The CRTC has approved the sale by Shaw Media of the BBC Kids Channel to Knowledge Network.

“We are thankful for the CRTC’s expeditious approval of the BBC Kids transaction as it opens the door for Knowledge Network and BBC Worldwide Canada to build on the BBC Kids brand in Canada,” Rudy Buttignol, president and CEO of Knowledge Network, said Friday.

The British Columbia public educational broadcaster will acquire and run the BBC-branded digital kids channel through a joint venture with BBC Worldwide.

“I look forward to joining forces with the Knowledge Network team in the upcoming weeks as we take our first steps together towards relaunching a revitalized BBC Kids channel,” BBC Canada COO Hilary Read said in her own statement.

The Knowledge Network will make additional investments in the TV channel, including content from Canada, Britain and elsewhere internationally.

Shaw Media parting ways with BBC Kids Canada follows the sale of the digital kids specialty by former owners Canwest Media and Goldman Sachs & Co. to Shaw Communications, along with a stable of former Alliance Atlantis Communications specialty services.

Shaw Communications subsequently rebranded and relaunched the Global Television network and the former AAC specialty channels as Shaw Media.

BBC Kids in the Knowledge Network fold will operate under the same terms and conditions of its previous license, offering educational and entertaining programming for children and youths aged 2-17 years.