ATLANTIS MOVES INTO NEW MEDIA BUSINESS
By Adnews Staff
Atlantis Communications Inc. of Toronto has moved into the interactive new media business. The company has bought a 10% stake in Digital Renaissance of Toronto, and plans to increase its ownership to 20% within the next year. Under the agreement, Digital Renaissance and Bell Emergis, a division of Bell Canada, will create joint venture projects for the Life Network and Home & Garden Television Canada. For example, Atlantis Broadcasting and Digital has announced the fall premier of an interactive cooking show called Dish it Out to be aired on the Life Network. Viewers can also visit a Web site at <www.dish-it-out.com> to access the show's content and value-added information related to the show. Atlantis Broadcasting is the broadcasting arm of Atlantis Communications. "The acquisition of a minority stake in Digital Renaissance is complementary to our overall strategy of extending our specialty broadcasting business and enables us to establish a presence in interactive media production," Atlantis spokesperson Michael MacMillan says in a release. "There is an increasing demand for more non-conventional programming extending well beyond the traditional business of broadcasting." Atlantis operates the Life Network and HGTV Canada. In addition, it has applied to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to launch five new channels: Fit TV Canada, Food Network Canada, Canada's Health Network, National Geographic Channel Canada and the People Channel.