C Channel was a short-lived Canadian premium television channel specialising in arts programming. It was one of Canada's first licensed "pay TV" channels when it began in 1983 but it ended in failure within five months. History Toronto-based company Lively Arts Market Builders Inc. was one of several companies that received a license from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to provide a subscription television service for Canadian cable companies. The company's offering, C Channel, would feature artistic content such as theatrical, opera, and ballet performances. This format was distinct from the other new pay-movie services, First Choice and Superchannel. C Channel, First Choice, and Superchannel began their broadcasts on February 1, 1983. C Channel's President Edgar Cowan predicted 200,000 subscribers and financial equilibrium within a year. Programming C Channel was required, as a condition of license from the CRTC, to spend no less than 20% of its revenues and 50% of its expenditures on Canadian-produced programming. The channel had planned to spend C$4 million in production during its initial seven months of broadcasting. C Channel held a two-night preview of its programming on January 20–21, cablecast on most cable systems, such as Greater Winnipeg Cablevision, which was actually not able to carry the real service due to the dispute with the Manitoba Telephone System (MTS). On the first night, there were only two programs, beginning at 8 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time): Swan Lake, performed by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London, England. The other was a film originally released in 1980, The Last Metro. One of the programs featured was a Bach-themed concert performed by flautist James Galway and violinist Kyung-wha Chung, while jazz enthusiasts could watch performances from the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Stereo audio broadcasts using available cable FM channels were permitted by the CRTC on February 11, 1983. C Channel immediately activated its stereo audio feed when it received this approval. One of its marquee presentations was the Royal Shakespeare Company's 8½ hour production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby acquired from Britain's Channel 4. The program ran on March 13, 1983, from 1 p.m. to midnight with breaks for lunch, tea, and dinner. Hours C Channel initially broadcast approximately 8 hours per day, beginning at 7 p.m. (Eastern) with the children's programming block and ended approximately 11 p.m. or midnight. The station planned to expand the schedule by