Has 22 Minutes before transferring the show to the Halifax Film Company, made up of former Salter Street employees.
Its primary business is now through its ownership of a number of Canadian specialty services, which, in addition to those listed above, now include Food Network Canada, Discovery Health Channel, BBC Canada and BBC Kids and more.
Motion Picture Distribution LP, publicly traded through the Movie Distribution Income Fund TSX: FLM.UN, is responsible for distribution of American- and Canadian-made films both in Canada and the United Kingdom, under the Alliance Atlantis and Odeon Films banners. In Canada it distributes the libraries of The Weinstein Company, Focus Features, Miramax Films and New Line Cinema among others. Prior to its acquisition by Lions Gate Entertainment, it distributed the Artisan Entertainment library as well. In partnership with Famous Players, this unit also operates Alliance Atlantis Cinemas, owner of three Toronto-area theatres. All materials relating to Alliance Atlantis-distributed films now contain an awkwardly-worded disclaimer stating that Alliance Atlantis is "an indirect limited partner of Motion Picture Distribution LP, not a general partner". However, in fact, the company controls the general partner of the partnership, and hence continues to control the distribution unit itself.
Alliance Atlantis home video releases are distributed by Universal Home Entertainment.
[edit] Assets
[edit] Broadcasting
Specialty Channels
- BBC Canada (80%)
- BBC Kids (80%)
- Discovery Health Channel Canada (80%)
- Fine Living Canada (80.24%)
- Food Network Canada (57.58%)
- HGTV Canada (80.24%)
- History Television
- IFC Canada
- Life Network
- National Geographic Channel Canada (80%)
- Showcase Television
- Showcase Action
- Showcase Diva
- Historia (50%)
- One: The Body, Mind & Spirit Channel (37.77%)
- SCREAM (49%)
- Séries+ (50%)
- Score Media (25.93%)
- NOTE: Channels marked in BOLD lettering means Alliance Atlantis is the managing partner.
[edit] Entertainment
This division of Alliance Atlantis develops and distributes various television programmes to Canadian, American and International broadcasters. The programs range from children's shows, series, lifestyle and documentaries. They include:
Children's Programs
Drama Programs
Other Programs
- Crash Test Mommy
- The Mom Show
- Design Inc.
- David Rocco’s Dolce Vita
- Opening Soon
- The Surreal Gourmet
- Debbie Travis’ Facelift
- The Crocodile Hunter
[edit] External links
- Official Site
- Alliance Atlantis films
- Alliance Atlantis Cinemas
- Movie Distribution Income Fund
- CRTC Chart of Alliance Atlantis' assets (PDF)fr:Alliance Atlantis
| Alliance Atlantis Communications |
|
Television Assets: BBC Canada | BBC Kids | Discovery Health Channel (Canada) | Fine Living (Canada) | Food Network (Canada) | HGTV (Canada) | Historia | History Television | IFC (Canada) | Life Network | National Geographic Channel (Canada) | One: The Body, Mind & Spirit Channel | Séries+ | SCREAM | Showcase Television | Showcase Action | Showcase Diva |
