The Movie Network and its six sister channels MFun, MExcess, MEscape, MFest, MPIX1 and MPIX2 are pay subscription movie channels available to Canadian residents with digital cable, Satellite or MMDS. These networks offer an extensive variety of movies, television programs and exclusives to their subscribers. The Movie Network is owned by Astral Media.
The Movie Network is only available in Eastern Canada. A similar service known as Movie Central is distributed to subscribers in Western Canada.
When The Movie Network launched in 1983, it was originally known as First Choice, an Eastern Canada pay-TV service. After a year on the air, it merged with Western Canada's SuperChannel to become First Choice-SuperChannel, becoming a national pay-TV network.
In the late 80's-ealy 90's, First Choice-SuperChannel split up again, and once again became SuperChannel for Western Canada(from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, plus the Territories), and First Choice:The Movie Network for Eastern Canada(Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland-Labrador).
It wasn't until 1993 that it became known simply as The Movie Network, dropping the First Choice moniker entirely.
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