Bell Media to shutter French-language channel Vrak, blaming “significant challenges”

Bell Media’s French-language channel Vrak is being closed down, as the Canadian broadcaster blamed “significant challenges” within the domestic landscape.

Youth-skewing Vrak will end broadcasting on 1 October after 23 years on air, with Bell Media arguing that a recent carriage dispute with local operator Videotron and challenges of linear networks made it unviable.

“The regulatory framework with which broadcasters must comply is outdated and does not take current challenges into account,” said Bell in a statement confirming the news.

Bell Media added that Videotron’s decision to drop the network meant it “must therefore reassess the range of programming offered to its customers to comply with its objective of aligning the offer with its revenue potential.”

Vrak started life as Le Canal Famille (The Family Channel) before being renamed as Vrak.TV in 2001. Bell Media bought the channel a decade Aho, shifting its focus to viewers aged 13-35.

“Vrak is a unifying, entertaining and contemporary specialty channel that has left its mark on several generations of Quebec viewers,” said Karine Moses, SVP of content & news at Bell Media.

“While ending VRAK’s operations was not a decision Bell Media wanted to make, “there just aren’t enough viewers anymore,” she added.