In a move that will facilitate the first transition of a specialty channel from all-American to half-Canadian, the crtc has given the thumbs-up to Alliance Atlantis Communications’ application to replace Food Network u.s. with the newly created Food Network Canada.

Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting is set to launch the Canadianized channel, presently occupied by the u.s. network.

‘We’re changing over from all-American to 50% Canadian,’ says aab president Phyllis Yaffe, noting that new channel will cover occasions like Canadian Thanksgiving accordingly.

In addition to popular offerings from its u.s. counterpart, including Emeril Live, Iron Chef and From Martha’s Kitchen, fnc will showcase programs from across Canada, ingredients and cooking styles indigenous to Canada, and will feature chefs from local restaurants.

Among the programs to launch exclusively with the new network are Ken Kostick & Company, The Canadian Living Test Kitchen and The Rob Fernie Show.

Food Essence, The Inn Chef and Dish It Out, with its new interactive component, will also join the schedule this fall.

aab production executive and former exec producer for cbc news, Karen Gelbart, has been named vp programming for fnc.

aab is a majority shareholder in the Canadianized channel, with E.W. Scripps Company (owner of Food Network u.s.) and Corus Entertainment holding minority interests.

The Canadianization deal with Scripps was actually struck in 1996, before then-Atlantis Communications had picked up Food Network u.s.

Because Life Network was doing some food programming at the time, explains Yaffe, it was questionable whether it was in Atlantis’ best interest to incorporate the Food Network at all. However, around the same time, the crtc had indicated a need for more food programming, which ultimately motivated the company to ink a deal with Scripps that would include picking up the u.s. network, but moving it to a Canadian network as soon as possible.

In 1997, when the regulator put out a call for more analog applications, Atlantis seized the opportunity to apply for Food Network Canada. And when the rest of the applications were put on hold, due to a lack of analog space on the dial, fnc had a leg up because it already occupied a channel.

‘This is the first agreement of its kind in Canadian broadcasting history whereby an American channel steps aside, at its owners’ request, to partner with a Canadian company to launch a new Canadian channel,’ says aac ceo Michael MacMillan.

‘We are also delighted to be in partnership on Food Network Canada with Corus, an organization with whom we have a number of strategic interests, including the recent filing of several digital television services,’ he adds.

aac recently expanded its partnership with Scripps Networks (parent to E.W. Scripps) with applications to launch two additional specialties, Fine Living (formerly called Luxe) and DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Canada.

diy, currently on the dial in the u.s., provides step-by-step instruction on how to do a multiple of projects around the home.

The Fine Living proposal calls for a tv network and interactive Web-based service devoted to helping people explore their passions and interests in the finer things in life, while saving time in an increasingly hectic world. It will embody the affluent lifestyle.