Ethnic Channels Group Limited

In 2003, the CRTC awarded a licence to Ethnic Channels Group to operate a specialty channel known as Ukrainian TV One. In 2004, the channel became known as Inter+. It was rebranded as Channel 5 in September of 2005, 1+1 International in 2006 and then Tonis, in 2008. Because of low subscriptions, the channel was dropped in February of 2009.

In September 2003, Ethnic Channels Group Limited received approval to launch a cable specialty channel to be known as Vietnamese TV, to provide programming targeted at the Vietnamese community in Canada. It launched in June 2004 as SBTN, the letters standing for Saigon Broadcasting Television Network, the prime source of the channel’s programming, which offered a combination of news, talk-shows, dramas, children's programming, entertainment, variety shows, movies, culture and history programming, and  talk shows focusing on legal, social and political issues.

On behalf of a company to be incorporated, the Eurasian Canadian Television Network Limited applied in 2000 for a cable specialty channel licence, to provide a service in Russian under the name NTV International, whose name in Russian is represented by the Cyrillic letters HBC.   The channel later became owned by Ethnic Channels Group, and was launched in 2006.  The program content largely came from NTV Russia, and included 7 daily newscasts from Russia, as well as feature films, series, game shows and sports, especially coverage of Russian and European soccer.

On February 5th 2013, the CRTC approved an application by Ethnic Channels Group Limited for a broadcasting licence to operate a national niche third-language ethnic specialty Category B service to be named  Mandarin Children's TV. The Commission also approved the applicant's request for authorization to broadcast up to six minutes per hour of local advertising.